After Us

5.

This is for @upturnedhands 😊 Her comment on the third chapter was akaksjsiska 🙈 thank you for being so kind.

Want to score a dedication? Go comment stuff! The IN-LINE comments are IMPORTANT but so are your INSIGHTS about the chapter.

Enjoy!

5.

HIM

"We have to talk."

Alden freezes on his bed when Gabby calls him at four forty-seven in the morning and this is the first thing that she says. She was in another immersion again. Signal and wifi was hard so every phone call was scheduled for the two of them. This phone call was out of schedule though.

"What about?" His heart was beating a little too fast. He was a bit of scared of what Gabby was going to say. He heard her sigh on the other line and it hurts him a teeny tiny bit that she's hurting/thinking/stressing over something he doesn't know about. What's worse is he wasn't beside her to fix it for her.

"I finished Maine's books. Both of them. I—fuck. Hang on, I need a moment."

He gives her that moment. He stays silent for the next ten minutes, just listening to the sound of her breathing. He doesn't know if he hears a bit of sniffing or if it's just cold in her area. He remembers her complaining the other day that mornings were hard in where she is because it was cold and she didn't bring any sweaters with her.

"Hey," His voice is soft and warm and it makes Gabby feel fuzzy inside. "Is everything okay?"

"I've been meaning to tell you this since I finished the first book but I was unsure of how you'll take it—so I guess, it's just right that I do this on the phone right after I finished the second book. Jay—how do I say this—uhh—you've never read her books?"

"No." He says quickly. "I don't plan on reading them."

"You should—" Gabby pauses, a bit unsure of what to say next but she remembers that she's on the phone and that she should have a bit more courage to say what she wants to say since she's been keeping this since she bought the books which was a little over three weeks ago. "You should because she's sorry and maybe you're going to stop being angry with her after—"

"Who says I'm mad at her?"

"I do—but like, do it at your own pace. I just—Jay, she really loves you and she did what she did because she didn't want to hurt you anymore."

"Teka nga, bakit ba natin 'to pinaguusapan? It's five in the morning and we're talking about my ex."

"Because I realized that I can never be as great as Maine and I'm not planning to. I'm not competing with her. Heck, I'm not even your girlfriend! All I'm—"

"Gabrielle Isabella Ashby, listen to me okay? Shut up for a second. Shut off your thoughts and listen to me." He can imagine her biting on her lip in anxiousness and RJ wishes he was there to hold her and tell her that it's going to be okay. Everything will be okay. "I'm going to be honest. I'm trying—I'm still trying to pick up myself after Maine. Three years was long enough for me to think that Maine was the one. I don't have explain that because I'm sure nabasa mo na. I don't know what else you've read. Her side? That's fine. But hear mine, okay? Gabby, are you listening?"

"I am."

"I will never forget Maine. Ever. Even if I want to, I can never because I've been with her for three years and in those three years I've thought about our future together, what our lives would be like, where we'll live, kids and everything else you can possibly think of. Akala ko si Maine na. Akala ng buong mundo kami na. But hindi and that's okay. I've accepted the fact that the person I thought I was going to marry isn't the one for me. I'm not mad at her. I'm done being at mad at her. I'm trying to be my old self again or better—for you."