Chapter 24: Chapter 24

EXperiments I'm going to put you through, now it'll only make you dizzy, sick, and paralyzed. I think you'll live without the antidote, the ending's a surprise. I think you'll lie

I never understood the happiness rain could give. Not until my brother taught me how to dance under the drops of rain falling from the skies. Zon was a lover of rain. He used to wait for nimbus clouds or cloudless skies in the evening, hoping it would rain.

He was the one who taught me to listen to the tiny droplets of sounds on our ceiling like a heartbeat coming to life. He was the one who taught me to enjoy a coffee in my cozy bedroom, with books, while listening to Mayday Parade.

My brother taught me a lot of things, but he never taught me how to live without him.

Now, staring at the window, while the clouds began to cry, made my heart aches. I guess I could never enjoy the rain as I used to.

The rain seemed to be sympathizing over my agony, while I spent the whole weeks living in this home, well it was, no home. It was a steel cage, and I was a bird who lost the wings to fly.

I averted my gaze towards the shelf. I watched my brother smiled from the photographs. Are you still smiling even now, brother? Could you please come and get me?

I was tired of living this life. The only thing that was keeping me going and sane was Zack. But, they again took me away from him.

"Your brother is surely proud of you." I winced at the smell of cigar. My father was straightly looking at me when I turned my back.

"I advised you to stop smoking, Dad," I uttered with respect. "It's not good for your health," I added, concerned.

He chuckled and I could see the lines forming on his forehead. "I should know better not to argue with my daughter, right?" I could see myself in his eyes as I met them. His greek nose twitched as he tried to blow air. "Well, my daughter is a doctor."

I don't know if it was sarcasm that filled his voice for a second. "Dad, sorry," I whispered. His rough face softened as I spoke, "Sorry, I didn't become a lawyer."

"Are you happy?" he asked. "Are you happy with your chosen field?"

I quickly nodded. "I am, Dad." My tears started to lose control again. "There were times I hated it and often cursed emergencies and surgeries." I chuckled. "But, I am happy Dad."

"Then why are you saying sorry?" Dad wiped the tears on my cheeks. It was the first time I felt his touch since my brother died.

"I disappointed both of you," I replied.

"I am proud of you, Kat." I wailed as soon as he hugged me. "I'm sorry if it took me long to say this." Dad's voice broke. He caressed my back as I hid my face on his chest. "I'm sorry if you'd lived miserably because of us."

"I'm sorry...about my brother." I heaved. "Sorry."

"Sssh." Dad let me go. He wiped my tears and motioned me to look straight at him. "It's not your fault, okay? It's not, so please stop blaming yourself."

"Your brother is so proud of you, so am I." He tucked the hair that fell on my face behind my ears. "I know, it's already late but forgive me for not having the courage to save you."

"Dad." I parted my lips, but lost the words to say. I never hated Dad. I've witnessed how he tried to save me from the engagement and all these fucked up things my mother and her family brought to my life.

I've seen him made an effort, but my mother never listened to him nor my grandmother. They saw me as someone to bargain with their businesses.

"I thought it was for your own good, but it was too late for me to realize how you'd been losing yourself just to please us, your mother."

"I love you, both of you." I smiled a little. "That it hurts, Dad. It hurts." I tasted blood upon biting my lower lip.

Dad locked his arms on mine and waited until there were no tears dripping from my eyes. "Kat, let me make it up to you." He caressed the back of my head. "Tell me what you want."

"Dad?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

He smiled at me. His features were clearly like mine. "I don't hold the power to stop the wedding, Kat," he sighed.

Killing myself never stopped them from controlling my life, what would?

"There's only three days before your wedding," he stated. "Say what you desire."

"Dad, let me see Zack," I begged. "Let me see Zack, and I promise I will come back before the wedding. Just let me see him, for the last time."

Dad nodded. "Very well." He kissed my forehead before wiping my tears.

I blinked. "But…" I looked around the house. There were cameras around surveying my every move. The butlers and bodyguards were scattered around the mansion.

It's the reason why I couldn't even move a step away from the door since they kidnapped me from the hospital weeks ago. I believed the word kidnap was appropriate because it was never my will to stay in the mansion to wait for the wedding.

I was looking after Zack. I was waiting for his memories to come back, and now I don't even know what happened to him. Uh!

"Go," Dad commanded.

I hesitated at first but it was now or never. I quickly ran to the doorstep and was about to open it when I heard my mother. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to the hospital," I answered.

"I thought we already made it clear you'll be back on duty after the wedding." There was a coldness in my mother's voice as her eyes pierced into mine.

"Let her go," Dad answered for me.

"What do you mean by that?" Mom frowned. "She needs to stop her foolishness. She should be focusing on Aae and not on Zack." Mom turned to me with anger. "Don't forget our deal. You are now a doctor."

"I did not forget about it, Mom," I replied. "Just let me see him, please?" I pleaded with tears on my face, hoping she would say yes.

"For what? You don't need to see him because there is no way you can stop the wedding!" she exclaimed.

"I know, Mom," I sighed. "That's why at least let me say a proper goodbye. Just that, and I promise I'll come back before the wedding." I wiped the tears with the back on my hand and bent on my knees. "Please."

"Kat." Dad gestured me to stand up. "Just let her go, Katerina. She'll be back."

"How sure are you she's not gonna run away with that guy?" She raised an eyebrow.

Dad smirked. "I'll definitely be happy if she finally has the courage to do that."

"Dad," I mumbled. He hugged me.

Mom was about to say something when Aae cut her off. "It's okay, Tita. I'll drive her back to the hospital."

My mouth circled upon hearing those words. He stared at me with his plain look. I couldn't read him anymore. My blurry sight told me his expression was gentle, yet I felt the coldness.

"Aae, why would you do that? You know-"

"Tita, we need goodbyes to truly move on," he uttered with respect as he walked towards me. "Let's give an end to their story, so she can focus on me and our family." I recognized the sarcasm that turned into hatred. "Shall we, my future wife?"

I was surprised by his action that I stared at his hand when he offered it. When he couldn't wait for me, he pulled my wrists and walked me out.

He opened the door of his BMW before turning to me. "Fix yourself, you don't want Zack to see you like that." He wiped my tears with his handkerchief while I stared at him.

He bent his head as he tucked the loose hair behind my ears. His chocolate breath lingered in my senses as he spoke, "Get inside before I change my mind, and keep you to myself."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Consider this my apology for the letters."

"Do you think it's that easy?" I scowled.

"I have a lifetime to beg for your forgiveness, but you don't have a lifetime with Zack. So, go before I change my mind." He gestured me to get inside the car while he made his way to the driver seat.

"I want to run away with Zack," I stated.

He bent his head. "Then run," he said with a smile I couldn't recognize. "But know that I'll be waiting at the altar no matter how long it takes for you to come back." He went inside the car.

I hissed in disbelief.

"Dra. Zamora," Nurse Julia greeted me. "I thought you'll be back after your wedding." She pulled the patient's record on the side. So, that was what my mother told them while I was away.

"I'm just here to visit my best friend," I said as I log-in to the computer to check the record of Zack.

"Oh, the pilot?" She asked. "Right, your classmates were looking for you. They had a mini-reunion here last week."

"How is he?" I asked when I could see no progress on Zack's chart.

"He is still the same Zack you know." I recognized Gab's voice. I turned to meet her eyes. She was wearing her favorite mustard t-shirt with sunflower printed on it paired with her jeans and sneakers. Unlike her usual dress and coat. I wondered if she doesn't have any scheduled trials today.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised. "I thought-"

"I hate our hospitals and my family, but I love you and Zack, so I can defy my own rule for the both of you." She hugged me. "Where have you been?"

"Stuck at the mansion," I muttered.

She caressed my back. "I love you, Zee."

I hugged her tightly. "Thank you. I love you, Gab."

"Do you want me to help you run away?" She pursed her lips. "Zack owns a private island. You can live there, take good care of Zack until he gets his memories back and be a happy family."

"That's a very nice idea." I smiled upon imagining it but shook my head afterward. "Gab, I wanted to run, but I made a promise. I became a doctor, so I should hold onto the end of the bargain."

"But you would all be miserable, forever."

"Maybe, this is the cost of not fighting for what you truly want since the beginning."

Gab sighed. "I still don't like the fact that you are marrying Aae. I mean, do you love him enough to spend a lifetime?"

"Gab, we can make it work," I said, not sure. It was somehow a lie because I don't know. I couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with Aae, knowing I still hated him.

"I'll go and see Zack," I added.

"Do you really want to see Zack in that state?" She pointed me from head to toe. "Puff eyes, stuffy nose, chapped lips, to say it all." She rolled her eyes. "Miserable at best."

"What are you going to do? Don't you have trials?" I asked as she pulled me.

"No, I have a lot of time for you," she replied. "Can we stay at the resident's quarter?"

"For what? And how's the reunion? How's Zack? He can't still remember anything?" I asked as we waited for the elevator.

She didn't answer me until we reached the resident's quarter. There was no one inside. Where are Sead and Laudi?

She commanded me to wash my face before she applied make-up on it. I protested at first but realized I needed it.

"What would you do now?" She asked as soon as she finished applying lip balm on my chapped lips. "What are you going to tell him?"

I brushed my hair and let it fall on my back before turning to the mirror behind the door. I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "I'll end it, Gab. I'll say goodbye, so we can all move forward. After all, it's what her mother wanted me to do."

"I still don't want to be your maid of honor if it's not Zack," she scoffed.

I held her hands. "I may not have my happy ending with Zack, but you can still have yours with Laudi." I hugged her. I was so lucky to have her all these years. "Please don't be miserable at best. I love you, Gab," I said, leaving her to think.

I wandered my way to Zack. There were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I don't know how. All I wanted was to feel his embrace again as he stared at the glass window.

"How do you do that?" He creased his brows upon turning to me. He was wearing a white shirt and I could see veins lining up on the back of his hand as he squeezed the bottled water before throwing it into the trash bin.

"Do what?" I asked, innocently. I didn't even knock and directly went inside to check on him.

He seemed fine, yet lonely. Or I was just imagining things because I was lonely. Did he miss me? I wasn't able to properly say goodbye the last time. I just vanished into thin air.

What would he feel upon seeing me?

I almost fell when he said, "Make my heart flutter."

"So, losing your memories made you straightforward," I chuckled. He's never good with words before.

"When you encountered death, you'd realized how you should be honest with what you feel before it's too late."

"Fair point," I agreed.

"Have you experienced death?" He asked. He stroked his hair to form a knot before tying it.

"Yes," I answered.

He leaned on the glass window with crossed arms as he surveyed me from head to toe. My eyes caught his biceps down to his chest and stomach. I could still imagine his pack of abs and it made me blushed.

"So, can you be honest about what you feel?"

"What do you mean?" I paused.

"Who are you?" He straightened and walked towards me.

I smiled. "I told you I was just your classmate."

"Why would I used your birthday as my password if you're just my classmate?"

"Why would you?" I asked back.

"I thought you're my girlfriend or my wife and you're just fooling me, but then our classmates told me you're getting married." I saw how sadness appeared in his eyes. "Is that the reason why you're not here these past few weeks? I waited for you."

I nodded. "You were my best friend, Zack."

"Remind me again why I never courted you and made you mine." He clenched his teeth and I felt regret in his voice.

I walked towards him and lifted my eyes to meet his deep gray eyes I longed to see. "We're both afraid to lose our friendship."

"So we lost love instead? How tragic, right?" His chuckled turn into scoffed.

"Zack, you promised you'd come back and I promised to wait, but things happened so we're here right now," I sighed. "I know you haven't gotten your memories back and I won't be by your side if that happens so I'll be saying this."

"What do you mean?"

"These, every word I will say would make sense when you have your memories back." My voice broke. "I'm replacing the semicolon with a period."

He stared at me while I waited for him to speak. He licked his lower lip before biting it. "Do you love him?"

I parted my lips and tried to form the words but all I did was hugged him. I sniffed mint as he locked me in his arms.

"It hurts," he whispered that made me weak. "I should have not left."

I managed to stop my tears as I let go of him. "I'm proud of you, Zack. You will always be my Captain."

"I want to steal you from your fiance." His rugged expression made me fluttered. "May I?"

"What are we going to do?"

"Fly with me."

"I'm glad you didn't forget how to fly."

"I'm beyond happy you're in front of me now," he said as he turned to the glass window. "Let's go, the copter is on it's way to the deck." He walked towards the door and opened it for me.

The skies were full of stars twinkling around the crescent moon when we reached the rooftop. I hugged myself upon feeling the cold breeze of October. I recalled the first time we rode on a copter, it's also this time of year.

I couldn't help but smile despite the fact that this would be the last time I'd spend a night with Zack.

I quickly looked down to hide the tears in my eyes when he turned to me after talking to the pilot.

"Katie," he called.

"Wait." I raised an eyebrow. "You can now remember?"

My eyes started to cloud when he asked, "Did you live well, my Katie?"

His eyes found the necklace on my neck that made his smile glittered underneath the light of the moon.

I jolted when I felt the warmth of his palm as he caressed the pendant.

"Zack."

He wiped my tears before offering his hand to me. "Let's run away."