The painter's brush

Love knows when to let go

**Max's POV**

"Hey man, I heard Tito Rexelle has been asking if you'll join the company of Alex?" Klon asked, amused, as we worked on finishing some of our project tasks in the room.

"Yeah, exactly like you said—every single day," I replied with a hint of frustration. "He keeps bugging me about it, wanting me to take Business Administration so I can help Alex." I added, tapping my pen against the desk rhythmically.

"Well, at the end of the day, you're planning to marry Alex, right?" Grey chimed in, completely out of the blue.

I felt my face flush a bit. "Of course," I confessed, slightly embarrassed.

They exchanged knowing smiles, and I could only shake my head, trying to play it cool.

I bet Tita is always asking you that she wants to meet Alex, huh? Klon teased, grinning as we worked on our projects in the room.

"Well, I can't blame Alex, though," Rosio chimed in. "He's been busy with school, the company, and his paintings. He's planning to build an art gallery, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded with a smile. "And he's asked me to design it for him."

"Yeah, bro, no need to rub it in that you have a happy love life," Fonsy quipped, rolling his eyes dramatically.

I just chuckled, shaking my head. Then Klon turned serious, which made me raise a brow. "Are you not getting tired, though?" he asked.

"Tired of what?" I questioned, a bit confused.

"No, I mean," Klon clarified, raising his hands in defense. "School, all the stuff you’ve got going on, and your parents constantly nagging you to take another course. Isn’t it exhausting?"

"Of course I am!" I exclaimed, a little exasperated. "My mum’s always calling me about it. Telling me I need to help Alex with his company and all that." I sighed. "I want to help Alex, though, but knowing him, he wouldn't like it if I did something just because I was forced to."

I spoke honestly, and my friends nodded in understanding. Alex and I had already talked about it, and all I got from him was a firm "No" and a glare. I smiled at the thought, remembering his stubbornness.

But why hasn't he arrived yet? I wondered to myself. Maybe he had some emergency at the company, but still, no text from him. I reached into my pocket for my phone to check for any messages from Alex, but there was none.

I slid my phone back into my pocket and focused on finishing what I was doing. I needed to wrap this up so I could head home. Maybe Alex had already gone back.

...

After a while, I finished everything at school and said my goodbyes to Klon and the others. But the worry was still gnawing at me. Alex hadn’t texted or called all day, and we hadn’t even had lunch together. I decided it was time to head home and check on him.

Maybe he’s still at the company, I thought, so I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Frein, hoping he might know where Alex was.

A minute later, my phone lit up with Frein’s reply: "No, I was the one who drove him back to school."

I thanked him quickly, feeling more puzzled than before, and headed to my car. With a sense of unease growing in my chest, I drove back to the condo, hoping to find Alex there.

I arrived, barely turning off the car before rushing into the condo, heart racing. My eyes scanned the room, and there was Alex, sitting on the sofa, silent and still. Confusion hit me when I noticed his bags and a suitcase on the floor next to him.