Midnight Rendezvous: A SandRay Story

Chapter 14: Betrayals and Conflicts

Sand's POV

As the night came to a close at the bar, I found myself torn between heading back to Ray's mansion or just retreating to the solitude of my own home. Ray had told me to wait for him, but doubt still gnawed at me. I reluctantly hailed a cab, well aware that my wallet couldn't afford such extravagance, and made my way back to his luxurious residence.

The mansion was just as quiet and still as I had left it, with the housekeeper probably still fast asleep. There was no sign of Ray in the bedroom, and a heavy feeling settled in my chest. I undressed slowly and slipped into the bed, the effects of the drinks pulling me into the embrace of oblivion.

When I finally stirred from my slumber, the clock read noon, but there was still no sign of Ray. What had I expected, really? I got out of bed despite the pounding in my head, my hangover serving as a painful reminder of last night's indulgence. Deciding to leave, I felt a sense of unease clawing at me.

Ray and I had talked things through, but he hadn't explicitly stated that we were in a relationship. He had admitted to having feelings for me, yet the shadow of his past love for Mew still loomed large. With Top now seemingly out of the picture, anxiety crept under my skin. It wouldn't take much for Ray to swoop back into Mew's life, and where would that leave me?

Unable to suppress the rising hysteria beneath my calm exterior, I made the decision to head home and seek out Nick, Boston's jilted lover. Nick was my neighbor, and we had formed a friendly bond over the past three years. While we didn't hang out frequently, our shared love for anime and online gaming had always made our interactions enjoyable. Nick was the geeky, tech-savvy type, and it was easy to connect with him on a personal level. I had no idea how he had ended up dating Boston, or whatever one would call their arrangement, but I wanted to check on him after the events of last night and perhaps gain more insight into what had transpired.

Nick was a mess, his tears mingling with the guilt that gnawed at him. He felt utterly broken-hearted over the revelation he had unleashed on Mew. His emotions had been triggered by the callous response he received when he tried to confess his feelings to Boston. Boston had simply laughed in his face, coldly stating that he didn't do relationships, and that this had been clear from the start. Nick stumbled upon those incriminating pictures the week before, while he was casually exploring Boston's room as Boston showered. Little did he know at the time that he held in his possession a potentially explosive weapon, not just against Boston but also against Top.

Nick was understandably bewildered and horrified by the realization that while they had all been hanging out together, acting like everything was normal, Boston and Top had been sneaking around behind everyone's backs. What pushed Nick over the edge was overhearing Boston in the bar's restroom, casually telling Top that he wanted him to visit later after he dropped Mew off at home. In that moment, Nick saw red, and the next thing he knew, he had sent all the damning evidence to Mew.

If the situation weren't so serious, I might have found some dark humor in the fact that Nick, of all people, had fallen in love with the notorious slutty, Boston. It seemed that, in a twisted way, we shared a common experience - both of us hopelessly infatuated with the friends who could never return our affections. It was a bitter irony that only fate seemed to find amusing.

My thoughts drifted back to Ray, and I couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't sent me a single message since he left last night. It felt like déjà vu, mirroring Nick's situation. Was I fated to endure a broken heart because I had chosen to overlook the glaring fact that I didn't own Ray's heart? Sure, Ray liked me, enjoyed being with me, but his heart would always belong to Mew. I could already sense the bitterness welling up inside me, knowing that I would have to bite my tongue every time he rushed to save Mew or responded to Mew's beck and call. Was I strong enough to handle that kind of relationship? Or was I foolish enough to settle for it?

A solitary tear slipped from my eye as I held Nick while he sobbed. At that moment, it wasn't entirely clear whether I was comforting him or if he was comforting me. We were two wounded souls, deeply hurt by men we could never truly possess. It was a harsh reality that seemed to echo the words of countless love songs and novels, where love often defied reason and sense.

Ray's POV

I stirred from my sleep, feeling slightly disoriented about my surroundings until I looked down at the hand clutched in my own. It was Mew's hand. We had fallen asleep together in his bed, my presence there meant to comfort him until the dawn's light spilled through the slight crack in his blackout curtains. He had been inconsolable, crying out about his love for Top and the excruciating pain of discovering the betrayal, especially since it was with his friend, Boston. It was a tangled mess of emotions. Apparently, Top and Boston had been sleeping together before Top introduced Boston to Mew. What Top hadn't expected to become a serious relationship had now turned into a tangled web of deceit, with Boston continuing to sleep with Top behind Mew's back.

Top's actions had my blood boiling. How could he betray Mew, who had placed so much trust in him, even giving him his virginity, something Mew had managed to hold onto throughout college despite countless opportunities? I had always sensed that Top was trouble from the start. And as for Boston, I couldn't even fathom the depth of betrayal, sleeping with his best friend's boyfriend. That was just low, a complete violation of the unspoken rules of friendship.

I carefully extricate myself from the bed, leaving Mew in a peaceful slumber. I needed to call Syrup and ask her to stay with him today; he needed someone to lean on during this trying time. After securing her agreement, I headed down to the kitchen to prepare a simple porridge breakfast for Mew. Anything more might upset his stomach in his fragile state. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of sympathy and worry for him, my heart aching as I watched him suffer.

As I sat there last night, listening to Mew pour out his grief over Top and Boston's betrayal, a heavy weight settled in my chest. I knew that this could be my chance to show Mew that I was the better choice for him, but there was no excitement in my heart. Instead, my primary concern was for Mew's pain, and I was resolute in my determination to do whatever I could to ease it.

However, as much as I wanted to be there for Mew, my thoughts couldn't help but drift to Sand. The worry about how he would react to my prolonged absence gnawed at me. I had promised to return to him, and yet I couldn't possibly leave Mew in his time of need. The turmoil in my mind made it incredibly challenging to focus on anything else.

The conflict within me intensified ast the time passed. Was I also in a way betraying Mew when he needed me the most by not giving him the undivided attention he deserved? It was a painful internal struggle, torn between two people who held a special place in my heart.

I left Mew in Syrup's capable hands, torn between my responsibility to him and my growing concern for Sand. The situation was driving me to the brink of insanity, and I knew I had to make a decision. I drove wearily back home, leaving the still-sleeping Mew in Syrup's care, reminding her to give me a call if they needed me for anything.

As I stepped into the room, a heavy silence engulfed me. It was evident that Sand was no longer there. I had been holding onto a glimmer of hope, thinking that perhaps he would still be waiting for me, despite the late hour. I wanted Sand to understand that I valued him and didn't want to hurt him, but I also needed to be there for Mew, just as Mew had been there for me when I needed him in the past.

What troubled me the most was the silence between Sand and me. Not a single message or call. I knew I could have been the one to reach out, but I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how to reassure him that things between us were alright because, truth be told, even I wasn't sure if they were. We had confessed our feelings, yes, but we hadn't agreed to define our relationship beyond spending time together. I couldn't help but worry about how Sand would react to my absence last night. Had he waited for me? The uncertainty gnawed at me, and I was eager to find him and clear the air. However, my exhaustion eventually caught up with me, and I succumbed to a restless sleep, determined to seek out Sand as soon as I woke up.