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

CHAPTER 28

New is with Tay as they met for lunch. They asked their friend Wave, owner of the restaurant Little Hongkong, to reserve them a private room so they could both eat in peace.

In the middle of their meal, Tay received a call which he answered.

"Hello, Lee?" Tay said.

New's ears perked up but he feigned nonchalance. In reality, though, he was intently listening to every word of Tay.

"Oh, uhh," Tay briefly looked at New before continuing, "I'm having lunch now, Lee. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you."

Wow. Do you have to ask permission from him to eat now? New thought.

"I'm not alone, though. It's fine, no need to go here."

"Oh? But you didn't have to. Really? Okay okay. Thank you, Lee. Okay, see you." 

During the call, New checked Tay out subtly. He saw how the other one smiled while he was talking to Lee. 

He hesitated first, but eventually gave in and asked, "So why did Lee call?" New tried to sound cool as a cucumber.

Tay swallowed his food first before answering, "Oh, he asked where I was. He thought we will be having lunch together."

"Hmmm. You always have lunch together? That's why he assumed?"

"Well, yeah. I eat with him almost every day. I just forgot to tell him today that I won't be joining him so he had been waiting."

New just subtly nodded then took a spoonful of his food. After he swallowed, he asked, "You said something like, he didn't have to? Why? What did he do?"

Tay chuckled. "You seem to have a lot of questions, Hin. Feels like you're interrogating me. But to answer your question, he bought me my usual iced Caramel Macchiato."

Tay's remark made him quiet. He felt ashamed of his actions.

The other noticed this and held his hand, "Hey, what's wrong Hin?"

New just looked at him and smiled. "Nothing, Te. Eat now so you can go back early."

Tay knows New is not telling him something, but he just didn't push the topic further.

---

New took him to MMG building after they ate. Good thing the car's windows are tinted so he didn't have to worry about prying eyes. 

Tay took off his seatbelt and reached for New's face with both of his hands. He kissed him on the forehead and said, "You can always tell me what's bothering you Hin, okay? Share with me your burdens. You don't have to carry them alone." 

New looked at him and just nodded. It took him everything in his willpower not to let go of his tears. Tay waited for a moment but when New didn't speak anymore, he took it as a sign that the latter is not ready to talk about it. He kissed him on the lips softly then got off and went inside the building.

As he drove, tears started to fall from New's eyes. He stopped the car for a moment and rest his head on the steering wheel.

"What are you doing, New? Stop it. Why are you being paranoid? Lee is just his co-worker. Nothing more. It's not the first time he had to do a romantic series with someone." He scolded himself.

It's true. It's not the first time Tay starred in a romantic series. However, everything is different at present. He's living with somebody else now and he fears that Lee might find it easier to take Tay as he is not constantly by his side anymore.

He remembered how Tay smiled a while ago while he was talking to Lee, how he always sees their interaction on social media being close and sweet, how Lee now buys Tay his favorite drink, the fact that they spend most of the hours of the day together, eating meals together like it's a normal thing for them now. 

He tries to convince himself that all this is just a part of Tay's work. If this was before, New's confidence will not falter, not even one bit, since at the end of the day, his boyfriend will come home to him and they will wake up in each other's arms in the morning. 

But right now, here he is, married to a girl and taking care of her and her baby instead of his boyfriend. This might be all temporary, but until when can Tay be content in their set-up? Until when can Tay wait for him? What if once he's ready to put everything back into its place, it would be too late and Tay has already fallen in love with Lee? With someone else?

All these paranoia and insecurities are eating New up that he can hardly breathe now. He opened his window and tried to stabilize his breathing. 

---

It was already late when he finished work and got to his and Mint's place. But he was surprised to see his boyfriend standing right outside their house. He turned off the car's engine and immediately got off.

"Te?"

"Hin!" Tay ran towards him and hugged him tightly. 

New returned the hug but only briefly. When he pulled back, he asked, "What are you doing here, Te? How long have you been standing here? Did you even know that I wasn't home yet? Why didn't you call me?"

Tay just looked at him and said, "I asked P'Jack what time will you be done. When he told me you were still at work, I decided to just wait for you here. I can't get you off my mind, Hin. We were okay this morning but you suddenly became quiet and I worry about you. I know you're not telling me something, Hin. I just want to make sure you're okay. I would not be able to cuddle you tonight so this is the least that I can do."

The fact that Tay went all the way here just to make sure he's okay made him cry. "Te..." New suddenly burst into tears. He hugged him tight while he cried on his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I'm sorry I doubted you, Te.

Tay gently stroked his back and softly asked, "For what, Hin?"

New did not respond and just continued crying.

When he calmed down, Tay asked again, "Hin, why? Why are you apologizing? is everything alright?"

New contemplated on whether or not to tell Tay but decided against it. Instead, he just said, "Thank you for coming, Te. I'm sorry. About everything."

Tay kissed him in the forehead and said, "Is that it? You're still worried about me? I'm okay now, Hin. You did what you had to do. I'm just glad you're not pushing me away anymore. Let me kiss all the worries away, okay?" He kissed him again on his forehead, then on his nose, then down to his mouth.

After they pulled away, Tay maintained his arms wrapped around New's waist and said, "Can you spend a whole day with me next week? We will be going to Chiang Mai the week after that. I won't be able to see you for two weeks."

New, with his hands wrapped on the other's neck, answered, "Okay. Sorry I won't be able to visit you in Chiang Mai. Mint may deliver during that time. I need to be here."

"I understand. Now, are we good? You're okay now?"

New smiled and nodded. They spent a few minutes together as they waited for Tay's ride.

Before Tay rode in the cab, New held his hand and asked, "Te, you will always be my home, right?"

He kissed him lightly and said, "As you are mine. Always."

---

When New got in the house, he saw Mint sitting in the dining area.

"Oh, Mint, what are you still doing up?"

"He loves you that much, huh? So much that he waited for you for hours sitting in the gutter."

"Hours? How did you know?"

"I saw a man sitting outside so I looked by the window and saw that it was Tay. I want to ask him to come in but... I don't know if he wanted to see me or talk to me."

"He's not mad at you, Mint. He understands. Don't worry. Anyway, go to sleep now please." New smiled at her and went on his way.

Mint watched him as he went up the stairs and can't help but feel jealous. Not of Tay per se, but of the love New and Tay has.

She looked back on her past with New. Those times when New used to make her feel loved.

That's all he's going to be, Mint. A past. A beautiful past.

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