More Than a Maybe ✨

KABANATA 2

Samantha’s POV

“Yung Hindi Ako, Pero Lagi Ako Nandyan”

Kung ang puso ko ay marunong magsalita, matagal na siguro itong sumigaw.

Sumigaw ng "Tama na!"

Sumigaw ng "Akin ka na lang!"

Pero hindi.

Tahimik lang ako. Tahimik kahit unti-unti na akong nadudurog.

Nagsimula ang lahat noong naging official sina Gavin at Cassandra.

It was like watching the person you love walk straight into someone else’s arms—while you’re standing right there, clapping, smiling, pretending to be happy for them.

Hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari nang ganon kabilis. One week Cassandra was just the “new girl.” The next week, siya na ang dahilan kung bakit hindi na ako ang una niyang tine-text sa umaga.

“Sam,” he said, one Friday afternoon habang nasa car kami pauwi. “I think I like her.”

Alam mo ‘yung feeling na parang may mabigat na bumagsak sa dibdib mo? Gano’n ‘yung naramdaman ko. Pero ngumiti pa rin ako.

“Talaga?” I said. “That’s nice, Gav. She’s… pretty.”

“Not just pretty,” he smiled, eyes far away. “She’s different.”

And I sat there beside him, nodding, hiding the ache inside my chest.

Cassandra was everything people admired. Matangkad. Maganda. Matalino. Marunong makisama. She carried herself like she belonged to another world—one I didn’t know how to exist in.

She started joining us for lunch. Umupo sa tabi ni Gavin. Sometimes in between conversations, I felt like I wasn’t there. Like I was fading into the background of a painting I used to be part of.

Pero kahit na masakit, I stayed.

Because he still needed me.

Whenever they fought, ako ‘yung tinatawagan niya.

“Sam, ang gulo niya minsan. Ayoko ng drama.”

“Sam, baka ako ‘yung mali?”

“Sam, pwedeng makikitambay muna ako saglit sa inyo?”

And I would listen. I would nod. I would comfort him.

Kahit na sa bawat kwento niya, lalong sumasakit ang totoo:

Hindi ako ang mahal niya.

One night, Cassandra got sick and didn’t show up at an event. Gavin looked distracted the whole time. I tried to cheer him up, pero ang layo ng tingin niya. Ang lungkot ng ngiti niya.

Then he said something I’ll never forget.

“Sam, what if she leaves me someday?”

“Why would she?” tanong ko.

“Because people always leave,” he whispered. “My mom left my dad. My cousins left the country. What if Cassandra leaves too?”

Tumingin siya sa’kin, at may kaunting takot sa mata niya.

“Would you leave me, Sam?”

My heart almost cracked wide open.

I smiled and said the only thing I ever allowed myself to say.

“Never.”

At that moment, I knew.

He was hers.

But I’d always be the one waiting in the corner—just in case he ever needed someone to fall back on.

Even if I knew… I’d never be the one.