Maybe This Time

26

The silence in the condo was unsettling for Aiah. With Maxwell spending the weekend at MJ's parents' house, the place felt far too quiet. She was used to Max's laughter echoing through the hallways or his little footsteps pattering across the floor. But now, it was just her—alone, organizing the scattered toys left behind and making sure everything was in place before she could attempt to relax for the night.

As she wiped the kitchen counter, her thoughts wandered back to the past few days. The weight of unresolved issues between her and MJ had been suffocating. The tension between them had only grown, and MJ's refusal to address it directly frustrated her to no end.

Her phone buzzed. It was MJ, telling her that he was on his way back.

Then, another message popped up, this time from Gian and Sheena. They had decided to sleep at Gian's brother's house for the night, leaving Aiah and MJ truly alone.

_"Perfect timing,"_ Aiah muttered to herself sarcastically. She could already sense that tonight was going to be tough.

Not long after, MJ arrived. Aiah was cleaning the living room when he walked in, his face clouded with a mix of tiredness and something else—something deeper. He paused by the door, rubbing his temples before finally speaking.

"Aalis ako mamaya," MJ said nonchalantly, avoiding eye contact. "Iinom lang kami nila Denise."

The casual mention of *her* name hit Aiah like a punch to the gut. Denise? *Again?* Her heart pounded, and without thinking, she immediately shot back, "Ayoko."

MJ's brow furrowed. "Hindi ako nagpapaalam. I'm just informing you para hindi ka na maghintay pag-uwi ko."

"*Ayoko nga, MJ!* Lagi ka na lang nag-iinom. Tapos ngayon kasama mo pa si Denise? *Ayoko.*" Aiah's voice trembled, a combination of frustration and hurt bubbling to the surface.

MJ's eyes darkened, his patience visibly thinning. "Bakit ba? Why do you care? Umuuwi naman ako dito ah. Hindi naman ako nagkukulang kay Max. Besides, Max will be spending the weekend with my parents. I have no reason to stay here."

Aiah felt like she had been slapped. The words stung deeper than he could ever know. With her voice quivering, she asked, "*Ako? Am I not enough reason to stay?*"

There was a pause. The tension in the air thickened as MJ stared at her, his gaze hard and unreadable. Then, in a low voice, he replied, "Ako ba, Aiah? Wasn't I enough reason to stay dati? Bakit kailangan ibang tao makilala ni Max na tatay? Wasn't I ever enough para unahin mo?"

The accusation hung heavy in the room. Aiah opened her mouth to defend herself, but no words came out. Her throat tightened as the memories she had long buried began to resurface.

"MJ," Aiah whispered, her voice barely holding together. "Ikaw yung nauna. Ikaw lang naman kasi. Kung wala lang sakit si Jeremy non, hindi ako aalis."

MJ's fists clenched. "Pero nagkaroon eh. Umalis ka. Kinasal kayo." He took a step closer, his voice now shaking with barely contained emotion. "Tell me, Aiah, kung gumaling ba si Jeremy after you got married, makikilala ko ba si Max? Babalikan mo ba ako?"

The question pierced through her, sharp and unrelenting. Aiah couldn't speak—she couldn't breathe. She knew the answer. Of course, she would've come back to MJ. He was the love of her life. But how could she explain that in the mess of emotions, promises, and obligations she had carried for years?

MJ saw her hesitation, the silence confirming his worst fears. He scoffed bitterly, shaking his head. "Oh di ba? Hindi mo masagot. Kasi alam naman natin na wala akong malalaman kung andito pa si Jeremy."

Aiah's chest tightened, the guilt and regret she had tried so hard to suppress now boiling over. "MJ, *pag-usapan natin to ng maayos. Ayusin na natin to.* This isn't just about us. It's about you, me, and Max."

MJ's laugh was humorless, a sound filled with bitterness. "Eh bakit hindi mo masagot yung tanong ko? Bakit hindi mo maamin na back burner mo lang naman ako!"

"*Alam mong hindi yan totoo!*" Aiah's voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes. "MJ, bago ako umalis ikaw yung inisip ko. *Umamin ako sayo kahit wala namang clear na understanding kung ano ba tayo noon. Sinigurado kong alam mo na ikaw yung gusto ko.* Gusto kong ramdam mo na ikaw yung mahal ko, kaya nga nabuo si Max non eh! Tama ka naman na hindi ikaw yung first choice ko kasi wala ka namang kalaban in the first place. *Ikaw lang, ikaw lang!*"

She was crying now, her voice breaking with every word. "*Ilang beses ko ba dapat ulit ulitin yun sayo?* Naiintindihan naman kita eh. Yung frustration mo. Yung hurt na nararamdaman mo. *Alam ko, kasalanan ko.* And I'm sorry for the things I did in the past. *I'm sorry for making you feel all this hurt. I'm sorry kasi hindi ka agad nakilala ni Max* pero do we really have to dwell in the past? *Sa past na lang ba tayo magfofocus?* MJ, *hindi na tayo bata. Hindi na lang to tungkol sa atin dalawa.* We have Max na. Please...*I'm sorry. Let's fix us.*"

MJ stared at her, his breathing heavy. Her words, so full of vulnerability and sincerity, began to break through the walls he had built around himself. His hardened expression softened, the anger in his eyes slowly fading away.

He let out a deep, shaky breath before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry," MJ murmured, his voice hoarse. "I just...ang sakit, everytime Max says 'Papa J'. I don't know..." He closed his eyes, the pain of the lost time hitting him all at once. "Ngayon lang nag-sync in sa akin na ang dami kong namiss sa milestones and sa buhay ni Max. *I'm sorry for being hard-headed.*"

Aiah hugged him tighter, her tears wetting his shirt as she whispered, "Shh...it's okay. Ang importante is kung paano natin to aayusin di ba? *Please promise me that you will communicate your thoughts with me.* Hindi pwedeng magtataguan tayo kasi hindi tayo magkakaintindihan."

MJ nodded against her, his grip on her tightening as if afraid to let go. "*I promise. I'm really sorry. I love you, Aiah.* I love you and Max."

Aiah pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes, her heart swelling with relief and love. "I love you, MJ. I love you more than I can ever tell you."

Without another word, their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss—one filled with the years of longing, frustration, and love that they had both carried for far too long. The kiss grew more intense, their hands moving to pull each other closer, as if trying to make up for all the lost time.

The night was filled with whispers of apology, reassurances, and a love that had never really faded. As they made love, it wasn't just about passion—it was about healing, about finding their way back to each other.

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Nakakahiya naman sa inyo pag di sila nagkabati eh HAHA