Firsts

XV. Continue

"There's one thing we forgot."

"What?"

"I'm in love with you," he said,
moving to sit with her. Hearing those words, for Maine, was similar to the invention of the iPod - something you didn't know you needed, but now can't live without. "Mahal na kita. Paano yan?"

"Anong paano yan?!"

"Gusto ko manligaw. Papayag ka ba? Given what we discussed?"

She chuckled.

"What?"

"Ang labo na ngayon ka pa manliligaw eh kung anu-ano na yung nagawa natin."

"Oo nga, pero gusto ko maging boyfriend mo and eventually, if I'm good enough, maging asawa."

"Ang cheesy. Lech." She then proceeded to make gagging sounds. He pinched her cheeks. "Yoko ng ligaw. Walang kiss pag ganun."

"Ang hayok mo sa kiss!"

"Masarap eh!"

"Ayoko ng dating arrangement."

"Hindi nga. Ino-offer kita maging boyfriend ko 'no!"

Rj was stunned. "Huh? Pero love mo ba ako?"

"Oo." She said with certainty. "Somewhere in the middle of meeting again, coming up with this arrangement, all our activities, our conversations, our fight... yeah, I fell for you."

"Sinong cheesy ngayon?" He teased.

As he was leaning in for a kiss, she stopped him and asked, "Wait. Si Lily?"

"May gusto sa akin."

"What?!"

"Gwapo ako eh. Di bale, hindi ko naman siya gusto."

"No, hey. Nagustuhan mo siya before, what if magustuhan mo ulit?"

"Malabo."

"Why?"

"One, I'm in love with you. Two, magkaiba na kami. We have to work together and it's good that at least we get along. But nothing, even attraction is not there. Three, I'm in love with you. Do I have to continue?"

She smiled. "Rj, I'm warning you, I will cut off your thing if you cheat on me."

"But, there's still a lot we need to work out." Maine continued.

"I know. I have a lot to prove to you."

"Pareho tayo, actually."

"Sure ka ba you want this? Maine, willing naman ako maghintay."

"We'll work on this." She said. "Okay ba yun? Both of us."

"Yes."

"Tigil tigilan mo yang walk out mo ha. I have abandonment issues, masakit yang pag walk out na yan." She warned. "Tsaka yung maglalaho na parang bula."

"Sorry, hindi na. Promise."

As they settled in one lounge chair, cuddling, Maine asked, "Do you miss our arrangement?"

"Oo naman. Kasi through those activities, I got to know you again and I won't trade all those conversations for the world."

She smiled, that was the best part for her as well. Conversations only they know of, that helped repair the problems of their past.

"Maybe we should fill up the jar again."

"Maine." He warned.

"Kahit naman tayo na ulit we can still do those activities, di ba? I like spending time with you and we can use those to make sure that whatever happens, we continue to make memories together and hopefully that will help make this - us - last."

He pulled her close. "Good idea. Okay, gawin natin yan. Bawas bawasan mo yung mahahalay mong requests ha."

"Ayoko nga!"

They debated about their next requests for the rest of the night.

This story does not end with a wedding...

... because they both had a lot of dreams that they still needed and wanted to accomplish and they supported each other through that;

... because they had to learn to deal with the pains of their past, the troubles of their present and the uncertainty of their future;

... because they both had a lot of growing up to do and they fought and argued and a few times over the years, they almost gave up

But, they didn't.

And they learned to accept each other's love and let in happiness.

P. S.

They kept the jar and continued to refill it with requests.

When he didn't have a specific activity in mind, Rj would just put in, "Make Maine happy."

Maine learned to adapt this and ensured she placed a "Make Rj happy" paper in.

But,

sometimes when she lacked the proper words to write what she wanted, she would often just draw the position she wanted to try in bed (or cut it out from a certain magazine).

And yes, these requests took up more than half of those in their jar.

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Note: double update today. 😊 One last chapter then done!