Patience and Affection

#28 - ❝Whispers Of Doubt❞

The campus was unusually quiet for a weekday morning, thanks to Rhiannon's announcement of a rest day before exams. Wayne walked slowly towards the usual spot where he and Maxwell would meet. The stillness around him was calming, but there was an underlying tension in his chest that he couldn't shake off.

He leaned against a tree, waiting for Maxwell. He wasn’t used to feeling uncertain, but something about today made him uneasy. He checked his phone repeatedly, hoping for a message from Maxwell, but there was nothing.

“Wayne,” a familiar voice called out, breaking the silence.

Wayne turned to see Lily approaching him, her expression coy. She walked up to him with an air of confidence, stopping just a step away. Wayne’s eyes narrowed slightly as he straightened up.

“Anong ginagawa mo rito?” Wayne’s tone was polite but distant.

“Hinahanap ka,” Lily said, her voice sweet but with a hint of something else underneath. “Nandito ako para sabihin sa’yo na... si Maxwell, kasama si Minghao ngayon.”

Wayne's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Maxwell and Minghao together. He kept his expression neutral, not wanting to give Lily the satisfaction of seeing any reaction.

“Bakit mo nasabi ‘yan?” he asked, his voice steady.

“Kitang-kita ko sila kanina,” Lily continued, her eyes fixed on Wayne, gauging his response. “Mukhang masaya sila, ha. Ang boyfriend mo, parang nakalimutan ka na.”

Wayne clenched his jaw, not liking where this conversation was heading. He knew Maxwell wouldn’t just leave him hanging, especially on a day like this. But the seed of doubt that Lily was planting started to take root.

“Hindi ko alam kung bakit ka nagsasabi ng ganyan,” Wayne said, his voice tinged with irritation. “Pero hindi ko ‘yan basta-basta paniniwalaan.”

Lily smiled, a sly curve of her lips. “Alam ko namang loyal ka, Wayne. Pero minsan, kailangan mo ring isipin kung para saan ka lang ba nagiging loyal.”

Wayne stared at her, his mind racing. “Ano bang gusto mong palabasin, Lily?”

“Simple lang,” Lily replied, stepping closer. “Baka dapat piliin mo na lang ang taong nandiyan para sa’yo, kaysa maghintay sa taong busy sa iba.”

“Maxwell wouldn’t—” Wayne began, but Lily cut him off.

“Sure ka ba? Kasi parang ngayon, ako ang nandito para sa’yo.” Lily's voice was soft, almost soothing, but her words were sharp. She reached out as if to touch his arm, but Wayne stepped back.

“Hindi ako interesadong pakinggan ‘yang sinasabi mo, Lily,” Wayne said firmly. “Alam ko kung ano ang meron kami ni Maxwell.”

“Kung gano’n, bakit nandito ako ngayon? Bakit siya hindi?” Lily's eyes gleamed with a challenge, her tone taunting.

Wayne didn't have an answer. He glanced at his phone again, hoping for some sign from Maxwell, but the screen remained blank.

“Wayne, hindi mo kailangan maghintay sa taong hindi sigurado,” Lily continued, her voice smooth. “Ako, siguradong-sigurado ako sa’yo.”

“Lily, tama na,” Wayne finally said, his voice cold. “Hindi kita pipiliin, kahit anong sabihin mo.”

Lily’s confident demeanor faltered for a brief moment, but she quickly recovered, giving him a pitying look. “Sana hindi ka magsisi, Wayne. Minsan, ang taong akala mo para sa’yo, hindi pala.”

Wayne didn’t respond. He just turned away from her, refusing to let her words take root any further. He walked away, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in his chest. He knew Maxwell—knew the way they were together—but Lily’s words had introduced a doubt that he couldn’t easily dismiss.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

As Wayne walked, he tried to focus on finding Maxwell, on seeing for himself what was going on. He wasn’t going to let someone like Lily get between them, but the nagging worry that had taken hold of him wasn’t something he could ignore either.

“Maxwell, nasaan ka ba?” he muttered to himself, picking up his pace.

When he finally reached their usual meeting spot, it was empty. Wayne stood there, looking around, his heart sinking a little. He pulled out his phone, about to call Maxwell, when a voice called out behind him.

“Wayne?”

He turned around to see Maxwell hurrying towards him, a concerned look on his face. Wayne’s tension eased slightly at the sight of him, but the doubt was still there, lurking in the back of his mind.

“Pasensya na, medyo na-late ako,” Maxwell said, slightly out of breath. “May inasikaso lang ako sandali.”

Wayne forced a small smile, trying to push Lily’s words out of his head. “Okay lang. Ang importante, nandito ka na.”

Maxwell looked at him curiously, noticing the tension in Wayne’s voice. “May problema ba?”

“Wala,” Wayne replied too quickly, shaking his head. “Wala naman.”

Maxwell didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he smiled and reached out to take Wayne’s hand. “Halika na, let’s go somewhere. I feel like we need to talk.”

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

As they walked together, Wayne held on to Maxwell’s hand a little tighter than usual, trying to reassure himself. He had to trust what they had, had to believe in the connection they shared. But Lily’s words echoed in his mind, making him wonder if things were as solid as he thought.

And as they walked, with Maxwell talking animatedly beside him, Wayne tried to quiet the doubts, focusing instead on the warmth of Maxwell’s hand in his, on the familiarity of his voice. But deep down, a small part of him couldn’t shake the question that had been planted: what if Maxwell wasn’t as committed as he thought?

The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Wayne trying his best to push the nagging thoughts aside. But as the night came, and he found himself alone in his room, the doubts resurfaced.

Lily’s words, the image of Maxwell with Minghao, and the uncertainty of what the future held weighed heavily on him. And as he lay there in the darkness, Wayne couldn’t help but wonder if the foundation of his relationship with Maxwell was as unshakeable as he once believed.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃