No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 28- One Month of love

"This is impressive," I admitted, taking a bite of a strawberry.

Aiah sat beside me, resting on one elbow as she watched me. "I wanted today to be special."

I blushed slightly, looking down at my hands. "It already is."

She reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "You know, I was thinking..."

I glanced up. "Thinking about what?"

Her expression softened. "How different we are now compared to before."

I knew exactly what she meant. Back in college, we were young, reckless, and terrified of what we felt for each other. Our love had been intense, but it was also fragile, filled with misunderstandings and fears of the unknown.

But now... it was different.

We had grown. We had learned.

And we had chosen each other-again.

"I know," I murmured, placing my hand over hers. "Back then, it felt like we were constantly fighting something. But now... it just feels right."

Aiah smiled, her thumb brushing gently against my skin. "It is right."

For a while, we just sat there, enjoying the peaceful silence, the sound of the waves in the distance, and the warmth of the setting sun.

Then, Aiah sat up suddenly, reaching for the wine bottle. "Let's make a toast."

I chuckled. "To what?"

She handed me a glass and clinked hers against mine. "To us. To second chances. And to making every moment count."

I smiled, my heart swelling with love. "To us."

And as we sipped our wine under the golden sky, I knew-this was exactly where I was meant to be.

The warm breeze, the golden sunset, and Aiah's presence beside me-everything felt perfect. As we sipped our wine, I let myself savor the moment, but a lingering thought suddenly crept into my mind.

I turned to Aiah, watching the way she absentmindedly played with my fingers.

"Aiah," I started softly.

"Hmm?" She glanced at me, her eyes warm.

I hesitated for a second before finally asking, "How are your parents?"

Her fingers stilled, and for a brief moment, something flickered in her expression-something unreadable.

"They're fine," she answered casually, but there was a certain edge to her tone.

I studied her carefully. "Do they... know about us?"

She sighed, setting her wine glass down before turning to fully face me. "Mikha, do we have to talk about this right now?"

I held her gaze, not letting her dodge the question. "I just want to know if anything has changed, Aiah. Remember back in college?"

Of course, she remembered. How could she forget?

Aiah's parents were completely against our relationship back then. They never said it outright, but I always felt their disapproval whenever I was around. The subtle coldness, the way they avoided acknowledging me-it was enough to make me feel like I didn't belong in Aiah's world.

And eventually, it became one of the many reasons why we fell apart.

Aiah sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck. "Mikha, things are different now."

"Are they?" I asked quietly.

She looked at me, her jaw tightening slightly. "I don't need their approval anymore."