Gerald looked at Kim curiously as he slowly pulled away. She couldn't look him in the eye, she looked anywhere but his eyes, her eyes were watery and her voice was shaky. He gently turned her to face him.

"What do you mean Kim?"

She finally looked into his eyes and saw curiousity, confusion and whole lot of other emotion, his grip on her waist had loosened, making Kim nervous, she stuttered and fumbled but tried to remain calm.

"Uh.. G-- Ge, I know your still hurting, but.. I-- I think that you have a right to know.."

She stopped in mid-sentence and his eyes deepened, they looked hurt, though he still did not know about Rachel.

"Have a right to know what?"

She cried, she couldn't tell him, she couldn't lose him. She had just got what she wanted, and now she had to hold onto it. She knew in her heart that she would have to tell him sooner or later, but now wasn't the time. Gerald wiped away her tears and lightly kissed her nose.

"Kimmy, bakit ka umiiyak? Is it really that bad?"

She weeped into his chest and held him closer. He gently her hair and whispered the sweetest things into her ear, he whispered until she smiled, until she laughed. Gosh, she loved him, she loved him far to much.  

"Okay ka na?"

He lightly kissed her lips and watched her nod. He took her hand and squeezed it.

"By the way, I'm sorry I missed your show on Sunday... how was it?"

Kim shrugged her shoulders and looked down at their hands.

"I didn't even get to go on stage. I mucked up too many times, so my understudy took over."

"Really? Bakit naman? Hindi ka nanaman nag rehearse noh?"

Kim looked up at him and then pushed him away with a smile.

"Nag rehearse PO ako! Ikaw kaya ang dahilan, may sinabi ka pang "You want her, have her" eh, na depress tuloy ako, you owe me!"

He laughed and raised his brows.

"I can pay you in so many ways than just one."

Kim's eyes widened as she saw the naughty glint in his eyes, she looked away from him and pouted.

"Dumi ng isip mo!"

He gave a warm smile and pulled her closer to him.

"Ikaw kaya! I mean, I can pay you by taking you out, sus! Ikaw naman, kung ano pa iniisip mo!"

She turned to face him and creased her brows, she was bright red, her pouty lips causing him to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Che! Nakakainis ka!"

She turned away from him and sat on the opposite couch, he grinned and took out his cell, they sat in a light-hearted silence.

Kim sat with her legs crossed on the couch opposite of Geralds, she was staring into her lap with a small grin on her face, she felt her phone vibrate and then laughed inwardly to herself.

"Beh, joke lang naman o! Sige na, I'll make it up to you, dinner after work tommorow, 143 always!"

Kim looked at Gerald who put on a playful smile, she held back a smile and replied.

"143? Anong 143? Hay naku Geraldo, kung hindi lang kita mahal!"

His phone vibrated in his pocket, he smiled and looked up at Kim, she signalled that she wanted a reply by cell and smiled.

"Naks naman! Kaw talaga beb o! 143 is i love you, one kasi 'I' is one letter, four dahil 'love' is a four letter word, and three because 'you' is made of three letters, galing ko diba?!"

Kim let out a loud laugh and said aloud to Gerald.

"CORNY!"

He stood up and gave her a mischievous smile.

"Ah ganun ah!"

formed a big 'O' as she hid her armpits from his hands, she screamed as his hands had found a way to her armpits, she wriggled beneath his hands and laughed aloud like a little girl, she yelled with a hearty giggle.

"LOKO!"

He fell to the couch as she somehow managed to get him back, he was tired already, she gave a mischievous snigger and sat on top of him as she attacked his armpits, making sure he couldn't get away.

Their laughs echoed the house and a smiling Mrs Anderson watched from afar, seeing her son happy was all that mattered, and even before he broke up with Rachel, he had never been so happy, she wanted to cry tears of joy, his smile finally reached his eyes, and she could finally say that he was on to greater things.