Lost In You

Chapter 20 - Birthday

Neung

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing incessantly. It was early, but my notifications were flooded with birthday messages. My fingers instinctively scrolled through the names: Freen, Lux, Engfa, even colleagues from the gallery. 

But one name was missing—Aneung.

I frowned. 

Of all the people who'd wish me well today, the one person I wanted to hear from the most hadn't said a word. A sigh escaped my lips as I lay back down, staring at the ceiling. Somehow, her silence stung more than I expected.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Come in."

Khun Sam and Mon stepped into my room, smiling warmly. "Good morning, Khun Neung," Sam said, holding a small bag of what looked like gifts.

I blinked, surprised to see them. "What are you two doing here?"

"Thought we'd drop by for brunch, celebrate with you before your party tonight. Besides," Mon chimed in, "it's been too long since we caught up."

"Too long? You mean a few weeks," I teased, trying to shake off my melancholy.

"Doesn't matter," Khun Sam grinned, pulling me out of bed. "Come on, the kitchen's waiting."

As we sat down for brunch in the palace dining room, the air filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and Thai curry. It was comforting, almost nostalgic, but my mind kept drifting back to Aneung. Where was she right now? What was she thinking?

"So," Sam began, eyeing me over her cup, "what's going on with you and Aneung?"

I nearly choked on my drink. "What do you mean?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You know what I mean. Mon and I were just talking about it. Lux told us you have been avoiding her huh.."

Mon nodded in agreement. "We've all noticed, Khun Neung. You didn't even let her come to the gallery anymore."

I sighed, pushing the food around on my plate. "It's not that simple. I told her to stay away because she needs to focus on her studies. She's got exams coming up, and I didn't want to be a distraction."

Sam scoffed. "A distraction? Or is that just an excuse?"

I shot her a look, but she didn't back down. "You and I both know that's not the real reason."

My defences rose instantly. "Sam, you don't understand. She's younger than me. That age gap—people think it's just numbers, but it's more than that, it really broke my trust."

Sam leaned back, folding her arms. "What happened?"

I swallowed hard, recalling the incident. "We both are aware of the age gap and differences in our lifestyles. She made a promise to me, one that she didn't keep. I know she didn't mean to hurt me, but it was serious. We thought we could get past it, but she couldn't. I was disappointed, I mean, I pleaded for her to stay but she didn't want it. Now she is back claiming she wants to try again."

Mon looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "Khun Neung, as much as it hurts but.. You should try to give her another chance. We all know how much you love her.."

I stiffened.

Sam leaned forward, her voice gentle but firm. "You know, we're not telling you to jump back into things. But being so cold to someone who still cares about you—that's not the solution either. Especially when you care too."

I wanted to argue, to defend my actions, but the truth was, I didn't have the energy. 

My mind wandered back to the memories we shared, the way Aneung used to make me laugh when I least expected it, sometimes she would leave some snacks for me at the reception area even when I don't need it.