No Other You

Prologue

I remember that night pretty well. 

I thought it would just be one of those nights where we'd usually hang out at my place after work. I'd heat up the food I wasn't able to finish the night before, he'd settle on my couch watching tv, and we'd just talk about how our day went, but that night was different. 

There was an unusual silence that surrounded us as we came across a music channel that played December Avenue's "Bulong". 

My heart started beating erratically as I looked at him. I had known him for too long to know that there was something on his mind, and I knew that he was going to tell me about in just a matter of a few seconds. 

"Jaim, gusto kita." He said, his eyes still fixated on the television. 

"Akala ko talaga na pagkatapos ng high school, ng college, mawawala lang 'to, pero hindi eh. Gusto talaga kita." 

I sat there, dumbfounded, as I listened to my best friend of more than 10 years admit that he had feelings for me. 

"Eric, ano bang pinagsasabi mo? Loko to ah." I laughed rather awkwardly. 

He turned to me with his doe eyes and said, "Hindi ako nagbibiro, Jaim. It's now or never." 

"Nakakapagod ng umasta na parang wala akong nararamdaman para sa'yo pero sa tuwing nakikita kita, nakakasama at nakikila ng mas matagal, hindi ko talaga mapigilan ang sarili kong mahulog sa'yo." He continued. 

"Believe me. I tried to stop this. Kung kaya ko lang, hindi ako aabot sa ganito, pero I can't keep being around you and not admit to myself that you mean so much more than just a best friend to me, Jaim. Mahal na kita."

As these words continued to flow out of Eric's mouth, the only word that kept repeating in my mind was "Why?". 

Why did he have to develop such feelings for me? Why did he have to put our friendship on the line for the sake of this confession? Why was I feeling as if this very moment was going to make me lose our friendship forever?

Why?

"Bro, hindi pwede." I said, immediately friendzoning him as I used our term of endearment for the past 10 years. 

"Bakit?" Eric asked as he tried his hardest to keep his eyes from getting watery. 

"Dahil best friends tayo. Bros tayo. At... parang kapatid lang ang turing ko sa'yo. Ano ba." I laughed awkwardly again. 

"Kung ano man yang nararamdaman mo, mawawala lang 'yan. Trust me. You'll find someone else, and you'll eventually forget all about it." I added. 

How I wish I never said that. How I wish I could take it all back. Maybe if I did, I wouldn't have felt this much regret as I presently sat on my table with Eric right across me and a woman that wasn't... me. 

"I heard you're the best, and I really didn't want to settle for less." The woman said as she intertwined her fingers with Eric's. "So I really do hope you accommodate our request, Miss Dominiguez."

"We want you to be our wedding planner."