I woke up early than usual. 

Cory's still not talking to me. Kaninag madaling araw ay nagising ako. I used my spare key to check her inside. That was two in the morning and she was asleep on my bed. The thing that I noticed was her stuff are packed and her luggage was sitting next to the bed and her clothes were prepared next to her on the bed.

I didn't make any noises or try to wake her up, I locked the door once again when I left the room. Pagkasiging ko, I quickly check in on her in my room and it was still locked. I grabbed a Monoblock chair and wait for her to come out. I tried texting her, but she wasn't answering any of it so it was kind of hopeless to do so.

I think I waited for around thirty minutes past seven in the morning when I heard noises inside the room. I stay calm waiting outside hoping I would see Cory's feeling a little bit better now. I kind of hate it when she gets mad at me. Annoying her and getting mad at me is a different scenario than what was happening now.

Later on, I heard footsteps and the door getting unlocked. 

When the door finally opened, I saw her. She got her luggage and looked so ready to leave.

I stood up as I thought she was just fixing her stuff, but I didn't realize she will leave me.

"Cory..." I sound so worried calling her name out. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"I've had enough of my stay here, it's about time for me to leave..."

"It's not over yet, Cory. You're not going anywhere..." I walked closer to her, but she raised her hands in front of me to stop getting closer.  

I was confused. I'm not sure what was happening.

"You don't always decide what's best for me, Douglas," she said, avoiding any of my gaze. "You brought me to Cuyo. You tour me around, I've learned some culture and traditions. I've got to see some attractions of wonders, but then what I've seen is enough... it's time for me to go back to where I should be."

"Cory..."

"You cannot stop me anymore, Douglas. I've already made my decision. It's all final. I'm about to leave in the next hour. My flight is just an hour away and I can't miss it and please don't try to stop me because my mind won't be swayed to change my decision... but thank you, Douglas. Thank you for letting me stay here in your home, into the island you've grown, meeting your family, and knowing you... but as we speak, going separate ways was meant to happen. Thought it will happen in Coron, but now it's early to do that here in Cuyo... I've been speaking too much... I should just go."

She pulled her luggage out of the room. I tried to get a hand at it. I wasn't letting go of it.

"Did I hurt you, Cory?" he asked, I tried not to be emotional, but I know my eyes are heating. "Did I hurt you in any possible way?"

She shook my head. "No. You didn't. But I need to leave so you won't."

"Cory..." My shoulder dropped as I called her name. "I don't want you to leave."

"Even though I won't, we will still leave each other sometime soon... it's just that, at this moment, this is the perfect time for me to leave. It's not because of you."

"But because of what I did," I continued.

She pressed her lips together and shifted her attention away from me. She tried to shove my hand away from her luggage, but I gripped the handle tightly.

"Bitaw na, Doug..." mahinahon utos nito sa akin. "I don't want to hurt anyone of us here. I just believe that it's not best for me to stay here. Not in this kind of situation. I'm not ready... I'm just not ready... I thought I did."

"You can stay two days pa, sabay na tayong bumalik ng Coron..."

"I have to go... just like what I said, you cannot stop me. It's already been done kaya bitaw na... masasaktan ka lang kapag pinilit mong higpitan ang pagkakahawak mo riyan. It's best to let go... please, Doug..."

She hold my hand and slowly picked up my fingers off of the handle one by one and somehow, I lose it all as she did. At that moment, alam kong wala na akong magagawa. She grabbed the handle and walked down the stairs. I was about to help her, but she ignored me. When she was about to leave the door, I blocked her way out.

"You're not leaving," muli kong pagpigil sa kanya. I'm still taking my chances. "Hindi pa tayo tapos sa Project Palawan mo, 'di ba? Marami pa tayong gagawin. Marami pa tayong plano. Marami pa tayong restaurant na pupuntahan para ma-try mo ang mga best cuisine rito sa Palawan. Marami pa, Cory. We can still do it."

Huminga siya nang malalim saka niya ito dahan-dahang pinakawalan at ngiti ang iniwan sa labi.

"Yeah, I know we can still do that... but now, I will do it by myself. Gagawin ko siya gaya ng mga sinabi mo. It's time for me to do this on my own. Baka sa paraang ito, mahanap ko na ang sarili ko because all throughout this journey, hanap ako nang hanap ng mga bagay na gusto kong makita at hindi ko namalayan, ako na pala 'yong nawawala. I need to do this on my own, Douglas... it's not because I don't want you to be around anymore, it's not because you're annoying, it's not because of your cranky jokes, and it's not because of how you almost died when you were with me. I'm gonna go because I have to do this for myself... and I hope you understand that."

Sa pagkatataong iyon, niyakap niya ako nang mahigpit. Ibinalik ko sa kanya ang mga yakap na 'yon. Mga ilang segundo kaming nasa gano'ng posisyon.

"Be happy and funny always, Aferton..." she whispered.

Before she could even part her hug away from me, we had someone standing outside and it was Hayley. She was just standing there, now avoiding our glances.

When she was about to let go of me, I pulled her in much closer and hugged her tightly. She then patted my shoulder to inform me it was time for her to go.

"It's over... I have to go..."

She finally let go of me, took her luggage with her, and walked out of the door. I followed her as she went to the gate. Hayley was still there. Cory stopped a tricycle and as soon she got in and drove away, I knew I had to do something.

I was about to go inside and grabbed one of my father's car keys, but Hayley stopped me.

"Douglas," she called me. "I'm sorry about last night... hindi ko naman sinasadya 'yon..."

"It's alright, Hay..."

"Hindi," aniya at saka ito umiling. "It was never okay and you know that, too. I shouldn't have kissed you and do that to you. Siguro masyado lang din talaga akong assuming. There were seven years gap between us. Nakababatang kapatid lang din talaga ang tingin mo sa akin and I understand that."

"Alright, Hay... I need..."

"Listen, just give me two seconds," pagpupumilit niya. "You know, times changed and with change, kaya ko namang tanggapin 'yon. Knowing Ate Cory is my long-lost sister, syempre nakakagulat pa, but I'm totally fine with it!"

"I'm glad to hear that, Hayley..."

She took a deep breath and let it go slowly. "If you... if you believe she's the one, don't let her go. You've still got time..."

"Yes... yes... that's what I'm going to do."

"Go for it!" she cheered, but her voice cracked. "Go after your girl."

I looked for my father's car key anywhere in the house, but it took me ten minutes just to get it. I rushed to the garage and jumped in one of the cars and drove away hoping I can catch her still. I found the van she was in so I followed it behind until thirty, we arrived at the airport.

She jumped out of the van and I quickly stopped just to get to her. I run in her direction, but she completely ignored me even though I called her name many times. Binilisan pa niya ang paglalakad niya, but she couldn't when she was pulling her own luggage. I was able to get to her when she was about to enter the airport.

I turned her to face me.

"Stay, that's all I asked," I said straight into her eyes. Nanginginig ang kamay kong nakahawak sa balikat niya. She was trying to shove it away, but I'm not letting her go. "Cory, we can make it work. We can somehow do it all over again. Just don't leave me here."

"Don't make this too hard for me, Doug..."

"I'm not trying to make this too hard for you. I'm making it easy... so stay."

"As I've said before, I've had enough... my time's over here. Get over with it, Douglas. Not all things are always dependent on you. This is not your decision to take. It's mine. Gusto kong umalis and you have to respect that."

"This is one of your decisions that I don't respect, Cory."

"But have you asked me if I wanted to see my family?" she questioned. "I never told you that I want to see them. I've told you about them because you're someone I can tell my own personal story na... you're someone I can trust. You didn't break my trust there, you didn't do anything bad, but do I really want to be in that position?"

"I thought-"

"You thought-" Napangisi ito. "It's what you thought it was, but not what I really think it should be. I'm happy you've made me see the wonders of Palawan, but you also make me not want to see it again. Could be a reason for me not to come back..."

"But it's not how you wanted to write and let people know about it," I countered. "You wanted people to go here and so should you."

"They can, but maybe... I'm not... I don't know... Douglas, I'm sorry. I just have to go. Ayokong maiwanan ng flight and if you're just stalling me para maiwanan ako ng flight ko, please don't make this hard for me. Let's just keep things the way they are. Before we could even meet."

"You make me wanna forget about you?"

She shrugged off. "It's your choice, but as soon as I leave the island, you can do whatever you want... with Hayley and all."

"Shit," I hissed. "Dahil ba 'to kay Hayley? O dahil ito sa pagre-reunite ko sa lost family mo which is a good intention of mine?"

She turned around and pulled her stuff with her. "Goodbye, Douglas..."

"Siguro nagmana ka nga rin sa kanila. Nang-iiwan." I said it with so much conviction, and I know she wouldn't like it. But she has to know that my feelings are valid, too. 

Napatigil siya sa paglalakad niya at muli niya akong hinarap.

"If you're not like them, hindi mo ako iiwanan. Hindi kita iniwanan when I have the chance, Cory. I could've died there, but I don't wanna die because I wanna be around you. Pero ito ka ngayon, you're stepping away. Nasa dugo niyo nga siguro ang mang-iiwan."

"Don't tell me like I am them, Douglas!" sigaw nito sa akin na ikinagulat ko. "Hindi mo alam kung anong pinagdaanan ko. You only knew what I told you pero hindi ang buong buhay ko so don't judge me like you know me for my whole life dahil hindi! Don't act like you know me. Tandaan mo, nakilala lang kita!"

"Wow, Cory... wow." Napahawak ako sa baywang dahil hindi ako makapaniwala sa mga salitang binitawan niya. "I thought you didn't have it in you. I'm sorry naman at nakilala mo lang ako."

"We don't have to do this, Douglas. I'm sorry... I have to go."

"Let's just do it here since it's the only chance I've got before I see you never again."

"You kept talking about people leaving you. And you kept talking about how you wanted to be chosen, but when there's a person who chooses you, you chose to leave them. Why would you leave me here, Cory?"

"This is your home..." mahinahon nitong sagot sa akin at saglit lamang ay tumulo ang luha niya. "I'm not leaving you because you have your family here and you won't be alone. Ako lang 'to, si Cory, hindi masyadong importante sa buhay mo. Tatlong linggo mo lang din naman nakilala at nakasama. What impact did I make in your life? As far as I know, wala. So, it's irrelevant for me to stay here, but you don't have to choose me... because I know you've already chosen someone else before me."

"Cory... I'm not with Hayley or anything. She's just a friend, a little sister to me-kung nakita mo mang hinalikan niya ako kagabi, she did that to prove something else pero hindi. It's not affecting me kasi ikaw ang pinipili ko. And you're not alone in this island, Cory. Nandito ako at ang iyong pamilya. You're not alone... so stay..."

"I can't... just not now..."

"Please... I'm not gonna lose you..."

"You won't lose me... I was never yours, to begin with."

Napahawak siya sa kanyang leeg kung nasaan ang kwintas na binigay ko sa kanya. I watched her take it off and slowly put it on the ground. As she stand up and look at me again, she swallowed before she could speak.

"Just say... thank me for bringing you back here in Cuyo... so long, Aferton."

"You never called me that..." I uttered.

It was painful for me to hear those words from her, especially when I'm not used to being called by my second name. Cory turned around and found her way inside the airport. I didn't follow her anymore, and I just watched her go.

They said, if you love someone else, let them go. I did. 

I stayed at the airport. I couldn't do anything else but watched her leave. 

"Magandang araw, ang WTS airline na may flight na WTS P71 na patungong Coron ay iniimbitihan na ang mga passenger para sa boarding. Maaari lamang tumungo sa boarding gate—"

Hearing the announcement made me feel nothing—well, I tried. Just a moment later, I saw the plane took going to Coron. I took a deep breath and wished time would heal us both and if there would be a chance to see her once again, I will.

See you soon, Cory.

***