Author's Note:
Hi, everyone!

I'm sorry you guys had to suffer a little for Lia and Aonung. But suffer no longer! I loved reading everyone's comments, so I decided to update this chapter early for y'all.

Hopefully, it isn't too much since I've already updated two chapters yesterday. But enjoy it! May this bring y'all joy and good health.

Also, to make up for it, I will spoil something about the next chapter (for those who enjoy this, you know who are you 👀).

There will be a letter M in the next coming chapter! And it's not a dream this time, I promise. 😂

.

.

.

🤍

.

.

.

"I..." Lia stumbled, trying to think of an excuse.

"You... what?" His lips curled into a playful smile.

There they were again, underneath the moonlight on the shore of Awa'atlu. Eyes glowing with longing as they stared at one another. She was suffering, and so was he.

Whatever the case may be, it seems that they were always destined to meet under the stars.

"T-Tuk wanted me to bring the seashells back to her because she really liked them," she lied.

"Oh yeah?" He teased, letting go of her waist as he made way for her. "Then should we walk back together?"

She froze, unsure of how to answer him. She had been trying so hard to fight back the desire to see him, but here he was, always making it difficult for her.

"You don't have to do that," she answered, averting her gaze.

"I'm your caretaker, right? I gotta do my job," he joked. "Besides, it's dark out. Someone could easily take advantage of you, you know."

"Aonung, please," she said, her eyes pleading. "Why won't you just leave me be?"

His hand cupped her face as he sighed. "I already told you, Lia. I won't let you go so easily. Everything that happened was my fault. I should've been honest with you from the start, but I won't stop until you're willing to talk to me."

"Why?" She turned her face away from his touch. "It won't change the fact that you're still betrothed to Amife. If it's forgiveness you're looking for then, here. I forgive you."

"It's not like that," he grabbed her arm. "I mean, yes I want your forgiveness too but please, I just need you to spare me a minute."

"There's nothing more to say, Aonung," she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Every time I see you, I can't help but feel guilty. Please, just give me time."

He let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, fine."

Lia lowered her head and reluctantly brushed past him, making her way back to the Marui pods with the seashells in her hands.

In spite of his frustration with her stubbornness, she never clarified how much time she needed.

He didn't want her to suffer anymore. So, Aonung came up with a plan. If she won't talk to him at all, he might as well corner her.

The next day came by rather quickly.

To Lia's surprise, he hadn't bothered her at all today. He didn't try to come to see her at all either. She thought it was strange at first, but concluded that his actions would make sense after all those awful things she had said to him.

He was bound to give up sooner or later. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little upset.

To make matters worse, it seems as though her family was ignoring her too. Tuk didn't want to play with her today, and she didn't bring her a seashell either.

As for her parents, they stopped asking her about Aonung. They also stopped trying to get her to open up to them. However, Jake was acting a little suspicious.

He would side-eye her discreetly and she would pretend as if she didn't notice. Her mother, well, Neytiri just had a smile on her face the entire day.

Occasionally, Neteyam would give her shoulder pats here and there. But he still hasn't said a single word to her.

Then there was Loak, who was going through his own love affair with Tsireya.

The only person left was Kiri. She had run off somewhere with Rotxo, leaving Lia all by herself.

She felt completely alone now. It was as if her heartbreak over Aonung wasn't bad enough that her family had decided to abandon her too.

Then, the day went by without any progress.

It was already nearing eclipse. She was tired, emotionally and physically, and decided to just fall asleep until the next morning.

However, just as she closed her eyes, the curtain to the entrance opened. She sat up to see Kiri entered with a beautifully netted shawl decorated in tiny seashells in her hands.

"Oh, you're awake? I thought you were sleeping."

"No, where did you go? I'm so lonely, come chat with me," Lia frowned.

However, Kiri just smiled at her as she handed the shawl to her. "Here, this is for you."

"Huh? Did Rotxo not give that to you? I thought that was why you guys left together."

"Nope, it's for you," Kiri shook her head, placing the shawl in Lia's hand.

She looked at her sister with confusion. "Is it from you? Did you make this, Kiri?"

Kiri chuckled, "No, but I can't answer any more questions."

"What? Why?" Lia frowned.

"Did you eat yet?" She asked, ignoring Lia's questions.

"No, but now that you ask, I am a little hungry."

"Okay, I'll go get you something to eat. You want yovo juice too?"

"Sure, thanks, Kiri," Lia opened her arms for a hug, to which Kiri gladly accepted with a joyful giggle.

The usually moody Kiri was a little too overjoyed today, Lia thought it was odd. However, she didn't interrogate her further. She assumed it must be because of Rotxo.

As Kiri got up to go, Lia held onto her arm. "Wait, I'll just go with you."

"No, it's fine. I got you," Kiri took her arm out of Lia's grasp.

"What? Kiri, I'm coming with you," Lia frowned.

"Wow, now I'm starting to see why he needed our help," She mumbled quietly.

However, her words didn't go unnoticed by Lia. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as she looked at her sister.

"What are you talking-"

"Nothing! I'll be back," Kiri waved her off and quickly dashed out of the entrance.

"W-Wait, Kiri!" Lia shouted, peeking out from behind the curtain but she was already gone.

Frustrated, Lia huffed and went back to sit down. She picked up the netted shawl and pondered over reasons why her sister would give it to her. It was beautiful, nothing like she'd seen before.

She set the shawl to the side when the curtains opened and someone walked in.

"That was fast-" She joked, looking up only to have her heart in her throat.

In front of her was none other than the one person she hadn't seen at all today. Aonung wore a soft expression in his eyes and a small smile on his lips. In his hand was a much larger seashell than all the other ones he had given her.

"Were you bored to death?" He teased as he approached her.

She frowned, shaking her head. However, the smile never left his lips as he sat facing her.

"How about lonely?" He continued to tease her. "Because that was how I felt when you refused to see me."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. He never failed to make her speechless.

The smile on his face grew when he noticed her lingering on the seashell in his hand. "Were you upset I didn't give you any seashells today?"

"No..." She lied, glancing at the seashells in the wooden basket sitting in the corner near her belongings.

Though she still appreciated Tuk for bringing the seashells, her heart swelled at the fact that he was the one who had been giving her the seashells all along. However, she didn't know why he liked giving her seashells so much.

He let out a low chuckle. "I wanted to bring you this one myself because it's a little more special than the other ones."

To show her what he meant, he opened the seashell, and inside were beads of pearls. She marveled at their beauty as a soft smile spread across Aonung's lips.

Taking her hand, he placed the seashell on her palm. "It's yours."

While she avoided his gaze, his eyes were on her the whole time. She paused momentarily before finally making eye contact with him.

"Why did you give me seashells for? I could've just looked for them myself," she pointed out, a frown on her face.

As Aonung scooted closer to her, he grasped her hand in his. To his surprise, she didn't pull away, so that was a good start. It seems as though she had forgotten about needing time away from him.

"Look, I know why you're mad, and I'm sorry. I truly am, Lia. I should have told you about Ami when I had the chance," he continued, his eyes desperately searching hers. "She was arranged to be my mate, but I need you to know that I don't have any romantic feelings for her."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Her voice suddenly became emotional as she spoke.

Nevertheless, she felt relieved that she didn't have to bring up the topic with him first. An unexpected smile spread across his lips.

"When I was little, someone once told me that seashells are like love letters in the sand. You're the very first and last girl that I'm giving seashells to, Lia."

Just when she thought she couldn't fall even more in love with the boy in front of her, she was always proven wrong. He had, once again, stolen her love and left her speechless.

"Ever since you arrived, you've been the only thing that's on my mind, even now. You drive me crazy with your gaze, your innocence, your touch. I can't get enough of you. I meant it when I said I'm crazy for you."

Her heart swelled at his confession. She never thought he was capable of saying such sweet things, but here he was, pouring his heart out to her.

Seeing her eyes start to water, Aonung cupped her face with one hand.  He looked at her with a worried expression.

"What's wrong? Did you not like the seashell? If not, I can—"

Lia shook her head, blinking away the tears in her eyes. She couldn't help but laugh a little.

"No, you sounded like a crazy stalker or something," she joked, to which he laughed.

Then she looked at him. "But what about Ami? I can't sit still knowing that I may have stolen you from her. Every time I'm with you, I can't help but feel a sense of guilt."

"Don't worry about Ami. My parents and her parents have agreed to terminate the arrangement between me and her. Besides, I was never hers to begin with."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

Aonung smiled sheepishly. "I may have told my parents about you. My mother has agreed to train you as the future Tsahik."

"O-Oh..." Lia held her breath. This was all so sudden, she felt like she needed a minute to digest everything. "Wait... do my parents know?"

Somehow, the situation just took an unexpected turn. She almost thought she was dreaming.

He nodded. "Your mother was the one who told my mother about how you were the former future Tsahik in your old village. So, my parents already spoke with your parents."

"What? My parents? When?" She stuttered, her eyes wide.

They never said anything to her about this. How could they just leave her in the dark this whole time?

Seeing her thinking face, a low chuckle escaped his lips as he took her hand and placed it on his chest, just above his heart.

"I told them not to tell you because I wanted to tell you myself. But I can't do this without you. So... Liannaka Sully, will you be my mate, my forever partner, and the love of my life?"

Her breath hitched in her throat as her heart pounded rapidly against her chest at his romantic gesture. He always knew the right things to say.

Hot tears begin to sting her eyes even though she tried so hard to resist them.

"You already know my answer," she said softly, striking his chest.

Laughing, he pulled her into his chest, immediately embracing her petite frame with his arms.

"But wait," she said, sniffling as she pulled away. "There's one more thing."

He wiped her tears with his hand. "What is it?"

"Ami told me that you like to sleep around with other girls. Is that true?"

Aonung's eyes widened as he nearly choked on his spit. Her face was so serious that he didn't have the heart to joke about it. So instead, he answered her honestly.

"I have kissed before, but I can tell you that I haven't slept with anyone. If you count touching as sexual encounters, then that's the closest I've come to," he said cautiously, avoiding her gaze.

This was the second time that he had broken eye contact with her first. Her question took him by surprise.

"You're so horny," she blurted out.

"Hey, I've abstained ever since I met you, I swear," he said defensively. Then his lips curled into a playful smirk. "Well, except for the times when I kissed you and when we almost—"

Embarrassed, she quickly covered his mouth with her hands. "I—I'm sorry I called you a hoe."

He let out a low chuckle, the vibrations of his voice tickling the palm of her hands. Then to her surprise, he kissed her hand as he gazed at her lovingly.

Immediately, Lia could feel her cheeks heat up. His ocean-blue eyes never left her golden pupils as he rested his hands on her hips, drawing her closer to him. In a natural gesture, she fell into his lap, cradling him with her legs wrapped around his waist.

Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like an eternity since he was finally able to embrace her again. A sense of relief and bliss washed over him as he took in every little touch from her.

She let out a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His eyes flickered to her lips as she closed her eyes, anticipating a kiss.

Seeing her like this, Aonung couldn't help but smile. She looked absolutely precious. When his kiss never came, she opened her eyes only to be greeted with a kiss on her nose.

"That's it?" She looked down at him with innocent eyes.

A low chuckle escaped his lips.

"I don't have a problem with ravaging you at all. But if you want to take things slow, I don't mind either."

She bit her lip as she placed a hand on his cheek. "But... what if I don't want to take things slow?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes wide as he stared into her eyes that were adorned with yearning. He wasn't expecting that from her.

Just as he was about to kiss her, the curtain to the entrance opened and someone walked in.

In a matter of seconds, Lia shoved Aonung aside and laid back on the floor with the blanket covering her.

"Oh!" Kiri gasped, eyes wide. "Uh, sorry, didn't realize you weren't hungry anymore."

Before Aonung could say anything, she had already walked out with Lia's food in her hands.

He couldn't help but laugh when his eyes landed on Lia. She had the blanket pulled all the way to her head and her feet were sticking out at the end.

Annoyed, she poked her head out from the blanket and smacked his thigh.

"Don't laugh. That was embarrassing," she hissed.

However, this only prompted him to laugh harder.

"Did you like the shawl?" He asked, noticing the netted shawl next to her.

"Oh, was this from you? Kiri just gave it to me," she replied, sitting back up with the shawl in her hand.

Aonung shook his head, a soft smile on his face. "It's a gift from my mother to you. Tsireya has one too, but in a different color."

Hearing this, Lia couldn't help but smile. "I'll make sure to thank her."

He gazed at her as she marveled at the shawl, taking in every little bit of her. A feeling of relief washed over him. They had made it through the storm together. For a moment, he almost feared that he was going to lose her.

"Hey," He said softly, grabbing her hand and drawing her attention to him. "Wanna go on a little adventure?"