Here All Along

chapter - 35

A/n:
Tw - death of a minor character ⚠️

....

A month later

"Hey.." Win smiled weakly, "come on in."

I hugged him gently. A mild, fresh fragrance of cinnamon and sunflower seeds engulfed me. Win always carried the entire soul of Naurburi in himself or may be it was just me who thought that way. He also smelled of medicines. I wished nobody would have to smell of medicines. But i was there, knowing soon, I'd probably too.

"You look great" i said, "homey, may be?"

He let out a faint chuckle, "yeah. You look awful."

"I haven't been smothering myself by home made food so yeah.."

"Quit complaining."

"How's mae?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, chewing his lips. I nodded in understanding and held his hand before walking inside.

"She's still sleeping" he whispered as we looked at her from the threshold of her room. I could almost not recognise aunt Irin. The illness had squeezed almost every ounce of life out of her.

"I'm always afraid when she falls asleep. To think what if this time would be the time she doesn't wake up.."

I rubbed my thumb across his palm. He held on to my hand tighter.

"Let's talk outside" i murmured.

We walked out of the house and he asked if i was tired and going to grandparents'. I was but he sounded like he had some plan and so I shook my head in a no.

"Let's go eat something first" he said, "want to go to the lakeside? I miss going there."

I frowned, "you've been here for what, a month? Weren't you making a visit?"

"Without you?" he asked slowly.

I did not question back for he already answered me.

.
.
.
.

"How have you been?" he asked, plucking the short grasses within his range, probably just like his thoughts.

We were sitting by the lake. It was a warm afternoon, not too windy but pleasant enough to be out.

"Alright" i replied, "you?"

"Same" he said.

"Phi Earth told me you broke up with Phi Adam" he said after a long pause.

I flustered red on hearing him say it like an allegation for a crime he foresaw me committing.

I coughed, "uhm yeah, i was about to tell you. It's just..i don't know."

"You didn't have to" he said, "tell me, i mean."

"Yeah but..we never hide things from each other" i said.

"I doubt that" he mumbled, his gaze faraway and lost into the silver ripples.

"How's Kavin?" I asked, against my better judgement of the situation.

"Good" he said, "busy, may be."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Two weeks ago. He has some campaign thing in Phuket for which he had to collect documents from home."

"So meeting you wasn't the reason he came?" I asked.

Win did not reply. I did not pry further. If he did not know yet that he deserved better, i was not going to tell him that again and jeopardise my friendship with him (or whatever of it was left).