No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 34- A hug of rest

Aiah is my world.

And my world is gone.

My chest tightened, my breath hitching. My vision blurred-not from the alcohol, but from the tears welling up in my eyes.

"Putangina naman!" I cursed under my breath, wiping my face roughly. "Ba't ang sakit?! Ba't ang gago ko?! Ba't ang gago niya?!"

Sheena, Stacey, Jho, and Gwen turned to me, their expressions shifting from amusement to concern.

Then, I lost it.

Napaupo ako sa gilid ng dance floor, my shoulders shaking as sobs tore through me. Wala na akong pakialam kahit maraming tao, kahit pinagtitinginan ako ng iba. I hugged my knees to my chest, my entire body trembling.

"Aiah..." I choked out her name, my voice barely above a whisper. "Bakit mo 'ko iniwan?"

My friends immediately surrounded me, their warmth barely making a dent in the freezing emptiness inside me.

Sheena crouched down and held my shoulders. "Mikha, tara na. Uwi na tayo."

"Hindi ko na kaya..." My voice cracked. "Hindi ko na alam paano mabuhay na wala siya..."

Jho wrapped an arm around me. "Andito kami, Mikha. Hindi ka mag-isa."

Pero kahit anong yakap nila, kahit anong salita ng comfort... wala pa ring makakatapat sa sakit ng pagkawala ni Aiah.

Wala na ang mundo ko.

At hindi ko alam kung paano mabubuhay sa mundo na wala siya.

Jho clenched her jaw, her patience snapping as she watched me crumble right in front of her. She had always been the most protective among us, the one who never sugarcoated things. And now, as I sat on the floor, broken and defeated, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Tangina naman, Mikha!" she snapped, grabbing my arm and forcing me to look at her. "Ano 'to? Sino 'tong babae sa harap ko?!"

I blinked at her through my tears, my vision still blurry. "Jho-"

"Hindi ito ikaw, Mikha!" Her grip tightened. "You're strong! You don't fucking break like this!"

I let out a hollow laugh, shaking my head. "I'm not strong, Jho. Not anymore."

Jho's eyes burned with anger and frustration. "Bullshit! Aiah left, and yeah, it fucking hurts. Pero tangina, Mikha, wala siya rito para buuin ka ulit! Ikaw lang ang pwedeng bumuo sa sarili mo!"

"Jho, tama na-" Stacey tried to calm her down, but Jho ignored her.

"You think Aiah is your whole world?" Jho scoffed, shaking her head. "Ikaw ang mundo mo, Mikha. Hindi si Aiah, hindi kahit sino! Kung ganyan ka lang ngayon, paano pa bukas? Paano pa sa mga susunod na araw?"

I bit my lip, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

Jho took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Then, softer this time, she said, "Mikha... mahal mo siya, gets namin 'yon. Pero hindi mo pwedeng ibigay ang buong buhay mo sa isang taong hindi ka kayang ipaglaban."

Silence hung heavy between us. My friends watched, their concern evident.

Gwen knelt beside me, reaching for my hand. "Please, Mikha. Bumangon ka naman kahit para sa sarili mo."

I inhaled shakily, closing my eyes. I wanted to argue, to tell them they didn't understand. But maybe... maybe they did. Maybe they just didn't want to see me disappear into my own grief.

Jho sighed, rubbing her temples. "Tara na. Uwi na tayo. You need to rest."

And for the first time that night, I found myself nodding. Maybe rest was all I had left.