A/N:
Thank you so much Ruthie for the prompt and for editing my story. I don't know how I could finish my story without your suggestions. 😘

Joni, thank you for the teaser. Beautiful because you know *wink*. And of course for our weekly Tuesday shift coffee sessions. It's refreshing to find someone to fan girl with to the extreme, without judgements. 😘

Alex (@tweetsnix on Twitter) for the kick ass cover arts you made both my AMACon1 (Never The Strangers) and AMACon2 stories. 😘

And finally, thank you for the unyielding support from my AMACon and Special Snowflakes family. I love you, guys. 😘

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

July 16, 2016, 5:50 pm

He got to their favorite cafe first. He picks out a table at the farthest end of the place and sits facing the wall, his back to the door. He hasn't seen her for the past five years. He heard from friends that she is a successful business woman now, her quaint little patisserie a huge hit in Maginhawa. They agree to meet at 6pm. It's 5:50 pm and he's already agitated. He has thought long and hard about this. This is his Hail Mary pass, his last chance. He's made so many wrong decisions that got him here and he wants to make amends. She deserves it. He put her through so much pain in the past so the least he can do is this.

He turns when he hears the door chime ring making his heart beat faster when he finally sees her. He doesn't realize that he has been holding his breath as he takes in her presence. It's been so long since he really looked at her but it has always been a mystery why she has this certain effect on him. His first wrong decision: he never bothered to find out why. She walks in gracefully, her wavy brown hair bouncing behind her and with her neck craning, she looks for him.

He stands up to meet her in the middle of the café and hugs her a little too tightly. "Maine." He says with a sigh, feeling her warmth again, a feeling he has missed so much for the past five years.

"Alden. Hi!" she is momentarily surprised at how tight he is holding her.

Alden pulls away and gazes at her. "Hi, I've missed you. How are you? Balita ko successful yung pastry shop mo sa Maginhawa ah."

Maine only smiles at him in response and walks towards a table with Alden following her. He has pictured this scenario more times than he is willing to admit and they all end up with Maine forgiving him. Because why won't she? He'd like to believe they're still best friends and best friends forgive each other. Granted he has been out of her life since 2010 but he knows she'll understand him once he tells her why he suddenly fell off the grid without any explanation.

"Maine dito tayo." Alden pulls a chair for her. Maine takes a seat and smoothens her skirt before looking at him as he takes a seat in front of her. "So, kamusta ka na?" he reiterates.

"I'm good. Really good. Ikaw, how are you? It's been so long. What, five years?" she replies smiling. It has been too long since he saw that beautiful smile.

"Five years, two months and eight days, actually."

"Wow, you counted," she chuckles, surprised but impressed at the same time.
Alden flashes her his disarming smile hoping that his old charm still works. There's an awkward silence that followed as he tries to think of what he'll say next.

He remembers that phone call. He is not sure if Maine will be available to meet up with him but he is glad to know she is doing well. He tells her that he'll be staying in Manila for good after living in Chicago for the last five years. He wasn't able to talk to her longer because she is in the middle of a meeting with a client discussing wedding cakes but she promised she'll get back to him after she checks her schedule. Now that they're here, he couldn't even say a word after asking how she is.

"Uhm, What did you want to talk about?" she asked, effectively breaking the silence.

"Uhm, you want coffee? Same? Peppermint mocha, extra shot of espresso, soymilk, light whip and blueberry cheesecake?"

"Hahaha. Huy, Pre. I am seriously impressed. You remembered. I don't even remember your usual order anymore."

Alden's heart jumps out of his chest hearing her refer to him using their term of endearment. Then it sinks back down faster than it has leapt at her last words: I don't even remember... Has she forgotten about them? About him?

When the waiter arrives with their order, he takes a sip of his coffee and clears his throat. Maine looks at him intently waiting for what he is about to say.

"Pre, I know we had the best friendship anyone could ever ask for. I was so blessed having you in my life. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. You were there for me at every single happy, sad and memorable moment of my life since we met." He pauses to take another sip, his glance never leaving her face. "And I made so many wrong decisions in the past, most of which you have witnessed by the way, but the worse was taking our friendship for granted just because of some passing fancy I thought was love." He pauses again, then takes a heavy sigh, his eyes pleading. "I should have chosen you."

"Alden, to begin with, wala ka namang dapat pagpilian. Hindi ako kasama sa choices. I was just your best friend. You made that very clear," Maine says smiling towards him, her words laced with a hint of bitterness.

Alden bows his head at this, feeling guilty. He is starting to think that maybe he won't get the outcome he pictures in his head. He knows now how he took her for granted in the past. He realized that he always has, because he knows she will always be waiting for him, that she can drop everything just to be at his rescue. He fervently hopes it is still the case. It sounds selfish but he knows Maine will only be happy with him. He knows her, her quirks, her moods and all. Everything. He believes he knows her still. All he needs is just another chance.

"Aray naman, Pre."

"What? That's the truth! Aminin mo? Diba?" Maine asks him teasingly, taking a sip from her own coffee. "Kumusta nga pala kayo ni Divina?" she continues.

Alden responds with silence. He is not prepared to answer her question so he is momentarily lost for words. He may have been quiet for too long because he suddenly feels Maine nudging his arm.

"Huy, pre. Ano? Kumusta na kayo? Last I heard you got engaged."

"I was. I was engaged." He sighs, hanging his head, scratching his nape before looking up at her.

"Was?"

"Yeah, till last year. She called off our engagement."

"Aw, I'm so sorry. Why? What happened?" she asks, genuinely concerned.

"She said she wasn't ready yet. She wasn't sure if I love her."

"Weh? How can she think that? I remember how sure you were of Divina when you told me about her. Sabi mo sya na diba?"