ZeeNuNew: The Confession

ZeeNuNew: The Confession Part 2

The drive to our spot was silent, but comfortable.

We had long moved past the stage where we had to fill the silence to cover the awkwardness. After spending so much time together, we fully trusted each other and could just be without pretense. Now, I simply watched the night go by as we drove to the sea.

It seemed sort of ridiculous to drive to Pattaya this late at night, practically morning. It may be two hours from Bangkok, but when Hia asked if we could go to our spot, I didn't hesitate. I wasn't tired, the buzz of finishing had lit a fire in all of us. Since I was young, and had a difficult schedule between school and filming, I was used to little sleep at the moment.

I continued to look out the window as the landscape morphed from a metropolis to a dreamy beachscape. I rolled down the window, sticking my head out, enjoying the balmy calm of the new scenery. Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply, enjoying the moment, letting go of some of the stress from the last couple of months.

As I continued to relax, I felt Hia's hand come to cover my right hand, turning it over so that we could intertwine our fingers. Hia brought my hand up to his mouth, giving it butterfly kisses.

Shy, I tried to pull away my hand, "Hia..."

"Hia rak Nu na." I love you.

"I love you too, Hia." As I looked over, Hia glanced at me and all I could think was:

Hia is so handsome.

His pupils and irises melded into a dark pool, shining with a certain mischievousness that was uniquely his. Even though Hia was approaching 30, he still looked young, but maybe that is because he was truly a child at heart. He had kept his hair styled from set, so it was fashioned in the Korean comma-like form, one side of it slicked back from his forehead. He had slight laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. I knew he was self-conscious about it, but I thought it added character, it showed how he had enjoyed life so far. I flickered my eyes around his face, taking in his charisma and, well, sexiness.

Realizing that I was staring, Hia pouted, "Is there something on my face?"

And so cute.

"No Hia, sorry." I quickly looked away, trying to find something to distract me outside.

Chuckling, he held onto my hand tighter, bringing it up to softly rub it against his cheek. "You did the same thing the first time we spent time together. Can you believe that we've been coming here for months now?"

"Not really, Hia. It feels like a lifetime ago. I almost don't want it to end."

"Me either, but I think this is just the beginning. The ratings were great, and everyone loves you, my crushed jelly. Plus–Oi! Jeb! Why did you pinch my cheek?!"

"That's what you get for calling me 'crushed jelly'. I'm well aware that I have squishy cheeks!" And with that I pulled my hand away from his, crossing my arms, glaring out of the front of the car.

"NuNew...NuNew...Nong Nu...Terak...love..."

At that I turned to look at him, still glaring. "You think calling me pet names will make the situation better huh?"

"Hia is sorry, really. I was just trying to make a point that everyone finds you adorable, and it's not just your face. You have such an endearing personality. You always wish the best for everyone, and you always make people feel comfortable, like they can be themselves. You brighten up a room. And you may be a first time actor, but we all know how hard you've worked and it shows up on screen. You're a born natural. And personally, you've made me find strength in vulnerability. I may be softer, but I care more. You filled a gap in my heart I didn't even know I was missing, love."

I was so touched by Hia's short speech, and I was glad that others found me so easygoing and nice to be around, even happier that my hard work came to fruition and was loved by many, but all I could think about was what had happened in the last minute.

That's twice now that Hia has called me 'love'.