Hookup ✓ [MikhAiah] [Book #3]

31

—🐶—

AIRA's POV

Confusion and a strange hollowness settle over me, thick as fog. I sit cross-legged on the floor of my dad's office, the scattered papers spread out in front of me like fragments of a puzzle that feels too big, too dark. I let my eyes fall over each piece — receipts, hospital bills, unfamiliar words scrawled in the tiniest letters. My fingers hover over some of the stranger documents. "Psychotherapy... Cognitive Behavioral Therapy... Hypnosis treatment..." I whisper under my breath, pulling out my phone with shaky hands, searching each term, hoping for answers. The results load slowly, but two words pops up on nearly every page...

Memory Loss.

My pulse pounds faster as I keep digging. Each bill has redacted names, the ink smeared into thick, black lines as if they're secrets hidden from me. They're all old. Some receipts go back years, tied together by a brittle, faded rubber band. My fingers pull at the band, unscrolling one final bundle of documents. I scan the names printed at the top of the legal papers, the ink heavy and bold.

Aria D. Riley.

My mind reels, Chase's question echoes in my head. "Do you know anyone named Aria?"

It clicks — the realization snaps into place, filling my chest with ice. But why? Why didn't he tell me? I can't seem to draw enough air. He would never do this..

The door swings open, and I look up, startled. "Aira, what are you—" Dad's voice falters as his eyes land on the papers in my hand. His face shifts from concern to something I can only read as regret. "You shouldn't have checked that—"

He steps toward me, but I take a firm step back. "Who's Aria, Dad?" My voice wavers, holding back the boiling anger I feel beneath the surface.

"Aira, let me explain," he says, his hands raised in a placating gesture, but I shake my head, every nerve in me sparking with disbelief. My eyes fall back to the last piece of paper in my hand, a receipt for Midazolam. The recognition hits me, a flashback of the nameless pills he'd given me. It was him all along.

"You made me drink Midazolam..." The words fall from my lips, anger and disappointment twisting in my chest.

"Aira, please—" he starts, but I'm already cutting him off.

"You made me forget...everything. My whole childhood.. a memory of Mom.." I clutch the stack of papers, my fingers curling tight around them. He opens his mouth to say something else, to defend himself, but I shake my head. "I don't know who you are." Without waiting for his response, I brush past him, my shoulder grazing his, making it clear that I don't want anything more from him.

As I reach the door, I grab my bag, still packed from the beach trip — perfect timing. I slam the door behind me, and the tears finally spill over, blurring my vision, as the feeling of betrayal crawls under my spine.. My fingers fumble over my phone screen, booking a taxi. As I wait by the curb, the reality of what just happened settles in, the weight of it crushing down on me, thick as smoke. I bite my lip, the taste of salt from my tears filling my mouth. The taxi pulls up, and I slip inside, murmuring my destination, "RL Entertainment Building, please."

—🦊—

MIKI's POV

The van finally pulls into the RL Entertainment Building's parking lot. I sigh, relief flooding over me as I stretch out, grabbing my bag from the trunk. Gale and Johanne do the same, each of us feeling the exhaustion from the trip settle into our bones.

"Gusto ko na umuwi," Gale mutters, stifling a yawn, while Johanne chimes in, "Bitin nga tulog ko eh." I chuckle at their complaints, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Chase is walking ahead, and our awkward silence sits heavy between us. I clear my throat, catching her attention. "Drive safe, Chase."

She looks up, momentarily surprised, but manages a small smile. "Y-Yeah, you too," she stammers before looking away. Gale and Johanne wave as they slide into their car, leaving just Chase and me in the parking lot.

"I should get going too," I say, glancing at Aira's car parked a few spaces away. Something pulls my gaze to it — an odd sense of anticipation mixed with worry. But before I can dwell on it, the distinct sound of heels clicking on concrete echoes through the lot. I turn, my eyes catching a familiar figure.

Someone's silhouette walks toward us, their face partially hidden, but the tear tracks on the cheeks glisten under the parking lot lights, making my heart twist painfully. "Aira?" I call out softly, but she brushes past, her face set in a determined line, luggage in one hand and a stack of crumpled papers in the other.

I move toward her, but she raises a hand. "Not now, Miki." Her voice is hard, final. She barely glances my way as she reaches for her car door. Before she can open it, Chase steps in, reaching out, "What happened, Ai?"

Aira's face darkens, and she pulls her hand back, her voice tight. "I said, not now." Her gaze is distant, the last trace of tears drying in her eyes as she finally pulls the door open. Chase and I exchange worried glances, both too stunned to stop her as she gets into the car and drives off, her taillights disappearing around the corner.

A heavy silence settles between us, but Chase's voice breaks it, almost a whisper. "She has to be Aria." There's a conviction in her tone that irks me, igniting a spark of irritation I can't ignore.

"Chase, we talked about this," I snap, rubbing my temple, feeling the headache starting to brew.

But she doesn't back down, her eyes intense. "You have to listen to me, Miki—"

I cut her off, my voice rising, frustration bubbling over. "You're delusional, Chase. You're blinded by the past." She flinches slightly, but I press on, not able to hold back. "I know you loved Aria, but she's long gone. She disappeared when we were kids, and that's how it'll ever be."

Without another word, I turn on my heel and storm back to my car, throwing my bag into the passenger seat. My hands grip the steering wheel as I mutter under my breath, "Fuck."

This just got a whole lot more complicated.