Serendipitous

There was Goodbye

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Guyth, I really feel the love! Thank you for liking the confession chapter a lot. (And the previous ones. And the succeeding ones.) Basta. THANK YOU sa compliments nyo.

Ramdam ko pa yung </3 ng mga nag-comment sa last chapter so... i'm just gonna leave this here.

Hope you like it!

-Eris xox

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Over the course of that month, there were many times that RJ and Maine accidentally bumped into each other in New York.

This was how they found each other for the last time.

RJ took a seat in front of the Bathesda fountain for a breather. Napatingala siya sa langit sabay nang pag-ihip ng malakas na hangin.

"Ma, binu-bully po ang favourite son mo ng tadhana o. Ayaw ipakita ang future manu-- girl ko po."

He took out his scapular and gripped it.

Yumuko siya dito, pumikit, at bumulong, "Lord, alam ko marami na kayong blessing sakin. Medyo nakakahiya man pong humingi pero please po, importante kasi siya. Tulong naman o. Sorry na po kung nasayang ko ang mga pagkakataon na paulit ulit Niyo siyang iniharap sa akin. Pwede po ba isa pa? Isa pa po, sige na."

A pair of boots stopped in front of him.

"Hey stranger."

Napapitlag sa pagkakayuko si RJ.

Maine. Breathing hard and looking dishevelled. Still smiling. Standing in front of him.

Napatayo si RJ at mabilis na niyakap ang humihingal na dalaga.

"Thank you Lord! Ambait N'yo talaga sa'kin!" His eyes began to tear up in relief. 

To the girl in his arms, he said, "Hindi stranger, best friend!" 

Tumawa si Maine.

"O sya, hi crush!"

She hugs him back. Tight.

"Uy, umiiyak ka ba?"

"Hindi ah!"

"Wag kang umiyak, maiiyak din ako!"

"Hindi nga, pinagpawisan lang ang mata ko."

Maine laughed. She let him go and tried to wipe his tears away but RJ took a hold of her hand.

"Okay na ko. Andito ka naman na." He cupped her face. "Ikaw, okay ka ba?"

She smiled, "Naman! Ako pa ba?"

"Good! 'Wag na nating uulitin ang larong to!"

"But we won!"

"Kahit na, ayoko pa rin. Nakakagutom."

"Hala, ikaw din? Ba't di ka kumain?"

"Anong ako din? 'Di ka din kumain?"

"Best friends nga tayo!"

"Kala ko crush mo ko." He pouts.

"Eeeehh... kunyari nga di mo alam diba?"

RJ pulled on his ear.

"E ba't nagbu-blush pati tenga mo?"

"Kinikilig talaga ko f*ck!"

---

This was how they spent their day.

With carefree laughter buoyed by each other's presence.

For Maine, there was daredevil courage to believe their pretense.

To be daringly happy. To pretend that it was real. And for a little while, to hope for more.

For RJ, there was making the most out of the hope for that day to never end.

To bask in her smiles. To soak in her sunny spirit. To breathe easy; until he remembered that it wouldn't last.

It was a fragile happiness.

--

This was how they said goodbye.

It was past midnight.

They were outside her apartment building.

Their pinkies intertwined.

There was long hug.

And an even longer kiss... on the cheek.

It was the most intimate chaste kiss that RJ ever had. Her lips on him, her hands around him, frozen in the sidewalk, waiting for the world to start again.

There were words that wouldn't get past the tip of his tongue and his mind was rioting because, this was it. This was gonna end with him tongue-tied and unsettled and a little cracked.

Quietly, without him noticing, Maine slipped the dinner receipt she had written her number on in his coat pocket.

When they finally break apart, there was a cheeky smile on her lips.

"I am not going to invite you in."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best."

They stared at one another, trying to commit to memory everything they could.

"You take care."

"We will see each other again, won't we?"

"Definitely."

"Goodbye, best friend."

"Nope. I am not saying goodbye to you. It should be 'see you around'."

"See you around then."

She started to leave before abruptly turning back to him.

"Thank you for everything. Not just for today. For all the other days that you made me believe, thank you."

"Actually, I should be the one saying that. Thank you. Thank you for so many reasons I cannot even articulate."

She answered with a smiled, a genuine one that lighted up her eyes and reached out to his soul.

"I better go in."

"You're really not going to leave me your number?"

 Her smile turned mischievous as she hurriedly went inside her building.

 "Seriously?" he called out to her.    

"Find it!" she shouted from the lobby.

"Crazy girl", RJ shook his head. "Good night!"

He took his phone from his coat pocket and dials a number; not noticing that a scrap of paper had fallen out.

"Hello?... Yeah, I'd like to book a flight..."

He walked away never seeing the number on a discarded receipt being blown away by the wind in the sidewalk.