Ella’s POV
The Ferris wheel ride helped more than I thought. By the time we got off, I felt lighter, like the weight of seeing Ethan and Katherine together wasn’t pressing on my chest as hard anymore. Maybe Lily was right. I didn’t need to let it get to me. There were more important things in life than boys, right? I just needed to keep reminding myself of that.
The festival was still buzzing, but I had had enough of it for the day. With a week-long school break starting, I decided it was time to forget about everything, about Ethan, school, everything, and just focus on something fun. Something that didn’t involve drama.
Khian came over to me later that evening, once the crowd had started to die down. His face was a little less tense, probably because all his school board duties were done for the day. “You good?” he asked, looking me up and down like he was assessing whether I was going to break down at any second.
“Yeah,” I said, forcing a smile. “Better, actually.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. But instead of pushing it, he gave me this small smile. “Good. I’ve been thinking,” he said. “You, me, Sophie, and Lily, we should go somewhere for the break. Get away from here for a bit. Baguio City?”
I blinked. “Baguio?”
Khian nodded. “Yeah, a trip to the mountains might be good for all of us. You know, strawberry farms, beaches, just... relaxing.” He crossed his arms and looked at me, waiting for a reaction.
I couldn’t help but grin. “That sounds... perfect.”
It didn’t take long for the idea to take off. Sophie and Lily were all over it the minute I mentioned it to them. Sophie was already talking about all the Instagram photos she’d take, and Lily was excited about escaping the boys who were giving her a headache lately.
-----
The next morning, we packed up and hit the road. The drive to Baguio was long but beautiful. I sat in the back seat of Khian’s car, watching the scenery change from the flat roads to the winding mountain passes. The air got cooler the higher we went, and before long, we were surrounded by tall pine trees, their fresh scent filling the car.
Sophie had her phone out, snapping pictures of everything, while Lily made sarcastic comments about her needing “The perfect angle.” for every shot. Khian stayed focused on the road, but every now and then, he’d look back at me in the mirror, checking to see if I was still doing okay.
And honestly, I was. I felt better than I had in days. The tension that had been gnawing at me since the festival had started to fade away, and being here, far from school and Ethan and all the drama, was exactly what I needed.
We reached Baguio in the early afternoon, and after checking into a small but cozy inn, we headed straight to the strawberry farm. I’ve always loved strawberries, so the idea of picking fresh ones was exciting. The air was cool, the sky clear, and the rows of bright red berries stretched out in front of us like something out of a postcard.
Lily, Sophie, and I grabbed baskets and started picking, laughing as we tried to find the biggest and ripest ones. Khian hung back a bit, watching us with that amused, protective look he always had. I could tell he was happy to see me smiling again.
“So,” Sophie said, plucking a strawberry and popping it into her mouth, “what’s the plan for the rest of the break? Just eating strawberries, or are we actually going to do something fun?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “This 'is' fun, Sophie.”
“Yeah, but I mean something... exciting. Like, I don’t know, swimming or hiking or—”
“Relax,” Khian cut in. “We’ve got a whole week. Plenty of time for all of that.”
Lily looked over at me, her eyes narrowing in that way they always did when she was about to say something serious. “So, how are you really doing, Ella? No lies.”
I hesitated for a second, but then I shrugged. “I’m okay, actually. I mean, seeing Ethan with Katherine sucked, but... I don’t know. I can’t keep letting it mess with me. I’m just gonna focus on other things.”
Lily nodded, satisfied with my answer, while Sophie gave me a side hug, nearly spilling her basket of strawberries in the process.
---
We spent most of the afternoon just relaxing, laughing, hiding and munching strawberries, and enjoying the cold cozy wether. For the first time in a long time, I felt free. Like I wasn’t carrying the weight of everything on my shoulders.
But then something happened. As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the farm, I saw someone familiar walking along the shore. My heart dropped into my stomach.
No. It couldn’t be.
But it was.
Ethan.
He was there, on the same town as us, walking with a group of people I didn’t recognize. My mind raced. What was he doing here? Of all places?
Sophie must’ve noticed the look on my face because she followed my gaze and froze. “Oh my God... is that...?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Lily, catching on, looked over and swore under her breath. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. What’s he doing here?”
I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to run up to him and demand answers why he was here, why he was with Katherine, why everything had to be so confusing, but the other part of me wanted to turn around and pretend I hadn’t seen him. To keep enjoying the break without letting Ethan ruin it.
But before I could make a decision, Ethan spotted us. His eyes locked on mine from across the farm, and for a split second, everything else faded away. It was just him and me, standing there, frozen in time.
And then he started walking toward us.
I panicked. What was I supposed to do now?
Sophie grabbed my arm. “Do you want to talk to him, or do you want to leave? We can go, you know.”
I looked at her, then at Ethan, who was getting closer by the second. I had to make a choice. Run or face it?
Before I could decide, Khian stepped forward, positioning himself between me and Ethan, his protective instincts kicking in. “Ella?” he asked, his voice low. “What do you want to do?”
I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “I... I don’t know.”
And for the first time in a long time, I genuinely didn’t know what I wanted.
---
I stood there, my feet frozen, watching Ethan as he kept walking towards us. My heart was beating so hard, I could feel it in my throat. Khian’s presence beside me should have made me feel safe, but it didn’t. Not right now. Not when the guy who turned my world upside down was getting closer by the second.
Sophie squeezed my arm again, her voice a low whisper. “Ella, you don’t have to talk to him. We can just go.”
But I shook my head. As much as I wanted to run, to pretend like he wasn’t there, I couldn’t. I couldn’t avoid him forever, and something inside me just snapped. I needed answers. I needed to know why he was here, why he seemed fine, like everything was okay while I was the one drowning in confusion.
Ethan finally stopped in front of us, his eyes fixed on mine. There was this awkward silence between us, like neither of us knew what to say. He looked almost nervous, his hands shoved into his pockets, but his expression was calm. Too calm.
“Ella,” he said, his voice quiet. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady. “Yeah, same here. What are you doing in Baguio?”
His eyes flicked over to Khian, who was still standing protectively beside me, his arms crossed, before he glanced at Sophie and Lily, who were both watching like they were waiting for a bomb to go off. Ethan looked back at me and shrugged. “I’m here with some friends. We wanted to get away for the break.”
I nodded slowly, my mind racing. Of course, he was here with friends. But where was Katherine? Was she part of this “friends” group? I wanted to ask, but the words got stuck in my throat.
Ethan’s eyes softened a bit, and he took a small step closer. “Ella, can we talk? Just the two of us?”
Khian shifted beside me, clearly not liking where this was going. “Ella doesn’t need to—”
I cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s fine, Khian. I can handle it.” My voice sounded more confident than I felt.
Khian hesitated, but eventually stepped back, giving me space. Sophie and Lily exchanged worried glances, but they didn’t say anything. I guess they knew I had to face this on my own.
Ethan and I walked a little further down the farm, away from everyone else. The sound of the leaves crashing against the shore filled the silence between us, and for a moment, I just stared at the leaves of fruits, trying to gather my thoughts.
Finally, I turned to him. “Why are you really here, Ethan?”
He let out a small sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Like I said, I’m here with friends. It’s... it’s a coincidence.”
“Right,” I said, not buying it. “And Katherine? She part of your little getaway too?”
Ethan’s expression shifted, like he wasn’t expecting me to ask about her. “No. She’s not here.”
I crossed my arms, waiting for him to explain, but he didn’t. The silence between us felt heavy, and I hated it. I hated how things had gotten so weird between us when we used to be so close.
“Look, Ethan,” I said, my voice firmer now, “I saw you with her at the festival. I saw everything. And I just need to know... what’s going on between you two?”
He looked at me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to lie. But then he sighed again, his shoulders slumping a little. “It’s complicated, Ella. Katherine and I... we’ve been hanging out a bit, but it’s not what you think.”
I felt my chest tighten. “Then what is it? Because from where I was standing, it looked like you two were pretty close.”
He looked frustrated, like he didn’t know how to explain. “Katherine... she’s been helping me with some stuff. Family stuff. That’s all.”
“Family stuff?” I repeated, not sure if I believed him.
Ethan nodded, his expression serious. “Yeah. My parents... they’re going through some things, and Katherine’s been there for me. That’s it. There’s nothing romantic between us, I swear.”
I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to believe him, but the other part of me was still hurt. I didn’t know if I could just brush it off like it was nothing.
Ethan took a small step closer, his voice soft. “Ella, you mean a lot to me. You always have. I just didn’t want to drag you into all of this when I didn’t even know how to deal with it myself.”
I looked up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “Then why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you just talk to me?”
He looked down, guilt flashing across his face. “I didn’t want to burden you. I thought... maybe it would be easier if I handled it on my own.”
I felt a tear slip down my cheek before I could stop it. “But you left me out, Ethan. You left me out when I needed you the most.”
Ethan reached out, gently wiping the tear away with his thumb. His touch was soft, and for a moment, I felt like we were back to being the kids who spent every summer together, laughing and playing like nothing else mattered.
“I’m sorry, Ella,” he whispered. “I never meant to hurt you.”
I stood there, looking at him, torn between wanting to forgive him and wanting to stay angry. But deep down, I knew I couldn’t stay mad forever. He was my childhood friend, the one person who knew me better than anyone. Maybe things had changed, but that connection between us was still there, no matter how much I tried to deny it.
I let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly. “Okay,” I whispered. “Just... don’t shut me out again, okay?”
Ethan smiled softly, his eyes full of relief. “I... I won’t.”
We stood there for a few more moments, the sound of the waves of leaves filling the air. For the first time in a long time, it felt like we were finally on the same page again.
But as we started walking back toward Khian, Sophie, and Lily, I couldn’t shake this feeling that things weren’t as simple as Ethan made them out to be. There was something he wasn’t telling me, something more than just “family stuff.”
And I was determined to find out what it was.
As we got closer, Khian’s gaze locked onto Ethan, his protective instincts still in full force. I could tell he didn’t trust him, not after everything that had happened. And honestly? Neither did I. But for now, I’d let it go.
Because no matter how much things had changed, I still wanted to believe that Ethan was the boy I once knew. The one who had always been there for me.
Even if that boy was slowly disappearing right before my eyes.