Chapter 47

No one’s POV

“Daniela, where do you think you’re going?! Stop!”

Baling ni Jhoanna, halos mapatid ang boses niya sa pagpigil kay Daniela habang mabilis itong naglalakad patungo sa nakapark nitong sasakyan sa gilid ng kalsada.

Daniela stopped dead in her tracks, turning around with an intense, bitter look in her eyes.

“Shut up, Jhoanna! Wala na ba akong karapatang kamustahin siya? At isa pa, it’s been a year. Wala naman sigurong masama kung kamustahin ko siya, ‘di ba?”

“Yeah, it’s been a year, Daniela!”

Jhoanna fired back, stepping closer, her face flushed with frustration.

“Hindi ka pa rin ba nakaka-move on? May pamilya na siya! May sarili na silang buhay!”

“Relax, Jhoanna. I just want to see if she’s okay,” Daniela scoffed, a dark, dangerous smile creeping onto her lips.

She crossed her arms, her knuckles turning white. “Besides, I’m her ex. At inagaw lang siya sa akin ng babaeng ‘yun.”

Napakurap si Jhoanna, hindi makapaniwala sa kapangahasan ng kaharap. “Are you really out of your mind?! Hindi naging kayo! Walang malinaw na relasyon na namagitan sa inyong dalawa!”

“Exactly!” Daniela shouted, her voice laced with sudden venom, her eyes wild with a mixture of pain and delusion.

“Kasi sinira ng babaeng ‘yun! Sinira niya ang sa amin! Now, I just want to see her. Gusto ko lang malaman na okay siya. That’s it.”

Bago pa man makasagot si Jhoanna, Daniela turned on her heel and pulled the car door open. She slid inside, slamming it shut behind her. Within seconds, the engine roared to life with a violent screech.

“Daniela! Come back here! Daniela!!”

Jhoanna screamed, running a few steps forward, but it was too late. Mabilis na humarurot patakbo palayo ang sasakyan nito, leaving nothing but smoke and a heavy sense of dread in the air.

Watching the taillights vanish into the busy Manila traffic, Jhoanna ran a hand through her hair, her breathing ragged. Ang bilis ng tibok ng puso niya, hindi dahil sa pagod, kundi sa matinding kaba para sa katahimikang tinatamasa nina Mikha at Aiah sa probinsya.

“Shit… hindi maganda ‘to,” untag niya sa sarili, bago dali-daling kinapkap ang cellphone sa bulsa para mag-dial.

……..

Meanwhile, at the ranch…

“Uughhh… gosh, Mikha, please…” Aiah gasped out, her fingers digging desperately into Mikha’s shoulders.

It had become their new normal. Just a regular day, but the burning hunger between them after that stormy night couldn’t be contained. They couldn’t stop doing it again and again. Sa bahay ni Aiah, sa bahay ni Mikha, sa likod ng bakuran, at ngayon-dito sa loob ng madilim at mainit na barn.

Any place, any corner, as long as there was a stolen second of privacy, they would lose themselves.

Mikha didn’t know what was wrong with her anymore. Hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili niya sa tindi ng init na namamagitan sa kanila ni Aiah. It was like an addiction, a powerful, unspoken urge driving her crazy. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang bawat haplos, ang mga balat nilang nagdidikit na animo’y may kuryenteng dumadaloy sa bawat ugat niya.

On Aiah’s side, she didn’t care about anything else anymore. This was all she ever wanted-for Mikha to feel her, to crave her, and to drown in the familiarity of their shared passion.

Mikha’s hand strayed downward, gripping the hem of Aiah’s skirt and slowly pushing it up her thighs. Her warm palms slid smoothly against Aiah’s soft skin, squeezing tightly.

“M-Mikha… stop,” Aiah whispered breathlessly against her lips, though her hands were pulling Mikha closer, her hips unconsciously moving against Mikha’s.

“What?” Mikha murmured, her voice deep and rough, completely refusing to break the kiss.

“Baka… mmm, baka may makakita sa atin dito,” Aiah whimpered, a soft groan escaping her as Mikha’s fingers trailed higher up her bare skin, passing the sensitive edge of her underwear.

“I don’t care,” Mikha growled softly against her mouth.

She captured Aiah’s lips again, crashing into them with a deeper, wilder intensity.

They were kissing like raw, desperate animals now-totally untamed, driven entirely by pure instinct and a fierce hunger that was louder than the horses restless in their stalls around them.

Hinigop ni Mikha ang dila ni Aiah, tasting her sweetness while her other hand squeezed Aiah’s waist, bringing their lower bodies flush together.

Aiah’s head rolled back as Mikha shifted her attacks to her neck, sucking softly on her sweet spot, creating dark, heavy marks. “Ahhh… Mikha… ummm…”

Hindi na rin mapigilan ni Aiah ang sarili niya. Even though a small part of her knew this was wild and that they still needed to fix everything about their tangled reality, the sheer pleasure of Mikha’s touch wiped her mind blank.

They moved against each other side by side against the wooden wall of the barn, biting each other’s lips, hands mapping every curve, skin pressing into skin.

The air inside was thick, filled with the intoxicating sound of wet kisses, heavy breathing, and low, undone moans.

“Ummm… ahh… Mikha … Ri-right there…”

Mikha slid her hand further down, finding Aiah’s center, rubbing through the thin fabric and making Aiah gasp loudly against her neck.

“Ah! Mikha, wait… oh ghad…”

Every touch was precise, heavy, and drenched in a burning love that neither could control.

Suddenly, caught in the absolute peak of their breathless, overwhelming pleasure, Aiah lost all control.

“I love you, Mikha!” wala sa loob na nabigkas niya, her voice breaking with raw, overflowing emotion, her body trembling under Mikha’s heavy weight.

The words cut through the heat like a blade.

Napahinto si Mikha. Her entire body froze, and she pulled back just enough to stare down at Aiah in sheer shock. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving, but her eyes were wide.

The words echoed relentlessly inside Mikha’s head. Aiah loves her. The beautiful girl she supposedly just met a few weeks ago just confessed her love.

A sudden, massive wave of pure joy washed over Mikha’s heart, but right behind it was a chilling, suffocating fear.

Hindi niya akalaing sa ganung kabilis na panahon, ganito na katindi ang magiging epekto ng babaeng ito sa kanya. She felt it too-she loved her. But the terrifying question hit her hard: Ngayon niya nga lang ba talaga naramdaman ito… o baka naman hindi na talaga bago ang nararamdamang ito dahil sa nawala niyang alaala?

……….

Mikha POV

​Inlove na yata ako. This is no joke, ang lakas talaga ng tama ko kay Aiah. I know I’ve met so many girls in my life before the accident, pero sa kanya ko lang naramdaman ‘to. Para akong mababaliw, and baliw man kung tingnan, I really want to pursue her. We both don’t know na mangyayari ‘to nang masyadong mabilis, pero sobrang hirap nang pigilan.

​Pero I promised to myself na hindi ko na siya papakawalan. I don’t care about the time anymore. But deep down inside me, it really feels like we shared memories in my past.

​But it just doesn’t matter anymore. Malalaman ko din naman ang lahat bit by bit. Ang mahalaga ngayon ay kung pano ko tototohanin ang lahat ng nararamdaman ko para sa kanya.

Katatapos lang naming kumain ng kwek-kwek at siomai sa may bayan, and we were walking down the road like literal teenagers. Hindi pa namin pormal na napag-uusapan kung ano nga ba ang totoong status naming dalawa, pero I know it’s completely mutual. Parang kami na, pero hindi lang official. And I will not wait any longer. Bukas na bukas, I will talk to Jhoanna para mas mapaghandaan ko how I’m going to properly pursue Aiah.

We were walking while holding hands sa may bukid near our house, enjoying the quiet afternoon breeze.

“Nabusog ka ba?” tanong ko sa kanya, gently stroking the back of her hand with my thumb.

“Sobra! Eh halos ako lang kaya ang umubos ng siomai mo,” she answered with a laugh, swinging our intertwined hands slightly.

Napasimangot naman ako nang maalala yung sabi ng bata kanina.

“Yung bata kasi doon, sabi pusa daw yung laman. Loko ‘yun,.”

“Ikaw talaga, naniwala ka naman agad? Nagbibiro lang naman yung bata,” she said, shaking her head at me.

“Kahit na, mas maganda nang sigurado, ‘di ba? yuck inubos mo yung pusa.”

“Ang arte mo!” kantyaw niya, playfully nudging my side.

“Ano ka, hindi ako maarte, ah! Just that… nakaka-guilty kung totoong pusa nga talaga ‘yun. You know that I love cats.”

“Whatever, Mikha Lim… Hays, hindi na talaga ako kakain ng dinner mamaya. I’m too full right now.”

“Sure ka busog ka na? Baka magutom ka mamaya? Lulutuan pa naman sana kita ng baked salmon.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Look at my tummy, lumolobo na nga ako o,” she said, holding her stomach to show me.

I looked down at her waist, a small, playful smirk forming on my lips.

“Tingin… hindi naman, ah. You’re actually so sexy.”

Agad na natigilan si Aiah. I noticed the sudden shift in her expression at kung paano mabilis na nag-blush ang mga pisngi niya.

“Hey… are you blushing, Miss Aiah Arceta?” panunukso ko sa kanya, leaning my face a bit closer to hers.

“Of course not!” defensive niyang sagot, trying hard to avoid my gaze.

“Look at me… you’re blushing.”

“I said no! Shut up, Mikha.”

Natatawa kong hinarap nang tuluyan ang katawan ko sa kanya. I gently cupped her face with both of my hands, stopping our walk, forcing her to look straight into my eyes.

“Look at my eyes. Patingin nga.”

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. The playful atmosphere suddenly shifted into something incredibly deep, soft, and full of love. It felt like we were about to kiss, our breaths caught in our throats, but we just stood there, drowning in each other’s eyes.

But then, out of nowhere, a sharp wave of déjà vu hit me like a physical blow.

Looking at her beautiful face up close, something clicked deep inside my chest. This face… it was something I really, truly knew. Sobrang familiar sa nakaraan ko. It looked exactly like the face of the love of my life-pero ang gulo dahil hindi ko pa rin masigurado. My mind remained completely blank. Wala pa rin akong maiisip kung saan, kailan, o kung sino nga ba talaga siya sa buhay ko noon.

My expression suddenly hardened. Napalitan ng gulat, takot, at matinding pagtatanong ang reaksyon ko habang nakatitig sa kanya.

Along with it was a sudden wave of dizziness.

“Are you okay?” bakas ang matinding pag-aalala sa boses ni Aiah nang mapansin ang biglang pagkaputla ko.

Agad kaming umupo sa may gilid ng daan to catch my breath. Napahilamos ako sa sarili kong mukha gamit ang dalawa kong kamay, trying to calm my throbbing head while forcing myself to dig through my brain.

“Something familiar…” I muttered under my breath, almost like a whisper.

“Mikha, what do you mean May naalala ka ba? Okay ka lang?” she asked again.

Her voice was trembling, and I could see the pure fear and anxiety in her eyes as she held my arm tightly.

I looked up and stared at her. My mind was still empty, clear of any specific memories, but that overwhelming feeling of familiarity just kept creeping in, deeply wrapping around my heart.

Pilit kong pinakalma ang sarili ko and managed to force a small smile para hindi na siya mag-alala nang husto.

“Wa-wala… I’m okay, Aiah. Tara na, mag-gagabi na. Baka makagat ka pa ng lamok dito.”

​We walked home under the fading twilight, our hands still tightly locked together. Even with that sudden dizziness, having Aiah near me made everything feel safe.

…….

​The Next Day

​Kring… kring…

​”Hello Jo! Buti napatawag ka I want to tell you something,” panimula ko, thinking about my plan to officially pursue Aiah today.

​”Mikha tumawag ako para paalalahanan ka,” Jhoanna’s voice cut in, sounding completely frantic and out of breath.

“Do you know Daniela right? Do you remember her?”

​”Daniela? Yeah of course, why? Anong nangyare sa kanya?”

​”She will visit you, and I tell you she’s a big trouble ano man yung sabihin niya wag na wag mong paniniwalaan. Don’t stress your self babyahe na din ako I will go there soon. Just that I can’t go right away kailangan lang ako sa office but wait for me. I will call aiah to accompany you. I just made quick call medyo busy pa pag usapan natin yan pag uwi ko dyan. Take care okay”

​”A-alright budd.. bye,” napakamot kong sabi kahit wala akong kaide-ideya sa sinabi niya.

​I sat on the bed completely confused, handling the heavy thumping in my chest. I definitely remember Daniela. She was one of the girls from my past, and to be honest, I liked her a lot back then. Seryoso ang tama ko sa kanya noon before the accident, but everything was a blur. Bakit siya pupunta rito? And why did Jhoanna sound so scared?

​Maya-maya may kumatok sa pinto.

​Tok tok tok

​My butterfly in my stomach went wild. I’m sure si Aiah yun, excited na akong makita siya ulit. I’m craving her every hour every minute. Kaya dali-dali kong binuksan yung pinto na may malaking ngiti.

​Hindi pako nakakapag-salita nang-

​”Mikhaa!!”

​A body slammed straight into my chest, locking her arms around my neck tightly. I smell her expensive perfume, suffocating my senses instantly. Her sexy body was pressing hard against mine, giving off that same expensive vibes she always had. Looking closely at her, hindi pa rin nagbabago ang mukha niya, but she looked like a high-fashion model now-way more mature and provocative than before. She was wearing a sleek, body-hugging outfit that left little to the imagination, completely striking and dripping with confidence.

​”Da-daniela.. a-anong ginagawa mo dito?” tanong ko, forcing myself to look down at her.

I don’t know what to feel because in the past I used to feel something huge for her. I really liked her a lot, and that familiarity hit me like a truck. But now that she is here, instead of joy, it feels like a total mess inside my head.

​”Thank God naalala mo ako! I heard what happens to you sobrang nag-aalala ako kaya I book a flight right away to see you.. i miss you so much Mikha,” she said, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.

​Before I could even speak or think about Jhoanna’s warning, she hug me again, burying her face into my neck and holding me like she never wanted to let go.

​My heart hammered against my ribs in pure anxiety. I stood there frozen as she clung to me, knowing that Jhoanna had already called Aiah-and she could walk through that front gate at any exact second.

​TO BE CONTINUED…

……

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