No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 39- I see you again

Somewhere with her.

Damn it.

I shouldn't care. I shouldn't fucking care.

But the image of Aiah standing there, looking like she wanted to say something-like she needed to say something-was burned into my mind. And the way Adrian had held her, the way he pulled her away before she could even open her mouth...

Something wasn't right.

But what did it matter?

She made her choice.

And I had already made mine.

The ride home was quiet, save for the low hum of the radio. Ethan kept glancing at me, probably sensing the shift in my mood, but he didn't press. He knew me well enough to let me process things on my own.

I should've been relieved. I should've been grateful that he wasn't the type to pry. But part of me wanted him to ask-wanted him to shake me out of this fucking spiral Aiah had thrown me into.

The moment we got to our condo, I went straight to the balcony, letting the cold air hit me. I gripped the railing tightly, trying to ground myself.

Aiah.

I thought I had buried everything about her a long time ago. I thought I had moved on, left every memory behind. But seeing her again, standing there with Adrian and a child-it was like a punch to the gut.

She looked the same, yet different. Her hair was a little longer, her posture more poised, but her eyes... they still held something familiar.

Pain.

Regret.

Or maybe I was just imagining things.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

Damn it, Mikha. You said you wouldn't let her affect you anymore.

I thought about her words from five years ago-the last thing she said before she left.

"Find another man. Hold his hand. Make me jealous. Let that jealousy eat me alive."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"Well, Aiah..." I whispered to myself. "I did."

I had Ethan. I had a life here. I was happy.

So why the hell did it feel like she still had a hold on me?

I exhaled sharply before pulling out my phone. My fingers hovered over Stacey's contact for a second before I finally pressed call.

It didn't even ring twice before she answered. "Ano na naman, Mikha?" she said, sounding amused.

"I saw Aiah," I blurted out.

There was a beat of silence. Then-"Putangina, saan?"

"Sa mall kanina. Stacey..." I hesitated, gripping the balcony railing tighter. "She has a child."

"What?" Stacey sounded genuinely shocked. "Anak niya? Sigurado ka?"

"I mean... she was with a kid and Adrian," I said, my voice tight. "Tapos, tinawag ni Adrian na 'honey' si Aiah, tapos umalis na sila."

"Tangina, Mikha. Baka naman anak ni Adrian sa iba," she reasoned.

"I don't know," I muttered, frustrated.

"Well, hindi ko rin alam, ah," Stacey admitted. "Ever since lumipat siya sa Paris, hindi na kami masyadong nag-uusap. Nag-update lang sa group chat paminsan-minsan, pero 'di ko na alam buhay niya ngayon."