Are We Too Late or Am I Too Soon? (Completed ☑️)

CHAPTER 11

While Tay was waiting to board the plane, a lot of thoughts are running through his mind. He's been calling New non-stop but the latter is not answering. He turns off every call he gets so in case New would call, it would get through easily. Every time his phone buzz, his heart would leap but disappointment will take over as soon as he sees that the person he badly wants to talk to is not the one on the end of the line.

When his plane landed in Bangkok, he took a cab and went straight to the MMG building. When he got there, he left his luggage in the reception area and he looked for New in every place possible but he's nowhere to be found. He asked around if the employees saw New but none of them knows. He looked distraught now, but he doesn't care. He just badly needs to talk to his Hin.

While he was in a frenzy running around the building, a voice called out for him.

"Tawan? TAWAN! TAY!"

He turned around, and he saw Jack.

"Phi!" He ran fast towards the man. "Phi! Where's New? I need to talk to him. Please, Phi!" Tay pleaded.

Jack looked around and saw a few prying eyes. "Not here." He gestured to Tay to follow him, and he led him to one of the soundproofed conference rooms. He asked Tay to sit first. The former initially protested, but eventually gave in since he realized that Jack's probably one of the few people who knows where New is.

Once Jack sat down, Tay spoke. "Phi," Tay was not able to hold his tears anymore. The tiredness had caught up to him, not just physically but mentally, too. "I need to talk to New, please. Where is he? I need to know why he did that. Did the management really have to force him to do this?!"

"Tay, please calm down, okay?" Jack can't help but pity Tay. He can't but feel sorry for both of them. "New. He needed to do this, Tawan. A lot is at stake. Listen to me, Tay. All this is just temporary. Every-"

"TEMPORARY?!" Tay stood up and raised his voice. He cares less now even if he's talking to someone older than him. He's mad, and he has every right to be. "PHI! YOU'RE MAKING MY BOYFRIEND MARRY SOMEONE HE DOESN'T LOVE! DID YOU HONESTLY THINK I CAN JUST SIT HERE IN PEACE WHILE HE'S LIVING UNDER ONE ROOF WITH MINT?! ALL THESE YEARS, I'VE STAYED QUIET! WE'VE STAYED QUIET AND WE HID OUR RELATIONSHIP! AND NOW YOU'RE ACTUALLY FORCING HIM TO MARRY HER?! AND YOU EVEN MADE HIM CLAIM THAT THE BABY IS HIS?! FOR WHAT?! FOR MONEY?!"

After the outburst, Tay felt weak and he fell to his knees. He brought his right hand to his eyes as he aggressively tried to wipe the tears that won't stop falling while he clenched his chest with his left hand.

"I really need to talk to you, New. Where are you?" Tay said quietly in between sobs.

Jack knelt in front of Tay and hugged the latter while he gently stroked his back for him to calm down. "Tay, I don't know why New wouldn't tell you anything. But if he didn't, then I couldn't possibly do, too. He asked me not to tell you anything. With everything he's going through right now, the least I can do is do what he asks me to. Just, just hang in there for a while, okay? Mint just needs him right now. He'll be back before you know it."

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After the talk with Jack, Tay went to the rooftop to take a breath. Once he got there, he leaned on the railings and looked at the horizon. The sun is about to set, and memory suddenly flashed through his mind.

"I've always loved the sunset," New said as he looked at the horizon.

"Why?"

"For me, it means that I have survived yet another day."

"You're making it sound like every day of your life is tragic." Tay joked. New just chuckled but he did not respond.

"Hin."