A Very Stormy Holiday

Chapter 3

Rain doesn't look up when Phayu walks into the bakery. That is the first sign that something is wrong. Rain has never greeted Phayu with anything less than the sunniest of smiles.

Rain finishes up with the customer in front of Phayu then says, "Can I help you, sir?" In a cold business-like voice.

Rain has never called Phayu anything but Phi before.

"Rain?" Phayu asks in an unsure voice.

"Please place an order or leave, sir. There are customers waiting." Rain says.

It's then the Phayu realizes that Rain knows.

"Rain I was going to tell you." Phayu tries.

"Oh, you were going to tell me that you came to town to destroy my source of income with your money hungry chain? That makes things so much better." Rain says sarcastically. "You can leave now."

"Rain..." Phayu tries.

"I said, you can leave." Rain turns and greets the next customer. Ignoring Phayu completely.

As Phayu leaves, the possibility of punching Pai as soon as he gets into town this weekend crosses his mind.

"P'Rain, is handsome movie star uncle not coming here tonight?" Lys asks.

Rain almost snaps at her not to call the alpha that but bites it back just in time. None of this is his sister's fault and it would be wrong to take his hurt out on her.

"Not tonight Eerie." He says with false cheeriness. Lys scrunches her nose at the hated nickname. "Why don't I call P'Sky to see if he can come for dinner. The two of you can nerd out."

In truth, Rain just wants someone to talk to. Maybe he and Sky can break open that bottle of rum after Lys goes to bed. Rain very seldom drinks but tonight it just seems like a good idea.

"So are you ready to tell me what's wrong?" Sky asks. Rain had just tucked Lys in and grabbed the bottle of rum and some sodas from the cupboard. He mixes them each a drink, adding a few cubes of ice, before answering.

"P'Phayu is the owner of Tasty Treats, well one of the owners. I looked them up online and he and someone named Prapai own the company together." Rain says before taking a large swallow of his drink. He pulls out his phone and pulls up the page that has the information about Tasty Treats on it. He shoves the phone over to Sky.

Sky looks a little shocked at the news. He studies the phone carefully with a frown and reads through the article a couple of times.

"So, P'Phayu and this," Sky studies the name carefully again, "Prapai are the owners of Tasty Treats and P'Phayu never told you."

"He said he was going to." Rain says with a slightly bitter laugh.

"So are you upset because P'Phayu didn't tell you or because he is one of the ones bringing the chain here?" Sky asks.

"Both I guess," Rain says. "I don't know, it just hurts."

"It hurts because you like him," Sky says. "You are feeling betrayed."

Rain shakes his head in denial. How can he still like him? The alpha had broken his trust.

"Rain, for the first time since I met you, there was something beyond work and your sister that made you happy." Sky says, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to just forgive the alpha. What he did was horrible. I am just saying, maybe don't close that door and lock it."

Rain knows Sky is trying to help but he doesn't see a way that he and P'Phayu can get past this. Maybe Rain could forgive the alpha for not telling him, but how can Rain get past the fact that P'Phayu is taking away one of the things Rain loves most.