Love, Anonymous (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twelve - The Pessimistic Optimist

"Not really.  Actually binili ni Nanay itong condo para pag gagabihin kami pauwi hindi na kami uuwi sa Bulacan. Si Dean ang madalas nandito kasi nag-aaral pa siya ngayon. Coleen and I sleep here sometimes, ako pag late dumating flight ko, si Coleen naman pag may overtime sa work."

"Mukhang nagluto ka ha. Smells good."

"Just some Seafood Pasta with basil and cream."

They ate heartily and chatted, enjoying each other's company. They would feed each other with the different cold cuts and cheese Alden brought with him, both stealing glances at each other when the other was not looking. Alden looked leaner, probably due to the hectic days while shooting. She liked how neat and organized he ate, how attentively he would listen to whatever she was saying.

After their meal, they filled their wine glasses and sat side by side on the couch. Maine switched the TV on and searched for something interesting to watch. The Fault in Our Stars was showing on HBO, one of Alden's favorite movies.

"Hello again," He said, giving her a hug. "I missed you big time, Maine."

"Missed you too. It didn't help that I suddenly got so many friend requests and follows in my social media accounts. So many people asking about you and me."

"Does it bother you? I'm sorry if I disrupted your life."

"It's ok, just awkward sometimes. But I'd like to request something from you."

"Sure, anything."

"Wherever this thing we have is going, please don't ever confirm anything with the media. Iwant what we have to remain private. We may not be a couple yet but look at us, we act as if we are already. I really like you, Richard. But my feelings for you are not the issue, really. "

"If you reciprocate my feelings, then for me, the battle is won. Anything else is easy for us to work out because we have each other and we'll work at it together."

"Richard......RJ.......I have a problem with commitment. I don't know why, but just when I'm at the point of committing to someone, things just fall apart. My first relationship lasted for four years. I gave my all to that relationship, I was committed even when I already knew he was two-timing me. I figured if I stay, he 'd realize his mistake one day and we'dl mend our relationship to live happily ever after. Ang naïve, diba? But that was high school Maine thinking. We broke up anyway and I think he scarred me for life."

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Maine. "

"You know, if there's one thing that experience taught me, it would have to be managing expectations well. I have since learned to temper my enthusiasm for things I want. I learned na when you want something, chill lang dapat. Pag gigil ka, lalo mong hindi makukuha. It's always better to expect the worst para when things fall apart, hindi na masyadong masakit."

He pulled away from her to look at her, eye-to-eye, holding both her hands. She looked at him defensively, daring him to contradict the things she said. But he just raised both her hands and kissed each one.

"Maine, let's build nicer memories together, ok? We'll take things slow, you don't need to commit to me now. But I promise you, I won't date anybody else, ikaw lang gusto ko."

"Will you get mad if I date other guys?"

"Honestly? I wish I was enough for you. But if it will help you make a decision, I guess I have to accept that you need to socialize." She laughed at his facial expression. He looked so miserable at the thought of her dating other guys.

"Seriously, RJ. Alden Richards, bothered if I date other guys? You know you have an edge already. I've been your fan since God knows when."

"When I'm with you, I'm not Alden Richards. I'm just like any ordinary guy waiting to be loved back."

"Good answer," She said, kissing him on the cheek. With a slight turn of his head, their lips met. His arms wrapped around her middle to pull her closer, his back sliding down towards the hand rest of the couch, taking Maine with him. With her upper body now on top of him, she reaches out to balance herself, but topples his wine glass on the side table, spilling wine all over his shirt.

"Hala, sorry, sorry! Ang harot naman kasi eh," She said frantically picking up the wine glass and grabbing some tissues to wipe off the stain on his shirt.

"Oh no, sana matanggal yung stain sa shirt mo. Let's rinse it na agad para di magstay yung stain. Take off your shirt."

"Seryoso ka?"

"Take it off nga! I'll rinse it na, may shirts naman si Dean, you can wear one of them muna."

He tugged at his shirt and pulled it over his head, self-consciously handing the damp shirt to her. Maine couldn't help it, she openly stared at his well-formed pecs and the straining cuts on his biceps.

"Uh, Maine, yung shirt ni Dean...malamig yung aircon ."

"What? Oh...wait , sige kunin ko."

She rushed to her room, her face flushed. Damn, that was hot, she thought, fanning herself. She got paper towels and blotted out the wine stains.  She then opened the tap and let hot  water run over the stained portion of the shirt. Thankfully, the wine washed away with the water until almost no trace of it was left. After hanging the shirt in the bathroom, she searched the closet to find a shirt for Alden.

Alden cleaned up the rest of the wine stains on the side table and couch. It was then that he noticed her iPad, which had wine stains too. He got some tissues from a tissue box on the side table and gently blotted out the wine drops on the tablet's screen, unintentionally swiping it.

Maine's wattpad story draft came into display. Alden saw the first few sentences of the draft, his attention caught by the mention of his name and Maine's. He quickly put the tablet down when he heard the bedroom door close and sat down.

"Here wear this muna. Papasama ko na lang sa laundry yung shirt mo then bigay ko sayo."

"No, keep it here. I might need it someday," He said winking at her.

"Ughhh, ang harot mo. Come here," She pulled him and they hugged tightly. "I'll be out for more than a week. I'll really miss you again."

"Di bale, dating gawi, facetime and calls na lang muna." He kissed her again, deepening the kiss, feeling slightly anxious because they were about to be separated again. His lips traveled to her jaw, down to her neck and settled on her bare shoulder. They stayed locked in each other's arms, swaying even when there wasn't any music. When he finally disengaged to hold her hands, they looked at each other wistfully.

"Kapit lang," He said, caressing the cleft in her chin. With a last kiss on her forehead, he was gone.

----

In his bedroom, he finished setting up a wattpad account and searched for Maine on the app but could not find her. Geez, he liked to think he was not a newbie with social media apps, how complicated should it be to search for her story? He tried typing in his screen name but a list of 498 stories came up. After going over the first 20 stories, he gave up reading, frustrated. As a last resort, he called up Coleen.

"Ginagabi tayo ha, Richard."

"Sorry na, I need your help, sige na."

"Sige, shoot."

"Gusto ko basahin wattpad stories ni Maine. Can you give me her wattpad account?"

"Naku, magagalit yun if she finds out na sinabi ko sayo."

"Di ko naman sasabihin eh."

"She will figure it out, matalino yun."

"Diba public naman yung stories niya? Why would it be an issue if I read them?"

"Dude, ganito na lang. It's actually on the top 20 fan fictions about you. Yan ha, clue na yan. Hanapin mo na lang yung top 20 fan fics about Alden Richards, isa sa mga yun, gawa niya."

Though it was way past midnight, he persevered, determined to find her story.  After figuring out how to display the top ranking wattpad fan fictions about him, he finally found her story, the 16th ranking fan fiction on wattpad.

"The Heart Speaks." The story of Alden and Maine, by @pessimisticoptimist.