More Than a Maybe ✨

KABANATA 4

Samantha’s POV

“Yung Para Bang Walang Nangyari… Pero Ramdam Ko Pa Rin”

Ang hirap pala no’n—yung pagkatapos ng isang gabing punô ng emosyon, bigla na lang kayong babalik sa kung anong “dati.”

Parang walang nangyari.

Parang hindi ako niya hinalikan.

Parang hindi niya ako niyakap na parang ako lang ang natitira sa mundo niya.

Parang hindi ako nagising sa tabi niya.

Pagkatapos ng gabing ‘yon, hindi kami nag-usap.

Wala man lang text. Wala man lang tawag.

Hindi ko alam kung anong aasahan ko.

Should I wait?

Should I act normal?

Should I pretend like it didn’t mean anything… even when to me, it meant everything?

Monday came. I saw him in the driveway. Pareho pa rin ang routine. He honked twice—just like he always did.

I took a deep breath, fixed my hair, and stepped into his car.

Tahimik. Walang bati. Walang “good morning.”

Just the faint sound of music playing on the radio.

His fingers tapping the steering wheel.

My heart tapping against my ribs.

“Okay ka lang?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

He nodded. “Yeah. Just tired.”

And that was it.

Hindi namin pinag-usapan ang nangyari.

Ni hindi niya ako tinanong kung okay ba ako.

At ako? Wala akong lakas ng loob para umamin na hindi.

Sa school, everything felt the same—but different.

We still walked the halls together. We still shared lunch. We still sat side by side in class.

Pero ‘yung mga mata niya… hindi na tumitingin sa’kin sa paraang gusto kong maramdaman.

He was present—but not fully there.

He laughed, but not with his eyes.

He joked around, but not with the same lightness.

He looked okay, but deep down, I knew… he was still healing.

And I was just part of the bandage.

Days passed. Then weeks.

And slowly, the silence between us turned into small conversations.

Late-night calls returned.

But he never brought it up. That night.

Ako rin, hindi ko kaya.

Instead, we let it fade like a secret we both agreed not to acknowledge.

But every time our fingers brushed…

Every time our knees touched under the table…

Every time he looked at me a second too long then turned away—

I remembered.

And I wondered if he did too.

One evening, habang magkatabi kami sa rooftop ng bahay nila, staring at the stars, he whispered,

“Thanks for not leaving, Sam.”

I glanced at him, heart thudding. “Saan nanggaling ‘yan?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know… I just feel like you’re always here. Kahit wala akong maibigay na kapalit.”

And I smiled.

Because that’s what hurt the most.

He thought I was staying because I didn’t expect anything back.

But I did.

Even if I never said it.

Even if I knew I shouldn’t.