ASTRID

“I would love to,” he began, his voice soft. “But as I said, we’re not together yet,” he added, glancing around before checking his watch. The gesture made my heart sink, and my frown deepened even though I already forced a smile.

“For a moment, I thought we could finally meet halfway,” I said, disappointment weighing heavy in my voice.

I turned away, but he caught my hand, his touch gentle yet firm as he guided me toward the bow—the front of the yacht.

Before we could get any closer, he suddenly covered my eyes with his hands. “Trust me, okay?” he whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear.

“I swear, if this is one of your little games...” I threatened, half-serious. But his next words, spoken so close to me, made me pause. “Just trust me on this,” he said, his tone softer, more serious than usual.

Reluctantly, I relented, following his steps as I allowed him to guide me.

When he finally lifted his hands from my eyes, his voice, low and smooth, made my mind go blank. “Let’s remedy the situation, shall we?”

“Huh?” I muttered, irritation lacing my confusion.

But as my eyes adjusted and I took in the scene before me, everything clicked into place. We were standing in the middle of the bow, surrounded by a heart made of glowing candles and scattered rose petals. The soft, warm hues of the setting sun bathed everything in gold, intensifying the intimacy of the moment. I stood speechless, my heart pounding as the realization dawned. This was why he’d seemed distracted earlier—he had been preparing all of this.

I took a deep breath, the cool breeze brushing against my skin, mingling with the faint scent of the sea. We were completely alone, the calm waves lapping gently against the yacht’s sides as the sun slowly sank beneath the horizon. It felt surreal, like stepping into a scene from a romantic novel.

It was simple yet intimate—making it grand.

I turned to look at Art, my frown fading as the tension between us melted away. He cleared his throat, looking almost nervous, and then spoke. “I’m sorry for making you wait. I know how much you love watching the sunset, and I wanted this moment to be perfect.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of anticipation and nerves. What was he planning?

“You’ll see,” he murmured, taking both of my hands in his. His thumbs stroked the backs of my hands softly, grounding me in the moment as I met his gaze.

His eyes never left mine as he began. “I just want to start by telling you how much you mean to me, Estelle,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.

Hearing him say my name so tenderly made my heart flutter. I couldn’t help but soften, my attention fully on him now, my breathing slowing as he spoke.

“Meeting you was the luckiest accident of my life. I never intended to fall in love—not with you, not with anyone. You know my past, and love was something I tried to avoid at all costs. But then you came along,” he finished with a soft, tender laugh, as though even he couldn’t believe it.

He smiled, and I could see the warmth in his eyes. “I’ll never forget those first moments we shared at the cafe—how genuine you were, how flustered you got when you talked to me. You were so refreshingly real, and without even knowing it, you whipped me, Ms. Mercer. I found myself wanting to protect you, to be with you, even though we had just met.”

His words hung in the air, blending with the gentle sound of the waves. My chest tightened as emotions swirled inside me.

“I’ve never been one for romantic movies or fairy tales. I always thought love took time, that it was something slow and steady. But you changed all that. From the moment we spent hours together, I was certain—I wanted to try, I wanted to believe in love again... because it was you.”

His grip tightened, and a playful smile tugged at his lips. “Ms. Mercer, you’ve cast a spell on me.”

My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t help but smile, even as my heart raced.

“A spell I wouldn’t dare break,” he added, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “You’ve made me feel things I never thought I’d feel again. And I can’t imagine my life without you now. I don’t want to sound too cheesy, but I need you to know—I’d do anything for you, Estelle. Anything.”

With that, he slowly released my hands and reached behind him, pulling something from his pocket. My heart skipped a beat.

He turned back to me, holding a small brown velvet box in his hand. When he opened it, there, nestled inside, was a round brilliant cut diamond ring.

I inhaled sharply. My thoughts spun wildly—was he proposing? But we weren’t even officially together yet!

He looked at me with that same tender gaze, the setting sun casting a soft glow over us. This was his moment, our moment, and it felt as though time had stopped just for us.

“Today, I’m making a promise,” Art began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “Estelle, I promise to do my best to heal from every trauma I’m still carrying, because you deserve a love that’s whole. I promise to always strive to make you the happiest. I’ll go out of my way every day to make sure you feel loved and cherished, because that’s how much you mean to me. Most importantly, I promise to protect you and stand by your side, no matter what. I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

He paused, his eyes searching mine. “I’m already privileged to be in your life again, to share this kind of moment with you. But I know it would be even better if we made this official.”

Taking a deep breath, he held out the ring. “Ms. Astrid Estelle Mercer, will you make me the happiest man alive?"

"Will you finally be my girlfriend?”

I stood there, lips parted, stunned into silence. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to say yes—it was just that his words were so grand, so profound, it felt like a marriage proposal. And this was just him asking me to be his girlfriend! My mind raced with the thought—what would it feel like when he actually asked me to marry him?

I swallowed, still struggling to find my voice. Art looked at me, his eyes hopeful, and slowly pulled the ring from the box. “What do you say?” he asked softly, still waiting for my answer.

When his question finally sank in, I couldn’t hold back the tears.

“Estelle…” he whispered, concern flooding his face. “Don’t cry. I didn’t mean to pressure you. You can say no if—”

“Nakakainis ka! Ang corny mo!” I interrupted, laughing through my tears.

“I’ve been waiting for days for you to ask me. I would have said yes no matter what the situation was!” I sniffled, joy bubbling up inside me despite the tears.

Art looked at me, still confused. “I’m sorry,” he said, his brow furrowing.

I nudged his chest playfully. “I’m not telling you to apologize, dummy!”

He let out a small chuckle, his right hand moving to hold my waist as his other hand still held the ring in front of me. “This is why I didn’t accept your ‘yes’ last night,” he said softly. “I had all this planned out.”

“You could’ve hinted at it, you know! I wouldn’t have been so on edge if you had,” I teased, still wiping away the last of my tears.

He grinned, shaking his head. “Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise.”

He was right, and I couldn’t help but laugh softly, the tension in me finally dissolving. After a few seconds, he looked at me again, his expression turning serious once more. “I don’t want to pressure you, Ms. Mercer, but I’m dying to know—what’s your answer? Is it a yes?”

I smiled, my heart overflowing with love. “Of course it’s a yes! It always will be.”

His worried expression melted away, replaced by pure contentment as he gently took my left hand, brushing his fingers over my ring finger. But before he slipped the ring on, he looked into my eyes. “May I?” he asked, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

I giggled and nodded, my heart skipping a beat. He slowly slid the ring onto my finger—it fit perfectly.

Before I realized it, our noses were brushing against each other’s, our breaths mingling in the cool sunset air. He whispered, his voice barely audible, “I love you.”

The weight of those words hit me like a wave. It was the first time he had said them so openly, so directly. I bit my lip, trying to contain the smile threatening to spill over, but I couldn’t help it.

“I love you too, Art,” I whispered back.

In that moment, everything felt right—the sunset, the still water, the shared moment between us. It was all perfect.

With those words, he cupped my cheek gently with his left hand, while his right hand trailed softly down my back. I saw him close his eyes as he leaned in, but I mischievously pulled away slightly, causing his eyes to flutter open in confusion.

“Why?” he asked, his voice laced with surprise.

“We’re not together yet,” I teased, watching as a look of disbelief and an immediate frown formed on his face.

I gazed at him for several seconds to see his reaction.

“I thought…”

I cut him off with a playful grin. “Of course. I’m kidding!” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for our first kiss as an official couple.

As soon as his lips touched mine, I closed my eyes, unable to contain the smile that spread across my face. This was the moment I had been longing for, and now that it was happening, it felt even better than I had imagined. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was the best kiss we had ever shared. Maybe it was because I had been waiting for this, praying for it to happen, and now, it was finally real.

His hand slid up to my nape, holding me close as he kissed me, slowly and passionately, savoring every second. After a few moments, he broke the kiss, leaving me breathless and wanting more.

“I love you,” he whispered softly, his eyes drifting to my lips before claiming them once again, sending another surge of warmth through me.

Our bodies pressed together as the kiss deepened, the cool breeze contrasting the heat building between us. I felt his breath against mine when our lips parted for just a moment, but then, he captured my mouth again, more intensely this time. Instinctively, I tilted my head as he gently nipped at my lower lip, his soft lips suckling mine before his tongue slipped into my mouth, igniting a strong electric connection.

My fingers threaded through his hair as the kiss grew more heated, more consuming. I half-opened my eyes for a brief second, just to catch a glimpse of him. Art's eyes were still closed, focused entirely on the kiss, a small smile playing on his lips as he lost himself in the moment.

He broke away just enough to lick his lips, flashing a teasing smile. “Chateau Lafite?” he remarked, causing me to blush.

That was the wine I had earlier. Could he really taste it? My cheeks flushed deeper as I realized we had kissed so intensely that he could taste it on my lips. Before I could respond, he was kissing me again, his lips melting against mine.

I pulled him closer, matching his intensity, my brows furrowing as I bit his lip lightly. I didn’t want it to be slow anymore. Slipping my tongue against his, I explored him, the world around us fading as we lost ourselves in each other’s embrace. My pulse raced, quickening with every maddening touch, every deepened kiss that made my thoughts blur.

When I finally had to break the kiss to catch my breath, he didn’t stop—soft pecks followed, his lips brushing mine as I giggled between kisses, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He pulled me into a tight embrace, his hand gently caressing my hair. “I was such a fool for not kissing you sooner,” he murmured, making me laugh.

“You sure were!” I agreed, burying my face in his chest. He was so warm, so comforting. I couldn’t believe he was finally mine.

"But I do understand you now," I said softly, gazing into his eyes. "This first kiss of ours certainly felt the best." I said and giggled, my heart swelling as happiness bubbled up inside me. 

I pulled back from the hug as something crossed my mind—the promise ring. “How did you even know my size?”

He chuckled, winking at me. “I found out when you were drunk asleep in Germany.”

I gasped, laughing. “You sly fox! How did you…?” My words trailed off as I stared at the ring on my finger. It was perfect—the size, the design. It felt like it was made just for me.

“That ring was long overdue, Estelle. I hope you don’t mind, but I bought it for you back then… in Germany.”

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I was going to give it to you the night you left,” he explained softly. “I didn’t want to pressure you into giving me your number, so I thought of something else. I wanted to promise that I’d find you again, no matter where you'd go.”

“Art…” My heart ached, remembering how I had left him that night.

“I didn’t want to recycle a promise ring. I thought about getting you a new one, but this ring… it felt like it was meant for you. It deserved to meet its rightful owner,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity.

Tears welled up in my eyes as his words sank in. Overwhelmed with emotion, I tiptoed and kissed him softly. The tears streamed down my cheeks as I savored the tenderness of his lips against mine.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. “I love you so much,” he repeated, his thumb gently wiping away my tears as they fell.

My heart swelled as I looked into his eyes, seeing the love reflected back at me. “I love you too, Art,” I murmured softly.

He held my chin, tilting my face upward to meet his lips again. This time, our kiss was even more breathtaking, filled with all the feelings we had been holding back. As our lips moved together in perfect harmony, we whispered the three words we had been suppressing for so long—over and over, like a mantra of love.

Each kiss, each whispered ‘I love you’ felt like a promise—a promise of the life we would share from this moment forward. And in that kiss, I knew with certainty that we were finally where we belonged, in each other’s arms. 

“I thought you planned on courting me for at least a year?” I teased when we broke the kiss, raising an eyebrow.

“I was wrong,” he admitted, leaning in closer. “I couldn’t bear the thought of men craving for your attention—especially that guy from the nail salon.”

A mischievous grin spread across my face. “Oh, you mean the one who’s sweet and thoughtful? Plus, he’s good looking, too.”

Art rolled his eyes dramatically. “Excuse me, love, but you’re in a relationship with me now.”

Love.

“Just admit it! You’re the jealous type,” I teased, unable to resist. “You couldn’t wait any longer to put a higher fence around me, so you asked me to be official right now.”

He rolled his eyes again, but before I could tease him more, he silenced me with a series of gentle kisses. Each one softened the playfulness between us until all that remained was warmth and affection, filling the space between our lips and hearts.

I really can’t believe he asked me to be his girlfriend.

"For a moment, I thought you were asking me to marry you," I confessed with a soft laugh, still riding the wave of emotion.

"Don't worry," he said with a chuckle, "I will, but some other time."

"Plus, I'd punch myself for not kneeling in front of you if it was a proposal," he added with a grin. "I’d go down on bended knee, even on the roughest and most painful surface on Heaven and Earth," he exaggerated, earning a playful slap on the chest from me.

I’m glad he didn’t kneel a while ago because that would have really caused me to panic. Not because I wasn’t ready, but because of the emotions surging within me.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatic comment, but his next question made my heart skip a beat.

"If I were proposing to you today, would you say yes?"

I nibbled my lip, already knowing the answer deep down, but I wasn’t ready to reveal it just yet. "It’s a secret," I teased, flashing him a sly smile.

He smirked, unfazed by my response. "No worries. I’ll just do my best to earn another ‘yes’ from you," he said confidently before pulling me in and capturing my lips once more.

As my eyes fluttered closed, I let myself sink into the moment. The gentle sound of the waves, the soft warmth of Art’s lips, the world melting away around us—it was pure bliss.

This was definitely worth the wait.