No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 41- Chasing after her

Instead, I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "It's nothing. Just... unexpected things from the past."

Ethan hummed, not pushing further. He never did. That was the thing about him-he gave me space, but he also let me know he was there if I needed him.

"Are you still up for checking the new location later?" he asked, smoothly changing the topic.

"Yeah," I nodded, grateful for the shift. "I need to finalize everything so we can move forward with the renovations."

"Good." He smiled. "Let's get this business expansion going. You're making big moves, Mikha. Don't let anything-or anyone-slow you down."

I knew exactly what he meant.

And for the first time since seeing Aiah again, I told myself he was right.

I wouldn't let her affect me. Not anymore.

After a long day of work and dealing with the overwhelming thoughts of Aiah, I decided to meet up with Jho and Sheena. They were my go-to people whenever I needed to get my mind off things. As usual, I found them at our favorite café, sitting near the window and laughing about something I couldn't hear.

When I walked up, Jho immediately noticed me and waved. "Mikha! Andito na siya, Sheena! Ang Miss Busy natin!"

Sheena looked up and grinned. "Oo nga, mukha kang pagod na pagod. May problema ba, Mikha?"

I shrugged and sat down across from them, giving them a tired smile. "Medyo," I said, trying to sound casual. "Pero nothing I can't handle."

Jho raised an eyebrow. "Talaga? Kasi Stacey told me na may nakita kang... Aiah?"

I paused for a moment, wondering if they'd tease me about it. "Yeah," I sighed. "I saw her yesterday. It was... weird."

Sheena leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Weird how? Kasi hindi ko naman yata in-expect na babalik siya dito."

I sighed again, the weight of the situation lingering. "Well, yeah. She's back, and... she's with Adrian. And they have a kid now."

Jho's eyes widened, clearly shocked. "Wait, what? Anak na? Sa lahat ng mga bagay na hindi ko in-expect, ito yun. So, may pamilya na siya?"

"Yeah," I said, nodding slowly. "I couldn't believe it at first, either. I didn't even know what to say when I saw them."

Sheena chuckled softly. "Eto na naman tayo, Mikha. Hindi pa tapos yung story, and you're already all silent and moody. You're still affected, huh?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, I'm not. It's just... unexpected. I'm not used to seeing her like that. Not anymore."

Jho raised both her brows. "Oh, we all know how you feel about her. Hindi ka makakapagsinungaling sa amin, Mikha!" she teased.

I shifted uncomfortably, wishing they would drop the subject. "Come on, it's not a big deal. It was just... an awkward encounter."

Sheena smirked. "Sure, Mikha. Sure. But you're telling us it didn't hurt to see her with someone else, with a kid? Para bang... nakaramdam ka pa rin ng something?"

I exhaled sharply, pushing my hair back. "It's not like that. I've moved on."

Jho and Sheena exchanged looks, clearly unconvinced. "Okay, Mikha, whatever you say," Jho teased. "But we're not done with this. Alam mo naman kami, gusto namin malaman lahat."

I tried to laugh it off, even though I was secretly wishing they would change the subject. "We'll see," I said, giving them both a pointed look. "For now, let's just focus on something else."