The Catch (COMPLETED)

Prologue

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"Babe, I'm ready." You call from behind the curtain.

I take a deep breath as I wait for you to come out. I freeze, breathless and mesmerized, as you step into view. I am speechless because I don't think any word could ever describe just how beautiful you look at that moment in that white dress.

"So? What do you think?" You ask.

"Ako ba talaga dapat tanungin mo tungkol diyan?"

"Of course. Who else will I ask? Hindi ba bagay? Pangit noh?" You pout.

Pangit? Pangit is the last word to describe how you look like with your long silky hair catching just enough light as it cascades down your slender shoulders and arms left bare by the elaborately beaded halter neckline of that wedding gown to create a faint halo around your lovely face. The dress you picked is beautiful with those rhinestones but they are nothing compared to your sparkling brown eyes under those long thick lashes.

Ethereal. Yes. That's the word I'm looking for because your beauty is too perfect for this world, Maine.

"Pwedeng pangit yung damit pero ikaw, imposibleng maging pangit." I tell you.

"Bolero." You say and throw the piece of tissue you've been holding to wipe the stress sweat off your forehead at me.

"Hindi nga kita binobola." I walk over to where you are standing on a platform in the middle of the dress shop.

I take your hands and hold them firmly in mine then look deep into your eyes. "Maine, simula nang magkakilala tayo never pa kitang binola. Lahat ng sinasabi ko sa'yo, totoo yun. Maganda. Mabait. Matalino. Maalaga. You are everything a man could ever ask for. It doesn't matter what you wear to the wedding, what matters is it's you who's wearing it."

Your eyes brim with tears and you slip your arms over my shoulders to hug me. "Thank you, RJ. Thank you so much. I love you."

"I love you too." I whisper and I'm afraid you may never know just how much I do.

You give me one more squeeze before slightly pulling away to kiss my cheek. "So, back to the real issue here. Do you think this is the dress for me na?"

"Yes. You look perfect in it." I smile. "Ivan is a very lucky guy."

"Thank you. You're the best, Babe." You smile back.

"You're always welcome, Cupcake." I hug you again and kiss your temple.

Anyone watching us at that moment would think of us as a happy couple doing their wedding preparations but we're not.

I'm not the one marrying such an incredible woman.

I'm just your best friend who is the best man to your wedding; doing maid of honor duties because you're an only child and an overachieving beautiful woman so you don't have any sisters or true girlfriends to do those for you.

So, I'm doing this for you while your groom's sister is the maid of honor doing my best man duties.

I'm doing this for you. I'll do anything for you because I love you more than you think you know and now it's best you never know how much.

She

RJ, you're the best. You are the best person in my life. I feel like I could just always be myself around you and you would always love me. You're also the truest you can be when we're together and I love you with all my heart.

I guess I always knew from the day we met that you are going to be in my life forever.

Okay. So we didn't hit off right away and we didn't start out with the most ideal circumstances but look where that got us.