บททั้งหมดของ Love in Beta: บทที่ 131 - บทที่ 140

Sa kabila ng pag-uusap nila ni Ash noong gabing iyon, hindi pa rin maalis kay Maya ang kaba. Hindi ganoon kadali para sa kanya na balewalain ang sakit ng nakaraan, pero naisip niyang baka ito na ang pagkakataong muling buksan ang puso niya. Umaga na at nagdesisyon si Maya na mag-focus sa sarili. Sa kabila ng mga nangyari, alam niyang hindi pwedeng si Ash lang ang sentro ng buhay niya. ---“Good morning, Ms. Second Chance!” bungad ni Ava habang nilalagyan ng syrup ang pancakes nila. Nakangisi ito habang tinitingnan si Maya. Umirap si Maya. “Ang aga-aga, Ava. Wag mo akong i-trigger.” Tumawa si Ava. “Sorry na, girl. Pero seryoso, kamusta na kayo ni Ash? Parang drama sa pelikula ang buhay mo lately.” Napabuntong-hininga si Maya. “Hindi ko alam. Sinabi niya na gusto niyang bumawi, pero… ewan ko. Mahirap ulit magtiwala.” Tumango si Ava, seryoso na rin ngayon. “Tama naman. Hindi mo kailangang madaliin. Pero, Maya, kung sa tingin mo may chance pa, bakit hindi mo subukan? Malay mo

Maaga pa lang ng araw, at si Maya ay nakatambay sa isang coffee shop. May isang malaking katanungan na nag-uukit sa kanyang isipan, at hindi siya makapagsimula ng kanyang araw nang hindi ito nareresolba. Ang pakiramdam na parang may malaking desisyon na kailangang gawin ay nagpapaalala sa kanya ng mga araw na ginugol niya sa pag-iwas sa mga bagay na hindi niya kayang kontrolin—at ngayon, ang isang bagay na hindi niya kayang iwasan ay ang pag-ibig ni Ash.---Habang umiinom ng kape, nararamdaman ni Maya ang init ng araw sa kanyang balat. Ang mga ilaw sa paligid ay tumama sa kanyang mukha, at ang amoy ng mainit na kape ay nagsisilbing pampagising sa kanya. Hindi niya kayang itago ang iniisip—si Ash at ang alok niyang commitment. Ipinag-isipan na ito ni Maya ng maraming ulit, ngunit wala pa rin siyang desisyon. Hindi siya sanay sa ganitong klase ng pagmamahal na tila sobrang seryoso. "Hindi ko alam, Ava... Baka hindi ko pa kayang gawin ito," sabi ni Maya sa kabilang linya habang kinakau

Maya sat quietly in her apartment, the faint hum of the city outside barely reaching her ears. She had spent the entire week reflecting on everything that had happened. She wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision to put a hold on things with Ash, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like she was on the right path. Masaya siyang naglaan ng oras para sa sarili niya, pero minsan, naiisip pa rin niyang kung wala ba siyang ginawa ay magiging iba ang mga pangyayari.She had spent the past few days going to yoga classes, reading books she had been meaning to finish, and even visiting her mom more frequently. Maya needed space. She needed to clear her mind before making any big decisions. It was as if the more she tried to make sense of her emotions for Ash, the more she realized that there was something she had to work on within herself first. Hindi lang tungkol kay Ash, kundi pati na rin sa mga sugat na iniwan ng kanyang nakaraan.---Sa kabila ng lahat ng kanyang mga eff

The days following their meeting felt like a quiet awakening for Maya. She could feel her heart slowly thawing, the walls she had built around it over the years beginning to crack. It wasn’t that she was rushing into anything, but the truth was undeniable: she was starting to fall for Ash. Hindi pa niya kayang ipaliwanag kung paano, pero ang bawat sandali na magkasama sila ay nagiging mas magaan.Ash, for his part, was just as determined to take things slow. He respected Maya’s boundaries, something he had learned from his own past mistakes. Pero may mga moments pa rin na hindi niya kayang pigilan ang sarili—like when their eyes met across a room, or when he caught her smiling at something he said, there was an undeniable pull that he couldn't ignore.One afternoon, they found themselves walking along the quiet streets of Makati, the city buzzing with energy, but their small bubble of silence felt like a peaceful retreat from the chaos around them.“Gusto mo ba magpahinga saglit?” Ash

Hindi na bago kay Maya ang mga pagsubok na dumating sa buhay niya, pero sa pagkakataong ito, iba. As she sat by the window, staring out at the city lights that sparkled under the night sky, her heart still had that feeling of unease, a little bit of fear mixed with hope. Hindi pa rin nawawala yung takot sa puso niya, pero she tried to push it aside. This was something new, something worth fighting for.Her phone buzzed on the table, and her heart skipped when she saw the message from Ash. "Maya, can we talk?"The simple words sent a rush of emotions through her. She hadn’t heard from him in a few days, and though they’d made progress in their relationship, there was still a part of her that couldn’t fully relax. Hindi pa rin kasi nila natutumbasan yung mga huling pag-uusap nila. But this message? This was something different. She could feel it. With a deep breath, Maya stood up and quickly texted him back. "Of course. I’ll be here."The last few days had been a blur of meetings and w