⋆˚₊•Marriage Of Convenience•₊˚⋆{Bounprem}

15⋆˚₊•Trip?•₊˚⋆

[CONTINUATION]

[BOUN'S POV:]

Weeks went by, each one filled with this weird, heavy silence between us. We barely spoke, and when we did, it was quick—small talk that left me feeling even more distant. Prem had thrown himself into his work, while I spent more time away from home, hanging out with Alyssa or visiting my family, anything to escape the tension that followed us everywhere.

Then one afternoon, my mom called. Her voice cut through the usual haze. “Boun, I need you and Prem to come over. I’ve got something exciting to talk about with both of you!”

I hesitated for a second, but agreed. Maybe this would be a good thing. Something different. Maybe this would be what we needed to shake off the distance.

I texted Prem, but after hearing nothing back, I decided to just go to his office. I figured I’d catch him in person—if he was still there, buried in work like always.

Walking into the office felt strange. The receptionist smiled at me like she always did, recognizing me as Prem’s husband, and waved me through. It was a routine that used to feel normal, but now it felt like stepping into unfamiliar territory.

When I found him at his desk, his face was glued to the screen, fingers flying over the keyboard. I cleared my throat to catch his attention.

“Hey,” I said, trying to sound casual, though I couldn’t shake the awkwardness.

He glanced up, gave me a half-hearted “hey,” and went right back to typing. That small interaction stung more than I wanted it to.

I shifted on my feet, trying not to let my frustration show. “Mom called. She wants us to come over. She said she has something important to talk to us about.”

That seemed to get his attention. He stopped typing and turned to face me. “Why didn’t you just call?” he asked, sounding a little irritated.

“I did,” I said, crossing my arms. “You didn’t pick up.”

The silence between us thickened, and I could feel my patience slipping. “Why are you so wrapped up in work lately?”

Prem sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I just… I need to catch up. I haven’t been focused enough lately.”

I looked at him, waiting for him to say more, but that was all he gave me. I didn’t know whether to push or let it go, but at this point, I felt too tired to press.

“Fine,” I said, keeping it short. “Let’s just meet at my mom’s place.”

He nodded, and just like that, the conversation was over. We left separately, both of us in our own cars, driving to the same place but feeling miles apart. The drive felt longer than usual, the silence between us creeping into everything.

[PREM'S POV:]

After Boun left, I sat there for a minute, staring at my screen. I hadn’t lied to him—not really. I did need to focus on work. But that wasn’t the whole story. Work had just become the one thing I could control. Everything else—everything with Boun—felt like it was slipping away, and I didn’t know how to fix it. So, I stayed buried in work. It was easier that way.

When I finally got to his family’s house, Boun was already there. Walking in felt both familiar and strange. His mom welcomed us with a big smile, pulling us into the living room like everything was normal. Like we hadn’t been stuck in this weird limbo for weeks.

“Sit, sit! I’ve got something exciting for you two!” she said, practically buzzing with energy.

We sat down, and Boun was beside me, but it felt like there was this invisible wall between us. His mom didn’t seem to notice as she sat down in front of us.

“I’ve booked you both a vacation! A beach resort, just the two of you. You need some time away together,” she announced, her smile bright and hopeful.

The words hit me hard. A vacation. Just us. I glanced at Boun, and for the first time in a while, I saw the same glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“That sounds… perfect,” Boun said, his voice a little softer, like maybe he could believe it.

“Yeah,” I agreed, feeling the tension in my chest ease just a little. “It’s exactly what we need.”

For a moment, it felt like we were getting somewhere. Like maybe this was the start of fixing things. But before we could say anything more, the door opened, and Alyssa walked in, completely oblivious.

“What’s this about a vacation?” she asked, her voice light and cheerful, like she had just walked into a casual conversation.

My stomach dropped. No. This was supposed to be our time, a chance for us to figure things out. “Mom booked a trip for us,” Boun explained, trying to keep it light, but I could hear the tension in his voice.

Alyssa’s face lit up, completely unaware of the shift in the room. “That sounds amazing! Can I come too? I could use a beach trip.”

Without thinking, I snapped. “No,” I said, a little too sharply. “It’s just for us.”

Alyssa blinked, taken aback. “Oh, come on,” she said with a small laugh. “The more, the merrier.”

I was about to argue, but Boun beat me to it. “It’s fine,” he said, and my frustration flared. “You can come.”

I glanced at him, disbelief and annoyance bubbling up. This was supposed to be our chance to fix things, and he was letting her tag along?

Alyssa, oblivious to the tension, smiled again. “Great! It’ll be so fun!” she said before heading off to pack, leaving me sitting there, feeling the hope I had just moments ago slip away.

[TO BE CONTINUED]