Chapter 7: Unspoken Storms
787 Words
It had been a good week. The kind of week Aira rarely allowed herself to enjoy.
She and Liam had found their rhythm again—meeting almost daily, refining their project. The silence between them had softened, replaced by late-night brainstorming sessions, quiet laughter, and shared playlists over coffee. Something unspoken was blooming between them—delicate, but undeniable.
Until she saw the photo.
Late afternoon na no’n when she opened her i********: feed. And there it was—posted by the university’s social affairs page.
“Liam Reyes with business mogul Maricar Alvarez and her daughter Celeste—future partners in legacy and vision.”
Parang sinapak si Aira sa caption pa lang.
The photo showed Liam in a crisp black suit, standing beside a tall, elegant woman in a red dress. Celeste Alvarez. She looked exactly like the kind of girl who belonged in Liam’s world—confident, polished, parang sanay sa limelight.
Aira suddenly felt very small.
---
That evening, nandun na si Liam sa labas ng usual café nila, holding two cups of coffee. When he sa ko pw her approaching, his smile faded as soon as he saw her face.
“You okay?” he asked.
She took the coffee without a word. No smile. No warmth.
“May nakalimutan ka bang ikuwento?” she asked, voice low.
“What do you mean?”
She raised her phone, screen lit with that photo.
His jaw tightened. “Oh. That.”
“‘Oh’? ‘That’ lang?”
He leaned back against the wall, exhaling. “It was a business dinner. My parents made me go. Celeste is... part of some family partnership deal.”
“And di mo naisip na sabihin ‘yon sa’kin?” Her voice cracked a little, despite trying to stay calm.
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
“Liam, you’re standing next to the woman you’re probably gonna marry. And it doesn’t matter?”
He looked at her, eyes flashing. “No one said anything about marriage.”
“Hindi mo na kailangan sabihin,” she whispered.
---
That night, Aira lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, heart heavy.
Hindi siya dapat affected.
She wasn’t supposed to care this much. She kept telling herself: Project lang ‘to. Huwag ka mag-assume.
But she remembered the way Liam looked at her when she laughed. The way he always listened. The way he felt safe—and that scared her.
Why did he have to belong to a world so far from hers?
Then her phone buzzed.
Liam: Can we talk? Please?
She stared at the screen for a while before replying.
Aira: Tomorrow. After class.
---
The next day, they met sa rooftop garden ng library. A quiet place, away from everything.
Liam looked tired. “Aira,” he said. “I didn’t mean to hide it. I just didn’t want you to think I was... like them.”
“Like who?”
“My family. People who treat relationships like business deals.”
“And ikaw?” she asked. “Ano ka?”
He looked at her, eyes honest. “I think you’re the only real thing in my life right now.”
She crossed her arms, lips tight. “Then what’s Celeste?”
“A formality. My dad wants the company connected to theirs. She’s not someone I chose.”
“Eh dati, lagi ka namimili base sa gusto ng dad mo, ‘di ba?”
“I used to,” he admitted.
Aira turned away, the breeze brushing her face. “I don’t belong in your world, Liam.”
“Then I’ll walk away from it.”
She looked at him, shocked. “Huwag ka magsalita ng ganyan kung ‘di mo kayang panindigan.”
“I can,” he said firmly. “I will. Aira, architecture was the only thing I chose for myself. And this—us—is the only thing that feels right.”
Her chest tightened.
She didn’t want to believe him. But the way he said us... it made her want to.
“I don’t need perfect,” she whispered. “Gusto ko lang… totoo.”
Liam stepped closer. “Then let me start there. Gusto kita, Aira. Not just as a partner. Not just for the project. Gusto talaga kita.”
Aira looked away, heart thudding.
She wanted to run. She wanted to stay.
But instead, she said, “Tapusin muna natin ‘yung project.”
Liam nodded slowly, pain flickering in his eyes. “Okay.”
They stood there, both quiet.
And somewhere between the hum of the city and the ache in their chests, something shifted.
Not the end.
But definitely, not the same.
- Writer
