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

CHAPTER 36

"Hello, Newwiee?" Gun said as soon as he picked up the phone.

It was silent for a while that Gun spoke again.

"Newwiee? Everything okay?"

"Gun..." Gun can now hear the heavy sobs of New on the other end.

He looked at Off who was lying beside him on the bed. Not for long, Off got what Gun's thinking. Off picked up his phone and went out of the room.

"Where are you? I'll go to you." Gun put the call on speaker and immediately changed his clothes from sleepwear into shirt and jeans.

"Yes, please, Gunnie. I need you. I'm here in front of the house I share with Mint."

"Okay. I'll be there as fast as I can. I'll hung up now."

When he went outside the room, he heard Off speaking on the phone.

"I can go to you, tonight, Peng."

Gun approached him and kissed him on the cheek. He mouthed 'Newwiee' and Off just nodded.

"Be careful driving. I'll bring the other car. I'll go to Tay." Off whispered to Gun and the other just nodded. Gun then sprinted out of their condominium and went straight to the parking lot.

"No, Peng. It's okay. Gun's not here anyway. I can come to you. I'll go there now."

As soon as he hung up the call, Off changed his clothes and went out as well.

---

When Gun arrived at the place, he saw New slumped on the street gutter. He turned off the car engine and rushed towards New. He sat beside him and hugged him. New continued to cry in his arms.

"I'm scared, Gun. I'm so scared right now."

Gun stroked his back and kept on telling him to calm down.

"Ssshh. Calm down, Newwiee. Breathe. Calm down."

Looking at his bestfriend's state, Gun can't help but cry, too. Yet he tried hard not to give in and kept restraining his sobs as he doesn't want to add to New's heavy feeling.

When New calmed down a bit, Gun asked him to tell him what happened and the other complied.

"Fuck, Lee! Off told me what had happened before! He's making my blood boil! Argh! And the fact that he did that when he knew Tay is taken?! He's such a snake!" Gun said as balled his right hand into a fist and slammed it into his thigh.

New started crying again, "I'm mad at Lee, too, but... Gun, we were doing okay, Tay and I. Or so I thought. These past few months I thought we were happy. I thought he understood why I'm in this situation in the first place. But the words he said tonight... Gun, it broke me." New sobbed harder. "All this time he's been feeling like a paramour and I got hurt. God knows how I wake up every morning still touching the other side of the bed, thinking he's there. Imagine my disappointment when I realize he's not. I spend the day thinking about the next time we could see each other because I miss him every single day. I sleep at night with tears in my eyes because I feel so empty without him beside me. I needed what I had to do but that doesn't mean I love him less! But I failed to make him feel that, didn't I? He said...he said he felt less and less as a boyfriend. Is that why he looked for comfort in another's arms? Does Lee provide what I failed to give? Does Lee make him more loved and happier? Just thinking about losing him makes me so scared, Gun. I don't want to. I don't want to." New shook his head frantically. "But what if that's what he wants? What if he didn't push him away because he felt something in that kiss?"

"You're being paranoid again, Newwiee."

"But I have a good reason now, Gun! I saw them! All the thoughts and jealous feelings that I tried to bury resurfaced at once the moment I saw them. I want to fight for Tay. I do. I want to go back to how we used to. But I can't just leave Mint and Luna all of a sudden. When I agreed to this, I agreed to take responsibility as well. And as much as I want to fight for Tay, what if he would not want me to anymore? What should I do, Gun? We're nearing our fourth year already. Will I still have him when the day comes? I don't know what to do. I'm lost and I'm scared. He's my home. I don't know what to do if lose my home, Gun."

Gun just hugged New and let him cry on his shoulders.

I don't know what you should do, New. But I know what I have to do. I'll see you soon, Lee, you sick son of a bitch.

---

When Off arrived at Tay's apartment, he saw Tay sitting on the floor in the living room. He was leaning on the wall and staring ahead.

Off sat next to him and nobody spoke for a while.

Then Tay broke the silence. "I feel like shit, Peng. I said words that I shouldn't have."

Off looked at Tay. His best friend looked tired and defeated plus his eyes are swollen. "Tell me what happened." Tay nodded and told him everything.

"He misunderstood, Peng." Tay's tears started falling and he aggressively wiped as them as he continued to speak. "But instead of making him understand, I told him words that I shouldn't have. Did I fail him, Peng? Did I fail to be the boyfriend I promised to be? I failed to make him feel secured. I failed to make him feel the love he deserved."

"You needed to let out what you felt, Peng. Don't blame yourself too much."

"But that wasn't the right time. I should have let him speak. I should have let him calm down first so I would be able to explain that I was in a state of a shock that's why I was not able to push Lee away. See? It could have been that easy. But I let my anger get the better of me and now I'm afraid that he would not be able to forgive me."

Off put his arm around Tay's shoulders and let him lean on his. Tay cried as he buried his face there.

"What if he won't talk to me anymore? What if he thought I was cheating on him? Peng, I would never. I would die first before it happens. I love New so much but I don't know where I went wrong. What did I do that made him feel insecure? What did I do to make him trust me less? I told myself that I would never let New be hurt. Ever. But he's hurting now because of me and I can't be there because I'm afraid that I might hurt him more. I don't want to lose my reason for living, Peng. I can't lose my home. What should I do? Peng, I'm scared."

Off caressed Tay's shoulder to help the latter calm down. The other's cries echoed through the room and he can't help but pity his best friend.

He was there throughout their whole relationship, from the very first time they met up to now, and he saw nothing but pure love between the two and as much as Tay's hurting, he can't really blame New. New did what he had to do. That's one thing he admired about him - he takes huge leaps for people he care about. He can't blame Tay, too. His feelings are valid and he's entitled to feel that way.

So that leaves one person.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and texted him.

To: Lee Thanat

We need to talk.

A few minutes have passed before he received a reply.

From: Lee Thanat

Wow. It's been a while, P'Off.

To: Lee Thanat

I don't care.

From: Lee Thanat

Is this about P'Tay and Newwiee? 55555 okay. Let's meet up tomorrow.

Off gripped his phone hard as he stared at Lee's reply.

The audacity to laugh of this piece of shit. Let's see you laugh tomorrow, Lee. You mess with my friends, I'll mess with you, too.

---