CHAPTER 5: TWO HEARTS, ONE SECRET

She buried her face again in the warm body she was lying on. The sensation of its body felt so comforting, as if she were using it as a pillow.

Wait... What?!

Body? Pillow?

She suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the chest she was lying on. She only then remembered what had happened last night, which completely woke her up.

It felt like watching a movie replaying in her mind—the kiss between her and Brent.

God! Brent was her first kiss! And not just any kiss, but a torrid kiss!

What's more, she felt like she was already an expert on the intensity of their kiss last night. Her cheeks immediately flushed.

How would she face her friend now, as if nothing had happened? She needed to get up and leave the tent before Brent woke up.

It was still early in the morning, she thought, because no sunlight had come out yet. She carefully moved her face away from Brent's chest and looked up to see if he was still asleep.

She almost screamed in surprise when their eyes met, looking so serious, as if he had been awake for a while.

She quickly buried her face in Brent's chest again and tightly closed her eyes.

Should she pretend to sleep again? Ah, never mind! She wasn't ready to face him yet.

"Zy, I know you're not going to fall back asleep now. I let you be last night. We really need to talk, Zy," her friend's voice sounded so serious.

She took a deep breath. He was right. She couldn't avoid this forever.

"After we talk, you can lie back on my chest for as long as you want," Brent teased.

She quickly moved away from him. She was about to get up, but Brent pulled her back and made her lie sideways in his arms. Their eyes met immediately. She was about to look away when Brent held her face to stop her.

Brent was holding her gaze, so she couldn't do anything but look back, even though she felt awkward. Brent was also lying sideways facing her.

"There was a spark between us when we kissed last night. We can't deny that," Brent started.

She couldn't answer because what he was saying was true. In fact, her mind and heart were all mixed up after that kiss they shared.

"Zy?" Brent asked her name questioningly.

"Y-yeah?" Her voice barely came out.

Brent looked at her face while keeping his hand on her cheek.

"Can we at least try it?" he asked seriously.

"T-try w-what?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what Brent meant.

Brent took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Be together?" he said without hesitation.

She stared at him for a long time. She knew that kiss had awakened something strange in her. She also wanted to find out what kind of feeling that was.

"O-okay," she answered quietly.

She saw Brent's eyes light up at her answer.

"But..." she quickly added.

Brent's expression suddenly changed to one of concern after she said that.

"But what?" Brent asked immediately.

She swallowed and struggled to find the right words for her next request.

"C-can we not tell anyone yet? This should just be between us for now," she requested.

"Why?" Brent asked, sounding like he didn't agree with the request.

"Since this is still a trial and error situation, can we tell them later, when we're really sure? Let's say... two months or three months from now. I-if... if we're really going to be together," she said, struggling.

Brent didn't respond for a long time, but eventually, he nodded.

"Okay," he answered, then kissed her on the forehead.

She closed her eyes at the feeling of Brent's lips on her forehead. Brent pushed her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear. He was about to kiss her again when they suddenly heard someone calling from outside the tent.

"Yohoo! How's it going there? You might be making me a godmother in nine months!" Joe's loud voice echoed, and she laughed after his comment.

She immediately pulled her face away from Brent and quickly got up, especially when they saw Joe's hand moving like knocking on the tent.

"Knock, knock! I'm starting to doubt whether you're going to open the tent," Joe teased.

Brent quickly unzipped the tent, and Joe's face popped in immediately.

"Oh, they're still dressed," Joe chuckled after saying that.

"You're crazy!" both her and Brent said in unison.

She quickly left the tent to stop Joe's teasing. Every time Joe teased them now, her heart would skip a beat. They might get caught.

Brent came out as well and started packing up the tent. She avoided looking at him, afraid her cheeks would turn red and Joe would notice.

"Come on, hurry up. The sun's about to rise. I want us to wait for the sunrise together!" Joe waved his hand dramatically.

She picked up their things, waiting for Brent to finish packing the tent.

Brent looked at her.

"You go ahead so you can get ready. I'll follow after I'm done," he told her.

Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice. Joe glanced back and forth between them.

"Hmmm..." was all Joe said, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.

Before it could spark another intrigue, she locked arms with her gay friend.

"Let's go now, so I can wash my face and comb my hair. We're heading out first, Brent," she said, bidding farewell to the man without looking back, fearing their nosy friend might catch on to something.

Brent didn't respond as she and Joe left. As they walked towards the cottage, she didn't realize she was already smiling.

"Zy, what magical thing happened last night? You and Brent seem to have a different vibe," Joe teased, clearly not done prying.

"Huh? Magical? How could it be magical when Brent suddenly farted inside the tent? I almost fainted from the smell. I think I actually passed out and just fell asleep," she made up a story to dispel Joe's suspicions.

It worked because Joe burst into loud laughter, unable to stop until they reached the cottage.

"Good morning!" Nick greeted them with a smile, already sipping his coffee.

"Good morning to all of you, too!" she cheerfully replied to her friends and smiled back at Nick.

Why didn't she feel giddy about Nick's smile anymore? Why was her mind stuck on Brent, who was still packing up the tent?

She even had to stop herself from going back to him. There was an unusual happiness stirring in her now.

Smiling to herself, she shook her head.

"Looks like you woke up on the right side of the bed," Nick noticed, his gaze fixed on her as he caught the unique smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, she slept really well, thanks to Brent's magical fart!" Joe suddenly butted in, narrating the made-up story she'd told earlier.

Everyone laughed, except for Nick, who kept his eyes on her while sipping his coffee.

Feeling awkward, she stepped away from him, sensing that he was studying her expressions.

"Did I just hear Joe shouting my name?" She quickly turned around when she heard Brent's voice.

Their eyes met instantly. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before looking away to avoid any suspicion from their friends.

Joe wasted no time recounting her fabricated story about Brent.

"What?!" Brent exclaimed, utterly confused.

She couldn't hold back her laughter at Brent's bewildered expression.

"Oh, really? You're making up stories about me, huh?" Brent said threateningly, pretending to come closer to her.

She immediately bolted away from him.

"Seriously, I don't understand why those two aren't a couple yet," Joe casually remarked, already preparing the camera for their sunrise photoshoot.

As they ran, they didn't realize they had moved a bit farther from the cottage.

"Enough, Brent! I'm out of breath," she finally gave in.

She leaned against a coconut tree, trying to catch her breath. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Someone might see us," she softly protested, lightly swatting at his arms that were holding her.

"They can't see us anymore," he whispered as he brought his face closer to hers.

She didn't say another word and found herself looking at his face, now just a short distance away.

She closed her eyes when his lips brushed against hers. He gave her soft, fleeting kisses before holding her hand to lead her back to the cottage.

She scolded herself internally, feeling a bit disappointed with the kind of kiss he gave her.

They returned just in time, as Joe was already ready for their photoshoot, and the sun was just starting to come out.

Everyone got into their own poses. But the final shot featured her and Brent together. Joe needed a couple for his latest project, and he insisted they were perfect for the theme.

Joe decided on their poses, and they silently followed along as the sun steadily rose.

Joe instructed Brent to hold her by the waist while her hand rested on his neck. She was supposed to look as if Brent was about to kiss her. Both she and Brent froze for a moment but didn't complain further.

Their faces were so close as Joe continuously snapped pictures. Their friends Eunice and Katrina were loudly cheering from the sidelines, while Nick had already excused himself to head back to the cottage.

"I might actually kiss you if I can't hold myself back," Brent whispered, while Joe was still engrossed in taking pictures.

"Try it, and we'll break up right here," she threatened in a quiet voice.

She caught the glint in his eyes again.

"Hey! Lovebirds! I told you earlier we were done. You both look like you're enjoying this. Why don't you make it real so I can capture an actual kissing shot?" Joe suddenly called out.

She quickly pulled her hand from Brent's neck, stepped back, and ran toward Joe.

"Let me see the pictures," she said, ignoring Joe's earlier teasing.

Their friend's photos were stunning. Joe really had a talent for photography. She almost wanted to ask for copies but hesitated, afraid they might catch on.

The photos made her and Brent look like a couple deeply in love.

But was it just appearances? Or was it real? A nagging thought crept into her mind.

She glanced at Brent after that question. He was looking at her too, and he immediately smiled and playfully fluttered his eyes at her.

She rolled her eyes at him, laughing softly. Joe noticed everything and raised an eyebrow, smirking secretly. It seemed he had just confirmed his suspicions.