hey you. good mor— wait. lex why are you crying?

"maine. he's.... he's leaving me"

anong— hey, pasok ka muna... sit down. kuha ako ng tubig

mukha ngang binata'y di nagbibiro. ngayon dalaga'y natutuliro.  paano nga ba makakayanan kung ang kaibigan ang nagsusumamo. isipan ngayon ay hati sa opinyon ng puso. sa kaibigan muna na luha'y tumutulo. sa kaibigan na may pinagdadaanan hindi dapat sumuko.

inom ka muna

"thanks bes."

what's wrong?

"rj's leaving me."

what do you m—

"here. he sent it this morning"

from: hon
let's meet tonight. no excuses this time. alonzo's 8:30pm. be there. please.

lex... don't jump—

"masakit maine. sobra. lam ko naman eh. kasalanan ko. matagal ko na ring alam na darating at darating ang araw na to."

lex he's asking you to spend time with him. baka naman namimiss ka lang nya.

"he doesn't love me anymore. alam ko naman eh. gaga lang talaga ako at pinatagal ko pa."

ayaw mo bang ipaglaban man lang si rj? susuko ka na lang ba agad?

"para san?"

mahal mo sya. hindi pa ba enough yun na rason para  lumaban ka. para sa inyong dalawa?

"mahal ko sya. mahal na mahal. kaya nga dapat matagal ko na syang pinalaya. mahal ko sya maine. kaya matagal ko na dapat binigay yung kalayaan na maging masaya siya."

why give up now?

"kasi yun ang dapat gawin. ang tagal na nyang nagsakripisyo para sa kin. siguro dapat ako naman."

anong plano mo.

"end his misery"

so ano hindi mo sya ipaglalaban? susuko ka na lang?

"hindi ka na dapat lumaban kung wala na yung pinaglalaban mo. kung hindi na masaya ang taong pinaglalaban mo. wala naman akong isusumbat kay rj eh. he has been the best boyfriend. walang reklamo. lahat ng bagay iniintindi nya. siguro tama na. enough of him always making sacrifices"

mahal ka ni rj, lex —

"minahal maine. minahal ako ni rj. tapos na. tapos na yung pagmamahal na yun"

lex...

"it's been too long. i kept him too long. he deserve his freedom. moreover, he deserve his happiness."

pano ka?

"sa simula lang. i have to stop my illusion. i don't have his heart anymore. matagal naman ng wala. he was just so gentleman —"

he knows about chico

"he what?— how did— teka. paano mo nalaman? and paano nya—"

he told me last time we talked. he said he knew for a while already. he did not say how.

"oh god!!!! now i felt more stupid."

alex you're not stupid

"i am maine. how could i? now i felt more guilty... bakit? bakit ba ganon sya kabait. why does he have to be so kind. so selfless. he knew and yet he didn't say a word."

he loves you alex.

"he loved me maine. and now this? he knew all along and what did he do? nothing maine. he still respected me. wala siyang sinabi sa press. this could've ended my career. but he chose to be silent and what have he gotten out of this? misery. me and my selfishness."

alex baka naman kaya nya yun ginawa kasi sobrang mahal ka nya.

"maine trust me i know i lost that love years back. but now i have to do this. i have to set him free. the least i could do for all the things he did for me. mahal ko si rj. maine. mahal na mahal. but this. this is all wrong. and believe me, i know i'm wrong. the moment i cheated with him up until now that i'm keeping my girlfriend title. me keeping him and him not being happy, i'm so wrong"

sigurado ka na ba? masasaktan ka lex

"mas masakit makita na nasasaktan sya because of me. he has done more than enough. believe me if you've seen us before. if you only knew the things he has done for me and my father, by now you're cursing me."

whatever your decision is, please know you'll have me. always.

"i know bes. for now i have to go. i need to clean the mess i did. just promise me one thing maine"

anything. you know i'll do whatever you ask me to.

"be his friend"

pero ale—

"hear me out. mahal ko sya maine. and i would want something about me to be in his life. call it selfishness or whatever, but please? be his friend?"

i— alex...

"i'll beg if i have to"

you don't need to. if he wants to be my friend who am i not to.

"thank you maine. i need to go now."

call me

"i will maine. i will"

^^^^^^^

{ alonzo's restaurant }

"rj"

alex. thanks for coming.

"let's talk..."

let's order first

"why not, let's end everything first"

alex, mag-usap—-

"shhhh.... ako muna. ngayon ako muna. palagi na lang kasing ikaw. i'm letting you go rj. sorry it took me so long. sorry for keeping your happiness. sorry for being selfish."

alex—

"no! don't say a word. not until i'm done. for the longest time i've hurt you. ngayon tinatapos ko na yung pananakit ko sayo. mahal kita. mahal na mahal. so please, take your freedom so you can find your happiness. i'm ending this. i'm ending us."

i've loved you alex.

"i know. naramdaman ko. you've been nothing but a great boyfriend. and i'm sorry for not loving you the same way you did."

hey, i never complained. you showed me your love in your own way. and i felt that. please don't think you're not good enough....

"i still love you. so please stop being nice mr. faulkerson. at least give me a reason to move on."

still the same old alex

"rj, i'm sorry. i'm terribly sorry for putting you thru all these."

alex minahal kita. wala akong pinagsisihan don. kung meron man, yun yung araw na hindi ko na makita yung sarili ko sa buhay mo. i tried. sana maniwala ka

"i do. alam ko naman. and i thank you for trying. and thank you for understanding my situation with charles and chico"

i'll always care for you, alex. you'll always have that place in my heart. and chico deserves to have a great mom. ang dami mong sinakripisyo for him, go be his mom. anyhow, we can still be friends naman di ba?

"wag muna. please. mahal pa kita eh. sa ngayon, boss kita at endorser ako ng isa sa mga brand ng kumpanya mo. pwede ba ganun muna? magda-drama pa ako sa pagka-brokenhearted ko noh"

i'll respect that. pero wag mo ng masyadong iyakan ha, mahihirapan make up artist mo.

siraulo! but thanks. i'll try not to cry that much. you'll be my one that got away.

baliw ka din talaga. but if there's something... don't hesitate to give me a call.

"i'll try not to muna ha. pag medyo hindi na masakit. but if time comes you find a girl na maiinlove ka ulit. make sure she'll love you more than i did. kung hindi...."

hahaha i'll make sure to ask for your opinion and your blessing. now let's have dinner?

"sure. last dinner hon."

last hidden dinner.

"ahm rj, last favor"

kahit hindi last

"my bestfriend"

what— ahm. what about nicomaine?

"i'll be leaving after our red carpet launching next friday. i'll be staying indefinitely sa milan to be with chico. can you please look after maine."

ahm.... i — well — uhh—

"please rj. she's been thru a lot and she's still going thru alot and she only have me here. wala syang.... wala kasi syang ibang kaibigan dito sa pinas. and i certainly would not trust anyone with her. please rj."

i mean if she's ok with it.

"thank you. at least i can breathe. ayoko talaga kasi syang iwan mag-isa. not after.... ahm... not — not at this current state but my son needs me badly."

how's chico?

"better now. a few more days sa hospital sabi ni charles and he'll be out. but i really need to be there for his recovery but i also need to look after maine. i'm all she's got here..."

take care of chico. i'll look after your bestfriend.

"thank you rj. and also...."

also what?

"baka sakali lang. nakaka-inlove kasi ang bestfriend ko...."

hindi makasagot. ang binata tila nabawasan ang takot. isa ba itong palatandaan ng pagbibigay pahintulot. na maaaring sumaya at mawala ang lungkot. humihiling na sana nga'y mabigyang daan ang sayang pwedeng idulot. baka sakaling sa puso ng dalaga maari ng kumatok...

                            ********************

muli po maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat na naglalaan ng panahon sa kwentong ito. hindi nyo lang po alam kung gaano pinalalakas ang loob ko ng pagbabasa at pakikipagkulitan nyo sa akin... you all keep me inspired in writing... maraming maraming salamat po... at dun sa dalawa hinding-hindi ako bibitaw NO MATTER WHAT 😇