His regret

Chapter 6

Katherine...

Aaron mumbled her name under his breath, the hotel suite quiet except for the hum of the air conditioner. He couldn't believe it. After six long years, he had finally seen her again.

It felt like a breath of fresh air after being suffocated for too long.

Katherine, in all her elegance—beautiful, stunning, and breathtaking. She always took his reason away, and damn it, she still did.

Since checking in at the hotel, he hadn't been able to rest. He'd been annoyed when his mother and Amanda had chosen this place for their little "vacation," but upon reaching here and seeing Katherine, he was elevated. He could kowtow to Amanda in gratitude, even kiss her feet in gratitude.

Meeting Katherine again.

Seeing Katherine among the other attendants the first day was like an impromptu exam that students never expect. Aaron stood rooted in his steps, frozen in surprise, and his eyes widened from disbelief. He felt a wave of unrestrained emotions wash over him, his breath nearly knocked out of him, and his knee buckled a little as his heart skipped.

Katherine hadn't changed much, yet everything about her felt different—more mature, more beautiful, and still just as dangerously captivating. But the moment their eyes met, she ran—ran, and that alone crushed him.

She ran away from him like how he did then.

No!

He couldn't allow her to run away again! As he wanted to take a step to follow, the owner stepped in, stopping him in his track.

He wanted to say something, but his voice failed him, and one of the attendants showed him and his wife to their suite.

Amanda.

Just the thought of her name sent a bitter taste crawling up his throat—everything will soon end.

Aaron didn't inform Amanda before he called for the hotel management and extended their stay from 3 days to a month. He knew his mother would be delighted, thinking he was finally warming up to Amanda—but that was just her wishful thinking, like always.

And then today, Katherine had approached him on her own. With her head high, confidence oozing from her, looking professional.

Her emerald eyes had lost their spark, visible bags that she tried to hide under her makeup were glaring at him. And he wanted to pull her into a hug, to feel her again.

The warmth that he lost.

Then when she opened her mouth and delivered her apologies—God of mercy—her voice could lure him to a dreamless nap. Her eyes were fiery, still enchanted as before, and the way her lips were moving earlier sent blood rushing all over his body. He barely heard all that she said.

His Katherine.

He needed to do something.

Now, Aaron sat on the edge of the suite's leather couch, elbows on his knees, hands rubbing down his face. His hoodie was draped loosely over him, the fabric clinging to his damp skin.

Fuck! He could feel the wine buzz in his ears. He glanced back to see Amanda lying in the bed behind him. Amanda slept like everything was perfect. But it wasn't. It had never been.

"Katherine…" Aaron murmured again like a prayer. He downed the last of his wine and set the glass on the table.

He needed air. Needed release.

Grabbing his hoodie, he glanced once at Amanda—still asleep, sprawled on the bed—and left the suite, walking through the silent halls of the hotel.

The lounge was nearly empty. Dimly lit. Quiet.

In the corner, the grand piano waited like an old friend. Aaron's footsteps slowed as he approached. He brushed his fingers over the ivory keys hesitantly.

He smiled longingly.

Could he still play?

It had been years. He hadn't touched a piano since... But somehow, the weight of seeing her again pushed him to sit on the stool.

He pressed the first key. Then the second until he got into it.

Aaron started to play a soft melody—one only she knew. He had never played this song for any other person before. The song was composed for her only. The same one he wrote for her the night they confessed their feelings.

He wished to go back in time and choose good choices again. Back when everything was pure. Before the lies. Before the betrayal. Before the distance. Before the misunderstanding. Before the heartbreak.

His hands trembled slightly as they moved across the keys. The music flowed, raw and heavy with emotion. Each note pulled from a wound he never allowed to heal.

He remembered that day—returning early from training, his gut telling him something was wrong. He dropped off the team bus midway and took a cab home. But upon getting to the mansion, he saw Katherine outside. Soaked in the rain, crying even though the rain had swallowed her tears.

Had he known, he'd have arrived faster, following his gut feeling. Had he known he should believe her after seeing the pictures. Had he known he should have stayed there with her instead of running away.

The photos and the pained looks on Katherine's face.

The harsh words he said to her that night still haunt him till today.

His chest tightened.

"I need space," he had said. "I can't look at you."

He thought she betrayed his trust then, but he was actually the one who shattered her trust.

He had walked away. And that walk became the biggest mistake of his life.

Aaron's fingers slowed on the keys, and his breath hitched with emotions brewing in him.

Had he stayed...

Then the car accident.

He'd tried to chase after her days later, but fate hit harder than any lie. One second of distraction behind the wheel, and he was out. Months of recovery. A fractured leg that ended his football dreams.

And by the time he got back on his feet, she was gone.

Like she vanished into thin air. Nowhere to be found.

He searched. God, he searched. But it was like she'd never existed. No trace. No number. No goodbye.

Aaron paused, fingers still pressing down on the final note. The melody trailed off as Aaron gulped hard, his hands trembling.

Then the unexpected happened, and he lost the opportunity to make it right. Now that the heavens had given him a chance, he wouldn't miss it for anything.

Meeting Katherine was purely coincidence, but fate had lent him a hand, and he must weave the red string between them again.

He would chase her, beg her, kneel even if he had to cry. He'd shamelessly pursue her and right his wrong.

"I waited—you know. I've waited and searched for you, but it was impossible. It was like you disappeared into thin air... But even six years wasn't enough."

Just as he's about to leave, he hears a faint shuffle…

Someone had been listening from around the corner.

"Who's there?" he quickly stood up, glancing toward where he heard the sound, but it was empty.

Who could it be?