The Bridge To Success

Over reaction

While the family was eating dinner, Chen-papa asked Eddy out of the blue, "When are you going to get married?" He stopped eating to wait for his answer.

Chen-mama and his sister turned to Eddy. Both anticipated his answer.

He put down his fork. Eddy quickly chewed and swallowed the food he just put in his mouth and drank water for his lips felt dry.

"How old are you now, 26, 27? When I was your age you were already six years old." Chen-papa boasted.

Chen-mama turned to her husband and said, "It's different now compared to our time before." She held his hand resting on the table, "Please understand." She then turned to Eddy, "You do have plans about marriage, right?"

"I have plans," Eddy answered, he was silent for a bit, "but not now."

His sister smiled to herself. Secretly cheering on someone.

-

After the dinner, Eddy went straight to his room. Got his phone from the bag on his study table. Unwrapped the item. "Geez, why put it on cling wrap?"

He turned the power on. Eddy remembered the call he didn't take. Brett's. "He must be worried sick." 'Why should he even?' His thoughts contradicted.

The phone automatically connected to the house's wi-fi and got flooded with notifications. Typical. From the pages, he administrates to his personal accounts. One that caught his eye was Chris' post: "Oh no! Brett's got injured! (Picture)" He quickly tapped on the notification and the app boot up. It got redirected to a series of blurry photos of Brett's hand/arm. "Chris, Can't you take a decent photo!?" He was pissed at Chris, worried for Brett.

Not even a second passed by, he called Brett.

Brett picked up.

"Hey, you ok man? I just saw Chris' post, you got injured? What happened? Got it checked?" Eddy's sentences flowed as Brett answered the call.

"What happened to you? I can't contact you." Brett said, not answering him.

"Brett, answer me first."

"No Eddy, you answer me first."

"What the-- Bro!" Eddy licked his lips in frustration, "What the hell happened in there?!" His voice raised.

Brett, in an even louder volume, "You dare ask me when you don't even--"

Eddy heard the hard screeching of car breaks and a "Shit!" from Brett, followed by the loud blowing of horn from the other line. Eddy asked, puzzled, "Are you driving right now?"

"Yeah, I am. So what?" Brett sounded off his cool. 'Fucker!' he mentally cursed again the pedestrian that suddenly crossed the street, almost hit by him, as he continued driving.

Eddy ruffled his hair, annoyed, "Shouldn't you be resting your hand or something? Did you hit someone with the car? Please, Brett, be okay." The last one, he pleaded.

Brett heard that Eddy's tone changed, he calmed himself down. "Eddy, you worry too much. It's just--"

"No, no. Please... Let me..." Eddy cut him off, then sighed. "Let me worry about you. Let me take care of you. Let me--" Eddy stopped himself. What? What was he going to say next?

He waited for Eddy to continue, but he didn't. After the long pause, Brett said, "Was that a confession?"

"..." Eddy didn't answer. Panic settled in.

"I'm coming over." Brett ended the call and turned the car around to go to Eddy's. He felt that the next words Eddy was about to say, he should hear it in person.

Moments later he arrived.

-

Eddy saw Brett's car through his bedroom window as he arrived. He went out to open the gate for him. Brett was out of the vehicle when he reached the gate. He opened it, Eddy squat by the front gate, hid his face with his hands, embarrassed. Brett's injury was just a minor one, not the whole arm he misunderstood.

Brett sat too, facing Eddy. "The guys overreacted too, bro." Brett lifted his hand to show Eddy, two fingers in bandages. "It's just a sprain. It'll be gone in no time."

Then they were silent.

Eddy peeked through his hands to look at Brett. It was his turn to explain. Eddy then hugged his knees. "My dad broke my phone. I just got it from the repairs."

Brett held Eddy's hand. "Thank God, I was worried for nothing." He smiled at him. "And I'm sorry, I made you worry too." He squeezed Eddy's hand a little.

Eddy blushed. He can't hide it anymore, for his hand is held by Brett, for he realized his heart now has Brett.

"And about earlier..." Brett's hold on his hand tightened.

Eddy froze. Not a word escaped his mouth. What was there for him to say even? It was indeed a confession of some sort, but he was scared that it slipped out, that he wanted to hide from him.

Brett felt it. Eddy wanted to avoid the topic. His question.

Felt that the hold on his hand tightened. Eddy sensed that Brett wanted to talk about it. His answer.

Brett looked at Eddy in the eyes. Brett battled with himself a little if he'll say it or not, he took a deep breath and said, "I want you to worry about me, to take care of me... I'll give you all the time that I have so you can do all of that." He smiled, "and I love you."

Eddy had the urge to hide his face again as he turned red. Instead of doing so, he squeezed Brett's hand that was holding his and smiled back at him and gave him a small nod.

Not even saying any word. Purely just by telepathy, maybe. Brett understood. He then declared,

"Today is our Day 1."

And like that, even though they looked like pooping on the sidewalk in front of the Chen residence's gate, it's indeed the time for a celebration. Cheers!