Devil Doesn't Bargain (Completed)

Chapter 08: Why Are You So Sad, Pete?

"A broken heart is all that's left
I'm still fixing all the cracks
Lost a couple of pieces when
I carried it, carried it, carried it home"

~*~

Pete's behavior was driving me crazy. What's wrong with this man?! Why is he suddenly letting me do everything and not even trying to convince me to change my mind? Earlier, although he tried to talk me out of silly ideas, he even made a presentation a few times when I wanted to make a fire in the middle of the room, because I dreamed of camping. So what happened? I was just looking at my pale pink, brown-mingled hair that looked terrible with rainbow shirt and waited for Pete to react somehow, but he stared blankly at me.

"Why didn't you forbid me from dyeing my hair, you know that I don't look good in such strange colors!" I growled, and he bowed his head, apologizing.

I sighed because yelling at someone who looked sad like a puppy made no sense. Over the past few days, I felt Pete turned into a ghost. Last night we made a comedy movie night and the only person who didn't laugh even once was him. He just stared dead at the screen, I don't even think he was really watching what was going on there. It made me so angry I kicked him out from the room.

Today I decided to launch my new karaoke set. Arm and Pol danced around singing to the tune, and Pete stood there like a pillar, not even looking in our direction. The screams did not help, the crying did not help, even Porsche not know what was happening. I was so desperate that I went to visit a nearby temple, but the monk, after seeing Pete, only said there was no cure for a broken heart. I huffed at that, because how could my darling Pete be heartbroken. I've never seen him with a girlfriend or boyfriend. Always work, work and work. This monk did not know what he was saying.

Now I was sitting in front of the couch, my favorite drama was on the TV, but all I was focusing on was Pete's blank gaze.

"Pete, maybe you want to watch something special?" I asked and Arm gazed at me in surprise.

I immediately looked at him, pointing my eyes at Pete, and he adjusted his glasses and sat down next to him.

"Exactly Pete, why don't we watch something together, what do you want?" he asked ingratiatingly, but the boy looked at him without emotion.

"It doesn't matter," he said, and I felt like taking a pillow and slapping him hard on the head.

What was this behavior at all? What happened and who did it to him! I needed to know that immediately.

"Enough of this," I warned, taking his hand. "What's going on, talk! But don't you pretend it's nothing, Pete, or I'll have you swim a thousand times in pool."

"No problem, sir," he replied and stood up, quickly walking outside.

I was dumbfounded as I watched him disappear through the door, and this time it was me who looked blankly at Arm. Then I found out that Pete really did swim a thousand times, and then passed out as he tried to stepped out of pool. Good thing Porsche was there to take the boy out of the water before he drowned.

Fear seized me because I didn't know what to do. It was as if we were losing Pete, as if he was dying slowly, withering like a deserted flower that was not watered by anyone.

~*~

I stood at the club, sipping another drink and watching Tankhun dance with Pol and Arm. The three of them were fooling around on the dance floor, and of course the one who led them was the crazy Khun. On the other side, at the bar, was Pete, staring with that strange, dead gaze somewhere in the distance. Under normal circumstances, I would have walked up to him trying to get some information as to why he suddenly was acting so weird, but in the three days since I found him in the shower, Pete began to drift away from me and everyone else.