After Us

Chapter 14 : Confessions

He wasn't really expecting this call, nor would he even have welcomed it if not for the fact that if he didn't, his sister would make his brother call him instead. To be fair, he could just avoid talking to all of them altogether, but just the thought of that didn't sit well with him no matter how long he'd been away from them to live on his own.

Five seconds in the conversation and his sister was already pouting, making him want to regret ever agreeing for a video call when he could have lied about being busy about something. He did his best not to sigh and decided to ask her what was wrong instead.

"You want to hear the truth, P'Tharn?" she asked, as if Tharn saying no would actually stop her. Tharn heaved another sigh and nodded at her. "Well, today, you're actually not my favorite brother anymore." she said, even crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she said this.

Oh hell, Tharn mused to himself.

Here we go again.

He decided to, once again, indulge her on her whims despite knowing he would regret it.

"So, big brother Thorn beat me to the top spot again, huh? Why? It's not because of my very expensive, and very thoughtful gift for your fifteenth birthday not making it in on time, is it? But, princess, you know that's not my fault. I swear I sent it way before -"

"No, it's not that. Of course it's not because of that, Phi." she cut in, her pretty eyes intently staring him over through the screen.

"Oh, please don't tell me this is about that again," he groaned, because seriously, when was this going to stop? It wasn't like he was being so open about it, and even if he did, was it his fault that he was just trying to enjoy his life as he liked? "Come on, princess, don't be like this. I mean, is it my fault that me and -"

"P'Type isn't going to wait for you forever, P'Tharn and you know it," Thanya countered as if she didn't even hear him, and the urge to groan helplessly in answer was so strong he'd barely even resisted it. "But maybe that's what you wanted anyway. Since you're still dating that bast -"

"Princess, language!" somewhere in the background, their older brother yelled, prompting their sister to shut her mouth for a moment, rolled her eyes and tried again.

"That rude foreigner, fine, happy now?!" she countered, saying that last bit louder than what was necessary.

Tharn sighed again. "That's not my fault either, is it now, princess?" he said. He wanted to say more, like explain to her why her wishes for him and Type to be together wasn't ever going to be, but he didn't want to upset her more than she already was now that she had brought up the topic once again. It wasn't like he hadn't been keeping track of what she had been sharing either because, how could he not, when she was more enthusiastic about the most recent conversation she had with Type or how they'd gone out for lunch to celebrate Type's birthday when Type had gone back to Bangkok for a brief visit instead of any story she should be sharing about herself? It had always been like that for a while now that he was certain it was deliberate, but he couldn't find the heart to shut her out or even ask her to stop.

Was it her fault? Maybe. But he was partly to blame too. He didn't know what was keeping him from turning her away, from absorbing everything she cared to share about the man who'd broken his heart when everytime she did, the anger and the pain would always resurface.

"No, but maybe if you stopped for a minute and breathed, just take a while to remember how much you loved each other before, you'll see that things aren't as they seem to be like how they were in the beginning. P'Tharn, I know it hurts. I know what he did hurt you, but if you only gave him a chance like we all hoped you would, you will know that everything he did, everything he's done has always been for you and you only."