THE PILOT'S FINAL STOP

CHAPTER 7 🥰

PAGKATAPOS ng nangyari sa opisina ni Kierran, diretso akong bumalik sa villa.

Maaga pa.

Mamayang hapon pa ang kasal nina Adrian at Elora… pero pakiramdam ko, pagod na pagod na ang utak ko.

Nakahiga ako ngayon sa mahabang sofa sa sala—nakatingala, tahimik, pilit pinapakalma ang puso kong hindi ko maintindihan.

Then—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sunod-sunod. Mabilis. May lakas.

Napakunot ang noo ko. Sino na naman ’to?

Bumangon ako, tinungo ang pinto, at binuksan iyon—

…only to feel my stomach drop.

Kierran Withmore.

Standing at my doorway

like the storm I didn’t want to face twice in one morning.

“Ano’ng ginagawa mo rito?”

Malamig. Diretso. Walang paligoy.

He didn’t look offended.

In fact, he smiled—calm, collected, almost annoyingly confident—at iniabot niya sa akin ang isang mahabang brown envelope.

“Your jet’s clearance.”

Napatitig ako sandali bago ko iyon kinuha.

“Wow. Special delivery talaga?”

I gave him a polite, razor-thin smile.

“Thanks. Pero ’di ba sinabi ko na hindi ko na kailangan?”

His lips curved into that devilish, quiet-smug smile

—the kind of smile women probably fall for.

But not me. Not today.

“I want you to enjoy your vacation,” he said softly.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bother you.”

My heartbeat stuttered for a moment.

Because the problem wasn’t him bothering me.

It was me… reacting despite myself.

Ngumiti ako nang pilit, civil, cold around the edges.

“Great. Salamat sa personal mong paghatid.”

For a moment, tahimik lang siya.

Watching me too closely.

As if trying to read every lie I insisted on telling.

Then he nodded.

“Okay. Aalis na ako. Have a good day.”

Hindi pa man siya nakatalikod, isinara ko na ang pinto.

Mabilis.

Marahas.

Parang may humahabol sa hininga ko.

I returned to the sofa, dropped the envelope on the center table, and let my body sink into the cushions.

“Hay…” napalabas ko sa hininga.

“Kung alam ko lang…”

Tumagilid ako ng higa, tinakpan ang mata ko ng braso.

Bumabaon sa utak ko ang halik niya.

Ang boses niya.

Ang paraan niyang tumingin na parang…

nakikita niya ako—yung Arielle na akala ko matagal ko nang nalibing sa nakaraan.

Ayaw kong isipin.

Ayaw kong maramdaman.

Ayaw kong maalala.

Pero ang problema?

My body remembers.

Even if my mouth keeps lying.

Even if my heart refuses to admit it.

Napakagat ako sa labi, frustrated.

“Maloloka na talaga ako…”

And the worst part?

The day has barely begun.

Muli na namang may kumatok sa pintuan.

Napabuntong-hininga ako.

Finally, siguro ito na ang agahan na pina-deliver ko. Ayoko nang lumabas; ayoko nang may makasalubong.

Binuksan ko ang pinto—

—and froze.

Kierran.

Again.

Hindi pa nga ako nakakahinga nang maayos mula kanina, pero bago pa ako makapagsalita, bigla niya akong itinulak pabalik sa loob ng villa—hindi marahas pero sapat para mawala ang balanse ko.

The door clicked shut behind us.

“K-Kierran—”

Hindi niya ako pinatapos.

His hand cupped the back of my neck and his mouth crashed into mine—hot, urgent, uninvited.

Nanlaki ang mata ko pero ang katawan ko—

traitor.

For a split second, nanginig ang tuhod ko sa kilala kong sensasyon.

A sound escaped my throat—

hindi ko napigilan, hindi ko nasalo.

His hands roamed my waist, my back—

too sure, too familiar, too much.

But the moment his palm brushed against my chest—

Para akong binuhusan ng yelo.

Reality hit me like a slap.

Malakas ko siyang itinulak.

“Bastos!”

Sinubukan ko siyang sampalin, buong pwersa—pero nasalo niya ang kamay ko. Mabilis.

Parang inaasahan niya.

Hinawakan niya ang baba ko, pilit itinaas ang mukha ko para tingnan siya.

“That,” he said, voice low and infuriatingly steady,

“is your punishment for lying to me.”

Napasinghap ako sa galit.

“Stop lying, Arielle. Naiirita na ako.”

His eyes burned into mine.

“Alam kong naaalala mo ako.”

My chest tightened.

Hindi dahil tama siya—

kundi dahil hindi ko gusto na tama siya.

Tinulak ko siya uli, mas malakas ngayon, halos napaatras siya.

“Sino ka para diktahan ako?” bulalas ko, boses ko nanginginig sa inis.

“Ano naman ngayon kung nagsisinungaling ako? Choice ko ’yon! Body ko, memories ko, buhay ko!”

Humigpit ang hawak ko sa sofa behind me, trying to anchor myself.

“I want to forget you, Kierran.

Ayaw ko nang maalala ang kahit ano sa’yo.

Kaya ginawa ko ’yon.”

Huminga ako nang malalim, pilit pinapakalma ang sarili.

“At wala kang karapatan—”

I pointed a trembling finger at him

“—na halikan ako nang walang pahintulot. Hindi dahil may gusto kang malaman, may lisensya ka nang tumawid sa boundaries ko.”

Tahimik siya.

Pero hindi lumuwag ang mga mata niya.

Parang may binibitag na emosyon na ayaw niyang pakawalan.

“It’s my right to choose what’s best for me,” tuloy ko, voice steadying.

“And what was best… was to move on with my life.

Something you clearly haven’t done.”

Ang panga niya nag-clench. Hard.

“Easy for you to say,” he whispered, tone mababa, mapait—

hindi lang galit, kundi nasaktan.

“Hindi naman ikaw ang nawalan ng bride.”

I froze.

His bride.

Right.

Dianne.

Tumawa ako nang pagak, halos hindi makapaniwala sa naririnig ko.

“Kierran, naririnig mo ba ang sarili mo?”

I folded my arms, glaring at him.

“Nawalan ng bride? Hindi nawalan ng minamahal?”

My voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Akala ko ba ikakasal kayo?”

Napailing ako, masama ang tawa.

“Please. Kahit pa siguro totoo akong prostitute, hindi mo ako gagalawin. Dahil may fiancée ka na.”

I stepped closer, eyes blazing.

“Iyan ang dapat ginagawa ng lalaking hindi gago—hindi katulad mo.”

That wiped the smug expression off his face.

For a second.

Then a slow, irritating smirk crept back onto his lips.

“So…” he murmured, tilting his head,

“you do remember me.”

I stabbed him with my glare.

“Yes,” I snapped.

“Iyon ba ang gusto mong marinig? Oo, naaalala kita.”

I jabbed my finger at his chest.

“Naaalala ko ang kagaguhan mo.”

The smirk vanished completely.

Si Kierran Withmore, the unshakable billionaire heir—

literally stunned speechless.

I snatched the brown envelope, ripping it open with one violent pull.

Punit.

Shreds.

Clearance papers scattering across the floor.

“Argh! Nakakainis ka!” I spun on my heel, storming toward the exit—

—but stopped dead when Kierran spoke:

“You liked my touch.”

I froze.

Then turned slowly, fury rising like a tidal wave.

“Iyon lang ba ang importante sa ’yo?” I hissed.

His eyes darkened—waiting.

Fine. He wanted honesty?

Then he’d choke on it.

“Yes!” I fired back.

“Yes, I liked your touch!”

He blinked—shocked by my brutal honesty.

“For three years,” I continued, breath shaking,

“it haunted me in my dreams.”

My throat tightened, but I didn’t look away.

“Yes, I want you to touch me.

Yes, I want you.”

His chest rose sharply.

“But I don’t want to want you.”

My voice broke, but my stare didn’t.

“Alam mo kung bakit?

Because gago ka.

At ayokong makihalubilo sa mga katulad mong gago.”

I didn’t wait for his reaction.

I didn’t care.

Mabilis akong lumabas ng villa at malakas na isinara ang pinto.

I walked fast—almost running.

Baka mabaliw na ako sa lalaking ’yon.

Hindi pa nga ako nakakalayo nang may biglang humawak sa braso ko—firm but not painful.

I spun around.

Kierran.

Of course.

“Let go of me!”

I yanked my arm, but he didn’t release it.

“Sabi nang bitawan mo ako—”

“I’m sorry.”

I froze.

“Ano?” I stared at him, dumbfounded.

Huminga siya nang malalim.

Eyes lowering, then meeting mine directly.

“Three years ago…

I wasn’t able to say sorry.”

His voice… softer.

Rough around the edges, but real.

“Alam kong napakagago ng ginawa ko noon,” he said quietly.

“Pero pinagsisihan ko na ’yon.”

He swallowed hard.

“I regret everything I said and did to you in that cabin.”

His brows softened, almost pleading.

“Kaya huwag ka nang magalit sa’kin.”

Then—

the impossible happened.

Kierran Withmore

gave me literal puppy-dog eyes.

I stared at him.

Blankly.

Then rolled my eyes so hard I almost saw the back of my skull.

“Hindi mawawala ng puppy dog eye na iyan ang galit na nararamdaman ko sa’yo,” I snapped.

He stepped forward, hands rising.

“Arielle—”

His palms landed on my shoulders.

And damn it.

My heart lurched.

Betraying me. Again.

“Arielle…” he whispered, voice low, almost breaking,

“I’m sorry. Please, patawarin mo naman ako.”

My throat tightened for reasons I refused to name.

But I lifted his hands off me—firm, controlled.

“Not working.”

I turned around, marched back toward the villa, and slammed the door shut.

Pagkasara ko ng pinto, may tunog na thud na parang echo ng lahat ng galit at hirap na pinipilit kong ikulong sa loob ko.

I locked it.

Twice.

Just to be sure.

Then I leaned back against the door…

And my knees gave out.

I slid down to the floor, the cold wood pressing against my spine, chest heaving like I had just run from something—

When in truth,

I was running from myself.

I buried my face in my palms.

“Damn it…”

The words came out cracked, broken.

Hindi ko na kayang panindigan ang pagiging composed, calm, professional.

Not when he touched me like that.

Not when he said sorry.

Not when he looked at me like…

like he never stopped thinking about that night.

I curled my fingers into my hair, tugging lightly just to feel something else aside from the storm twisting inside me.

“Ano ba ’tong nangyayari sa’kin…?”

My voice trembled.

Galit.

Kaba.

Gulo.

At—pinakakinatatakutan ko—

Desire.

“Yes, I liked your touch,” bulong ko, inis na inis sa sarili.

Hindi ko dapat sinabi ’yon.

Hindi ko dapat inaamin.

Pero totoo.

Kahit anong pilit kong itapon, sunugin, ibaon ang memorya na ’yon—

my body remembered him.

Three years.

Tatlong taong pagtakbo.

Tatlong taong pag-iiwas.

Tatlong taong pagpapanggap na hindi nangyari ang gabing iyon.

But the moment he kissed me…

My entire world fell apart again.

“I hate this,” I whispered, pressing a hand against my forehead.

“I hate you, Kierran… bakit kailangan mo pang bumalik sa buhay ko?”

Bumuntong-hininga ako nang malalim, hoping it would calm the ache in my chest.

Pero hindi.

Lalo lang itong sumisikip.

I hugged my knees to my chest, letting my forehead rest atop them.

I felt small.

Fragile.

Exposed.

Parang bumalik ako sa cabin.

Parang bumalik ang sakit.

Parang sinundo ng hangin ang lahat ng kinaya kong itayo sa loob ng tatlong taon.

And worse…

His apology—

His soft “Arielle, I’m sorry”—

kept echoing in my head…

Like a cruel reminder that he wasn’t supposed to sound like that.

He wasn’t supposed to feel guilt.

He wasn’t supposed to look like a man who lost something important.

He wasn’t supposed to shake me.

Pero he did.

He always did.

Even when I didn’t want him to.

I swallowed hard, wiping away the tear that escaped despite my efforts.

“I shouldn’t be crying,” I whispered harshly.

“I’ve moved on. I have. I had to.”

But the tears kept coming—

slow, warm, relentless.

My voice cracked into the empty room:

“Why can’t my heart move faster than my mind…?”

I pulled myself up, forcing my breathing to steady.

Mamayang hapon na ang kasal ng kapatid ko..

I had to smile.

Wala dapat kahit sinong makahalata na may bagyong humahabol sa loob ko.

I had to be whole again.

For now, I allowed myself to break—

quietly,

in the safety of a locked villa,

where no one could see the girl underneath the Captain’s uniform.

A girl who didn’t just run from her past…

but from a man

who could ruin her again

with a single touch.