BUILD
Build had suffered through three years of a cruel summer, alone.
The weather had never been kind—rainy or stormy days filled the time, leaving no room for the sun to shine.
This year, even the summer felt gloomy, a reflection of the heaviness in his heart.
Today was the homecoming for KinnPorsche.
The event should have excited him, but instead, there was only a gnawing feeling of dread. It had been a week since he had come home, yet he hadn't heard from Bible, not once. Not even a single word. Not even a text or a call.
For the past week,
Build had done nothing but read Bible's letters, ones that had been sent a year and a half ago.
He clung to them, as they were the only connection he had left.
Each letter was like a bittersweet dagger to his heart.
He cried over them, missing Bible even more with each passing day.
And now, standing at the crossroads of the alumni event, Build's heart ached more than ever.
The thought of seeing Bible again made his chest tighten.
He had been to Bible's apartment the previous week, only to find that he was no longer living there. He couldn't bring himself to ask their colleagues where he had gone.
The last time he had asked, they had told him to move on.
They hadn't told him that Bible had found someone else or that Bible had moved on with a new family or a lover.
Build couldn't and wouldn't move on—not yet. Not until he had the chance to speak to Bible.
If Bible told him that he no longer loved him, then he would walk away, but not before that.Build stood under the shower for what felt like hours, his heart drumming in his chest.
The anticipation of seeing Bible again, after all this time, left him feeling apprehensive.
He tried to prepare himself for what he would say, but most of all, for what he might learn.
His last letter to Bible had been clear—
if Bible had moved on, if he had found someone new and loved them with all his heart, then Build would let him go.
But the truth was, Build wasn't sure he could accept that. It would be a lie.
What he truly wanted was to be the only one for Bible.
He wanted them to end up together, to find their way back to each other.
Taking a deep breath, Build dressed in his best outfit, trying to steady his shaking hands. He drove to the studio, but once he arrived, he stayed in the car for a while, watching his friends enter the building.
The nerves rattled through him, his knees weakening under the weight of his emotions.
He felt like he couldn't breathe. For the nth time, he sighed deeply and opened the car door.
"Dada!" A child's voice broke through the silence.
Build froze, his heart skipping a beat.
He turned toward the voice, only to see the one person he had been looking for all week.
The one person who had haunted his thoughts, the person he had once called his home.
Bible stood there, holding the child in his arms, his eyes meeting Build's for the first time in what felt like forever.
He looked different. More handsome, more mature.
The years had been kind to him, but the sight of Bible left Build's heart shattering in his chest.
He had missed him so much, but this—seeing him with someone else—was a pain that no amount of time or distance could prepare him for.
"Bible..." Build whispered, the word tasting like both a plea and a goodbye, as his entire being crumbled before him.
"Build..." Bible replied softly, holding the child close, his gaze filled with something that Build couldn't quite decipher.
Build's heart cracked wide open, and he felt himself drowning in the ache of unspoken words and lost time.
The person he had loved, the person who had once been his everything, was now someone else's.
And that truth—standing right in front of him—was the most painful thing he had ever had to face.
