Firsts

XIV. Now

Note: I wanted to clarify that Fic Rj did not cheat on Fic Maine. The fling happened after they weren't speaking to each other anymore. Just in case I wasn't too clear about it in the previous chapter.

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Riza was surprised to see her brother home for dinner, but when asked, he didn't say anything. Rj finished his meal quickly and then retreated to his room for the rest of the night.

"Mama Ten, anong nangyari dun?"

"Hindi ko alam. Kahapon, nung umalis siya ng taping, okay pa siya. Ang alam ko pupuntahan si Maine. Kanina, ganyan na, tahimik at sobrang mainit ang ulo. Baka nag-away?"

Rj maintained this distance for the following days, until his sister finally decided to confront him.

"Magmumukmok ka nalang ba diyan?"

"Hayaan mo nalang muna ako."

"Ganun na kaya yung ginawa namin for the past few weeks. Ano bang issue? Si Meng?"

He nodded. "Wala na kasi kami."

"Wait, naging kayo ba?"

He pursed his lips. "Parang oo, pero hindi."

"Ano?!"

"Lagi kaming nagkikita and basta marami na nangyari pero walang commitment. And now, wala na talaga kahit ano." He tried to explain their situation without revealing too much and ended with what happened last.

"Eh alam mo naman palang ayaw ng commitment nung isa. Anong inexpect mo?"

"Pero ginawa ko naman lahat para ma-in love siya ulit sa akin."

"Lahat? Lahat ginawa mo?"

"Well, as much as I can. Ayaw nga niya magpaligaw, di ba? I took this chance kasi yun lang yung naisip ko na way that she would let me in her life again."

"But you knew na complicated yan, she was honest with you, again, what did you expect, Kuya? And more importantly, anong balak mo ngayon?"

He lay back in his bed. "Hindi ko alam. Sobrang hindi ko alam."

***

"Okay ka lang?" Kat asked, looking at Maine as much as she could, while the latter was going around checking the fit of the gown she made.

She shook her head.

"What happened?"

"Rj ended things," Maine replied, trying to prevent her tears from falling.

"Wait, what? Tara. Let's go for coffee?"

"Ayokong umiyak sa coffee shop, Girl."

"Okay, I'll get coffee then babalik ako. Dun tayo sa office mo sa likod."

A few minutes later, Kat was coaxing Maine to talk. "What happened? Did you fight about something? Okay pa kayo while we were in Japan, di ba?"

"It's just..."

"What?"

"He asked me if I loved him... And I couldn't answer. I was clear naman kasi from the beginning, ayaw ko ng commitment, but we compromised and we came up with this. Tapos ngayon he asks me that?"

"Tapos?"

"He left." Maine said, crying in earnest now.

Kat hugged Maine.