Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

The Quinto residence is like Bryan's second home, so he can go there anytime he likes. The Quintos also do that in the de Vera mansion, and the two families can actually share the same residence. But of course, the Quinto also like to have a property they can call their own.

"Is Richard here?" Bryan asked the housemaid.

"He's in his room, Sir," answered the maid.

"How about Auntie Glory and Uncle Ricky?" "They are still at the hospital, Sir."

Good. "I'll go check on Richard."

Bryan proceeded to the second floor, where Richard's room is located. He found his cousin sitting at his study table. He looks busy with whatever he is doing.

"Cuz."

"Oh, hi!"

Richard did not even look up when he talked to him. His attention remained on the papers and books on the study table. Bryan felt his sadness even though he tried to make his greeting to him more jolly. Bryan went inside his room and sat on Richard's bed.

"How are you?"

"As you can see, very busy. I have a lot to review, so..."

"How are you?"

Richard chuckled. He thought his cousin is teasing him. "I said I'm busy."

"How are you?"

"Bry, I'm busy, okay? I don't have time to joke around."

Richard was dumbfounded when he turned to face him. Bryan looked so serious, and that's when he realized what he really wanted to know about him.

"I'm fine." Richard also became serious.

"Are you sure?"

"I guess you've heard." He turned his back on him again and continued what he is doing earlier.

"I think you're not okay."

"Who are you to say that?"

"Someone who knows you very well."

"It's over, Bry. What else do I need to do?"

"What do you think?"

"Bry, I don't have time for this!" He turned to face him again.

"I know what you're doing. You're keeping yourself busy for you to not think about what happened."

"Okay, fine! So you're the expert now. You're the great guy. And I can never be like you. I'm just me, Richard Quinto. I can never be Bryan de Vera."

"Hey, wait! What was that for?"

"I could never be the perfect boyfriend. I could never be the perfect guy. What do I have to do? Should I try to be like you? Should I try to be you? That's hard, Man! I could never do that!" "You don't have to! What's happening, Chard?"

"Alex wants a boyfriend who's like you. Someone who's perfect! Someone who's sensitive enough to know how she feels, what she thinks, what she wants, what she doesn't like. She wants someone like you, Bry. Not someone like me." Wait, what is happening? This is not the reason he knows why Richard and Alex broke up.

"I thought it was all about Kim? Why... why did it suddenly become about me?"

Richard took a deep breath. "It's all about Kim. It's all about me not knowing that what I was doing was not right anymore. That I'm going overboard. How would I know that my friendship with Kim was wrong? Well, maybe because I'm not you, who immediately distanced himself from your female friends when you and Angel started having something."

Bryan's mind went blank. The strategy that he set up before going here seems to slowly disappear.

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"Bry, I've only been here in Tarlac for a few months. I don't have a lot of friends yet. That's why unconsciously, I cling to those people who I got to hang out with more than once. And it's no big deal if he's a boy or she's a girl... Kim is really just a friend to me."

"Did you tell that to Alex?"

Richard shook her head.

"You should have told her."

"What for? She already made up her mind. She doesn't like me anymore."

"Because you're not me?"

Richard sighed. "I know I sounded pathetic."

"Desperate," ani Bryan. "That's more like it."

"Yeah... maybe..."

"I'm not perfect. You know that, Chard. Nobody's perfect. I just love Angel. And that's why I want to be perfect for her. They are two different things - trying to be perfect, and trying to be perfect for someone. You love Alex, so I know you could be perfect for her, too."

Richard kind of understood that. But the thing is...

"She gave up."

"She gave up on you, that's why you feel bad. And I understand, really. But, Alex giving up doesn't mean you should give up, too. You should be the one to fight for the two of you. That is, if you don't want to lose everything that you have been, if you don't want to lose her."

Bryan stood up, then patted his shoulder.

"You just have to show her how much you love her and that you don't want to give up on her. You know how to do it. I'm sure you do."

He went out of the room and left his cousin. He's confident that Richard can think of a way to solve his problem with Alex. All he needs is encouragement, and he hoped he has given him enough tonight.

Alex looked at the letter that Angel gave her.

"What's that?" Alex looked at the white envelope that Angel is giving her.

"From Richard."

She was stunned. It has been three days since the confrontation with Richard happened last Monday morning. They have been avoiding and ignoring each other for three days now. "Ate-"

"Read it first," Angel said to her.

"It would not matter anyway. I've made up my mind." She turned her back on her.

They are in Alex's room. Since the confrontation, Alex has remained in her room, except when she needs to eat or go to school. Then when she arrives from school, she will go straight to her room and just stay there. "Just read it," Angel said. "It may not matter, but at least, you heard his side."

"Do you think I still haven't heard everything that he wanted to say?" Alex is getting quite annoyed.

But Angel remained quiet and kept her cool. "Maybe not everything."

"And what more does he want to say?"

"...Sorry?" Angel answered, quite unsure.

"Why does he need to write it in a letter? Can't he tell it to me in person?"

"Would you let him? Would you let him talk to you again?"

Alex did not answer. She has no choice but to accept the letter.