The Catch (COMPLETED)

Lure

She

I stand there frozen and speechless by the doorway as he stares at me.

I am not ready to face him at all. Not yet. Not like this and yet he's here. Ivan is here.

"Can I come in?" He smiles like nothing's wrong, like I don't have a big round belly that screams of my infidelity to him.

His eyes are glued on me. His eyes, his kind eyes do not show what I expected him to feel. I expected sharp stares of anger and pain. Heck! I expected him to yell at me, call me names and be furious.

That would have made facing him easier because what I'm seeing now is tearing to the depths of my remorseful soul.

What I see in his eyes is sadness, longing and tenderness. I don't deserve that. Not from him. Not after all I have done to him.

"Yes. No. H-how did you know I was here?" I answer confusedly.

"Kuya Nico." He says. "I went to your house for God knows how many times. I begged him to tell me where you were. Wala na akong pakialam kung saan at paano, I just wanted to see you. To finally... hold you, Hon."

He reaches out and takes my hand. "I miss you so much. I was so lost without you. Salamat at nandito ka na ulit."

"I-Ivan... Nakikita mo naman ako di ba? Hindi na to katulad dati." I tell him but he nods his head with his gaze still on me.

"I see you. You are beautiful." He whispers as he raises my hand to his lips then kisses it.

I pull my hand back. "Ivan, buntis ako."

"I know."

"You know very well you're not the father because we never did it."

He nods his head solemnly. "I know and I don't care who the father is. We can still get married. I can be the baby's dad." He proposes as he takes my hand again. "I love you, Maine. I will love only you."

"You can't. Ivan, please stop. I'm a horrible person. Malandi. I cheated on you and that got me pregnant. Don't you get that? Magalit ka sa akin! Hate me!" I sob and pull my hand away again.

I march inside the house as tears fall incessantly from my eyes. He follows and hugs me from the back. His arms go around my shoulders and over my round belly.

"Please don't cry, Hon. I'm sorry if I'm upsetting you." He whispers.

Why is he the one apologizing now? I'm the one who has done him wrong. What is wrong with him?

"Ivan please tama na." I slowly turn to face him. "Wag kang magso-sorry sa akin. Ako ang may kasalanan sa'yo. Please don't be nice to me, lalo mong ipinapamukha sa akin what an evil person I was for hurting you, for cheating on you because you don't deserve that, Ivan. I don't deserve you. You're too good for me." I tell him.

He wipes my tears and caresses my cheek. "That's not true. Don't say that. We all make mistakes. You made a mistake. Hindi ako tanga, Maine. I know you don't love me that much. Alam ko, umpisa pa lang tayo na si RJ ang mahal mo but that didn't stop me from loving you then and it won't stop me from loving you now. I love you and I'm here ready to give and your child all that he can't give you."

"I never told you RJ was the father. Paano mo nalaman?"

"Because I know you. I know you won't sleep with just any guy and if you're ever going to give up your V-card to anyone except from me that would be him." He sighs. "Nasaktan ako. Totoo yun. I cried for days after Kuya Nico told me pero mahal kita. Walang magbabago and besides this child is a blessing to us." He smiles with tears in his eyes and touches my belly, making me flinch a little and look at him confusedly.

"Ivan?"

"I can never have a child of my own, Maine. I'm sorry. Itinago ko yun sa'yo kasi natakot akong iwanan mo ako. Hindi mo na nga ako ganoon kamahal tapos baog pa ako. There was no way na pakakasalan mo ako." He sobs.

"Ivan..." I whisper as I touch his cheek.

That is all I can say. How can I deny the truth that I didn't love him enough and also defend myself from his assumption that I would've left him for being sterile?

"Kayo na ba? Is that why you're living here? Napag-usapan niyo na ba kung kailan kayo magpapakasal? Saan ang kwarto ng bata? Saan ka manganganak?" He asks.

Kami na ba? My best friend got me pregnant does that officially make him my boyfriend? Come to think of it, we never talked about it. Things just fell into place. You played the husband and I played the wife roles for the past week minus the sex. We never did that since that night. You never told me what we'll do next and I never asked. We haven't really talked that much. There was always this air in between us.

What are we, RJ? I know I have plans for the baby? How about you? What do you have in your mind for us?

I think my silence gives Ivan the answer he needs.

"Maine..." He takes out the engagement ring I sent back to him with the letter on our supposed wedding day. He opens my hand and places it on my palm. "We have a home waiting for you and the baby. I have arranged to have the second guest room turned in a nursery for our baby boy. I called my Aunt and she is more than happy to be your OB-GYNE. Dad's hospital will be ready for you and Mom will be our little boy's pediatrician. I love you, Maine and I already love this baby. I still want to marry you. I see no other future but the one I will share with you."

He closes my hand over the ring. "Please think about it, Hon. We can still be a family." He says then kisses my hand again.

"Ivan, I..." I am about to protest. How can he be offering me all these?

Before I knew it, his lips are on mine, muting all the arguments in my mind.

"Sssshhhh... Please don't answer now. Think about it." He whispers and steps back.

"Y-you should go." I tell him. "Pauwi na si RJ."

I see the sadness that fills his eyes as he nods his head. "Please think about my offer, Maine." He says and walks to the door.

I am suddenly exhausted as I lean against the back of the couch for support, with the ring in my hand and a thousand questions in my mind.

*********
Unbeta'ed and not proofread.

So Ivan really loves Maine and he's a great guy. 😔 What now?

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Thank you for reading.