THE PILOT'S FINAL STOP

CHAPTER 13 🥰

KINAGABIHAN, naka-sandal kami ni Keith sa kama ko. Pareho kaming naka-pantulog, tahimik lang, parehong pagod — emotionally and mentally. Nakapatay ang ilaw, lampshade lang ang nagbibigay ng malambot na glow sa kwarto, warm enough para maging komportable… safe.

Nakasandal ako sa balikat niya habang nagkukuwentuhan nang mahina, para bang ayaw naming gambalain ang katahimikan.

Maya-maya, Keith sighed softly. Ramdam ko ang paghigpit ng yakap niya sa akin.

“You okay na, Elle?” bulong niya, puno ng concern.

“I’m better,” sagot ko nang mahina. “Because you’re here.”

Ngumiti siya, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

“Always. You don’t even have to ask.”

Tahimik ulit.

Peaceful.

Safe.

Pero habang nakaakap ako sa kanya… may biglang kumalabit sa utak ko.

A name.

A last name.

WITHMORE...

Napasinghap ako nang mahina.

“Keith Withmore…” bulong ko, halos hindi ko mapaniwalaan ang iniisip ko.

“Withmore… Withmore… paano ko ngayon lang ’to na-connect?”

Nagtaas siya ng kilay, clueless. “What?”

Unti-unti akong tumingin sa kanya, eyes widening in shock.

“Keith… are you related to Kierran Withmore?”

Parang nahiwa ang hangin sa katahimikan.

Nabigla si Keith — as in napatigil siya, kumurap nang mabilis.

“Yes… how did you know my brother?”

Parang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig.

“What? Your brother?” halos pasigaw pero pabulong kong tanong.

“You mean to say… kapatid mo si Kierran?”

“Yes,” sagot niya, mabagal, nagtataka. “Bakit?”

Napaatras ako ng konti, parang hindi makapaniwala sa banggaan ng mundo namin.

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

“Of all people… of all people, Keith…”

Napakunot ang noo niya, halatang nag-aalala na.

“Why? Hey, Elle…”

she gently held my wrist, forcing me to meet her eyes.

“How did you know my brother?”

My throat tightened.

How do I even begin to explain Kierran Withmore?

The island.

The kiss.

The fight.

The morning after.

The chaos.

The storm.

Her brother.

I stared at Keith…

…and felt the floor drop from under me.

HUMINGA ako nang malalim, pilit pinapakalma ang sarili ko.

“Keith…” nilingon ko siya, voice trembling a little, “three years ago… noong gabi bago ang kasal ni Kierran… nasaan ka?”

Napakunot ang noo niya, confused.

“Ha? Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Please. Sagutin mo muna.”

She blinked, thinking back.

“Isla Mahayhay… bakit?”

My pulse spiked.

“Keith…”

I swallowed hard.

“…and how did you know about that?”

She squinted at me, mas lalo pang nagtataka.

“Di ba… di natuloy ang kasal nila?” tanong ko, kahit alam ko ang sagot.

Nagulat siya.

“Yes… paano mo nalaman ’yon, Arielle?”

My chest tightened painfully.

“Keith…” I whispered, voice cracking.

She stared at me, waiting.

I closed my eyes for a moment and breathed deeply.

Then—I told her.

Everything.

What happened in Isla Mahayhay.

How I met Kierran.

How he mistook me for someone else.

What he said.

What I felt.

How he left me.

How that night ruined me more than I wanted to admit.

Walang filter.

Walang palusot.

Walang tinago.

I felt Keith slowly go still beside me.

Nang matapos akong magkwento, hindi siya gumalaw.

Hindi kumurap.

Hindi huminga.

Literal na natigagal siya.

“Keith…” tawag ko, barely audible. “Say something.”

Pero hindi umiimik ang kaibigan ko.

She looked at me with wide, horrified eyes…

as if the puzzle she never knew existed suddenly arranged itself right in front of her.

“Arielle…”

she finally whispered, voice shaken.

“Oh my God.”

She covered her mouth.

“You’re… you’re the girl from that night.”

Her voice cracked.

“Oh my God…

Arielle—Kierran never told us who she was.

He never mentioned your name.

He looked for her…

but he never found her.”

I felt my heart twist.

Keith looked at me—really looked at me—her expression shifting from shock… to heartbreak… to something protective and fierce.

“Oh my God, Elle…” she whispered again, voice breaking.

“My brother…

hurt you.”

I looked down, unable to speak.

The silence between us was heavy.

Loaded.

Dangerous.

Because now?

Nothing would ever be the same again.

Tahimik si Keith.

Still pale.

Still processing.

Ako naman… parang tuluyan nang bumagsak ang mundo ko.

I held my blanket tightly, hands shaking.

“Keith…” bulong ko, barely able to hold the tremor in my voice.

“Nagkita kami ulit ni Kierran sa Palawan… sa The Haven.”

Her head jerked up.

“What?” she whispered—slow, sharp, disbelieving.

I nodded, eyes stinging.

“And… and something happened between us.”

Her mouth fell open.

“Elle—”

“And Keith…” my throat tightened painfully, “…he spurted his semen inside me.”

Keith froze.

As in literally froze.

Hindi gumalaw.

Hindi kumurap.

Hindi huminga.

Parang sinapak ko siya ng katotohanan na hindi niya inaasahan.

I pressed a shaking hand over my lips.

“And… paano kung mabuntis niya ako?”

My voice cracked—finally breaking into a sob.

“Paano kapag mabuntis ako ng walang hiyang Kierran na yun!!!!”

Keith shot up from the bed, hands in her hair, pacing back and forth like she was losing her mind.

“Oh. My. GOD.”

She grabbed her head again.

“Oh my GOD, Arielle—YOU DID NOT JUST TELL ME THAT—my kuya—my damn BROTHER—YOU AND—AND—OH MY GOD I NEED WATER—WAIT—NO—I DON’T—OH MY GOD—”

“Keith!” halos mapasigaw ako. “Stop pacing! Hindi ako makahinga dito—”

She ran back to me, sat on the bed, cupped my cheeks with both hands.

“Elle—ARE YOU—ARE YOU SERIOUS? Like SERIOUS serious?? He—inside—you??”

I nodded helplessly.

Keith’s jaw dropped so wide pwede ko nang ipasok ang fist ko.

Then—slowly—her expression changed.

Shock melted into horror.

Horror melted into fury.

Fury melted into full-on protective bestfriend mode.

“Arielle…”

Her voice trembled with emotion.

“My brother is DEAD. As in PATAY. P-A-T-A-Y."

“Keith…”

“I am SERIOUS! Hindi ako nagbibiro! May sakit ba siya??? Nasaan ang utak niya???”

“KEITH!”

Tumigil siya, hingal, galit, gulo, halatang hindi alam kung maiiyak o magwawala.

“How did this even happen???” she demanded, gripping my shoulders.

“You hate him! He hates you! YOU LITERALLY RAN AWAY FROM HIM!”

I covered my face with my palms.

“Hindi ko alam…

I was drunk…

He carried me to the villa…

Tapos… I woke up on top of him…

Nang hubad kami.”

Keith’s soul visibly left her body.

“OH MY GOD.”

Then—quietly, dangerously—

“My brother is an idiot.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“A menace.”

“Yes.”

“An absolute walking red flag.”

“Oh yes.”

“AND YOU MIGHT BE PREGNANT WITH HIS CHILD?!”

I broke.

Tears streamed down my face as I covered my mouth.

“I don’t know what to do, Keith…”

My voice shook uncontrollably.

“I’m terrified. I don’t want anything to do with him. I don’t want a connection with him. I don’t want—”

Keith pulled me into a tight hug, stroking my back like a child.

“Shhh… shhh… it’s okay… I’m here,” she whispered fiercely.

“I’m here, Elle. Whatever happens, hindi kita iiwan. Kahit pa kapatid ko ang kalaban.”

I cried harder.

Because Keith meant every word.

“You’re not alone,” she whispered.

“And if—IF—may possibility na buntis ka…”

She pulled back, holding my hands tightly.

“…we will deal with it TOGETHER. And we will deal with my stupid brother LATER.”

I swallowed, tears dripping onto our clasped hands.

“Keith…”

“Yes?”

“I’m scared.”

She squeezed my fingers.

“I know, baby. Pero hindi ka nag-iisa. I’m right here. Always.”

“TEKA nga, teka nga…”

Umayos si Keith ng upo, nakakunot ang noo habang nakatitig sa ’kin na parang ini-X-ray ako.

“May gusto ka na ba sa kuya ko?”

She pointed a dramatic accusing finger at me.

“Sabihin mo nga sa ’kin ang totoo?”

Nanlaki ang mata ko. “KEITH, NO! WHAT—NO!”

“Aba?” tinaas niya kilay. “Kung hindi, PAANO nangyari na nag-s*x kayo, ha?”

“I—Keith—lasíng ako!” bulalas ko, halos tumalon sa kama sa hiya.

“At hindi ko rin alam! Hindi ko rin maalala! Nagising na lang ako—”

I covered my face, mortified.

“—na nakadapa ako sa kanya. Naked. BOTH OF US. Oh my God bakit ko ba sinasabi lahat ng ’to muli?!”

Keith gasped dramatically. “OH. MY. GOD. Arielleeeee.”

Tinakpan niya bibig niya, pero hindi niya napigilang mapangiti.

I inhaled sharply, trying to defend myself.

“I hate that man, Keith. I hate him! As in with passion! With intensity! With—”

Biglang lumabas sa bibig ko ang pinaka-ayaw kong aminin:

“Pero bakit gano’n… gwapo pa rin siya?”

Tahimik.

Sobrang tahimik.

Tumingin ako kay Keith.

She was staring at me.

Then—

She fell backward on the bed.

Laughing.

As in laughing so hard akala ko mauubusan ng hangin.

“KEITH!!!” pinukpok ko siya ng unan. “Stop laughing! This is serious!”

Pero lalo siyang tumawa nang malakas, hawak-hawak ang tiyan niya.

“O—my—god—Elle!” hingal niya. “You—hate—him—pero—GWAPO—pa rin—?! HAHHAHAHAHA!”

Tinakpan ko mukha ko ng unan, halos maiyak sa hiya.

“Keith, this is embarrassing…”

She sat up slowly, wiping a tear from laughing too hard.

“Girl,” she said, straight-faced for half a second—

then she broke into giggles again.

“YOU LIKE MY BROTHER.”

“NO I DON’T!” pasigaw kong sagot.

“Yes, you do.”

“No!”

“Yes.”

“HINDI!”

Tumaas siya ng kilay. “Then bakit ka parang nakakita ng Greek god habang nagkukuwento?”

“I WAS PANICKING!”

“Sure, ka diyan.”

“KEITH!”

She crawled closer, cupping my cheeks like a dramatic tita.

“Arielle… honey… sweetheart…

If you hate him, dapat hindi ka nagpapadala sa abs at jawline niya.”

I smacked her arm. “Hindi ako nagpadala sa jawline niya!”

She gave me a deadpan look.

“You literally just said gwapo siya.”

Napahiga ako, nagtakip ng unan. “Lord… kunin Mo na ako…”

Umupo siya sa tabi ko, tumawa pa rin nang tumawa.

“Oh my god, Elle…

You slept with my brother.

TWICE.”

“It was NOT—TWICE!”

Tumaas ang kilay niya. “Girl, sa The Haven? And sa Isla Mahayhay three years ago? Do the math.”

I groaned louder. “Keith, please stop—baka masuka ako.”

She grinned, wicked and amused.

“Ang tanong… bakit mo sinisigaw na ‘I HATE YOU’ pero pag gwapo niya, kinikilig ka?”

“KEITH I DO NOT KILIG—”

“Yes. You. Do.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“KEITH I—”

“Elle,” she said calmly, leaning back like a queen delivering a verdict,

“You have a crush on my brother.”

Napanganga ako.

“HINDI!!! That’s impossible!”

Keith smirked, tapping my forehead.

“Well… sabihin mo lahat ng gusto mong denial. Pero isang bagay ang klaro…”

She leaned in, eyes playful yet sincere.

“…kung sobrang galit mo sa kanya, bakit pati gwapo niya… hindi mo matanggihan?”

I threw the pillow at her face.

But my heart?

My heart sank into my stomach.

Because Keith’s laughter stopped…

And for the first time since I mentioned Kierran…

She looked at me differently.

Like she realized something I refused to admit.

“Elle…” she whispered softly.

“Are you sure… hate lang ba talaga ang nararamdaman mo sa kuya ko?”

Hindi ako sumagot.

Hindi ko kaya.

Hindi pa ako handa.

Pero ang katahimikan ko…

was already an answer.