Hook: The Novel (English)

Chapter 35: All Too Well

THIRD PERSON'S P.O.V.

The day Ford got drunk...

Have you ever wondered if life sometimes plays tricks on us, making moments repeat themselves? It sounds crazy, but that was exactly what Gadiel was feeling—like he was trapped in a loop, caught in a strange case of déjà vu. Just like what had happened ten years ago.

Ford was drunk again. And once more, it was Gadiel who was left to look after him.

Now, Ford lay sprawled on Gadiel's bed, his breathing uneven and slow. Gadiel had even changed his clothes, not willing to let him lie there in the same dirty, rumpled outfit he'd come in. It was a small gesture, but it spoke volumes of the care Gadiel still felt, despite everything.

Gadiel was about to get up, intending to grab some extra duvets from the cupboard. He had no intention of sleeping next to Ford tonight—he needed the distance, the space to sort through the storm of his feelings. The living room couch would have to do.

But just as he moved to leave the room, a soft, broken voice stopped him.

"A-adi... Adi, I'm sorry," Ford mumbled in his sleep, his words thick with regret and sadness.

"S-sorry for l-leaving you. I'm s-sorry for breaking my promises."

Gadiel froze, his heart pounding. Then, to his shock, Ford began to quietly sob, tears slipping out even as he slept.

Something inside Gadiel shifted, as if a force beyond him compelled him to act. He hurried to Ford's side and gently wiped away the tears from his cheek, his fingers trembling.

"Why are you crying?" Gadiel whispered, utterly confused by the raw vulnerability before him.

"I-I miss you, Adi," Ford stammered, eyes still closed. "I r-really do... I love you, so bad."

Then, his voice faltered, and he added, "A-and I'm j-jealous."

Gadiel's heart clenched, but the worry in his eyes quickly hardened into something colder, more guarded.

"You have no right to be jealous," he said, his voice low and steady.

"You don't know how badly I want to believe you," Gadiel continued, swallowing the ache in his throat, "but why do you have to come back now and act like you really missed me when you had someone else while you were away?"

He paused, pain sharpening his tone. "Don't play with my heart, Ford. You don't know how long it took me to fix myself after you left."

The memory of three years ago hit Gadiel like a wave—vivid, raw, and impossible to ignore. The hurt he'd tried so hard to bury surged back, tightening his chest as the past and present collided.

—————

Three years ago...

It had been seven long years since Ford quietly slipped out of Gadiel's life. Not a single day passed without Gadiel aching for his Aly—missing him so deeply it felt like a constant ache in his chest. The pain of Ford's absence cut through him, raw and unrelenting, but he endured it—not just for himself, but for Ford, too. Even after all this time, his faith in Ford never wavered.

So much had changed in those seven years. Both Ford and Gadiel had grown into the professionals they had dreamed of becoming. Gadiel had just become a licensed doctor—the results were released only yesterday—and the first person he wanted to share his achievement with was Ford.

He wanted Ford to know that despite the cold, lonely days spent yearning for his warmth, Gadiel had survived. He had thrived. He wanted Ford to be proud of him.