Don't Love Me, I'm Straight

Chapter 17

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Boat's POV

I was starting to get impatient with the hospital lobby receptionist. She was giving me a hard time. She wanted proof that I was a family member of the ER patient that I wanted to see.

Finally in desperation, I told her that I was the patient's fiance and that we were getting married very soon.

It seemed like an eternity before I was finally allowed to go inside the ER.

I was informed that Poom was in cubicle number 81.

I found it without difficulty and pulled aside the curtain that surrounded Poom's cubicle.

A nurse was right behind me, so just in case I was still within her earshot, I walked over to Poom and took his hand and said to him, "Poom, this is Boat, I'm here beside you, sweetheart."

I had completely forgotten that Poom's boss was seated right behind me. I had bowed to him in greeting as soon as I stepped inside the cubicle.

Suddenly I heard him say, "Joss, come pick me up. Poom is in good hands now."

And he was right. As long as I was around, Poom would be taken good care of. I was not his childhood friend for nothing. Our friendship went a long way, as far back as our elementary days. We always walked to school together and walked back home together. We went to different classrooms because I was one year older than him.

I graduated from high school ahead of him.

On my graduation day, he attended the ceremonies with my parents, because he was close to my parents as well because I would frequently invite him to my house for meals and to stay overnight on Fridays.

When we got home after graduation, after I removed my graduation attire, I led him to the backyard where my parents had a cookout going on for all the guests who came to congratulate me and give me graduation presents.

I had planned to confess to Poom that night how I felt about him but the night ended without me finding the courage to do so. My nervousness and anxiety got the better of me.

I was so afraid of how he would react to my confession. I was afraid that if I did so, he would start avoiding me and I would lose his friendship.

That was the last thing that I wanted to happen, to lose his friendship. I would rather suffer in silence and just be content with having him as a friend and nothing more.

After I had uttered the word 'sweetheart' I went into a panic.

I was sure that he had heard it, even if his eyes had been closed.

I continued to hold his hands gently in mine, waiting for him to open his eyes and say something to me.

"I will be waiting for Joss to pick me up at the lobby," I heard the boss say behind me.

For a minute I had forgotten that he was still there.

I bowed to him saying, "Thank you so much for taking care of Poom."

"I didn't do anything," the boss said. "It was the cook and my other personal assistant who rushed him here last night. All I will be doing is to pay for his hospital fees before I leave."

"Please don't" I heard Poom say in a soft weak voice.

"Poom! You're conscious! You're awake!" I cried out in happiness, kneeling on the floor beside his bed to give him a tight hug.

I turned to say thank you once again to the boss but he had left the cubicle without a word.

I turned my attention back to Poom.

"Can you open your eyes, Poom?" I asked.

I watched as he fluttered his eyelids weakly before finally opening them.

He looked straight into my eyes and I got very nervous when he asked me in a weak voice, "Did you mean it when you called me 'sweetheart' earlier?"

For some reason, my eyes welled up with tears and I felt my cheeks getting wet from the hot tears that streaked down my face.

I couldn't say a word. I could only nod my head.

Suddenly I felt my hand that was holding his getting squeezed tightly.

"Thank you, sweetheart" I heard him say so softly that I almost didn't catch it. Or maybe I had just imagined it. But I wanted it so badly to be true.