No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 37- No strings attached

The next morning, I woke up feeling empty, but I forced myself to move.

I packed the last of my things, double-checked my documents, and stared at my one-way ticket to Cebu.

This was it. A new beginning. A chance to heal.

Or at least, that's what I kept telling myself.

By the afternoon, I decided to take a walk. Manila had always been suffocating, but today, it felt eerily quiet. Maybe because I knew it was my last day here.

As I walked through the park, lost in my thoughts, my steps faltered.

There-just a few feet away-was Aiah.

She sat on a bench, holding a small dog in her lap. The wind played with her hair, and for a second, she looked peaceful. Almost like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't shattered me just days ago.

My heart clenched painfully, but I forced myself to move.

I couldn't leave without facing her.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before approaching.

"Aiah," I called out.

She stiffened, her fingers tightening around the dog's leash. Slowly, she turned to me.

Her eyes-those same eyes that used to hold so much warmth for me-were now guarded.

I swallowed hard. "Can we talk?"

Aiah hesitated, glancing down at her dog as if searching for an escape.

But after a few seconds, she nodded.

"Okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

And just like that, we were face to face again.

For the first time since she broke me.

I took a deep breath, steadying the storm inside me. This wasn't about anger or regret anymore. It was about closure-the kind I needed to finally let go.

"Thank you, Aiah." My voice was calm, but my chest ached with every word.

She blinked, clearly confused. "For what?"

"For everything," I said, my lips curving into a small, bittersweet smile. "For being there for me from college until now. You were my best friend before anything else. You knew me better than anyone. And for the longest time... you were my safe place."

I saw something flicker in her eyes-something deep, something raw. But I ignored it and pushed forward.

"You made me believe in love, Aiah. The kind of love that feels like home. The kind that made me dream of forever." My voice cracked, but I forced myself to go on. "And even if things ended the way they did, I want you to know that I'll always be grateful for what we had."

Aiah swallowed hard. Her hands trembled slightly as she held the dog closer to her chest.

I saw the pain in her eyes. The hesitation. The things she wanted to say but didn't.

But I couldn't wait for words that might never come.

I sighed, looking down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "I just needed to say that."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and unspoken.

Aiah opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she just stared at me, her expression torn, her emotions barely hidden beneath the surface.

I wanted to ask. I wanted to demand answers-why she did it, if she ever really loved me, if any part of her regretted walking away.

But maybe... I didn't need those answers anymore.