MANILA -- Returning home from a six-week vacation in the United States, actress Melissa Ricks finally spoke at length about her break-up with former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Paul Jake Castillo.
Speaking with ABS-CBN News' Gretchen Fullido on Friday, Ricks explained her prolonged vacation overseas was for a program to lose weight, to spend time with her family based there, and "syempre, dahil ang daming nangyari dito, I just had to get away."
The 23-year-old actress, who was last seen in the primetime series "Walang Hanggan," was all-smiles in relating why she and Castillo had seemed evasive about discussing their separation.
Apart from Castillo's confirmation of the break-up in July on "The Buzz," Ricks noted they weren't able to explain fully the reason behind the "amicable" decision to part ways.
"Kasi si Paul Jake, hindi siya marunong sumagot sa mga interviews. Sabi niya, 'Ikaw na 'yan, ikaw na 'yan.' Tinatanong niya ako what he would say, kasi nga hindi naman siya super showbiz. Eh ako, I've been in the industry for so long. And minsan, mali 'yung nasasabi niya, so sabi niya, ako nalang sumagot," Ricks said.
Saving friendship
Now that she is back in the Philippines, the actress was asked if she can finally shed light on the break-up.
Pausing to collect her thoughts, Ricks began by saying, "There's no... solid reason kung bakit. Siguro we just cherished the friendship more than anything else."
"Kasi nung end part na ng relationship, lagi kaming nag-aaway, laging nagkakainitan ng ulo. Minsan hindi kami magkausap kahit magkasama kami, and we don't know why," she said.
Denying there was any third party in the one-year relationship, Ricks continued, "'Yung care nando'n pa rin, 'yung love nando'n pa rin, pero maybe it's better na tapusin na habang hindi pa magulo."
Asked if there is any chance that they will get back together, considering they remain good friends, Ricks related both she and Castillo had exhausted efforts to salvage their relationship.
"I don't have regrets na I didn't try to fix it. So ako, if it didn't work out, e 'di hindi. Ako, I tried everthing that I could, he did also, and if it's not going to work... Kung ipipilit mo, masisira lang kayong dalawa, gugulo lang kayong dalawa.
"I've experienced that before, and I don't want that to happen again, kasi mas mabigat 'yun eh," said, Ricks who was previously in a relationship with actor Jake Cuenca.
Not closing doors on love
On whether she considers Castillo as her "greatest love," Ricks surmised her relationship with the newbie actor may have been "the right love at the wrong time."
"Maybe we were just meant to be friends, or maybe... I don't know. But for me, before akala ko wala na akong makikitang iba. And then Paul Jake came unexpectedly, so ang iniisip ko nalang now, in the future, malay mo, there's someone better out there for us," she said.
Pointing out there is no one courting her as of now, the actress said she is nonetheless open to being in a new relationship.
As to whether she is ready for it, Ricks recalled when she started forming close ties with Castillo.
"You know, you never can say. Kasi when I met Paul Jake nga, I wasn't even ready and bigla nalang nangyari, 'yung na-inlove ka sa kanya, nakilala mo siya, na-develop ka. So I don't think there's any time na masasabi mo na, 'Ay, ready na ako.' Darating din 'yan," she said.
