A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 23

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Mark's POV

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  And I couldn't believe that what I was hearing was actually coming out of my very own father's mouth, of all people. I had believed all this time that he approved of my closeness with Gun. I guess I was wrong. I was totally, heartbreakingly, wrong.

"He has to fly immediately back to Thailand," my father stubbornly insisted. He wasn't going to be swayed in any way.

"Daaad !!!  Pleeeeeeze !!! Noooooohhh !!!" I cried. I pleaded. I was ready to get down on my knees to beg him to change his mind. "You can't do that to him! You can't do that to me! I love him, Dad! I really do!"

I ignored the fact that Gun had jerked his head towards me, wide eyed  in astonishment at my sudden revelation. I was past caring whether he felt the same way towards me or not.

"Please don't separate us, Dad," I pleaded once more.

My heart sank when I saw the grim determination on my father's face.

"He has to go back to Thailand, Mark," my father said in a voice that brooked no argument. "I received a call from his stepfather just a few minutes ago. He gave me the news that Gun's mother suffered from a cardiac arrest and is currently in the intensive ... "

My dad did not have a chance to finish his sentence. Gun rushed out of the room. I ran after him.

"Gun!" I called after him but he just kept on running.

I followed him as he ran in the direction of the employees' living quarters.

"Gun! Stop!" I did not give him a chance to close the door after him. I was close on his heels.

I grabbed his arm saying, "I will fly out with you to Thailand."

He finally gave me his attention, but only to reject me.

"I am not a child, Mark," he said. "I can handle this emergency by myself."

I sighed. I tried not to show my frustration.

"Gun, I'm not offering to fly with you because I don't think that you're capable of handling the situation. I'm offering to fly with you because I want to be with you. I want to be by your side as long as I can but especially at a time like this when someone you love is in critical condition,"  I said in the most persuasive tone I could muster.

He turned his back to me and started taking his clothes and other stuff from the closet and placing them into his suitcase.

I touched his shoulder lightly. "Please, Gun," my voice was barely above a whisper, my chest feeling tight.

He continued to place his clothes into his suitcase but his face looked like he was thinking things over at least.

Finally he said, "I don't think your father will allow you to leave your responsibilities and obligations to the villa at your whim."

"If my father says I can go with you, will you let me?" I countered.

He looked up from his suitcase.

"Yes, Mark," he said with a grateful smile.

I could not stop myself from giving him a tight hug before running out of his room.

I did not even bother to knock on my father's office door. I rushed inside ready to plead my case.

Before I could say a word, he stood up to take some papers from his printer and handed them to me.

My eyes widened in happy surprise.

They were Gun's and my Thai Airways tickets. We were scheduled to catch the evening flight to Bangkok.

I gave my father a tearful wordless hug of immense gratitude.

"Give him all the emotional support that you can," was all he said to me.

"I will, Dad, I will," I said, feeling guilty all at once for doubting him earlier and thinking that he was going to drive Gun away from the villa for no reason other than just to separate him from me.

I ran back in the direction of the employees' living quarters.

Gun was already halfway across the courtyard.

I waved the papers at him.

When he realized that they were our tickets to Thailand, he let go of his suitcase and hugged me tight.

Then before I could realize what was happening, I felt him place both hands on either side of my face and planted his lips on mine.