Chapter 16

Ericka's heart pounded heavily. It felt like she couldn't move as Monte's face slowly approached hers. She closed her eyes tightly. The elevator suddenly made a relieving sound, and she couldn't quite understand it, but it seemed to disappoint her. Do I want to kiss him? It's embarrassing. She scolded herself. Just stop it, you're being too forward. You might end up falling for him, and then he'll just deceive you.

Monte guided her towards his car. She wondered why Mang Arturo wasn't there.

"Uh, sir... I mean Monte, where's Mang Arturo?"

"I drove alone. I want to talk to you, just the two of us."

"Uh... What are we going to talk about?"

"About us."

And there, they began weaving their stories – how they fell for each other, the courtship, the start of their relationship, and much more. Remembering was easy for her; each milestone aligned with their birthdays.

As the car moved, they delved into conversations about everything. Favorite activities and foods were already known to each othe