"I haven't officially asked you yet," he said softly, his voice suddenly quieter, more vulnerable than I had ever heard it before.
"Niran Sukrit… would you be my boyfriend?"
For a moment, the world went completely still.
"Chak," I breathed, his name leaving my lips like a promise. My chest felt too small for everything I was feeling. "I think you already know the answer, Chaky."
I didn't wait for him to say anything else.
I leaned forward and kissed him—slow at first, almost careful, as if I was afraid this moment might disappear if I moved too fast. His lips were warm, familiar, and yet entirely new, like everything between us had just shifted into something real, something undeniable.
Suddenly, I felt his arms tighten around me.
Before I could react, my feet were no longer touching the deck.
"Chak—!" I laughed, the sound spilling out of me as he lifted me effortlessly and spun me around. The lights blurred, the sea became a soft ribbon of silver around us, and my laughter mixed with his.
"Chaky!" I laughed again, holding onto him as he turned us once more.
"You're officially mine now," Chak said with a wide, unrestrained smile. "My artist. My love. And I'm not letting you go that easily."
When he finally set me back down, my heart was racing, my cheeks warm, my smile impossible to hide. He leaned in, resting his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling.
In that moment, nothing else existed.
Not the wedding.
Not the future.
Not the fear.
Only him.
Only us.
As the sun leaned down to kiss the surface of the sea, Chak kissed my lips again—slower this time, deeper, like he was pouring every unspoken feeling into that single touch.
And I knew then, with a certainty that settled deep inside my chest—
This wasn't just a beginning.
It was a promise.
I melted into the kiss, my hands gripping the fabric of his shirt like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. Chak kissed me as if he was trying to memorize me—my mouth, my breath, the way I leaned into him without hesitation.
When we finally pulled apart, it wasn't because we wanted to, but because we had to breathe.
He rested his forehead against mine again, eyes closed, his thumb brushing gently along my jaw.
"You have no idea," he murmured, voice low and rough, "how long I've wanted to do that without holding back."
I swallowed, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it.
"Then don't," I whispered back. "Not tonight."
His eyes opened, dark and full of something dangerously tender.
"I won't," he promised.
Chak took my hand and led me further onto the yacht. The soft glow of candles lined the deck, their light flickering with the movement of the water. Everything felt intimate—too intimate for the world we usually lived in. This wasn't the Chak everyone knew. This was mine.
He stopped near the edge, where the sea stretched endlessly in front of us, reflecting the last colors of the sunset.
"I know things are complicated," he said quietly. "And I know what's coming in two days."
My chest tightened, but I didn't look away.
"But tonight," he continued, turning to face me fully, "I want you to be here with me. Not as a secret. Not as a mistake."
He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
"As my boyfriend."
I nodded, my throat too tight for words.
"Yes," I managed softly. "I'm here."
He pulled me into his arms again, this time slower, steadier—like he was anchoring himself to me. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Strong. Fast. Real.
For the first time in a long while, I didn't feel like I was standing on the edge of something that might break me.
I felt chosen.
Above us, the sky darkened into deep blue, the stars beginning to appear one by one. The yacht rocked gently beneath our feet, the ocean breathing around us.
Chak pressed a kiss to my hair.
"Stay with me tonight," he said softly. "Just like this."
I closed my eyes and nodded against him.
"I'm not going anywhere."
And for once, I believed it.
Chak pulled back just enough to look at me, that familiar spark in his eyes—the one that always meant he already had a plan.
"Come with me," he said softly.
Before I could ask where, he took my hand and turned, heading toward the cabin. I followed without hesitation, my fingers still laced with his, my heart racing faster with every step. The moment we stepped inside, the world outside seemed to fall away—the quiet hum of the yacht, the low lights, the scent of the sea mixed with him.
Chak moved with calm confidence, stepping behind the controls.
Then the engine came to life.
I felt it through the floor beneath my feet, a gentle vibration that made my stomach flutter. The yacht slowly began to move, cutting through the dark water as the lights of the shore drifted farther and farther away.
I laughed softly, half in excitement, half in disbelief, and leaned against the doorway, watching him.
"Where are we going, Captain?" I asked, teasing, my voice warm and light.
Chak glanced back at me, a slow smile spreading across his face—soft, certain, unmistakably his.
"To the new chapter" he replied.
My breath caught.
Outside, the sky was endless—deep navy, scattered with points of light that felt close enough to touch. The yacht glided forward, smooth and steady, as if it already knew the way.
I stepped closer, wrapping my arms around him from behind, resting my cheek between his shoulder blades.
"For tonight," he added quietly, placing one hand over mine, "I just want it to be us. No rules. No tomorrows."
I closed my eyes, letting the rhythm of the sea and the warmth of his body sink into me.
"Then take me there," I whispered.
And as the yacht sailed farther into the open water, toward the quiet glow of the stars, it felt like we were leaving everything else behind—even if just for a little while.
The yacht slowed gradually, the engine lowering to a quiet hum before Chak finally shut it off completely.
We drifted.
All around us, the water was impossibly calm, tucked safely inside a small bay surrounded by dark silhouettes of rocks and trees. The world felt far away here—no lights, no noise, just the sea breathing softly beneath us and the stars scattered overhead like they'd been placed there just for this moment.
Chak stepped away from the controls and turned to me.
"We're here," he said.
I looked around, taking it all in. "Where exactly is *here*?"
He smiled, that slow, dangerous smile that always made my heart trip over itself.
"A place no one else knows about," he said. Then, almost casually, "Let's go swim."
I blinked. "Swim?"
He nodded, already moving toward the side of the yacht.
"I don't have swimwear," I pointed out, lifting an eyebrow.
Chak stopped and looked back at me, his eyes warm, steady—unapologetic.
"You don't need it."
My breath caught.
Before I could overthink it, he reached down and released the ladder, letting it slide smoothly into the water with a soft splash. The sea shimmered below us, reflecting starlight in gentle ripples.
He turned back to me and held out his hand.
"No one's here," he said quietly. "Just us. And the ocean."
I hesitated for half a second—just long enough to feel the thrill of it pulse through me.
Then I took his hand.
The night air was cool against my skin as I stepped closer to the edge, my heart beating loud in my ears. Chak went first, lowering himself easily, confidently, like the sea belonged to him.
He looked up at me from the ladder, water already reaching his waist.
"Trust me," he said.
I smiled—soft, nervous, completely undone.
"I already do."
And then I followed him down, toward the dark, glittering water, toward the quiet freedom of the night—toward him.
At first, the cold surprised me.
I sucked in a sharp breath as the water wrapped around my legs, then my waist, then my chest. The sea felt deeper here than it looked—endless, dark, alive. For a brief moment, fear curled in my stomach.
"Chak…" I whispered.
He was there instantly.
His arms came around me from behind, strong and sure, pulling me against his chest. His warmth cut through the chill, his presence grounding me in a way nothing else ever could.
"I've got you," he said softly, close to my ear. "You're safe."
I nodded, even though my heart was still racing.
The water rocked us gently, small waves brushing against our skin. Chak tightened his hold just a little, like he was reminding me he wasn't going anywhere.
"Breathe," he murmured.
I did.
Slowly, the fear loosened its grip, replaced by something softer—trust, excitement, the quiet intimacy of being held like this under the stars.
Then, without warning, Chak lifted me.
I let out a startled laugh as my legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, my hands gripping his shoulders. Water dripped from our bodies, the sea shimmering around us.
"Chaky—" I started, but he was already looking at me like I was the only thing in the world.
"You're perfect," he said.
And then he kissed me.
Not rushed. Not hesitant.
Just deep and warm and full of everything we hadn't said out loud.
The ocean rocked us gently as his lips moved against mine, his hands steady on my back, holding me up like I weighed nothing at all. The stars watched silently above us, and the water whispered around us, but none of it mattered.
There was only him.
Only us.
And in that moment, wrapped in his arms, suspended between the sea and the sky, I knew—I wasn't afraid anymore.
When we finally climbed out of the water, my skin was buzzing—half from the cold, half from everything I was feeling.
Chak was quick. The moment my feet touched the deck, he wrapped a towel around my shoulders, pulling me close and rubbing my arms gently, like he was afraid the night might steal even a second more of my warmth.
"There," he murmured. "I've got you."
I smiled, leaning into him without thinking.
We moved to the loungers at the back of the yacht, still wrapped in towels, the wood warm beneath us from the day. Chak lay beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched, close enough that I could feel his steady breathing.
Above us, the sky was endless.
Stars scattered across the darkness, brighter here than anywhere I'd ever seen them. The sea was calm now, barely moving, like it, too, was holding its breath.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then—
"There," I said softly, lifting my hand.
Chak followed my gaze.
A thin streak of light cut across the sky, brief but unmistakable.
A comet.
My breath caught. "Did you see that?"
Chak smiled, his eyes still on the sky. "Yeah."
I turned my head toward him. "It's beautiful."
He looked at me then—not at the comet, not at the stars.
"At you," he said quietly.
I swallowed, my chest tight in that familiar, overwhelming way he always caused.
I thought of everything that had happened that day. Our daughter. The games. The announcement. The fear. The hope. The way he had held me in the water like I was something precious.
"Comets don't stay long," I said without thinking.
Chak reached for my hand, his fingers lacing with mine.
"No," he agreed softly. "But they're unforgettable."
He squeezed my hand gently.
"And sometimes," he added, "they come back."
I smiled, turning my face back to the sky, my fingers tightening around his.
We lay there like that—wrapped in towels, wrapped in each other's presence—watching the stars, the sea, and the quiet promise of the night.
For once, the future didn't scare me.
It felt bright.
Like a streak of light across the sky—brief, powerful, and meant just for us.