Someday With You

By Ines Bautista-Yao

 

 

A broken heart doesn't mean the end of the world. In this short story compilation, Patrick, Toby, and Andrew still continue to hope for and dream of their own happy ever after. 

 

Someday With You 

 

Five years ago, when they were teenagers in college, they'd made a pact to come back to this same spot, no matter where they were in the world, no matter who they had become. But five years wasn't enough to erase the heartache Patrick felt when Andrea disappeared from his life, when he thought he'd lost her for good. And now that the time has come, he can't keep the feelings from rushing back to the surface, possibly messing up his life once more.

 

One Last Thing

 

All Toby wants is to keep Angela from falling in love with someone else. That isn't too much to ask considering he's already won her over and she's finally convinced he isn't just another spoiled, rich boy. But when his buddy Jake enters the picture, Angela seems to be slipping away. Toby has to make the hardest decision of his life and that might even mean letting go. 

 

Things I'll Never Say 

 

Andrew, Penny, and Raffy aren't what you'd call regular teenagers. They're hugely popular models of hot, teen clothing brand Pineapple Slice. Though all three have become celebrities in their own right, fans passionately ship Penny and Raffy (with a hashtag to match). What nobody knows is Andrew has been in love with Penny ever since he first heard her laugh at one of his lame jokes. So when she tells him she wants out of their charmed existence, he starts to panic. But he also wonders if this is his chance to claim the happy ending he's always hoped for. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ines Bautista-Yao
• Release date: Jun 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227890764

Book preview

Someday With You

1

This was a bad idea. Patrick didn’t know why he’d agreed to come to this reunion in the first place. Sure, five years ago, they were high on friendship, youth, and yeah, booze, but water that down with hours of office drudgery, losing touch with everyone (except on social media), and even more booze, and it didn’t seem like the golden idea it was when they’d made this pact five years ago, when they were juniors in college.

Patrick kicked at a pebble and stared out into the sea, the breeze gently blowing his hair into his eyes. He loved the beach, always had. Which was why it was even more depressing that the last time he had been here was before he’d joined the agency, before he’d lost any semblance of the life he used to have.

His friends were going to arrive any minute and he’d already made sure things were just as they’d requested—and that pretty much boiled down to loads of alcohol and food. He was certain Miguel was going to bring some of his magic brownies, Winnie would have her guitar, Toni might force some new board game on them, and Xander would bring his volleyball.

And Andrea. He didn’t even know if she was coming. Back then, she was the one who made them promise, made him promise to be there no matter where they were in their lives, no matter what they were doing, no matter how far away they’d be living.

Patrick, you have to be there. Swear. Then she pricked her thumb with a safety pin she had attached to her tote, took his hand, pricked his without even asking, and rubbed them together. Patrick tried his best not to flinch, even if he was deathly afraid of needles. He didn’t want to seem like a wimp, not when this free-spirited, beautiful girl held his hand in hers. There! Now we have a blood compact. You can’t break it. The dimples in her cheeks deepened as she gazed at him. And for a moment, Patrick felt his life was complete. He had Andrea’s blood in him. He could die a happy man.

But then her phone rang. Hi, babe. Yeah… nothing… just hanging out with Winnie and Toni. The guys are catching fish somewhere. Then she looked at Patrick and made a goofy face. His breaking heart ached even more. How could this fantastic woman belong to someone else? How could she have pressed her pierced thumb against his, forever binding them together? How could he sit there and listen to her talk to her boyfriend while he quietly looked on, pretending he didn’t hear anything? How could he be such an idiot?

Sorry about that. You know how possessive he can be. She shoved her phone deep into her tote and sucked on her thumb. It was disturbingly sensual. Patrick wanted to put that thumb into his mouth too. But he wasn’t that guy. He was her friend. He was the one she turned to when she needed advice, a shoulder to cry on, or a paper to be proofread (and heavily edited).

Pat! How long have you been here? I’m so glad you made it! screeched a high-pitched voice, jolting him back to the present. A pair of arms engulfed him in a tight hug and he closed his eyes, happy to be with his friends again.

Hey, Toni. I just arrived. He hugged her back. He got even more hugs from Miguel (who had the brownies and other magical things in his backpack), Winnie (who left her guitar at home but brought waterproof speakers and her mobile phone’s playlists), and Xander (who had his volleyball in the car).

So is she coming? Winnie cocked an eyebrow at Patrick as they entered the beach house.

Why are you asking me? He frowned at her from the kitchen counter, putting away the bags of junk food Xander tossed at him.

She just gave him a look, her wide dark brown eyes unblinking. She disappears from the face of this earth, no one knows which part of the world she’s in, and the only one we assume she’s in touch with is you.

That’s because none of you know what happened that night, he thought. The night she left all of us. The night she left me.

2

Patrick could never think of college without remembering Andrea. She filled his days, his nights, his thoughts, his dreams. She wasn’t his, but somehow, she was always with him. They were together in most classes and part of the same barkada. She complained that Caleb, her boyfriend, never had any time for her. He was in law school and out to prove something to himself and the rest of the world. But Patrick was right there: carrying her bags, opening doors, holding out chairs—and all this on an ordinary day at school.

Let’s do something crazy this weekend, Patrick. They were waiting at the bus stop for their next class—not for the bus. Andrea said the rest of the campus was too crowded and she wanted a little space. Even if Patrick had an exam to study for, he closed his heavy textbook and picked up her bag without asking any questions.

What do you want to do?

She leaned her head on his shoulder. He held his breath. She was always doing sweet things like this: taking his hand, giving him a hug, leaning her head on his shoulder. She didn’t know how it all affected him. She didn’t know that a mere sniff of her hair made his world spin. And even if he knew she was with Caleb, he still hung around. Because being around her made him happy.

I don’t know. Caleb will be studying. Everyone else has exams. I know yours will end this week. I don’t care about mine, so let’s go somewhere. She sounded dreamy. He didn’t have to look at her to know her eyes were closed.

He wanted to take her hand, to tell her he’d go anywhere with her. He didn’t want to move for fear she’d lift her head, breaking the spell.

"My tito owns a beach house in Batangas. I can ask if it’s free." His tito’s beach house was a standing offer in the family, but this was the first time Patrick had ever thought of taking him up on it. This was the first time he had a chance to impress someone special.

A beach house?

Patrick instantly regretting mentioning it because Andrea lifted her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Uh, yeah.

That is awesome, Patrick! But not this weekend. Let’s save that trip for when everyone can go! I can’t wait to plan this! His heart sank. But what did he expect? To actually drive three-and-a-half hours to Batangas and spend the night alone with Andrea? He wasn’t that lucky. In fact, based on how she was now texting Winnie and Toni, he wasn’t lucky at all.

Later that afternoon, when he was in the library buried in his textbooks once more, Patrick felt someone take a seat next to him. He raised his eyes to see Xander sitting there, studying him.

What? Patrick asked, keeping his voice down. His friend obviously had something to say but the library wasn’t exactly the best place for a chat.

We’re worried about you. That was his friend, direct to the point.

I’m not failing. Not like some people I know. Patrick turned away from Xander and tried to read once more. But he could still feel his friend’s eyes on him.

She has a boyfriend.

I know that.

Doesn’t look like you do.

What do you want me to do, Xander? Patrick finally gave up the pretense of studying and looked his friend in the eye.

Stop hanging around her, Pat. Xander gave a big sigh. You’re just going to get hurt. We can all see where this is heading.

I don’t appreciate you guys talking behind my back.

"Get used to it. We do it all the time. Especially because you’ve been giving us lots to talk