What happened?
Author's Note: hello guys! Thanks for voting and reading my new fanfic. You are all being so supportive which is why I am biting my nails because I don't know entirely how this is going to go, but I am hoping it would be cute and happy for all of us. Please read and enjoy it. Don't forget to vote if you like it.
Chapter 2
I couldn't sleep. My head kept going round and round my memories. I was starting to remember things I haven't thought about in so long.
As I rose from the bed, Ariel stirred and I froze. The room was in complete darkness and only the vague light of the waning moon made it possible to see her uncovered shoulder on the bed. I waited with my breath held until I was sure that she won't wake up, then I pulled out from the blankets and tiptoed to the wardrobe.
I was dressed in normal clothes before I even knew I was going out. Since I was already dressed, I walked out of the room and closed the door carefully.
It was eleven in the night already, and it was quiet around this part, but I knew if I went a little further I would see the life that never sleeps around here. The air felt cool on my face as I started walking.
Walking down the road, the cold wind in my nostrils, my mind pulled on another memory. P'Arthit and I walked like this once or twice when we were together. We couldn't sleep. P'Arthit was hungry which was strange since it was even later than this at the time. I think it was midnight, but I said we could go out and get something to eat or something I could easily prepare. He protested but still went with me and out in the open we held hands and we laughed and talked.
In the end, P'Arthit didn't eat that food. We fell asleep just after it got ready. I shook my head with a smile and pulled away from the memory. P'Arthit and I had moved in together, we already told everyone that needed to know that we were together and we were happy. Really happy. So happy that I felt something like a hole inside of me when I thought about it, something like an emptiness that I haven't let myself recognize for so long. It was a little painful but I was over the pain. I should be, eight years should be long enough to heal any pain.
But why did it all end? I bit my lip and against my own safety ruffled through my brain for any recollection of the day we actually broke up. Just as I raised my head I saw P'Arthit step out of a small restaurant holding a transparent bag. He also saw me and we stared at each other.
"P'Arthit?" I said.
He turned like he wanted to ignore me then thought better about it and turned right back. "Kongpob," he said. "What are you doing out so late?"
I blinked and let out air. "Couldn't sleep."
He stared as if he didn't think I would be honest and that threw him off. "Me too," he admitted. "So I—"
"Yeah I know, you get hungry when you can't sleep P'Arthit."
"I—actually forgot to eat lunch and dinner."
"oh." I hadn't meant to act like I knew him.
"But I couldn't keep from coming out to get this."
Pink milk. I smiled.
"What about you?"
I bit my lip again. It was amazing that we were talking like this. Then that must mean our breakup must not have been that bad. But why do I feel my chest burning up when I try to remember why we broke up. I said tentatively, "my thoughts are too noisy."
"Thoughts about big projects can do that. But don't be worried, you are not the one heading the whole thing."
"I was surprised to see you there."
"So was I."
We fell silent. It wasn't an awkward silence exactly. I, on my own, didn't find it awkward, but there was a subtle edge around it. The same type you would notice in friends who haven't met for a really long time grasping with familiarity and unfamiliarity.
"Do you, uh," P'Arthit scratched and messed with his hair for a moment before saying, "want to walk together for a bit?"
"Yes!" I sounded just as excited as I felt. "Yeah, I would like that," I smiled. He smiled back.
So we decided to walk one direction and talked. Things were great with P'Arthit, he was a director at Sunlight Company and though Sunlight was still a new company in a way, it was growing rapidly. He was making enough money that he bought a home in the same neighborhood as my parents.
"Do you still visit my parents?" I asked. P'Arthit and I have been so close and so together that he was treated as an in-law by my parents. He stayed with us sometimes. I can't imagine that relationship ending just because we were no longer together again.
"Yeah..." he stretched the word, "shouldn't I?"
"No, I like it." he lifted his brow and I laughed. "My parents like you and you were really close to them. I am happy that you stayed close."
"Really," his smile was sweet and his eyes were warm in such a way that made my heart skip. I blinked and blocked the... I don't even know what to call it.
"What about you, "he said as if he didn't notice. "you've done pretty well for yourself, Chicago suits you."
I tilted my head, helpless to his praise. "I wouldn't say that. I actually missed Thailand."
"What about Thailand did you miss?"
My eyes flew to his and my heart did another skip. I looked at the ground and back up again. "Everything. You have no idea how long it's been since I spoke our language."
"I'm actually envious, you can speak English so well."
I smiled, "you can too."
"No, my English is very bad."
"It's not that bad. I remember..." a memory popped into my head of me trying to teach him English. I was crap at it and the words made us laugh so hard that we ended up not making much progress.
As if also remembering how that lesson went P'Arthit smiled. I chuckled and we continued on. It was great. There were only a few awkward moments and then we were at P'Arthit's place. It was actually a house, the kind you would buy if you are interested in starting a family, getting married and children.
I surreptitiously glanced at P'Arthit's ring finger. My heart raced when I thought I would see a ring there. I mean, it would be strange if after eight years P'Arthit wasn't with someone, but somehow the thought escaped me and now that it was here I was feeling terrified to find out. I didn't want to feel that but for the brief moment it took me to look and glimpse that naked ring finger, my heart was frozen by terror.
I let out a sigh.
"So we should get some sleep, we've got work tomorrow." He started to walk through the gate but I stopped him.
"P'Arthit," he turned and looked at me. "There won't be any problems with us walking together right?"
He stared with a befuddled look on his face. "Um. Why do you think there would be?"
"Because of... our history together. P'Arthit, the way that things ended..."
His brow squeezed slightly, "how did things end."
I tilted my head and thought about it. "I don't—I'm not sure." That was absurd and I knew it even as I was the one saying it. How can I not know how the epic love of my life ended? These were things that I should know like When did we break up, who broke it off, how did we break it off and more importantly why did we break it off.
We looked at each other with the same growing alarm in our eyes. At least I was sure that my eyes were showing the alarm racing through me. I can't have forgotten. who forgets something like that. It was impossible.
"You are not sure?" P'Arthit asked blinking and stepped closer. "You broke up with me that's for sure."
"What?"
He frowned," or was it me?"
"P'Arthit, don't be ridiculous. You can't tell me you don't remember."
"Do you?" he accused back.
"This is ridiculous, "I laughed.
P'Arthit sighed heavily, "but it doesn't matter how we broke up, we are okay now, right?"
"Huh? Uh yeah, right." I said that in English but P'Arthit got it.
"So working together will be easier."
As we parted, I couldn't help feeling heavy. Even if I don't remember how we broke up or who broke it off, I at least should remember why we broke up. I can only remember the day I left for Chicago. I didn't go alone, P'Arthit followed me only to return after a week and that's as far as I remembered seeing P'Arthit.
Arthit
I slept late but still managed to wake up early. I have conditioned my body to wake up immediately it was six and so I was able to get to work on time each day. Today was also important since we were officially starting the project with Celamic international company.
I felt a little happy, I guess. Puna even commented on it. "You look extra happy today, Arthit "she said, smiled and kissed me on the cheek. she also looked extra happy too and was even glowing. I commented on that too and that earned me another kiss.
I tried not to think of last night. I mean it was just me talking with Kongpob to get our project started without any drama. It was just a simple conversation, no way different from any conversation I would have with anyone I wanted to work with except my heart was racing the whole time. Every time Kongpob smiled or laughed, it was like I wanted to hear it more and more and it filled me with such a profound feeling of joy.
I remembered something last night. There was one time that I was feeling really down about my work. That time I was working in Ocean electric. Although I liked my seniors they can be a bit too much but Kongpob made this silly one-man play that made me laugh. I even went and found the doll he had used. I can't believe I kept it. Seeing it again tucked in my dresser made me laugh. It also... brought tears to my eyes. I was happy with Kongpob, wasn't I. I really loved Kongpob didn't I? So then why did we break up? It doesn't make any sense anymore. Anyway, I was looking forward to seeing Kongpob again.
I admit I felt a little guilty when I saw Puna. She knows nothing about my past and I didn't want to hurt her. Wait, what am I thinking. I laughed and shook my head.
"Arthit," she was looking in and smiling from the door. "the meeting is in ten."
"Oh right." I got up and sat down again then patted my suit pocket for something, I wasn't sure what.
She laughed." why are you so flustered?"
"Who is flustered," I pretended to be offended but a grin broke out.
"Wow," she walked in and wrapped her arms around me. She wanted to kiss me but I pulled back a little. "If only you could be happy like this all the time."
"What do you mean? I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure, you should tell me what you ate before coming to work today." I pried myself from her. She usually had more discretion than this while we were at the office. I am not ashamed of her or anything but I don't want any rumor going around about us, it would only hurt her.
If she was offended, she hid it well. "Let's go for the meeting," I said.
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