C9 Chapter 8

Our conversation with Arden continued as we played in the pool. He shared stories about his friendship with Amberine, and I could tell how much he cared for her. It made me realize that I couldn't take her feelings lightly.

"I promise you, Arden, I won't play with her emotions," I assured him sincerely. "I care about her too, and I want to make her happy. I won't do anything to hurt her."

Arden nodded, his expression softening. "Good. She deserves someone who will treat her right, someone who will love her unconditionally. If that's you, then I trust you to take care of her."

The weight of Arden's words sank in, and I felt a sense of responsibility towards Amberine. I knew that she had been hurt in the past, and I wanted to be the one who would mend her broken heart.

The following morning, I picked up Amberine and we headed to work together. It felt natural having her by my side, and we enjoyed each other's company during the car ride. We talked, laughed, and shared stories as if we had known each other for years.

As the days turned into weeks, our bond grew stronger. We spent more time together, going on dates, exploring new places, and discovering shared interests. We supported each other's dreams and aspirations, becoming each other's biggest cheerleaders.

Amberine brought out the best in me, encouraging me to become a better person. She helped me realize my own worth and taught me the importance of forgiveness and second chances. I, too, became her pillar of strength, offering her love, support, and understanding.

But it wasn't always smooth sailing. We faced challenges and had our fair share of arguments and misunderstandings. However, we learned to communicate and work through our issues, realizing that every relationship had its ups and downs.

One evening, as we sat under the stars in a quiet park, Amberine turned to me with a serious expression on her face. "Aiden, I want to tell you something," she began, her voice filled with vulnerability.

I held her hand, giving her the reassurance she needed. "What is it, Amberine? You can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "Aiden, I'm falling in love with you. It's more than just a crush now. I've never felt this way before, and it scares me, but at the same time, it feels so right."

My heart swelled with love and joy as I heard her words. "Amberine, I've been in love with you for a long time. I'm grateful every day that you gave me a chance. You mean the world to me, and I promise to cherish and protect your heart."

In that moment, under the starry sky, we sealed our love with a passionate kiss. It was a celebration of our journey, the culmination of the challenges we had overcome and the love that had blossomed between us.

From that day forward, Amberine and I faced the world together, hand in hand, ready to conquer whatever obstacles came our way. We knew that love wasn't always easy, but with trust, understanding, and unwavering commitment, we were determined to make our love story last.

And as we walked into the future, we held onto the lessons we had learned, cherishing the beauty of forgiveness, the power of second chances, and the strength of a love that had withstood the test of time.

"Flowers, teddy bear, and chocolates? What are these for?" Amberine asked me as I approached her in the parking lot and handed them to her. "I'm courting you, that's why," I replied.

I noticed her eyes scanning the entire parking lot, with many girls looking at us, some with envy. Well, I couldn't blame them. I was considered one of the heartthrobs at SCG, and now I was focused on one simple girl. But I didn't care. I was serious about courting Amberine.

"You're just wasting your money because I didn't agree to let you court me."

"But you let me kiss you," I said with a smirk. She blushed at my words but still gave me a stern look. "Uh, I get it now. You don't want me courting you because you're already my girl? Is that so?" I asked her, widening my eyes.

"No, of course not! That's not what I meant—" I closed the distance between us and kissed her in front of our schoolmates. Their screams and gasps filled the air.

"Ugh! You're so annoying! Now I have no choice but to follow you!" Amberine complained. This had been our setup for the past two weeks since I kissed her in the parking lot.

Many girls now hated her and wanted revenge because she stole me from them. It was strange, but it didn't bother me. It actually suited me because our roles had reversed. While before, I was always following her, now it was the other way around.

She would leave her classroom an hour earlier than me, so whenever I walked out of our room, she would be waiting for me. She was afraid of being targeted by our female schoolmates. She didn't want to be alone in the school grounds.

She also stopped bringing her car after she lost two tires. "What's with that face?" I asked her one day. She looked at me directly in the eyes and answered my question. "Leave me alone, or better yet, get another girlfriend so they'll stop chasing after me."

And that's what I did.

"Babe, wait up—" Mika called out to me as we were leaving the cafeteria. I turned to look at her, and both Zayn and I were shocked to see paint splattered on her when she stood near the entrance/exit of the cafeteria.

"What the fuck, man!" Zayn exclaimed, and I couldn't help but curse as well. "Damn." Luckily, I had stopped pursuing Amberine, or else this could have happened to her. Liza and her cheerleader friends walked out, and they looked at Mika from head to toe.

"If I were you, break up with Aiden because he's mine and mine alone! Why don't you just follow Amber's example and willingly stay away from Aiden? Tomorrow, if I find out you're still his girlfriend, I'll do something even worse to you."

Her friends laughed as they walked away, leaving Mika speechless. When she approached me, the darkness in her aura disappeared, and she sweetly smiled at me.

"Aiden, babe, I believe that girl just flirted with you, and that's why she's your girlfriend. But don't worry because I warned her, and I won't stop bullying her until she stays away from you." Then she winked at me and left.

"She looks so sad," Zayn commented as we watched Amberine standing outside her house, lost in thought. Fortunately, the fence of their house was made of small wooden slats, so you could clearly see the person inside.

"Why did you leave her hanging like that? Do you know that she found out about your new girlfriend? You know that my best friend cried because of you?" Arden angrily asked me.

I wanted to argue with him, but I couldn't because I had a wound on my lower lip from the two punches he gave me one night when he found out that I made Amberine cry.

Amberine wouldn't have known about my new girlfriend if the news of Liza's bullying of Mika hadn't spread on campus. Sigh.