Just Live

Chapter 9

"Maine?"

"Hm?"

"Tulog ka na."

"Ayoko pa."

"Bakit?"

"Because I don't want this night to end," Maine whispered as she tightened her hug on his arm.

"I'd freeze time for you if I could, Maine," RJ said softly while slowly rubbing her arm.

They were seated on an outdoor couch on their hotel balcony and it was already four in the morning, but Maine had no intentions of going to sleep. She wanted to stretch the night for as long as possible because she didn't want it to end; she didn't want her time with RJ to end.

He took the top of the comforter and brought it up to cover her body all the way to her chin to keep her warm even with the morning mist from the ocean. Maine was currently leaning on his shoulder, her arms circling his right arm while he put his left hand on top of hers. For Maine and RJ, they could stay like that for days on end, just enjoying each other's company and warmth.

"Do you, at least, want to go inside? Baka mag-kasakit ka nyan," RJ asked quietly.

Maine shook her head and they stayed out on the balcony with just each other and the sound of the waves from the ocean. Neither of them said a word, but it was a comfortable silence, until RJ noted tear stains on the comforter just below her chin.

Slowly lifting his head up to look at her, he saw tears running down her cheeks.

"Maine," RJ immediately called her attention and pulled his right arm out of hers to wrap it around her shoulders, his left hand reaching for her face to wipe the tears. "Bakit ka umiiyak?"

She looked up at him and smiled as tears kept falling from her eyes. "Halo halong dahilan. I've been thinking of the past two weeks I've spent with you at sobrang saya ko to have those memories to keep. Yung happiness ko sobra sobra."

"Tears of joy?"

"Mhm," Maine replied as she looked out into darkness.

"What else, Maine?" RJ asked, knowing that there was something else bothering her. Call it crazy, but the past two weeks with Maine felt like years to him that he now knew when she was truly happy or bothered by something.

"Contentment, RJ. But, it's a gray area. Yung feeling na, sobrang kontento ako kasi I did way more than what I thought I could do when I left home. Pero, RJ," Maine said as she looked at him, sadness now took over her eyes. "It left me wanting for more."

For some reason, he understood her, and her last few words made his tears fall from his eyes.

"It left me wanting for more and I'm afraid that it's gonna make it even harder to deal with it because all I'm gonna be thinking about are the things we've done and the things I could be doing."

"Maine," RJ helf her chin in his hand and looked in her eyes. "This doesn't end here. It doesn't have to end here."

Maine reached for his face and wipe the tears that ran down his cheeks. "RJ, I'll forever be grateful for everything I experienced because of you. Lahat ng yun, lahat ng toh, I'll treasure them for eternity. Ganun ka-special."

"Maine, if you will let me, marami pa tayong pwedeng idagdag sa memories na yun. Maraming marami pa," he answered with a smile but his face was still wet from tears.

She closed her eyes and snuggled her face between his arm and his body. RJ wrapped his arms around her tightly and both turned quiet again. He swallowed lump after lump in his throat as he watched the comforter get soaked with her tears.