Note: Sorry if there were others na nasaktan! That's the conflict of the story kasi. Thanks for still reading this.
I rarely give a warning but sige na nga, this is not the happiest of chapters.
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Nanay calling...
It was still disconcerting for Alden to get messages or calls from Maine's family. They decided to not switch phones though because it would be a devil to explain if they get caught. They settled with asking each other if there was something that needed to be sorted out.
"Tita – uh – Nay?"
"Anak. Anong 'tita' ang sinasabi mo diyan?"
"Sorry po. Nalito lang ako. Bakit po?"
"Ipapaalala ko lang yung lunch natin sa Linggo ha? Namimiss ka na naming eh. Isama mo si Rj kung gusto mo. Basta pumunta kayo ha?"
"Okay po. Sasabihan ko siya... pero hindi ko po alam kung makaksama."
Nanay chuckled. "Malamang hindi. Alam mo naman sobrang busy niyan, kailangan one year in advance ang pagbook sa kanya."
He was suddenly embarrassed. How many lunches have I been invited to that I didn't attend? Why didn't Maine tell me?
But he knew it was because, like Nanay said, he was never free and knowing Maine, she covered for him. It must've been difficult to keep explaining that he was busy, over and over, without it sounding like an excuse.
"Nanay, pasensya na po. Mahalaga naman po kay Rj yun, hindi lang talaga tumutugma sa schedule niya."
"Anak, ilang beses ko bang sasabihin sa'yo na walang problema sa amin ng Tatay 'yan. Pero, ikaw ba? Alam kong pinagaawayan niyo yan."
Alden was quiet.
"O, sige. Hindi na ako mangungulit kung hindi ka pa handa magkwento. Basta ang payo ko sa'yo, wag mong aawayin yung tao. Ipa-intindi mo sa kanya na concerned ka lang talaga sa kanya, kagaya ng health niya. Ipinagdadasal ko din na making siya sayo, nagaalala din ako sa batang yan. At nagaalala ko sayo, yung stress mo para sa kanya hindi din maganda."
They dropped the call and he called Maine, who was already on her way to his shoot after hitting the gym. "Hi."
"You sound tired," he said.
"Yeah. Sorry, Rj, pero nahihirapan lang talaga ako sa schedule mo. Hindi ako sanay and my mind feels drained. Anyway, what's up?"
He told her of Nanay's call.
"Rj, can I go? Please? Namimiss ko na sila."
"Oo naman. Sabihan mo nalang si Sam at si Mama Ten. Kaya nila yan ayusin."
He heard a sigh at the other end of the line. "Out-of-town nga pala yung show... I can't make it."
His heart broke upon hearing how sad she is. "Malapit lang sa Bulacan yun. I think it can be arranged. Tell Mama Ten."
"Really? Okay lang ba talaga sayo?"
He said yes.
"Teka pala, nagtext din si Ate April. Hinahanap ka na ni Lola. Tagal mo daw hindi bumibisita. I'll visit her bukas."
"Yes, please Meng. Namimiss ko na din si Lola."
"Bili tayo ng gift for her? Gusto mo?"
"Sige!"
***
Maine stayed away on purpose, so she didn't seem him for a few days before this meet up to get Lola Linda a gift.
She kept herself busy, which was not difficult to do because of Alden's work schedule, primarily to learn to accept that they would be separating soon. She didn't want to keep fighting for someone who didn't want her anymore, so she's willing to end it.
But, she allowed herself to cry. However, because Alden had back-to-back schedules sometimes, she would catch herself crying while the stylists were putting him in clothes for the shoot. She would just joke, "Bakit kasi ganito yung mga print ng damit? Aasarin na naman ako sa Twitter nito eh."
Other times, she cried during meetings at the restaurant. "Sorry, nagiinternalize kasi ako para sa role sa next movie ko."
It got so bad, Mama Ten scolded her to get her act together because Alden was already put in a blind item for crying so much.
She asked him to meet her at the mall and requested if she could drive him home. "I need to talk to you about something."
He was hesitant but he agreed.
They quickly got a gift for Lola Linda first. "Maganda ba 'tong bag na 'to, Meng?" She agreed and offered to also get a nice scarf that she saw on the rack.
The sales persons were stunned but kept silent. After all, it was not uncommon to see a grown man, flipping around his neck a beautiful pashmina.
On the drive home, Alden did most of the talking. "Buti nalang mabilis tayo sa mall. Parang masama yung pakiramdam ko, magkakasakit yata ako."
"Ah ganun ba? Sige, malapit na. Umm, pero okay ka pa bang mag-usap?"
"Oo. Meng, may tanong ako pero wag ka magagalit ha? Hindi 'to ka-manyak-an."
She furrowed his brows and asked. "O, ano?"
"Masakit yung boobs ko – mo. Ilang araw na din. Umm, anong dapat gawin para hindi sumakit? Hinihimas ba 'to?"
"Gago. Ako tinitiis ko lang kasi hindi naman sobrang masakit."
"Ang weird ng feeling."
She parked the Jaguar and they headed up. She noticed that Alden kept rubbing her back and hips. "Are you okay?
"No. Medyo masakit din 'tong balakang ko."
Maine suppressed a chuckle and didn't say anything.
At the condo, they sat at the kitchen counter when she opened the topic she wanted to discuss. "Rj?"
"Yes?"
"At the rehearsals a few days back, I got to talk to Kristoffer."
"O, kamusta na yun?"
"Okay siya. He... He also asked about us." Alden looked at her but didn't say anything so Maine continued. "He told me that you've been wanting to break up."
"Maine, I –"
"Shhh. Please? Ako na muna?" He nodded. "Sorry if I became such a nagger about your schedule. Kahit siguro ilang ulit ko i-explain sa'yo how much I worry about you, hindi mo maiintindihan yun, the same way hindi ko maiintindihan why you want to take all these jobs."
Maine took her hand in his. "Sorry if it got so bad that you preferred to work on our anniversary over making plans for a celebration. Sorry for all the fights these past months. Hindi ko na din kasi alam how to make you listen. I was wrong to think that fighting with you would make you hear me."
"Hindi ko na alam how to fix this, so okay payag na ako sa gusto mo."
"Meng?"
"As of today, hiwalay na tayo. Siguro gawin nalang nating official kapag bumalik na tayo sa katawan ng isa't isa."
Alden was stunned, then slowly felt his heart break.
"I should go. Gabi na din. Pahinga ka na."
