Risking The Hate

Chapter 22: Come back to bed🔥

Sarawat's POV

Tine was on his third glass of whisky and I already knew he was tipsy. Two glasses were his limit. After which, he would become a different version of Tine. It reminded me of the last time Tine got drunk after drinking half a dozen tequila shots when we were out for dinner, trying out different restaurants for the beer festival.

That's when I learned Tine starts talking really fast every time he got drunk, and unexpectedly, he would turn into a true flirt.

The more he drank, the faster he talked, and the more he flirted.

It came as a crashing surprise to me. The first thought on my mind was — did he do that with everyone else too? Did he flirt with everyone he got drunk with? Or just me? Honestly, I was too afraid to even find out. The thought of someone else seeing Tine like this seared through my heart.

When Tine clung to me that night and said 'my buttons were making him lose his sanity,' every part of my body began to crumble.

When Tine wrapped his arms around me and said he hated how much he liked me — there was a fire that ignited inside me.

I wanted to take Tine back to my room, build a fortress, and keep him beside me forever.

I wanted to love Tine and keep him happy forever.

So I waited patiently. I waited for Tine to walk up to me on his own and show me his heart. I wanted him to come to me, dead sober and tell me he wanted me — and he did. It took him time to see my heart but he did. And I will forever be thankful for the heavens for that. Everyday with Tine is a new adventure, a new blessing.

When Tine joined the company three years ago, I knew about it right away. I just wasn't sure I wanted to meet Tine again when I was at my worst. I wasn't sure what good would come out of meeting Tine again because I assumed he was engaged. It would only break my heart more.

So I left. I left the country in search of myself. In search of the new Sarawat who didn't burn money on crazy parties. The Sarawat who didn't need expensive cars to feel better about himself. The Sarawat who didn't have fake friends around him. The Sarawat who didn't get drunk and made unforgivable mistakes.

Tine had left for Japan but I always thought about him. Almost felt thankful that he wasn't there in college watching my downfall like the others.

Two and half years later, when I came back to Bangkok for holidays, I went to the company's office Christmas party for a short while. No one noticed me because they didn't even know who I was. But I did notice Tine, smiling and talking with his colleagues. It tugged a string in my heart and made me realise how much I was still in love with him. Tine was like the sun, always gleaming and lightening up the room.

It made me realise that if I didn't make an attempt to woo Tine, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

That's how, I decided to join the company after all. The only thing I knew about Tine was that he still wasn't married, and considering how much he worked in the office, he was probably single. I wasn't sure though, but if this was my only chance to woo Tine, I wanted to show him I could be the better man for him. Turns out, I didn't need to fight anyone to be with Tine — I just needed to fight through Tine's delusion that he hated me.

Tine never hated me. I know that. I always knew that. He just hated that he wanted me. The tension between us was just too real to ignore.

I didn't think I was good enough for Tine then, and three years later, I probably still am not. But now, now I want to try and be a better man for Tine.