(Photo Credit : Maine Mendoza's IG Account)

It was a long day for them both.

Right after Kalyeserye, Maine had a photo shoot that entailed six wardrobe and make-up changes, after which she was whisked off to the launch of her latest endorsement, a line of pasta sauces that would entail shoots for a dozen 10-minute cooking segments over the next three weeks. Although she felt she wasn't really a good endorser for food products because she was not a practicing chef, her handlers felt it was good exposure to show another facet of her personality.

Alden had rehearsals for his two upcoming concerts next month, and a photo shoot for a magazine cover. His body felt sore from all the dance routines, but he promised to fetch Maine at her launch. Lately, they were both so busy and caught up with their commitments, they hardly had time to even share a meal together. He felt that taking her home would at least be a bonding moment they could enjoy. He checked his time, figuring they still had time for a late dinner.

She was waiting for him outside the venue by the time he arrived. The moment she sat beside him in the van, he knew by the stiff set of her shoulders that something was wrong. He reached for her hand and squeezed reassuringly, trying to ease the tension.

"Hi, babe. How was the launch?"

"It was ok." She said without elaborating. She looked away but hugged his arm closer to her body.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

Maine let out a sigh. Yes Maine, she asked herself, what's wrong? You have a handsome, doting boyfriend who worships the ground you walk on, a job you love and pays well, a family that cares and supports you. What else do you want? Why the nagging discontent? Why rock the boat?

"Babe......I think I need some time alone." She said tentatively, knowing Alden might take offense. He was surprised to hear what she said but did not react. He was quiet for a while, then slowed the van and parked near a gas station, right outside a Starbucks outlet. It was almost empty save for two tables with couples enjoying a late night.

"You want a drink?" He asked quietly.

"No, let's just talk." She was watching him, afraid of upsetting him. Alden was the kindest, gentlest person she ever met but she was afraid of him when he was upset. He never lost his temper with her but gets dangerously quiet, holding everything in. It wasn't normal, she thought, for someone to control emotions that way. She was the type who needed to vent, to let it out and get it over with. That was why she loved Twitter and her blog. But ever since Aldub hit it big, she lost her outlet for emotions. Her venting on social media was always subject to over-analyzing of fans. Her feelings have been bottled up inside for the past months.

"Ok, why do you need time alone?" He was looking at her, his sad eyes making her feel uneasy.

"To be honest, I'm tired."

"Tired of what? Work? The bashing? Or.....Us?"

"Everything," She simply said.

He let go of her hand, clasping both hands on top of the wheel and blew some air to let off steam. He felt like panicking but he didn't want to scare her. He understood, showbiz life was really difficult but he thought they were strong enough to weather it together.

"Babe, is this about my lack of time for you again? Diba pinag-usapan na natin yan, I told you I'd gradually reduce my commitments and I'm doing it naman, diba? Lately I get to fetch you and take you home and I call you up every night. It won't stop there, I promise."

"I know Babe, I know I sound needy. But we don't have time together outside of work."

"We'll get there babe, soon. It's tricky for us to spend time together if you don't want media to know about us yet. But I'll figure something out."

He was trying to be patient but she could see that he sounded worried. "But while we're on the subject, why can't we tell everyone we're together? Yes, fine, you don't like being talked about but they're talking about us already."

"Babe, please....Let's not argue. Not tonight."

"I'm not arguing with you Maine, you said let's talk. I'm trying to understand." She noticed he was gripping the wheel, his knuckles showing. Just this once, she had this perverse need to see him let go of his emotions and lose his temper. His self-control was driving her crazy.

"Di ka ba talaga marunong magalit? My God, you're so perfect it makes me feel like shit." She blurted out helplessly.

"Ano ba talaga problema mo? Did you have a bad day and decide to take it out on me?" He punched the wheel suddenly, feeling frustrated. She flinched, shrinking away from him, but he suddenly stepped out of the van and went to the men's room, most likely to cool off. She felt ashamed for goading him childishly. He was back in a few minutes, wiping his damp face with his handkerchief.

Even when he was angry, he was breathtakingly handsome. She was in awe of him, sometimes the fangirl in her would get giddy over how he fell for her. She reached out to touch his face, in an effort to pacify him. He caught her hand and hugged her tightly, rubbing her back. She felt hot tears running down her face, then the sobs followed. Crying felt good, it was like unraveling so many knots stuck inside her. Alden's hugs always calmed her down.

"I'm a mess, babe. No, don't stop me, let me say my piece first while I still can." She held his gaze, wanting to make sure he would comprehend what she wanted to say.

"When I said you're so perfect, I meant it without any sarcasm. You are, babe. You always do the right thing, never say anything out of line, so much so that everyone loves you. The fans, the bosses, dabarkads, everyone. Sure, there are bashers but you're so composed, you handle everything so well. You're so together, in complete control of your life. I know what you'll say, you'll say everyone loves me too, pareho lang tayo. But we're not the same. Ikaw, talagang mabait ka. What people see in you is what they get. In my case, they put me up on a pedestal, it's scary. They have such a high opinion of me, which is so far from reality. I am FAR from perfect, I am a mess." She paused to take a deep breath, caressing his hand.

"Everyone keeps talking about our destiny, serendipity, God giving us to each other and it sounds great. But I'm so scared, RJ. I don't want them to know about our relationship because if things don't work out, they'll most likely bash you, when they should be bashing me. Me, because I have a history of failed relationships. Me, because I'm the pessimistic one. Me, because I'm not what they think I am. I always mess up things."

He didn't speak after that. She wondered what he could be thinking of, after her speech. But he didn't say a thing. He started the van and drove off, taking her to her condo. For the rest of the way, they remained silent. As they reached her condo, she leaned over to kiss him.

"You want to come in for a while?"

"Wag na muna babe. I'll see you tomorrow." He drove off almost in a hurry. He sent her a text message that he was home an hour later, no phone call to say good night.

She couldn't sleep again, beating herself up over the things she said. She used to pray each night for a man who would treat her right, appreciate her and accept her, flaws and all. She wanted someone who would make her feel special, who would want to shout out to the world with pride that she was his girl. She dreamed of being in showbiz, of having her own billboard, posing for fashion magazines, starring in a movie, and being popular. God gave her all that she asked for and more. He gave her a new closeness with her family, opportunities to start over from past heartaches.

But no one told her how difficult it was to be in showbiz. Every move was under scrutiny, words twisted to mean more than they actually did. She got bashed for the most trivial things, but she took it all in stride as she knew it was part and parcel of being in showbiz. Lately though, the bashing was beginning to get to her, especially when Alden was being bashed too. He had been so good to and for her, RJ brought out the best in her. Her only lament was his lack of time for her, which was crucial to make their relationship work. Was she being too needy to want more time so they could be together? She needed to take a step back from it all to think.

One thing she was sure of, though. Without a doubt, she loved RJ, and she would try her best to make it work.

He was still awake staring at the ceiling. Alden was angry with himself for losing his temper earlier. He was tired and wanted to have some quality time with her, but he lost it when she started talking about her fears. He had no idea she felt this way, he hated that she was so hard on herself.

He blamed himself for making her feel so inferior, so inadequate. He regretted not coming in when she asked, because right now, all he wanted was to hold her. He wanted to assure her that this was just a minor hurdle that they could face together, a momentary bump on their journey.

Before he could change his mind, he took the keys to the van and rushed down the stairs and out of the house. He started the van and sped northbound of SLEX, a man with a mission.

Maine was stirring her second cup of coffee when she heard a key being turned on the lock of her door. Her heart raced, only Alden had another copy of her condo's door key. They secretly had it duplicated to allow him access without having to knock or ring the bell, to avoid calling attention to themselves. The door opened slowly.

Without a word, he closed the door quietly behind him and walked to her, hugging her tightly. They didn't speak but instead tried to give each other as much comfort as they could. They finally succumbed to all the pressure they have been subjected to for more than half a year already. Although they were able to brave through all the scrutiny, bashing and hard work, the stress finally took a toll on them.

They sat down on the couch, a witness to many late nights of cuddling and laughter. The good memories lifted their spirits a bit. He was the first to break the silence.

"Babe, l'm sorry if I left in a hurry earlier. I needed time to think about all the things you said."

"Don't apologize, RJ. I shouldn't have dumped everything on you in one go."

"Maine, listen. I let you say your piece earlier, please hear me out this time, ok? "His hands reached for her face, wanting her to look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry I ever made you feel all those things you said. Since day one, all I ever wanted was to give you my best, and believe me, you brought out a side of me that I never knew I had. I always played safe with my life, but you dared me to take chances. I was such a stiff, boring matinee idol wannabe, but you showed me that I could be interesting and funny. My life totally changed because of you, in the nicest way possible."

"Akala mo ba ikaw lang ang takot? Di lang ikaw ang nagkamali in the past. I've been hurt before, got bitter about it for a long time. I even wondered, ito pa ba mangyayari sakin after working so hard for my family, ano ba naman na maging masaya ako with someone special? But it took a while before I found you. Kaya pala matagal, kasi worth all the wait yung dadating. And the bashing? Bring it on. I don't read Twitter so much and maybe you should lessen reading the tweets too. And stop being so hard on yourself, you are as awesome as they think."

"If you want some time alone, I'll give you that, kahit kinakabahan ako. Just remember babe, we're in this together. Wag mo solohin. Pakiusap lang din, don't entertain thoughts na maghihiwalay tayo. Ever."

She leaned forward to kiss him. His words reassured her. "Thank you RJ. I'm sorry if I sound so pessimistic. Looking back at the things I said, I realize how lucky I've been, and I know I should be thankful instead of whining."

"No, I don't need time alone. My mind has a tendency to be negative when I am by myself. I know this won't be the last time I will break down from pressure, sana lang we'll be ok through all this."

"I never said it would be easy, babe. But I will always be here for you. Stop thinking I'm perfect because I'm not. Look at you! You're so beautiful, intelligent, loved. Kailangan kitang bakuran, ang dami kong kalaban sayo." He laughed and hugged her, her great wall of Alden.

She laughed suddenly, that lovable giggle he liked so much.

"Babe, I just realized something," She said in between her giggles. "Did you look in the mirror before coming over?" He wondered what she meant and stood up to have a look at the mirror. What he saw made him blush a deep red. He was wearing a white undershirt and boxers. No pants, just his boxers. He laughed and sat down on the couch, grabbing her pillow and putting it on his lap.

"Baka mabuntis yan," She said with a straight face. They both laughed out loud.

"Teka kunin ko yung naiwan mong pants dito." She got up and went to her room.

Alden woke up feeling a bit sore. The couch was not long enough to accommodate his long frame, but he wasn't complaining. Maine was still sound asleep in his arms, his body spooning hers, his hand held closely to her chest. The TV was still on, they fell asleep watching That 70s Show reruns. He tried to stretch with minimal movement to relieve the soreness, hoping not to wake her. But she stirred anyway, and pulled his arm closer.

"Good morning," She sat down and got the remote to turn off the TV. He stretched and got up as well, pulling her closer for a kiss.

"We slept for about an hour, good luck sa atin later," She said but she was smiling widely. Her face was devoid of any make-up, her hair tousled from sleep, but she looked so beautiful. He got his phone and took a photo of her. "Huy, ano yan? Why are you taking my pic?"

"Ganda mo eh, pwedeng woke up like this IG post," He said, admiring the photo. "Post ko kaya ito ngayon, kagulo siguro Aldub nation."

"Loko ka, don't. Gulo yan. Patingin nga baka ang pangit ko diyan eh."

"Ikaw, pangit? Never. Babe, if this is the face I will wake up to every morning, mas madali siguro ako magigising. Lika nga dito.." He pulled her to his lap.

"Pano yan maaga call time natin?" She was trying to remain sane while he nibbled on her neck.

"Bahala na si Mama Ten sa things ko, magkikita na lang kami sa Broadway."

"Sige, ligo na ko babe ha," She got up but he held on to her hand.

"Maine..." He got up and pulled her close.

"Remember when I said na hindi ko na maimagine ang buhay ko ng wala ka? That was real. I meant every word. Aayusin ko yung time ko. I promise. Please believe that."

Her face lit up with the most incredible smile ever. To know that he caused this smile was a humbling experience. She reached out to caress his jaw.

"Sige babe, I believe you." She kissed his cheek and walked towards her bedroom. Before going in, she turns to him.

"By the way babe, you in boxers? I could get used to that." With a wink, she entered her room.