Love on Trial

Chapter 24: Player

Maxine's POV

It's been… what? Almost a year? Yeah.

It's been almost a year without A’ishah in my life. After I collapsed and spent my days in hospital that night when I waited for her in their basement, I never really heard anything from her.

Umaasa ako na darating siya, na dalawin niya ako, o kahit tumawag man lang siya para kamustahin ako. But instead, lalo lang siyang lumayo sa akin.

I’ve been staring at my phone, waiting. Waiting for A’ishah to reply. Every time a notification pops up, my heart skips a beat, only for it to crash when it’s not her. It’s been days. Hell, months. How did it come to this?

The words she sent me still burned in my mind, as if they’d been carved into my chest. She wasn’t just distancing herself. She was cutting me out. And for what? For some miscommunication that spiraled into this mess? Or was it more than that? My heart tells me it’s because she’s trying to protect herself, but my mind… my mind says I’m the one who’s been pushing her away with my jealousy, with my doubts.

When I think about her, I can’t help but feel this hollow ache inside me. Every single moment we spent together keeps playing in my head. Her laugh, the way she looked at me, the softness in her eyes when she called me 'babi.'

And now, she’s gone. But no matter how much I try to convince myself to move on, it feels like I’m still holding on, clinging to the memory of what we had.

The worst part? I see her in the hallways sometimes. I catch glimpses of her walking with Nicole or sitting alone. And every time, I want to reach out to her, to make her see that I’m still here, waiting. But then I remember the wall she built, how she’s buried herself in isolation, and I’m reminded of how far apart we’ve drifted. How I’m the last person she wants to see.

Denise keeps pushing her way into my life again, and it only makes things worse. A'ishah left me because of her.

The betrayal she felt from before feels like a wound that never really healed, and now it's bleeding into everything, making me question myself, making me wonder if I’ll ever be enough for anyone. Even for A’ishah.

I don’t blame A’ishah for leaving. I get it. Her life, her mom, the pressure she’s under is all too much. And then I went and made things harder. I made a mistake.

I miss her. God, I miss her.

Days, months without her. Until Christmas came she's nowhere. I could barely feel the warmth of Christmas anymore. Even though I have a complete family, something is missing… A’ishah.

And even though medyo nagtatampo ako sa kaniya, sa labi na pagkamiss ko sa kaniya, may mga bagay akong nagawa na hindi normal.

I heard from Nicole that she's spending New Year's Eve at Universal Studios Japan with her mom.

Without a second thought, I flew all the way to Japan as soon as I could. Leaving my family who I used to spend the holidays with.

Ilang oras akong nagpalakad lakad sa Universal Studios Japan. Five minutes nalang New Year na pero hindi ko parin siya mahanap.

I felt like giving up.

10… 9… 8…

I stood there, my heart pounding in sync with the countdown echoing through the park. The vibrant lights, the laughter of families, and the joy around me felt distant—muted, like I was underwater. The magic of Universal Studios, the fireworks about to burst in the sky… none of it mattered if I couldn’t find her.

7... 6...

I’d searched every corner of this park for hours, retracing steps, glancing at every face, hoping against hope that I’d finally see her. My feet were aching, my mind spinning, but I couldn’t stop. Not now. I had to see her. I had to know if she was still mine, if there was even a piece of her that still thought about me.