THE PILOT'S FINAL STOP

CHAPTER 12 🥰

THE moment the wheels of my jet touched the runway at NAIA, para akong biglang nawalan ng hangin.

Pak.

Pak.

Pak.

Each bounce of the landing gear felt like my heart being slammed into reality.

Safe.

Away from the island.

Far from Kierran.

Pero bakit parang hindi ako makahinga?

The aircraft slowed down, the familiar vibration under my feet grounding me back to who I was:

Captain Arielle Zaragoza.

Pilot.

Disciplined.

In control.

Pero ngayong bumukas ang cabin door, I felt anything but in control.

Manila air greeted me first—mainit, humid, mabigat, parang yakap ng mundong pinagtakbuhan ko.

Kasunod noon ang amoy ng jet fuel at ng airport asphalt.

Dati, that scent made me feel at home.

Pero ngayon?

It felt like a reminder of everything I was running from.

I stepped down the airstairs slowly, dragging my small suitcase behind me.

Hindi ko alam kung dahil sa pagod, o dahil umiikot pa rin ulo ko from panic, but my knees felt weak.

Damn it.

I didn’t even know where I planned to go next.

Bahala na.

Basta makalayo lang.

Basta makalayo sa kanya.

Paglapag ko sa tarmac, sinalubong ako ng ground staff.

“Captain Zaragoza, welcome back po,” bati ng isa, may magalang na ngiti.

I forced a polite smile. “Thank you.”

Pero ramdam ko… ramdam nilang hindi ako okay.

My eyes were red from crying.

My voice was hoarse.

And honestly, even my soul felt tired.

Pagdating ko sa service car, I sank into the backseat and shut my eyes.

Finally.

Quiet.

Pero hindi long enough.

Because the moment the door closed, reality caught up with me like a tidal wave.

“s**t…” bulong ko, sabay hawak sa sentido ko.

Kasalanan ko ba ito?

Tumakas ako without thinking.

Hindi man lang ako nagpaalam.

Hindi ko man lang inisip ang consequences.

Pero pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari kagabi—

ang pagkalasing ko,

ang pagiging irresponsible,

ang mga sinabi niyang nakakapraning,

ang pagiging…

too close,

too intimate,

too much—

I couldn’t stay another minute.

I needed space.

I needed clarity.

I needed… to breathe.

I opened my phone.

20 missed calls from an unregistered number.

My stomach twisted.

Kierran.

Of course.

I pressed my hands against my eyes.

“Ano bang nangyayari sa buhay ko…”

My heart throbbed painfully.

Hindi dapat ganito.

Hindi dapat siya ganito ka-apektado sa akin.

At hindi dapat ako ganito ka-apektado sa kanya.

Pero no matter how many times I told myself to forget…

my body remembered him.

My emotions remembered him.

My nightmares and dreams remembered him.

And now…

my reality was being shaken all over again.

The service car started to move, pulling me away from the private hangar.

Manila blurred outside the window—buildings, lights, cars, endless chaos.

And despite the noise, despite the city’s heaviness…

I felt strangely hollow.

Alone.

Lost.

Like I left the island…

but brought the storm with me.

I rested my forehead against the window and whispered,

“Please… let this stop.”

PAGDATING ng service car sa Makati, unti-unting bumagal ang t***k ng puso ko.

Hindi dahil kalmado na ako—

kundi dahil pagod na pagod na ako.

The city lights glowed against the windows.

Tall buildings.

Busy streets.

The familiar hum of Manila nightlife.

Normally, this view comforted me.

Pero ngayong gabi?

Parang lahat ng ilaw nakasilaw.

Parang lahat ng tunog sobrang lakas.

Parang lahat ng tao… sobrang dami.

I just wanted silence.

Kaya imbes na tumuloy ako sa Forbes Park mansion namin, sinabi ko sa driver:

“Sa Makati condo po. Please.”

Napatingin ang driver sa rearview mirror, nagtatakang marahan, pero hindi nagtanong.

Ayaw ko talagang tumuloy sa mansion.

Napakalaki.

Napakatahimik.

At lalo lang akong magmumukhang… mag-isa.

At syempre—

ang kuya ko?

Nasa Switzerland.

In love.

Happy.

Far away.

I didn’t want to ruin that with my chaos.

Pagpasok namin sa basement parking ng condo ko, parang bumigat lalo ang balikat ko.

I grabbed my small luggage and backpack, stepped out of the car, and inhaled deeply.

The air here was cooler.

Less salty.

More city-like.

Familiar.

Pero parang hindi sapat.

Pag-akyat ko sa elevator, my hands were trembling.

Hindi ko alam kung dahil sa pagod…

sa anxiety…

o dahil sa mga salitang iniwan ni Kierran bago siya tumakbo palabas ng villa ko.

“I spurt my semen inside of you.”

I shut my eyes tightly, almost groaning.

“God, Arielle… wag mo nang isipin…”

Ding.

Nabukas ang elevator at lumakad ako papunta sa unit ko.

Pagpasok ko, the quiet wrapped around me instantly.

Soft lights.

Clean marble flooring.

White couches.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline.

Everything was exactly as I left it.

Neat.

Calm.

Control.

Pero ako?

I wasn’t neat.

I wasn’t calm.

I wasn’t in control.

I dropped my keycard on the console table.

Hinila ko ang maleta—drag.

At pagdating ko sa sala…

My knees gave out.

Bumagsak ako sa carpet, palms covering my face, breathing uneven.

Hindi ko namalayang tumulo na pala ang luha ko.

“Why did I come back here…” bulong ko, sinasalo ang sariling ulo.

“Bakit ganito…”

I hugged my own shoulders, trying to steady myself.

I looked around, chest tight.

Everything felt empty.

No footsteps.

No kuya.

No friends.

No noise.

Just me.

At ang bigat ng lahat ng naiwan ko sa isla.

I pressed a palm against my stomach instinctively—

Not because I believed anything happened…

But because fear does strange things.

“Hindi ako buntis…” bulong ko, as if saying it would make it true.

“As in impossible… hindi ako buntis…”

Pero kahit sabihin ko pang isang libong beses…

the panic still crawled.

I stood up shakily and headed to my bedroom, turning on the lights and collapsing onto the bed.

Warm.

Soft.

Safe.

Pero hindi pa rin sapat.

I curled into a ball, hugging a pillow to my chest.

“Kierran…”

I whispered his name like a curse.

Why did he have to appear?

Why did he have to ruin my peace?

Why did he have to look at me like that?

Why did my body betray me?

Why did I run?

My phone buzzed suddenly on the nightstand.

Napapitlag ako.

Heart stopping.

I reached for it with trembling fingers.

1 new message.

Unknown number.

I froze.

Of course I knew who it was.

Slowly, I tapped it open.

And when I read the message—

my pulse crashed.

Just one word.

Pero sapat para tumigil ang mundo ko.

Tumitig ako sa screen, para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig.

Hindi ko alam kung sasagot ba ako… o itatapon ang cellphone ko sa bintana.

Bago pa ako makagalaw, may sunod na message.

UNKNOWN NUMBER:

I saw your jet take off.

You ran.

My throat tightened.

Of course he did.

Of course nakita niya.

He always notices me—

kahit ayokong pansinin niya.

Another message came in.

UNKNOWN NUMBER:

You shouldn’t have left without telling me.

We need to talk.

I squeezed the phone harder.

Talk?

After everything?

After that morning?

After what he said?

But he wasn’t done.

A third message popped on the screen—

mas mahaba, mas mababa ang tono, mas nakakakaba.

UNKNOWN NUMBER:

I know you’re scared.

I know you think running will fix it.

But it won’t.

I swallowed hard.

My heart was pounding so loudly the silence of the condo felt deafening.

Then came the last one.

The one that made me stop breathing.

UNKNOWN NUMBER:

Hindi mo ako matatakasan.

Ngayon pang kilala na kita.

My entire body froze.

I dropped my phone on the bed, covered my face, and let out a shaky breath.

“Ano ba ‘tong pinasok ko…”

But deep inside—

I knew this wasn’t over.

Not even close.

PAGKATAPOS kong magbuhos ng sama ng loob sa shower, nagbihis ako nang simple lang — oversized shirt at shorts. Pagod na pagod ang katawan ko, pero mas pagod ang isip at puso ko.

Pagbagsak ko sa kama, hindi ko na namalayang pumikit ako.

I meant to rest for a few minutes…

Pero ang bigat ng talukap ko,

ang bigat ng dibdib ko,

ang bigat ng lahat.

Unti-unti akong nilamon ng antok habang pumapatak ang luha ko sa unan.

For the first time in a long time…

I slept

not from peace—

but from exhaustion.

HINDI ko alam kung gaano katagal ako natulog.

Pero paggising ko, mabigat pa rin ang ulo ko at nananakit ang dibdib ko na parang piniga.

The room felt too quiet.

Too still.

Too empty.

At doon ko narealize…

Hindi ko kaya mag-isa.

Agad kong kinuha ang phone ko — nanginginig pa ang daliri ko habang nagdi-dial.

Keith.

Si Keith lang ang kailangan ko ngayon.

Two rings.

“HELLO—Elle?!”

Maingay, masigla… hanggang mapansin niyang iba ang boses ko.

Napahikbi ako bago ko pa napigilan ang sarili ko.

Isang maliit na tunog lang…

pero sapat para tumigil si Keith.

“Arielle?”

The shift in her voice was instant — mula makulit, naging alarmed, protective, matatag.

“Hey… what happened? Bakit ka umiiyak? Where are you?”

I pressed a hand against my eyes as another tear escaped.

“Keith… I’m in Manila…”

Mabasag ang boses ko.

“What?!”

Halos sumabog ang boses niya.

“Paano? Bakit? Anong nangyari?! I swear, kung may nanggulo sa’yo—”

“Hindi… it’s just…”

Hindi ko masabi. Hindi ko kayang simulan mag kwento sa phone.

Keith inhaled sharply, then spoke in that tone she only uses when she knows I’m breaking.

“Elle. Tell me where you are. Ngayon na. Pupuntahan kita.”

Sinabi ko ang address ng condo ko sa Makati.

“Okay. Stay there. Don’t move. Don’t think. Don’t cry alone.

I’m grabbing my keys. I’ll be there in thirty.”

“Keith…”

“Breathe. I’m coming.”

The line went dead — not out of frustration, but out of urgency.

I lowered the phone and exhaled shakily.

For the first time since I left the island…

my heart loosened just a little.

Help was coming.

My best friend was coming.

And maybe… for tonight…

I didn’t have to be strong alone.

ILANG minuto pa lang ang lumipas pero parang oras ang pakiramdam ko. Paulit-ulit kong hinahaplos ang tuyo nang luha sa pisngi ko habang nakaupo sa sofa, yakap ang throw pillow na parang iyon lang ang pumipigil sa’king mabuwag.

Every sound from the hallway made me jump.

Then

Three urgent knocks.

“Elle? It’s me. Open up.”

Keith.

Para akong nabunutan ng tinik at sabay natatarantang kinabahan. Tumayo ako, pero nang hawakan ko ang door handle, nanginginig ang kamay ko.

Pagbukas ko ng pinto—

There she was.

Keith.

Fresh from Manila traffic, naka-oversized black jacket, messy bun. Pero ang unang tumama sa akin?

Her eyes.

Sharp. Worried. Ready to fight the entire world if she had to.

“Oh my God… Elle.”

Hindi niya ako pinagsalita.

Inabot niya ang braso ko, and pulled me into a tight hug.

The moment her arms wrapped around me—

I broke.

As in bumigay ako.

Nag-collapse ako sa dibdib niya, and she held me tighter, rubbing my back like she was trying to piece me back together.

“Shhh… breathe,” bulong niya.

“Arielle, I’m here. I’m here now. You’re safe.”

Napahikbi ako, burying my face sa balikat niya.

“I’m sorry,” bulong ko, boses ko punit. “Keith… hindi ko na alam gagawin ko. Everything just— everything is falling apart.”

Pinaghiwalay niya kami para tingnan ang mukha ko nang diretsahan.

“Hey,” she said, cupping my cheeks gently.

“You don’t ever apologize for needing someone. Hindi ka robot. You’re allowed to break. That’s why I’m here.”

I closed my eyes, letting her thumbs wipe the tears I didn’t realize were falling again.

She took my hand and guided me inside, closing the door behind us.

“Teka, tubig. Huminga ka muna.”

Kinuha niya ako ng glass of water, pinaupo sa sofa, then sat beside me — knee to knee, full attention on me.

“Arielle…”

Her voice softened but sharpened in concern.

“Talk to me. What happened? Did someone hurt you? Kasi swear to God, Elle, I will burn this entire city down if—”

“No,” I whispered quickly, shaking my head.

“Hindi ganun. It’s just… complicated. And I don’t know how to start.”

Keith exhaled deeply and held both my hands.

“Okay. Then start wherever it hurts the most.”

At doon na ako tuluyang napatingin sa sahig.

The memories of the island.

The kiss.

The panic.

The morning after.

The fear.

And Kierran’s voice echoing in my head:

“Hindi mo ako matatakasan.”

My breath hitched.

Keith noticed instantly.

Her brows pulled together sharply.

“Arielle… sino ba ’to?”

I didn’t answer.

But the fear in my eyes was enough.

Keith’s jaw clenched.

Her protective aura went from zero to a hundred real quick.

“Okay. New plan.”

Tumayo siya, kinuha ang throw blanket, at ibinalot sa balikat ko.

“Hindi kita pipilitin magsalita ngayon. Hindi ka stable. You need to rest.”

Umupo siya ulit sa tabi ko, arms around me like a shield.

“I’ll stay the night. End of discussion. Hindi kita iiwan mag-isa in this state.”

I leaned my head on her shoulder — exhausted, comforted, terrified, and relieved all at once.

Keith smoothed my hair, whispering softly:

“Whatever happened… whoever he is… he won’t get to you while I’m here. I promise.”