Don't Fall In Love | HeartLiming | GeminiFourth

Chapter 8: Habits

Li Ming gave Heart's mom, Jintana, a wai and turned around to close the door as she ordered. His fingers were trembling as he held the doorknob and pulled the door close, giving Heart's peacefully sleeping figure one last look. He was never this glad to see someone sleeping.

"He is not wearing his hearing aids, right?" Jintana asked.

Li Ming nodded, still standing there like a kid getting punished for misbehaving. He was also glad Heart was much taller than him, because his t-shirt was covering the most important parts of Li Ming at that moment. The situation was already so embarrassing, he wouldn't want to put more on top of it.

"Come, sit," Heart mother gestured to the sofa. She was still standing there, leaning against the counter.

Li Ming obediently walked to the other side of the room, taking a seat on the edge of the gray cushion.

"I should've known it was you," she started. "He's been acting so weird for the past few weeks. Always distracted, always busy with something. He hasn't even looked at our faces since we came here, he is living with his head buried in his phone."

Li Ming kept his eyes on the floor, bowing a little while mouthing an apology.

"I should've known," she tsked. "He has been obsessed with you for years now. I understood it, I accepted it back then, but you were kids! He is a full-grown man now, he should learn to let it go."

Li Ming didn't say anything.

"Weren't you in America? Are you back already?"

Li Ming shook his head. "Visiting," he answered.

"Then you should do your visits, why are you messing with my son?"

It made him look up. His patience had always been short fused anyway. "What do you mean I am messing with your son? Are you saying I am playing with him?"

"Well, aren't you?"

"Of course not. Do you know how important he is to me?"

"Li Ming," Jintana said, walking closer. She had a tired expression on her face. "Heart was devastated after you left. I don't want to see him like that ever again."

Li Ming had no answer to that. He sat there on the sofa, looking up at her with his mouth open like he was trying to find the right words.

"He begged us to find him a doctor, then went through so many hardships until he could get those hearing aids. He went to speech therapy and took classes from countless private tutors at the same time. He didn't even sleep properly for a whole year until he was able to enroll in the faculty he is attending now. Do you know why he did all this? Do you know the reason for all that?"

Li Ming blinked, he felt like he already knew.

"Yes," Jintana said, with a tight smile. "Because he wants to go after you. He is going to apply to schools in Boston for an exchange program. That was his plan for all these years. Do you see how all his life revolves around you now? Do you see how dangerous you are to him now?"

"I... I-" Li Ming started to say.

"No, Li Ming, you don't get to find any excuses. His obsession with you is not healthy. You are two different people from two different worlds. He made himself a brand new person, he started speaking again! He has a whole life in front of him, full of possibilities, but all he wants is a shadow from his childhood!"

Li Ming raised his eyes to the bedroom door, looking at it like the wooden piece could give him any answers. Was what he was hearing true? Was Heart planning to come after him? Then why didn't he do that? Why didn't he come?