A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 31

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

Third Person POV

In his big hurry to get away from Gun, Boat did not even notice that he had bumped into Mark who had been standing a few distance behind Gun.

Gun was not aware that Mark had been on his way to the kitchen to get himself a drink of water. When Mark heard the voices of Gun and Boat he had stopped in his tracks.

Mark almost lost his balance when Boat bumped into him. Boat had not stopped but kept running until he reached his car in the driveway and drove off like mad back to his friend Pitch's house.

Mark lost his desire to get a drink of water. He quickly walked back into the guest room and started packing his personal stuff.

He waited until Gun went back into his room. Then he stuck the following note on Gun's door:

I did not want to wake you up to say good bye. I have to fly back to Sulawesi Island. My parents need me there right now. Don't hurry back to the villa. Take your time to grieve. I will ask my father to contact you if he needs you back. Take care, Mark

Mark used a phone app to order for a taxicab ride to the airport. When he got notification that the taxi was waiting outside, he quietly showed himself out the door and out into the curbside where the taxi was.

The shock and the hurt was too deep for Mark to even allow the tears to flow.

Mark took the red  eye flight to Jakarta and then the ferry ride to Sulawesi Island.

Mark's father was surprised to see Mark back at the villa. He had not been expecting Mark to come back that soon.

Throughout the day Mark kept receiving frantic texts and calls from Gun. He placed his phone inside the drawer of his office desk and locked his drawer. He wanted to avoid getting distracted from his work.

Mark buried himself in his work, not allowing himself any chance to dwell on the sudden tragic and devastating turn of events.

By morning of the following day, Mark came to a decision. He sent a text to Gun telling him that the villa had hired a new General Assistant and that there was no need for him to come back to Sulawesi Island. Anyway the reason for Gun to run away from home no longer existed.

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"What happened to you???" Pitch asked Boat in alarm. "You look like you have seen a ghost!"

Boat did not answer. Instead he said, "I badly need to shower now."

While washing off the day's sweat and grime, Boat let Gun's words sink slowly into his brain.

No. No. No! Please, no. No freaking way, Gun. Please, no freaking way.

He scrubbed the soap bar hard against his arm, the arm that Gun earlier had clung to tightly. As if rubbing the soap against his skin would drive away the reality of the confession that he just heard.

How, how could he have overlooked all those small hints. He had been so blind because he was too focused on his newly wedded bliss with Gun's mom. And because he had completely ignored Gun's attempts at getting his attention, Gun had turned hostile and critical towards him, to the point of eventually running away from home.

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'What the hell, Mark' Gun thought in anger and disappointment when he received Mark's text that the villa had hired a new General Assistant. Just when he needed to get away because he had made one last try at getting Boat's attention but had been savagely rejected.

Without further thought, Gun packed a few personal stuff into a duffel bag and made his way to the airport.

Before leaving, he left a note on Boat's bedroom door.

I have decided to go back to Sulawesi Island. Don't come after me. You have no more reason to come after me.

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"I remember you!" The flight attendant exclaimed at seeing Gun.

He was the same flight attendant who had offered to let Gun sleep in his apartment until he could find a small hotel to stay while looking for a job in Indonesia. The flight attendant's name was Intan.

"Yes, I remember you too!" Gun said with a smile.

Gun's smile, however, did not reach his eyes. He was still feeling deeply sad at Boat's rejection of him. And as if that was not enough, Gun had received a text from Mark to let him know that the villa had hired a new General Assistant. When it rains ... 

"How have you been?" Intan asked while offering Gun snacks and a drink.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Gun said with a heavy heart.

"I won't insist," Intan assured Gun before moving away to offer the tray of snacks and drinks to the other passengers.

It was almost evening by the time that Gun arrived at the villa.

Gun went straight to Mark's father's office.

Gun was mentally and physically exhausted and did not think about knocking first before entering the office. He turned the doorknob and burst in.

Gun froze in his spot when he saw Mark sobbing into his father's chest.