Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

It was agreed that the parents will talk first before Richard and Alex can see each other. They just want to fix their problems first, end that grudge that started more than twenty years ago. That is so the two lovers do not need to worry about an ancient grudge. Then they just need to resolve those issues between them.

But Richard could not wait for his parents to give him the go signal to go see Alex. He wants to see her now. Actually, since yesterday that he found out what happened, he already wanted to see her at the hospital. He didn't even sleep well just thinking about her.

So Richard went to Bryan and asked him to take her to where Alex is. Coincidentally, Bryan is preparing to go to the hospital.

"It was agreed that your parents will talk to Uncle Benjie first, right?"

"Cuz, I can't wait anymore! I really want to see Alex now. I want to know how she is. Please, Bryan. Help me."

Bryan gazed at Richard, as if trying to see if he's really telling the truth. In the end, he conceded.

"Let's go then."

Richard smiled. He somehow felt better especially as they are travelling to the hospital. But once they arrived at TGH, he started feeling nervous again. Which Bryan eventually noticed. "Nervous?"

"Yeah..."

Bryan patted his shoulder. "You can do it. If you're worried about Alex, Angel said she is fine. She just needs to eat a lot."

They went straight to Alex's hospital room. Angel was surprised to see Richard with Bryan.

"Richard?" she asked.

"Hi..." Richard said shyly.

"He said he wanted to see Alex." Bryan shrugged.

"Please, Angel? Please allow me," Richard begged.

Alex heard their conversation from inside the room. "Ate, who is it?"

Richard felt his heart leap when he heard Alex's voice. It seems his nervousness increased.

"Come in," Angel said instead.

Richard immediately saw Alex as he entered the room. His heart ached when he saw the girl he loves. She looks so weak. She's pale and her hair's disheveled. She also has an IV tube on her hand.

Alex looked surprised to see Richard. Maybe because she was not expecting to see him already. For sure she also knows about their parents' agreement.

"Hi, Alex!" Bryan said. "How are you?"

Alex didn't answer. She just kept looking at Richard.

Angel is the one who talked to Bryan. "Why don't we go outside first?"

The two went out of the room, leaving Alex and Richard alone together.

"How are you?" Richard asked.

"Well..." Alex raised her hand with IV tubing.

Even her voice sounded weak. And when she raised her hand, it was noticeably feeble. It's so different from the jolly and energetic girl he knows.

Richard went closer and sat on the chair beside the bed. He took her arm and tried to soothe the part where the IV was inserted. He knows she's afraid of needles. "Does it hurt?"

"It feels better now." She smiled weakly.

He couldn't keep himself from touching her face. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't come to our rendezvous."

"Forget it. Actually, I felt bad about that. I felt bad without even knowing why you didn't come. I feel so guilty right now."

"But I'm the reason why we're like this, remember? I'm the one who was jealous. But please understand that I only felt that because I wasn't sure about our relationship. We know we like each other very much but we cannot do what normal lovers do. And I'm envious because everything that I want to do with you, you do it with Kim."

"And I'm very insensitive for not knowing about your feelings," Richard said. "I just wanted to have a lot of friends. But that's because that's what I was in Manila. I guess I miss that. I'm just new here in Tarlac, so those people I got close to, I treat them as my friends."

"And I didn't try to understand that. I didn't try to analyze your situation. I just concluded... and gave up... I gave up on us that easily."

"And I didn't understand that. Maybe we really are young and there are a lot more things we need to learn when it comes to having a relationship."

"You're right. And, this is the first time I had a boyfriend..."

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Richard gazed at her. "Boyfriend? That means...?"

Alex smiled. "I wanted to tell you on our rendezvous, but it didn't happen... That is, if you still want to be my boyfriend."

"Of course," Richard said, obviously very happy. "Of course, I do!"

Alex smiled again. "Thank you, then."

"I promise that whatever the result of our parents' discussion is, I will fight for us. I won't let this all go to waste. I am about to be hospitalized as well because I could not eat due to the stress of what's happening. I don't want it to come to that."

"Thank you." Alex smiled.

Richard smiled back. "Get well very soon, okay? So that we could go out on a date. Legally."

"We need to be with Ate and Bryan."

"It's okay. As long as you're with me."

Richard kissed Alex's hand, and whatever pain she was feeling - from the needle inserted into her hand, to the pain she was feeling in her heart - all went away. As they always say, whatever pain you feel can be washed away by that one person you truly love.

**************************************************

Each floor in Tarlac General Hospital has a mini lobby with benches formed into a square. Inside the squares are indoor plants, making it look like mini gardens. That's where the patients and watchers stay when they get bored inside their hospital rooms. The mini gardens are well maintained, making the plants look luscious and the flowers bloom beautifully.

Alex's room is on the second floor. When Angel left her with Richard, she and Bryan stayed on the second-floor mini garden. They were practically alone, except for a woman carrying a two-year-old boy with IV on his hand. Another woman is holding the bottle of IV, probably the kid's nanny.

"Poor child," Angel said, looking at the young patient.

The two women are walking around trying to amuse the kid with the beautiful plants in the mini garden.

"Maybe the IV is painful," Bryan said.

A young girl came out of a hospital room, accompanied by her mother. The kid also has an IV on her hand, but unlike the young boy, she can walk by herself. Probably she's four or five years old. "Are there only children on this floor?" Angel asked Bryan.

"This is the pediatrics floor. There is a pedia ward, and the private rooms are designed for pedia as well. That's why the patients here are mostly children."

Angel suddenly remembered something. "So that's why Alex's room looks like that... Oh, it's because she's not yet eighteen! Is that the reason?"

"Yes," Bryan said. "She is still classified as a pedia even though she has a boyfriend already."

Angel smiled. "Yeah... Good thing I'm eighteen already. At least I won't be admitted here if ever." She looked at the patients again. "My boyfriend might visit me, and my room has a kiddie mural." "It's okay. I'm a very understanding boyfriend."

"But of course! You own the hospital!" Angel said. "Honestly, I like your hospital because the ambience is nice, and the staff are nice and caring. Your nurses really take good care of the patients. Plus, there's a mini garden on every floor." Bryan felt proud at what Angel said. He put his arm around her shoulders.

"Actually, this hospital has gone a long way since Grandpa Baste put it up. It's a good thing that Dad was able to follow what Grandpa Baste has started. I hope when our time comes, we can also imitate the efforts that our parents manifested." "You can do it! You're good. Besides, your parents are there to guide you. I guess you should start learning how to manage the hospital as soon as possible."

"Maybe..."

Bryan stared at the patients, that's why Angel has the chance to look at him very closely. For the first time, she was able to look at him intently. Yes, Bryan de Vera is one of the most good-looking persons she has ever met, but what makes him more appealing is his wonderful personality and kindness. She knows he's confident in everything, but he's not smug. He is still cautious at what might happen, and he doesn't get too confident with his own abilities.

And most of all, who would not love a person who is always there by your side? Truth is, she feels relieved that Bryan is always there for her. She's glad that he's supporting her with everything that is happening to her family now. And because of that, she falls more in love with him.

Before he can even catch her staring, she immediately looked away.

"Where did the self-confidence of Bryan de Vera go?"

Bryan scowled. "Because you're beside me."

Angel smiled. "Those kids, though. They look pitiful. They're too young to have an IV inserted on their arm. Alex is already sixteen but until now, she's still scared of needles. She actually wants to remove her IV."

"Mom said that Alex can remove that when she is already properly hydrated, and she is eating properly again. Then she can also go home."

"She'll eat more now. She already reconciled with Richard."

"The question is, have they reconciled?"

Angel looked at Bryan, but before she can answer that, she saw her parents coming, together with Ricky and Glory Quinto.