No Other You

Pass

Author's Note: 

Hi guys! Keep following me on Twitter, @faulkernette. Thank you po!

--

A few weeks after that conversation of mine with Eric, andaming nagbago. He would only send me texts, call me or meet up with me when it was related to the wedding, but other than that, there was absolutely nothing. 

It was as if he was just one of my clients, and I, his wedding organizer. Parang wala kaming pinagsamahan. Parang hindi kami best friends. 

I didn't know if there was something wrong with what I said that day, but I was just being completely honest when I said that I wanted to give Andrew a chance. The guy seemed like he was really into me, and I was single anyway, so what was the big fuss about it, right? 

Despite that, I continued seeing Andrew though. We met up for quick lunch dates, coffee after work, we caught a last full show of a movie once, and although I wasn't quite sure of my feelings for him, I just knew that his company was something that I truly enjoyed and appreciated. 

Kaya nga wala namang  further questions asked when I decided to invite him for my mom's birthday dinner at our house in Makati. 

I guess I was just being nice. 

"Alam mo, anak, gusto ko siya." Mom said as she and I looked at Andrew from afar. "Gwapo, palangiti, magalang. He's a very decent man to introduce to your family kumbaga." She added. 

"Nanliligaw na ba 'yan sa'yo, anak?"

I shrugged in reply. 

"Hindi ko alam, ma, eh. Siguro." I said. "Sa generation kasi namin ngayon, parang hindi naman uso ang manligaw. Basta gusto mo, edi 'yun na."

"Talaga lang ha." Mom reacted. "Eh ang tanong diyan, gusto mo ba siya?"

That was a question that I couldn't quite answer, because I knew that it wasn't either a yes or  a no. I guess I just needed more time to formulate an answer, a good one, the kind that my mom would actually believe in, because we all know how moms know us better than we know ourselves right? Tulad nga ng sinasabi nila parati, papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na sila. 

"O, ayan na pala si Eric." Mom suddenly said as Eric walked towards the mini bar by the garden to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. He and I merely raised each others' eyebrows as we acknowledged the presence of the other. 

"Happy birthday, tita." Eric smiled. "Yung gift ko pala sa inyo, nilagay ko na sa kwarto niyo para di na mawala tulad ng last year."

Mom laughed in reply. 

"Nako, nag-abala ka pa. Thank you, hijo, ha. Alam mo naman si Tita Nim mo, nagkakaroon na rin ng mga senior moments kaya ayan tuloy, nawawalan ng mga birthday gifts." She said. "O siya, iwan ko muna kayo ni Jaimie ha, para makapag-usap kayo. Nako, excited na excited na talaga ako para sa kasal mo in two weeks. Sana naman, makasunod na rin si Jaimie. Gusto ko ng magka-apo eh." Mom joked as she patted Eric's arm, then attended to the other guests. 

I cleared my throat almost immediately to avoid the dead air that would surely envelope the both of us. 

"Pagpasensyahan mo na si mommy ha." I said. 

"Wala 'yun. Sino ba namang magulang ang hindi nag-lolook forward sa kasal ng anak nila, di ba?" Eric replied. "Yours might even happen a lot sooner than we think." He added. 

"Nah, hindi ko pa masyadong iniisip 'yun." I said. "Marami pa kasi akong gustong gawin sa buhay ko eh. Ayoko munang itali ang sarili ko."

"Wow, nahiya naman ako sa tali." Eric laughed a little. "Hindi lang naman sa pamamagitan ng  kasal ka natatali eh. Kahit sa relasyon. I guess it's just a matter of finding someone worth getting 'tali-ed' with." 

I smiled. 

Eric and his little jokes.

"I missed you, bro." I admitted. "Hindi na ba talaga tayo pwedeng bumalik sa dati? Yung everyday tayong nag-uusap, nag-chachat hanggang dis-oras ng gabi, lumalabas kung saan at kailan natin gusto. Hindi ko lang kasi maintindihan ang nangyayari sa 'tin ngayon. Ikakasal ka lang naman, pero bakit feeling ko, parang unti-unti ka na 'ring nawawala sa 'kin?" 

"Bro..."

"Um, hi." A male voice suddenly interrupted. 

Andrew. 

"You must be Eric. Jaimie's best friend." He said. "I'm Andrew pala, owner ng Meili De Hua. Yung in charge sa mga floral arrangements niyo for your wedding." He added, extending his hand out for Eric to shake, and gladly, the latter did. 

"Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." Eric said politely. "I didn't know na ang close niyo na pala ni Jaimie. The fact that you're at a family gathering means you must be on an entirely different level already."

"Well, I'd like to think so." Andrew said confidently. "I really like her and I'm hoping that she likes me too."

"That's nice." Eric replied. 

Well, this was awkward. This was really, really awkward. But I had to do something to alleviate the brewing tension between the two guys. 

"Um, you know what, the night is still young at alam kong gustong gusto ni mommy na mag-enjoy tayong lahat." I said. "So, let's grab some drinks?"

"Alright."

"Pass." 

Andrew was game, Eric wasn't. 

"Yung acid reflux mo bumabalik every time you drink at saka napakababa ng tolerance mo for alcoholic beverages." The latter stated. "I think it's best if you stay away from alcohol, Jaim." 

Eric did know me so well. 

"Well, life is short and Jaimie wants to enjoy it, so I guess it's better to just let her be but to make sure that she does things in moderation." Andrew said. 

I knew that at this very moment, Eric was getting pissed at how Andrew seemed to counter his statements, but he was controlling himself to the best of his abilities. He wasn't one to cause a scene, after all. 

"You're right." Eric agreed. "But I guess I just want what's best for my best friend. Mahal ko eh." He added. 

"Well, mahal ko din." Andrew said. "I guess I'll just have to thank you for letting me know about the whole alcohol thing, and I'll make sure to watch over her the entire night."

Eric then took this as a cue to look at Andrew straight in the eye. 

"You better, dahil nag-iisa lang si Jaimie sa mundong 'to, and I wouldn't want her ending up with just anybody." He said. "She's special, she deserves to be truly loved and cared for, kaya sana, I hope you don't mess up." He added. "Excuse me."

As I watched Eric go, I felt a certain pang in my heart as his words kept playing in my mind. 

His genuine concern for me and his over-protectiveness just gave me all the more reasons to fall for him even harder, just when I was supposed to bury my feelings six feet under the ground, in an attempt to finally move on. 

"Ganun ba talaga ka suplado yung best friend mo, Jaim?" Andrew asked. 

"Hindi." I said, as I continued to look at Eric. "He just knows me too well. Best friend ko eh."

"Best friend lang ba talaga?"

I breathed heavily, then shifted my focus to Andrew. 

"Let's drink to that."