Finding You

Chapter 7: Giggling

The silence was overwhelming. Yaya's earlier outburst froze Nadech; he may display a composed exterior, but her words that desire explanation made his insides tremble with fear.

She calmed down when she got no answer from him, how could he answer? Her sudden show of anger destroyed his courage to explain everything. Her stares were piercing as he kept his gaze down trying to sort out his nerves.

It was a good thing she didn't leave, he knew she wouldn't, despite her uncertainties, he could still read her like a book.

Something inside her believed him.

Although he feared her denial, he was not going to let her leave without them talking.

I thought the dimples would be enough, he thought. It was more complicated than he expected.

"Please... Just tell me if this is all a set-up so I- I could quickly get over it." Her voice held a sign of resignation. "Just... please." She whispered, putting her head in between her palms, elbows leaning on the table. 

He sighed.

"You were always afraid of thunderstorms... whenever Mae Dao did not come home because of the storm you would always sleep on my bed." His deep voice narrated making her look up at him in shock.

He met her eyes. "You started calling me bear when the bear I gave you was taken by the other kids and lost it. You didn't complain, you didn't fight back, you didn't even cry in front of them. " He paused and smiled lightly at the flash of recollection in her eyes.

"It was only when you saw me did you burst into tears and whined like the little girl you were. Only stopping when I told you I can be your bear instead. "

Her eyes were getting clouded, tears just started falling but she couldn't move, slowly absorbing his verses that hit her heart with every word.

"I started calling you bunny when you ate the carrots for the rabbits at the orphanage. You told me you hated the nickname but when I stopped calling you that one time, you sulked for a whole week and started calling me Barry again. "They both chuckled at the memory.

They stared at each other, both basking in the memories of their childhood. Her tears were still falling nonstop.

"At the cemetery..." He started warily. It was the time before she suddenly disappeared 8 years ago.

"You were there 8 years ago... when Mama left me... you were at the cemetery." She remembered, wiping her tears quickly. But it was still continuously falling no matter how many times she wiped it away.

He got up from his seat and approached her side of the table. Nadech knelt in front of her, gently wiping the tears and the snot with his thumbs like he used to. "Shhhh...breathe bunny. " He whispered.

"You took me home then... then." She sobbed harder. "Your letter...the necklace... you promised ... but you-you were gone."

All the years of keeping it in, never talking about it to anyone, never showing her real emotions to anybody, even her Best friends.

This is the first time she cried after all these years, after that night.

"You-you said you'll come back for me. You forgot about me. "

"Sshhh... I'm here now." He hugged her tight, gently stroking the back of her head with his hand.

"everyone left me, why didn't you come back for me Bear?"

"I'm here now."

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She felt worn out, likened to a dam that ran out of water. Although she knew that her uncles were still making a move against her, Yaya still felt relieved. She found Barry and right now it was all that mattered. There's going to be big changes in her initial plans.

"Where have you been?" A voice coming from the couch startled her. She just arrived in her unit so the lights were all turned off, she didn't expect someone to barge in here uninvited.

Okay, maybe she expected him.

Turning the lights on quickly, James scowling face greeted her.

"Hi."

"Don't you hi me missy, it's nearly midnight. You weren't answering your phone and you sent Jascha home before the meeting ended. You even left your car in front of the restaurant, where the- "

"sssh .." She interrupted him, walking over to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. She needed to hydrate, all the crying she did earlier drained her.

"What .. Shh?! .." She could hear him following her.

"James, How old are you?" she turned to him, ignoring his furious rambling.

"What does that have to do with you being out late?"

"Just answer me." she sat herself calmly by the kitchen counter.

"26"

"That's right, 26 and I am 27, which makes me older than you." Yaya said, with a light smile on her face.

"What does that have to do with anything ?!" He asked maddened by her responses. He walked to get himself a glass of water, drinking it all in one go in frustration.

"Nothing." She giggled, playing with her glass of water.

"Wha- wait ... Did you just giggle?" A look of amazement seen on his face.

"No." She said before getting up and exiting the kitchen, making her way to her bedroom. James following after.

"Let's talk tomorrow Xiao pang . And lock the door when you leave." She instructed before leaving James staring dumbfounded at her now closed bedroom door.

That was weird, James thought. Something felt different, He felt like he just had a conversation with a different person. Never in his life had he heard her make that sound, 'Giggling' was not in Yaya's range.

It only consist of her usual  Poker faces, playful smirks and if he's lucky he'd get a light smile and a soft chuckle.

What the hell happened?

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Yaya lay in her bed, thinking about what happened earlier. All her questions weren't exactly answered but he told her about why he couldn't go back to Thailand all those years, even just to visit her.

His Adopted Father was a Japanese Crime Organization Leader in the Black Market.

He had a different normal identity in Hong Kong ever since he was adopted. They made it seem like he went to a normal family in Hong Kong.

He wasn't allowed to ever go out, let alone go back to see her in Thailand. Only when his parents died 8 years ago did he manage to get out of Japan.

That was why the leads they had last year lead them to Hong Kong, but they had no luck finding him. 

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Might publish the next one later...