CHAPTER 108:
BEFORE THE FLIGHT
Diane’s P.O.V.
In just a few hours, I would have the chance to explore the beauty of Balesin, and it added too much to my anticipation. The pleasure in my heart intensified even more. Apart from Quego del Mar and Batangas, I had never been anywhere else in my entire life and that made me feel quite bored.
Adjusting myself to face Liam, I enjoyed feeding him with my right hand. I couldn’t help but shudder and moan when he deliberately bit and sucked my fingers.
He was even licking them, but how I wished that his tongue was rather shoving in and out between my legs—on my sizzling hot core. I would never mind being a restless bride tomorrow. All I wanted to do right now was to prioritize the honeymoon.
“Well, he’s Samuel, and you will meet him soon. I’m sorry if I hadn’t mentioned him before. He was my teenage buddy, although he was two years ahead of me. We finally met each other again this morning after so many years. But in spite of it, we hadn’t lost communication throughout the years.”
Liam was smiling, but I could feel that he was a little bit morose. Of all people, I knew that he would have wanted his best man to be his own brother.
“Sam even helped me see the most iconic spot of Balesin I had never seen before, and I decided to hold the wedding there. He’s currently residing in Balesin Island because he always wanted to manage a beachfront hotel and restaurant rather than becoming a businessman. Although, before that, he was living on and off in Palawan.”
“Hmm… we will be staying there for one week with your whole family, Diane. After that, we will soon fly to the States, so you better get your passport and other documents ready.”
I was only nodding at Liam while he was busy stating the facts. It was a good thing that I already had my passport since last year. He was the one who actually persuaded me to get a passport and update my personal records before I got hired at EGC.
“Just condition yourself for the interview so we can have your U.S. visa approved in two days. I have already prepared for your family and friends’ return here to Quego del Mar, so don’t worry about their safety because Eric will personally fly with them.” Liam smiled as I wiped the corner of his lips.
“And before I forgot, I would like you to know that I want us to have a church wedding after. There is no point of making it a surprise anyway,” he told me. My eyes glinted with relish the moment I heard the words church wedding, but I never made it known to him.
On the other hand, I was happy for Liam that he was left with a real friend whose name was Sam. One great friend was even better than ten friends somehow. After what happened to him and Leandro… I actually worried about Liam for not having a best man, and that was the main reason why I asked.
Although relieved, I still couldn’t help but remember his wicked circle of friends who betrayed him and even mixed some sex drugs on his drinks one night. It was what led him to do something that would eat his conscience until now, but I promised to make him happy and always pleasure him for the rest of our lives.
Moments later, after I finished all the cake and *maja blanca, I felt like my throat was dry and sore. I was thirsty, and the corners of my mouth twitched as I swallowed painfully.
But unfortunately, I didn’t have any bottled water here. I already rummaged the plastic bag, which my mother gave me after cleaning my fingers with wet wipes but found nothing.
“Liam, do you have some water? I’m quite thirsty. Well, I shouldn’t have eaten all those sweets,” I smiled while telling him.
The feeling was quite distressing me of being excessively dry, and if Liam could give me a liter of water here, I could even drain the whole thing. It might also be the effect of the chocolate chip frappuccino that I had been sipping earlier before Lorenz drove me home.
“I don’t have, sweetie… but we can buy somewhere near here. Look, there’s a convenience store over there. I’ll pull over in front of it,” he said while returning the same smile I gave him.
Charmed by him, I wasn’t able to look in the store that he mentioned. Liam’s dimple never ceased to amaze me, and it would always create some good vibes over and over.
“Hmm, don’t worry. I can still manage until we reached your helipad. There could still be some open stores in nearby areas.” I tried to delay so Liam wouldn’t worry about me.
“No. That can’t wait, sweetie. After what I’ve made her feel over the past few weeks, I won’t let my queen feel any uneasiness when she’s with me ever again. I’m always here to serve you, okay?” he replied, which earned a sweet smile on my lips.
“Okay! If you say so,” I agreed while devotedly rolling my eyes at him, avoiding a minor argument.
We were still a bit far from the convenience store that Liam was referring to when he decided to pull over and park the car… which made me notice something. I even blinked my eyes a few times to make sure that I was seeing it clearly.
It seemed like no matter how Liam tried to stop the car by stepping unstoppably on the brake pedal, the car would move still. My heartbeats hastened when it didn’t even slow down, and we were still going straight at its sixty-kilometers-per-hour speed.
Liam tried his best to stop the car but to no avail. I could even see the throbbing roots on his neck as he clenched his jaws while using all his strength to control the car, but still, nothing happened.
He carefully used the handbrake lever, but it still couldn’t stop the car. The problem made Liam ruin his hair using his right hand.
“No, this can’t be happening. Shit! Not now, please!” he cursed. I knew that he doesn’t want me to worry, but his voice was thick with fear.
Dread twisted in my gut when I saw how terror crossed Liam’s face. I was getting icy with panic when we already passed the convenience store, but he still couldn’t stop the car.
My throat tightened. However, I didn’t have any other choice for now but to swallow real hard and wait for him on what to do next. I had to trust Liam here.
It seemed like a big lump was stuck in my throat, choking me in the process. Terror frantically coursed through my veins while my bones were turning to jelly.
“L-Liam, w-what’s going on?” I anxiously asked him while trembling and getting sick with fear. My voice was almost hoarse and edged with extreme anxiety.
The truth was… I already had an idea of what was happening around us, but I still asked Liam. I was certain as hell that what we were riding right now was a car without brakes on it, and if this would still continue, I was freaking sure that we would unfortunately meet an accident.
“The brake pedal is n-not working, Diane. I want you to tighten your seatbelt, and please, just trust me. I got this one, okay? We’ve got this together.” Liam’s voice shrilled with terror.
Although he doesn’t want me to see that he was scared too, I could feel it when he held my hand. He was only suppressing his fear, but his right hand was actually shivering.
Tears were starting to blur my eyesight when I nodded at him. I checked my seatbelt and made sure that it was fastened securely. I was panicking inside, but silently praying to God and trusting Liam wholeheartedly, would be the best things to do in times like this.
Lord, I will leave everything to You. Please… please do not let anything bad happen right now. I know that You will take good care of us… and You will save us. I sincerely prayed on my mind.
What happened next was Liam pulled the parking brake gradually as I heard a sudden tug on the brake, which locked the wheels. It somehow slowed down the car in a straight line, but the resultant skid made the vehicle even more uncontrollable, that there was a high possibility that it could still sideslip off the road.
For the second time, he held my clammy hand tightly as he said, “I want you to close your eyes, Diane. Please…” Liam’s eyes were expressing agony when he glanced at me.
“Liam, I—I’m afraid.” Fear paralyzed me that I almost couldn’t hear my voice.
Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I was hesitant at first, but I had to fully trust him. Even though I wanted to stay conscious with open eyes so I could see what would happen next, I had to follow him.
This would be the time to show that I trusted Liam more than anyone. I knew that nothing bad would happen to the two of us. We still have to get married tomorrow, so we should not be dealing with this problem now. I had never lost my faith in God. He would help us.
“Don’t be. I won’t let you get hurt, okay? I promise to protect you at all costs, Diane…” Liam told me with assurance while he was still trying to control the car.
That was when I closed my eyes, and just shortly after that, I felt a sudden bang from the absolute impact caused by the car being crashed to a certain wall-like structure. With the collision’s powerful and shear force, I knew that we both turned upside down even though my eyes were closed.
Things happened so fast until every part of me suddenly became numb—from my head down to my toes. Due to the severe trauma, I couldn’t seem to feel my body anymore. My heart became heavy like it stopped from beating too.
I opened my eyes and managed to see how Liam’s damaged car flipped over after it hit a curb. The airbag suddenly opened as I hit my head somewhere that I wasn’t sure of. I could see bloody wounds all over his face as he tried to reach me while asking frailly…
“D-Diane, are you okay?”
Trying to stretch my arm, I wanted to reach out to him and touch his face as gently as I could. But I wasn’t successful in moving my hand, even one of my fingers.
Feebly looking at Liam, I could feel that something inside my head reacted to a shear force caused by the car crash. I knew instantly that I got a head injury. I just couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.
One moment, I thought I would soon be marrying the man that I loved. But what happened next was a car crash and the unbearable level of pain that I might not recover from.
One last tear fell after that. I gave up and just swiftly smiled at Liam before everything went black… like everything crumbled apart.
_________________________
Maja blanca* is a Filipino dessert made primarily from coconut milk and also known as a coconut pudding. It is usually served during fiestas and holidays, especially Christmas. Maja blanca has the consistency of thick gelatin and a delicate flavor, that is creamy white in color.
[Source: Wikipedia]