The Stars Trilogy (44 page)

No. Don’t sing it. It’s my song. And Faye’s.

And he was open again, ripped wide open by the song and her fucking haunting voice singing his favorite song. Damn her.

He stood there, spellbound as the beautiful music conjured images of long ago memories…Him and Faye…rocking her in her crib as he sang Stairway To heaven in his croaky adolescent voice. It always put her to deep, uninterrupted sleep. How she loved that song, his sweet, beautiful Faye…

But Celine’s voice wasn’t putting him to sleep. All nerves in his body tensed in raw pain and longing so deep he wanted to howl to ease the tightness in his chest and the lump that lodged in his throat.

Stop. Stop. Stop. Please.

But it didn’t stop. Jimmy Page’s masterful guitar licks blended perfectly with her powerful, soulful vocals.

He stayed until she finished the song, his entire being raging to the heavens as she belted the highest notes with the bravura that would put any female rock star he knew today to shame.

He walked away when Carlos, Ben, Rocky, Cruz and some of the villas’ staff stood up, clapping like mad, their faces, in awe.

Shit. I really hate you, Ben. She wants ME now, not you, old man. She has creamed for me. ME! She should be mine. MINE. MINE. MINE!

Celine decided to enjoy her stay in Phuket despite Dare’s indifference. Aside from Dare ignoring her like an annoying pest, the rest of the people in the villa were quite warm and nice to her.

Singing Karaoke with the guys was a blast. They spent half the day howling rock tunes. Ben did lots of Beatles. Carlos and Rocky did the 90s rock. Even Cruz sang an Eagles song! It was funny but Cruz was kinda sweet to her now. Well, he was always respectful but he was just kind of softer around her lately. If Dare had been distant and cold, Cruz was a bit warm and communicative with her the past days, which was a much needed consolation.

Dare did not want Ken to accompany him on this Thailand trip for whatever reason so Ken delegated his tasks to her as Dare’s assistant. But Dare didn’t seem to need her assistance in any way. Oh well, it was his choice. She was just around if he needed something, anyway. If she’d just channel her mind to productive things, she won’t feel too depressed.

Phuket was so beautiful. A paradise. She would make the most of her stay here.

From the balcony of his bedroom on the second floor of his villa, Dare saw Celine sitting on one of the benches under the Mangrove trees with Ben. She was leaning on the old man, her head resting on his shoulder. The wind was carrying their laughter in his direction.

Since their arrival yesterday, she had done nothing but hang out with Ben, Rocky, Carlos, and Cruz, too! His bodyguard was one of her fan club now, he could see. She was always laughing with them, joking around. They were all hanging on to her every word and he was burning with resentment with every sweet smile she’d bestowed on his men. He didn’t want her laughing with them, warming their hearts and other parts of their bodies.

Seeing her now with Ben, witnessing more of their intimacy was like a corrosive acid eroding his remaining sense of decency. Oh yes, he still had one, reserved for good men like Ben. But maybe he was just not cut out to be a REALLY decent human being.

He was rotten to the core. Yes, right now, it was way easier to be just rotten to the core. And he didn’t care anymore.

He wanted some of that pussy and by all the fuck that was holy, he would get some.

NOW.

He went down to the hangar at the back of the villa.

Celine was surprised to see Dare standing at the top of the stone steps as she and Ben emerged from their stroll on the shore.

“Dare, this is paradise! I think I’ll come back again soon!”

“Come back as frequently as you like, Speedy. The staff here will treat you like a king,” Dare replied.

Ben laughed. “Ahhh, the perks of having loaded friends!”

Dare was wearing dark aviator glasses so Celine couldn’t read his disposition.

“Ben, may I talk to Celine for a minute?”

“Sure. I’m a bit tired from our walk. I think I’ll take a nap now.” Ben kissed her cheek. “See you later, darling.”

Awkward silence immediately pervaded when Ben left. He was just staring at her from behind his dark glasses. She began to feel self-conscious.

“Uhm...did you need something?”she asked him.

“Yes. Come with me.”

Minutes, later, Celine was sitting with Dare at the cockpit of a small plane. She was secured by a seat belt and wearing a headset.

Dare was at the pilot’s seat. She’d learned from several articles she’d read that he was a licensed pilot. He’d trained how to fly a plane early on in his career when he played the part of a young navy pilot in a movie that went berserk at the box office. It was one of his most iconic roles.

“Uhm...where are we going?” she asked him timidly.

“We’re going to survey the area for possible shooting locations.”

“Isn’t Cruz coming?”

“No. I only need him to guard me on the ground. The sky is mine.”

She just nodded and remained quiet. Despite the past days’ tension between them, her heart couldn’t stop beating faster in excitement. Finally, he was talking to her again. He’d sought her company again. And she was having the rare opportunity of witnessing Dare piloting a plane.

The plane’s engine roared to life and settled into a dull purr. He was a professional as he worked the control panel, pushing all the necessary buttons, talking to an air traffic controller as he navigated the plane for take-off.

“Don’t be scared,” he said as the plane revved up.

“I’m not.”

“Good. Here we go...”

The plane took off.

For the next minutes, Celine forgot about her woes and enjoyed the flight with Dare for all it was worth. She may never experience this again.

The sun was just setting and the sky was bathed in brilliant hues of amber, yellow and orange. The clouds were glowing like smoldering embers.

It was breath-taking. The fact that she was seeing such wonder of nature with the man she loved was special. “Oh, Dare, it’s so beautiful!”

“I knew you’d love it.”

“Where are we now?” She marveled at the lush, tropical landscape of Thailand below.

“We are atop the Phuket Mountain Range.”

“Thailand has a similar landscape to the Philippines.”

“You miss home?”

“Yes. I’m pretty close to my family.”

“Where are you from in the Philippines?”

“Manila. But I prefer vacationing to our place in Palawan. It’s pretty much like Phuket, only more beautiful, I think.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Maybe I’ll visit some time,” he said offhandedly.

She glanced at him. “Really?”

“Why not?”

She didn’t know what to say. He was wearing shades so she couldn’t read his eyes. Was he serious? He wanted to visit the Philippines? After ignoring her for a week, he’d want to visit her country? This guy was unbelievable!

They heard a loud popping sound coming from the plane’s belly.

Chapter Nineteen

Congratulations!!! Mwah mwah! Hugzzzz!!! :)) Oh my gosh, finally you won an Oscar best actor!!! Yazzz! (jumping all over the place here) I’m sooooooo happy for you. I knew you would win in Velvet. Rob McQueen is such a disturbing, self-destructive and hopeless character but you played him with such raw honesty, Dare and you turned him into something worth saving in the end. I did a film criticism on it and my prof gave me a 1.0 grade. Wow, I’m so in heaven! Talk about inspiration! Oh, I’m sooooo proud of you, Dare. You really are the greatest! I really, really love you.:)”

THEY COULD DIE.

Dare had been a licensed pilot for almost a decade now with extensive flight experience. He can fly a commercial jet with such credits. From such spectacular vantage points above the earth, he had lost his fear of death. He had accepted the fact that he could meet his demise flying his favorite toys but not once did he consider meeting his maker in such a circumstance, with Celine aboard.

He checked the altitude. They were descending faster even with the help of the Cirrus       Airframe Parachute System. The newly installed safety mechanism of his plane had saved several aviators’ lives since its invention but it was not foolproof. Some had also died because it didn’t work to its intended efficiency.

There was a great chance they won’t survive the impact of the crash.

He cursed himself for not being careful enough to make her wear the skydiving gear. He on the other hand could don the only parachute available. He would be able to eject to save his ass and maneuver the chute to a landing site. Judging from the thickness of the forest below, it would entail great physical strength to find a safe landing site but he was willing to risk that. He had considerable skydiving experience.

He could jump with her. But that was twice as risky. He couldn’t move his arms and legs if he had to hold on to her tight. God forbid that he’d drop her. That was a guaranteed free fall to her death. However, they will more likely die faster, too if they’d land without any protective covering on the rocks or sturdy tree branches below which could easily break their bodies in pieces.

He could jump alone. Forget about her. More likely, he will survive. He had climbed challenging mountain ranges with his adventurer buddies, skied at the most dangerous slopes in Aspen, Utah and Colorado during winter, bungee-jumped and para-glided and raced cars. He would live, continue his life, his fame, his desolate existence. And this woman would perish.

He must eject NOW. Leave her. Time was running out.

But he couldn’t.

He looked at the woman beside him, her face awash with terror and he knew that he won’t be able to forgive himself if he let this beautiful angel crash to death alone in this plane.

Oh God, you’re really gonna make me pay for my wretched sins this way, aren’t you?

“Oh my God, Dare! I don’t want to die! Please, I don’t want to die!”

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard.

“Celine! Look at me! Look at me!”

Her terrified eyes focused on him.

“We are not going to die!” he enunciated firmly. He grabbed his backpack from the backseat. “Bend down,”

When she didn’t do as he said, he pushed her shoulders so that she was crouching, her face resting on her knees. “Stay like that! Don’t move!”

He then put the backpack over her head, to protect her just in case.
Oh God…don’t do this. Please, not this way. You can’t take me like this, with an innocent casualty, because I’m a reckless fool who dragged her into this. Do that when I’m alone, please!

The engine had completely shut down, losing all connection with the air traffic control tower. The plane was now just gliding downward with the aid of the CAPS. He could make out the mountain ranges covered with thick forests. The sun was just setting and it was a beautiful sight from above. But the beauty was lost in the gravity of their situation.

What on earth was he thinking when he took Celine on this flight? But who could have known this would happen?

“Dare…? Dare! What’s happening?”

“Shhh, we’re going to be fine, sweetheart.”

“I don’t wanna die! I still wanna have your babies!”

“What…?” He whipped his head toward her.

She was peeping at him from under the backpack. “I have to tell you this before we die—”

“I said we are not going to die, dammit! Shut up!”

“No, just in case! I don’t want to die without saying this. Dare…I love you. I love you! I really do! ” She was crying now. “It’s not just fan love. It’s really love. I swear.”

Something in him ruptured, as if his heart was being crushed by a cruel fist. His eyes burned with tears that he refused to let go.

Shit, what a declaration at a time like this! But he found himself feeling a deep regret for things that may never be.

He gripped her hand, hard. “Shhh, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She closed her eyes and kissed his palm, rubbing her face on it, bathing his hand with her warm tears. When she opened them again after several seconds, she smiled at him, her face now serene. “It’s alright. At least you are with me before I die. That’s more than I can ask for. You can eject from the plane now.”