You Belong With Me

Ten

ALDEN: Meron ba akong nagawang masama sayo?

MAINE: Ano?

ALDEN: Kaya nga nagtatanong kasi hindi ko alam if I did something you didn't like.

MAINE: Bakit mo naman natanong yan?

ALDEN: Kasi ilang araw ka nang hindi nakikisabay sa akin. Maski sa pag-uwi hindi na tayo nagkakasabay. Are you and Ike back together na hindi ko alam?

MAINE: ANO?! Porket hindi lang ako sumasabay sayo nagkabalikan na kami agad-agad ni Ike?

Maine glared at her phone's screen while imagining it was Alden's head she was skewering with her death glare right now. Nagtatanong siya kung meron siyang nagawang kasalanan sa kanya, eh dito lang sa text convo nilang ito pwede nang reason kung bakit ayaw niyang sumabay sa kanya.

She waited for his reply, pero parang ang tagal niyang sumasagot so she sent him another text.

MAINE: What about you and Mandy, nagkabalikan na rin ba kayo?

# # # # #

ALDEN STARED AT THE SECOND TEXT MESSAGE he received from Maine. He was in the middle of typing his response to her first message when he was interrupted when he saw she sent another one. Binasa niya ulit yung second message to be sure that he read it right. He deleted what he initially started typing and sent her a new reply addressing her most recent message.

ALDEN: Walang chance na makipagbalikan pa ako kay Mandy.

He hit SEND and leaned back in his seat.

He meant what he said. Mandy might have an agenda for making an appearance back in his life, pero yung chapter nila back in high school eh matagal ng tapos at wala siyang intensyon na dugtungan pa yun o bigyan ng sequel.

MAINE: As if! Eh last weekend lang magkasama kayong dalawa.

ALDEN: Para naman kasing hindi rin kayo magkasama ng ex-boyfriend mo last weekend.

MAINE: Hello? You know naman ang status namin ni Ike. Hindi na siya nanliligaw sa akin. Besides, I think meron na siyang ibang kursonada.

Alden paused from replying back after reading her rebuttal. Maine was right. Alden knows na tinigilan na ni Ike na e-try pang makipagbalikan kay Maine, and secondly, he also noticed na lately parang preoccupied si Ike and hindi yun dahil sa trabaho.

ALDEN: Okay, you got me there kay Ike. I noticed na magulo isip nun lately, and hindi work-related kung ano man yung iniisip niya.

MAINE: I say it's good for Ike. Guwapo naman siya and maganda ang trabaho. He deserves to be happy and...well, can't say he'd make a perfect boyfriend dahil mas pinili niya career niya before over me, pero now I think nag-mature na si Ike so I'm sure he will put his relationship first then career second.

ALDEN: You sound like you know how he thinks. Are you sure hindi ikaw yung nanggugulo sa isip niya? Baka naman nagkabalikan na kayo na hindi mo sinasabi sa akin...

"God, I hope not!" Alden said out loud after he sent that text. He knew he was playing with fire and most likely end up annoying Maine sa sinabi niya, pero merong boses sa isip niya na nangugulit at gustong malaman ang totoo. He still wants to know who the hell her secret admirer was; mas interesado siyang malaman yun kesa yung identity ng secret admirer niya.

# # # # #

MAINE: Are we back to this again? Ilang beses ko bang dapat sabihin sayo na friends na lang kami ni Ike ngayon? Besides, he and I work together and he happens to be my damn boss! Bawal ata ang office romance, and napaka-cliched naman ng boss-secretary relationship no!

Naiirita na kinikilig si Maine na hindi niya maintindihan. She shouldn't even feel giddy dahil non-stop ang text message convo nila ni Alden. Sa totoo lang na-miss niyang ka-text ang mokong all week dahil sa inis niya when he told her he was with Mandy last weekend. She was looking forward to their usual carpool to and from work, but Ike offered to pick her and Jules up after hanging out nung Saturday night. Jules accepted his offer bago pa maka-decline si Maine kaya ayun, all week this week si Ike ang taga-hatid at sundo nila.

ALDEN: Hindi kasi ako convinced na hindi na nanliligaw sayo si Ike.

MAINE: At bakit naman, hm?

ALDEN: Are you sure hindi siya ang secret admirer mo?

His question gave Maine pause.

She never even thought na although on the outside eh cool lang si Ike na friends na lang sila, baka naman meron siyang different angle that he was working on to try and get back together with her. Pero imposible naman yun. And besides, she asked Ike nang harap-harapan kung siya ang nagpapadala sa kanya nang mga flowers and chocolates, he told her it wasn't him and she believed him dahil kilala niya si Ike and he has a 'tell' when he was lying. Hindi niya nakita yung 'tell' na yun when she confronted him.

# # # # #

ALDEN WAITED FOR MAINE'S REPLY. Mukha yatang natatagalan siyang sumagot.

ALDEN: Uy! Still there?

MAINE: Uh-huh...bakit?

ALDEN: Bakit hindi ka na sumagot?

MAINE: Ano namang sasagutin ko?

ALDEN: Ako.

MAINE: Huh? Hindi ka naman nanliligaw eh...

He stared at her reply for the longest time. He wondered if he should or shouldn't text what he has been wondering about for a while now. But he wanted to know her answer and might as well get it out there and see what happens.

ALDEN: Paano kung manligaw ako, meron bang chance na sagutin mo ako?

# # # # #

MAINE STARED AT HER PHONE SCREEN after reading Alden's text. She didn't see that one coming.

=================================

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry, but my muse said to end this chapter there so that's where I ended it. Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the previous chapter. I enjoyed reading your comments/opinions about the whole situation that arose in that chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter her. I think this sets up the pace for the next chapters. Enjoy your weekend everyone!