Love, Anonymous (COMPLETED)

Chapter Seventeen - Destiny Claimed

"Remember when I told you once may secret dream career ako? Ito yun, to be in showbiz. I was always unsure of myself, feeling ko wala akong talent pero nabuhayan sana ako ng loob when Ms. Jenny requested me to audition. Yun nga lang, I didn't make it. Naisip ko yun na yung sign na di para sakin showbiz. Tapos now, this offer from Ms. Kris......I don't know what to do."

"What's stopping you?"

"Yung tutoo? I don't know if I can do it. I also don't know how you'll feel if I work there. It might affect..."

"Might affect what? Go on...."

"Us. It might affect us." She stood from her seat and went to the side table by the couch. Taking the scrapbook she found a few days ago, she gave the scrapbook to him.

"Ano 'to?"

"Just take a look at the photos inside and tell me what you see." Alden leafs through the pages of the scrapbook, clueless about what he should be looking for. He saw pictures of Maine when she was still in her teens, with her friends, in school, until the pages show the 2010 Candy Fair.

He stared at the blurry photo of him with his arm around her, both of them still so young, smiling at the camera. His mind brought him back to that day when he arrived home late, unable to sleep that night because a pretty girl with braces on her teeth looked at him with those expressive brown eyes, the same brown eyes looking at him now.

"Maine, this is you and me in a photo taken five years ago. Who would've thought?" He looked at her and smiled till his eyes were mere slits, his dimple deepening. He pulled her from her chair and cupped her face with his hands. "Looks like someone up there has been trying to bring us together."

She pulls his hands away from her face and hold on to them. "RJ, I once told you I'm scared of commitments, lalo na with you because of your career. It's difficult enough to make a normal relationship work, mas lalo na, with someone like you whose every move is scrutinized by people."

"Bakit parang natatakot ako sa sasabihin mo?"

"Listen to me first, ok? I'm scared of making commitments because I usually mess them up. With you, ang dali sana magcommit because you're almost perfect, di ko nga alam kung anong nakita mo sakin bakit mo ko nagustuhan. So I prayed for this. I asked the Lord to give me a sign that I should throw caution to the wind and commit. Kasi, sa tutoo lang gustong gusto ko na eh."

"Then I saw this picture of us. Alam mo, kinilabutan ako when I saw this picture. Kasi, naalala ko yung sinabi mo sakin before we went home that day. Do you remember what you said?"

"Yes. I said, thanks, see you soon."

"Why did you say that?"

"I don't know. I just had this gut feeling I'd see you again. But as the weeks passed, I thought I was wrong. I did want to see you again, but I didn't know how to find you, I didn't know your name."

"Babe, this photo....it confirmed what I felt all along. I want you to be mine. I want us to be a legit couple."

"You do? Akala ko you were trying to let me down easy." He pulled her in a tight hug, planting a lingering kiss on her forehead. He rubbed her back because he knew it took a lot for her to make this decision. "You won't regret it, I swear."

He kissed her, cradling her head gently with one hand and wrapping an arm around her waist. She hugged him back, her hand caressing his nape, his jaw and neck, loving the feel of his faint stubble on her palm. His arms wrapped around her as she snuggled close to him, her arms hugging his waist.

"Are you happy?" She asked him, looking unsure of herself.

"YES. I was expecting the worst, you started out sounding as though there was no hope for us. Thank you for this leap of faith, Maine."

"Do you see now why it's hard for me decide on the offer? I want to be in showbiz pero ayoko ng magkalaban tayo ng network."

"Do you want me to talk to Mr. Tuviera? I can introduce you to him, we can work together in Eat Bulaga."

"Ayoko, nakakahiya kay Ms. Jenny. She might think I'm using you. Siguro hindi talaga ako para sa showbiz."

"You're going to turn down the offer?"

"I don't know.... She's giving me until two days from now to think it over."

"One thing at a time sweetie. For now, let's celebrate. Happy na lang muna pwede?

The rest of their time together was blissful. There was time enough to worry about the decision they needed to make. But just for tonight, Alden wanted to be an ordinary guy spending quality time with his girl.