Chapter 29 – A Night of Our Own
The birthday celebration had faded into quiet memory as night settled over Naga City. After everything — the fake injury, the confetti-filled hospital room, the laughter — Andrea and Sheik found themselves walking hand-in-hand beneath a soft drizzle, the city glowing with golden streetlights.
They didn't say much. They didn't need to.
They had booked a room for the night. Not for anything wild or impulsive, but because after weeks apart and so much chaos between them, they wanted time — real time — just for themselves. No beeping monitors. No hospital staff. No interruptions.
The hotel was modest, tucked into a quiet corner near the plaza, with soft yellow walls and a view of the city's skyline. Inside their room, Andrea sat on the edge of the bed, slipping off her shoes while Sheik moved carefully, adjusting the pillows behind her.
There was a moment — that charged kind of silence — where they simply looked at each other.
Andrea smiled, nervous but sure. "We don't have to rush anything."
"I know," Sheik said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "But… I don't want to be anywhere else."
She nodded. "Me neither."
They took their time. Turning off the lights. Sitting beneath the blankets, side by side. They talked about everything — the fear of being apart, the weight of growing up, the way dreams shift and stretch as life keeps moving. Sheik admitted how guilty he felt for faking the injury, even if it had brought her closer. Andrea forgave him, reminding him that love wasn't about perfection — it was about honesty.
When they finally leaned into each other — no pressure, just closeness — their kiss was slow, familiar, and deeply felt. The kind that came from months of building something real. There was laughter, too — awkward moments, nervous glances — but through it all was tenderness.
What happened that night wasn't about lust. It was about choosing each other.
Trusting each other.
Loving each other not just in words, but in action — in skin, in silence, in holding on even when the world felt overwhelming.
When they finally fell asleep — limbs tangled, hearts still racing — it wasn't fireworks or fantasy.
It was something better.
Real.