by Thessa Lim
Lanox, thank you for putting up with the crazy schedules and my insane follow-ups. Thank you for teaching me new words, style book stuff, about semicolons and quotes, and so many more!
Helena, Tere, Ebet, Junette, John Alrey, Jessel, Steph, Jenny, for enabling me to go into your worlds and develop my characters, my heartfelt thanks.
Ate Helen, for taking care of me and my family, for giving me the time I needed to write, you are the best!
Mark, for reading my books and sharing with me the male perspective, for creating such fantastic covers, for the inspiration and understanding, thank you. Most especially, for never freaking out when waking up in the middle of the night and then seeing a long-haired woman typing on a dimly lit tablet at the foot of the bed.
Caleb, you are such a great kid, letting Mom do what she loves to do. Even though Mom sometimes gets lost in her characters’ worlds, your world is still Mom’s favorite place to be in.
Thank you, God, for getting me through this—this awesome ride of love, of life.
This book was originally published in 2016 by Thessa Lim.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Thessa Lim
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Thessa Lim.
Visit Thessa Lim on the World Wide Web at
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THESSA LIM is a Filipina writer of new adult fiction for women. After growing up in the bustling city of Iloilo, she studied information technology at the Ateneo de Manila University and then worked in Metro Manila before moving to Singapore. Her linguistic repertoire includes Hiligaynon, Bisaya, Tagalog, and English, but she only writes in English (teehee). The Singaporean slang she uses consists of lah, leh, and ayo.
With the Of Heads and Hearts series, Thessa wants the world to know about the modern-day Filipina even if it is through light, witty reads.
In her spare time, she reads, takes a dip in the sea, or travels with her family.
To get the latest updates on Thessa and her writing, sign up for her mailing list at www.thessalim.com or follow her Facebook page www.facebook.com/ThessaLimOfficial. Check her out on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thessalim.
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[1] A woman with brown complexion
[2] A title for a male who is older
[3] Dried anchovies with red coating, usually served spicy or sweet and spicy
[4] A vehicle used as public transport in the Philippines, originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II and well-known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating
[5] A small store that sells cheap household and kitchen items
[6] A dugout canoe with outriggers and a roof of bamboo
[7] A suckling pig that is roasted
[8] Pork sausage in natural casings made from pig intestines
[9] Used to address older women as a sign of respect
[10] Aunt; also used to address older unrelated women who are accorded the same respect as one’s parents
[11] A Filipino pork dish made from leftover lechon cooked in vinegar and garlic
[12] A Visayan dish cooked with chicken or pork and is stewed in coconut milk and chili
[13] Dried fish or squid, which can be pungent, with a crunchy and chewy texture
[14] A light meal usually taken for brunch or in the afternoon, filling in the gap between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner
[15] A close female friend who is the godmother of one’s child or the mother of one’s godchild
[16] Cheek-to-cheek kiss
[17] A Pangasinense stew made up mostly of beef innards
[18] A Pangasinense dish made with strips of beef and stir-fried cabbage
[19] A title for a male who is older, usually used as a sign of respect
[20] A traditional Filipino game played with seashells on a wooden boatlike board with two rows of seven circular holes and two large holes at both ends, called “heads”
[21] A dish from the Bicol province made essentially of taro leaves, coconut milk, and chili
[22] A plant-eating marine mammal
[23] Father
[24] A woman who grew up in the province; generally used for a woman who grew up outside Metro Manila
[25] Child
[26] Literally translated as “Filipino Genius,” a word game wherein a piece of paper is stuck to a player’s forehead, and the player has to guess what the word or phrase on the paper is. He can ask another player or an audience questions to help him, but the questions can only be answered with a yes, no, or maybe.
[27] An afternoon rest or nap
[28] A salutation that refers to women who are older in age, used as a sign of respect
[29] A woman who is delusional
[30] A Philippine condiment made of partially or completely fermented fish or krill and salt
[31] A double outrigger sailboat native to the Visayas region of the Philippines
Table of Contents
Chapter One Jazmine and the Tunnel
Chapter Two After the Tunnel
Chapter Three Zara and the Break
Chapter Four Anne and the Cranny
Chapter Five The Feasting on Lechon
Chapter Six Laine and the High-Rise
Chapter Seven Jazmine and the Intersection
Chapter Eight Zara and the Pit
Chapter Nine Jazmine and the Shoulder
Chapter Ten Zara and the Big Ladder
Chapter Eleven Jazmine and the Mommy Highway
Chapter Twelve Laine and the Bridge over a Pond
Chapter Thirteen Jazmine and Braden
Chapter Fourteen Anne and the Skyway Idea
Chapter Fifteen The Elopement Notebook
Chapter Sixteen The Wedding Gown
Chapter Seventeen Four Years Ago
Chapter Eighteen Hearts Are Tested
Chapter Nineteen Jazmine and the Concrete Barrier
Chapter Twenty Rules of Engagement
Chapter Twenty-one When Girls Go Marching In
Chapter Twenty-two The Manhole
Chapter Twenty-three Zara and Matt
Chapter Twenty-four The Videoke Madness
Chapter Twenty-five Last Chance
Chapter Twenty-six The Day before the Wedding
Chapter Twenty-seven Anne and Daniel
Chapter Twenty-eight Salvage Some
Chapter Twenty-nine What Lies Ahead
Chapter Thirty Girlfriends Make It All Good
Anne
Jazmine
Laine
Zara
