Just For Us

Part 2

To everyone who believed that I can write this, this is for you.

Special thanks to Lady Antebellum for Just a Kiss. That song got me through writing this. <3

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RJ couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. He kept replaying the events of that morning over and over again in his head. He kept seeing Maine in slow motion: the slight hesitation in her eyes before she moved her face closer to his, the change in her expression when she felt certain that she wanted to do what she was about to do, the way she smiled and closed her eyes when she touched his lips with hers. It still felt like a dream.

He tried to school his features into a more neutral expression but everytime he remembered the feel of her lips against his, he would break into a grin so wide that it actually hurt a little. They didn't get to talk much after that kiss because someone with rotten timing knocked on the door to tell Maine that make-up was ready for her. Before Maine got up to leave, she stroked his cheek with her thumb which made him close his eyes and sigh deeply because that touch, that simple touch, made him feel like he was floating. He grabbed the hand touching his cheek, turned it over and kissed her palm.

"We'll talk later, okay?" he told her.

She smiled and nodded.

She was about to open the door when he stood up and pulled her in for a hug.

He wanted to thank her for that kiss but anything he came up with only sounded lame and he really didn't want to say the wrong words, not right now when that kiss short-circuited his brain. And so, just like he did all those months ago during Tamang Panahon, he poured all his gratitude into that hug.

It's hours later and he and Meng are standing under spotlights,several cameras aimed at them and with several crew members and countless extras milling around, waiting for them to kiss on-screen for the first time. The scene isn't going as planned because, despite her confidence earlier, Maine seems to be having qualms about kissing RJ. They would get really, really close and she'd suddenly pull away. She apologizes profusedly to the director when this happens for the fourth time.

"Direk, sorry po. Sorry talaga," she says with embarrassment.

RJ stands silently behind her with a worried look on his face. He wonders what changed. He wonders if she regrets what happened between them earlier. Did he misread her? Did he do something wrong? Was he a bad kisser? Did he have bad breath? He was quietly losing his mind while Maine and the director were having a whispered discussion a few paces away from him. His paranoia was amplified a bit more when he noticed that they would glance in his direction every so often. Finally, after a few more minutes, Maine starts to walk towards him.

"What's wrong?" he asks her when he sees the look of intense concentration on her face.

"Wala naman. Usap tayo," she says seriously.

His heart begins to beat faster. Truth be told, he's a little scared. What if she told him that that kiss was a mistake?

"Hindi ba," he starts to say before he chokes a little. He clears his throat and speaks again. "Hindi ba muna natin tatapusin yung scene?"

"Binigyan tayo ni direk ng konting break para makapag usap," she says. "Tara dun," she points to a bench under a tree, obscured from view by foliage, where they can talk without being disturbed.

RJ is so preoccupied with his thoughts that he barely notices their surroundings. The small but intricate fountain set in the middle of the park, the twinkle lights woven through the trees, the cobblestone paths, and the cold breeze all just fade away in her presence.