11. More Than Friends
Chapter eleven
More Than Friends
The weeks passed quietly.
Nothing about Miko and Meca changed on the outside.
At work, they remained the same two women everyone had grown used to seeing together.
They laughed.
They worked.
They covered for one another when the workload became overwhelming.
If Miko needed help, Meca was there.
If Meca needed help, Miko never hesitated.
To everyone else, they were simply good coworkers.
Only they knew the friendship no longer ended when they left the building.
Their phones had become part of each other's daily routine.
Good morning texts turned into afternoon check-ins.
Afternoon check-ins became conversations after work.
Conversations stretched into late evenings.
Sometimes they laughed until one of them said, "Girl, we've been on this phone almost two hours."
Neither one seemed to mind.
One evening Miko sat on her couch, still dressed from work, while talking to Meca.
"You still awake?" Miko laughed.
"You the one that called me."
"I know."
"And now you sleepy."
"I am."
"So why you don't hang up?"
Miko smiled.
"I don't know."
There was a pause.
Neither woman rushed to end the call.
They simply enjoyed hearing each other breathe on the other end of the phone.
Finally Meca broke the silence.
"You know...I haven't laughed this much in a long time."
Miko smiled.
"Me neither."
"I needed this."
"So did I."
Those words stayed with Meca long after the call ended.
She had promised herself this would never become complicated.
She remembered exactly what Miko had said.
"No strings attached."
She agreed.
She meant it.
But somewhere between the conversations, the laughter, and the quiet moments, something inside her had changed.
She no longer looked forward to seeing Miko only because they worked together.
She looked forward to seeing her because she genuinely missed her when she wasn't around.
That realization scared her.
The following afternoon, Miko invited Meca over after work.
Nothing fancy.
Just takeout, music playing softly in the background, and two women talking about life.
Hours passed without either of them noticing.
They talked about childhood memories.
Dreams they never shared with anyone.
The mistakes they wished they could take back.
At one point Miko looked across the room.
"You know something?"
"What?"
"I can talk to you about anything."
Meca smiled.
"I feel the same way."
"I don't know why."
"You don't have to know why."
Miko laughed softly.
"I guess not."
The room became quiet.
Not uncomfortable.
Peaceful.
The kind of silence that only exists between people who trust each other.
Before Meca left that night, Miko walked her to the door.
"Drive safe."
"I will."
Meca started walking toward her car before turning around.
"Miko?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad we met."
Miko smiled.
"Me too."
Meca drove away with a smile on her face.
She couldn't stop thinking about those three words.
"I'm glad we met."
They sounded simple.
But they meant everything.
Back at home, Miko sat quietly in her living room.
Her phone buzzed.
She smiled automatically, expecting it to be Meca.
Instead...
It was Jayson.
She stared at his name on the screen.
It had been days since he called.
Days.
She answered anyway.
"Hey."
"What's up?" he asked casually.
"Nothing much."
"I've been busy."
"I noticed."
"I'll make it up to you."
Miko looked down at the phone.
She had heard those words before.
"I know," she answered quietly.
After the call ended, she didn't feel excited.
She didn't feel disappointed.
She simply set the phone down.
For the first time in a long time...
Jayson's voice didn't stay with her.
Someone else's did.