Dhevaprom: Kwanruetai

Chapter 30

That night, the person Chatklao chose to confide in was Pramet.

"Here, have some of this. It might help you feel better," Pramet said, handing him a steaming cup of coffee before sitting down beside him.

Chatklao's face was still clouded with tension, his expression grave, and his features bore visible bruises.

"I thought you'd bring me some alcohol," Chatklao remarked, his voice heavy.

"I figured you wouldn't want to drink while you're stressed, right?" Pramet replied calmly.

"You're right. I need to stay clear-headed to figure out what's really going on."

Everything that had happened left Chatklao utterly bewildered. Most confusing of all, he had no idea why Khwanruetai was angry or why she had suddenly changed so drastically.

"Are you absolutely sure there's nothing else going on?" Pramet asked cautiously.

Pramet suspected that perhaps Khwanruetai might be upset or had misunderstood something. But even so, it didn't seem serious enough to warrant her breaking things off. And now that the situation had escalated, Gongpop, her brother, would surely prevent Chatklao from ever going near her again.

"I didn't fight with her, Pramet. We had just cleared things up between us. But then, out of nowhere, she changed. I think she might be upset because I didn't tell her who I really am."

"But still, that doesn't seem enough for her to break up with you or start seeing someone else out of spite," Pramet reasoned.

Even though Khwanruetai had told him outright that she had intentionally deceived him, Chatklao didn't believe it. He was certain he hadn't misread her. Despite her cold exterior, he had seen the pain in her eyes—faint, but there nonetheless, hidden behind her determined facade.

"That's what's so confusing to me," Chatklao admitted with a sigh.

Love had this way of turning even the sharpest minds into fools. Chatklao, who had never been troubled by matters of the heart before, was experiencing this torment for the first time.

"Take it slow, Chatklao. If she's not ready to talk, you'll just have to wait. If you rush in now, you might end up getting punched by her brother again, and that'll only make things worse."

"I know. I'll be patient and wait until she's ready to talk."

"Seeing you like this, Chatklao, makes me question my own confidence in love," Pramet said with a teasing smile.

Chatklao chuckled and pulled Pramet into a half-embrace. "Hey, come on! It's not the same. Your girlfriend, Fon, is a sensible woman. She wouldn't act like this."

Pramet had just started dating Fon, an emergency room nurse, and things seemed to be going well for them.

"Women are such a mystery, though," Pramet sighed. "When they love you, it's sweet and wonderful. But when they're ready to leave, sometimes it feels like we're blindsided."

Chatklao could relate. Love had sent him from the heights of happiness to the depths of despair. One day it made his heart bloom like a garden in spring, and the next, it left him feeling withered and dry, like a tree starved of water.

The ringing of the house phone interrupted their conversation. Chatklao picked up the receiver, his face paling as he listened.

"Yes, Mother. I'll come back as soon as I can."

Pramet's concern deepened as he watched his friend's expression darken. "What happened, Chatklao?"

"I have to go to Bangkok tomorrow. Someone important is unwell."