No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 43- Gone

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I hope so,” I whispered. “But what if—”

He shook his head. “Walang ‘what if,’ Mikha. Hindi mo na kailangang patunayan kung gaano mo siya kamahal. Ang kailangan mo lang gawin ngayon ay ipaglaban siya. Dahil kung may isang taong deserve ang happy ending na ‘to, kayo ‘yun.”

Tears burned in my eyes again, but this time, they weren’t just from pain. They were from hope.

“Thank you, Ethan,” I murmured.

He smiled, stepping back. “Always.”

As I sat there, feeling the weight of his words settle in my heart, I made a silent promise to myself.

Aiah had to wake up.

And when she did, I would make sure she knew—this time, I wouldn’t let go.

The room was quiet except for the occasional beeping of the machines and the soft sniffles of the people around me.

Sheena and Gwen sat on the other side of the hospital bed, their heads lowered, shoulders shaking. They were crying—not just because of what happened to Aiah but because of the guilt weighing heavily on them.

“She doesn’t deserve this,” Gwen whispered, wiping her tears harshly. “Dapat hindi kami nagalit sa kanya… dapat hindi namin siya tinalikuran.”

Sheena shook her head, her face filled with regret. “Sinaktan ka niya, Mikha. And at that time… we thought we were doing the right thing by protecting you. Pero mali kami.” Her voice cracked. “Mali kami… kasi kahit anong mangyari, ikaw lang naman ang mahal niya.”

I swallowed hard. I knew they were angry before—furious, even—when Aiah left me. I was, too. But seeing them break down like this, I realized they never hated her. They were just hurt for me.

“She made a mistake,” I murmured, looking at Aiah’s unconscious face. “But she didn’t deserve to suffer like this just to prove how much she loves me.”

Gwen covered her face with her hands, sobbing. “Gusto ko lang siyang makita ulit na nakangiti… yung dating Aiah na laging nagdadala ng sunshine sa buhay natin.”

Sheena reached for Aiah’s hand, holding it gently. “Please wake up, Aiah,” she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’re sorry. Just wake up, okay?”

I watched them, my heart aching—not just for Aiah, but for all of us. We lost so much time being angry, and now, we were here, praying that we would still have time left with her.

I reached for Aiah’s other hand, squeezing it.

“Please, love,” I whispered. “Come back to us.”

The room felt suffocating with the weight of our emotions. Aiah was lying there, motionless, her face pale, her breathing shallow. The sight of her like this was unbearable.

Gwen sniffled, looking up at me with teary eyes. “Mikha, paano kung…” She couldn’t even finish her sentence. The fear in her voice made my stomach turn.

“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “Don’t say it. She’s going to wake up.” My grip on Aiah’s hand tightened. “She has to.”

Sheena wiped her tears before speaking, her voice shaky. “Naalala ko dati… kahit anong mangyari, si Aiah ang laging unang lumalapit para ayusin ang lahat.” She let out a weak chuckle. “Sobrang proud pa siya na hindi siya marunong sumuko pagdating sa pagmamahal.”

Gwen nodded, her lips trembling. “She fought so hard for you, Mikha… kahit nung iniwan ka niya, kahit na nasaktan ka niya, I think a part of her never stopped fighting for you.”