Back to You || Maiden/Aldub

t w e n t y - o n e

"Annie," She cleared her throat, her eyes averting to the assistant who was looking between of Alden and her. "Can you please give us some privacy?"

Without uttering a word, the young woman nodded and excused herself out of the tent - leaving Maine and Alden in silence.

She didn't know what to say, considering she wasn't expecting his arrival - let alone expecting that it was actually him that had been the reason for her smiles this whole week. How was she supposed to start a conversation with a guy she was so set on forgetting?

It wasn't as easy and her brain didn't help one bit - keeping it's thoughts set on one person and one person only.

Justin.

"Maine-" He began, setting the items he was holding on a nearby table - shoving his now free hands in his pockets.

"All the presents, they were from you?" She asked slowly, her eyes never meeting his.

"Yes." Alden breathed, wincing at her never changing facial expression. He was studying her and he knew that her thoughts has once again engulfed her. And that's when it clicked.

She thought it was from someone else. She thought that all this time, it was Justin that went out of his way to send her presents on set.

And it would have hurt more if Justin didn't have a history of having things delivered to her, but Alden knew that at the beginning of the two's blossoming relationship, he too has done something like this. But to what extent was the mystery to him.

"Yo-you thought... you thought that it was him, didn't you?" He couldn't help but chuckle.

The universe was just so wonderful to him, wasn't it?

Sure, he might have not signed off his name but he would have thought that maybe, at least at one point, the thought of him crossed her mind when she saw the presents.

Glancing up at him, guilt written all over her eyes, Maine nodded. "Can you blame me though?"

"Nope." Alden shook his head, his jaw shifting to the side as he looked up - trying not to let his bitterness get the best of him.

He tried.

He worked so hard to show her how much she meant to him and nothing. The days of planning, the thought put into each present went down the drain. Because in her head, they weren't from him; it was from that wonderful six-foot something basketball player that seems to have every girl's jaw dropped to the floor with his good looks and talent.

And it wasn't that he was mad at her. No, he could never.

Alden was mad at himself because he knew that if he simply opened up to her back then, then maybe - just maybe - it wouldn't have to get to this.

"I did this," Alden said, almost as though he had just come to this realization. "I pushed you to him."

"Alden," She tried to reach out for him but he began to pace the room - using one hand to rake through his hair.

"It's true. I was selfish. I was stupid. All I was thinking about was what would benefit me in the future." He stopped, now a few feet from her - a bitter smirk playing on his lips. "I didn't think about you. I wanted to not feel pain so much that I inflicted it on you, diba? Sinaktan kita and I let you slip right through my fingers because I saw my dead mother in you. And--and now I'm unhappy, right? Right?"

Maine was at lost for words, his sudden outburst taking her by surprise. And though she thought she would be at least a bit more sympathetic towards him, she too had let her emotions get to her.