CHAPTER 21
The light peers through the crack of the window. It shines brightly into Nadech's eyes, waking him up slowly. He yawns slightly and turns to his side. He felt a warm body next to him, immediately he open his eyes. A smile cracks on the corner of his lips as Yaya's face is inches away from his. She lays restless next to him. The warm fuzzy feeling return once more as his smile grows bigger. His hand slowly reaches for her face, caressing her soft cheek gently. She snuggles up closer to him causing his heart's racing. Glad to wake up to her beautiful face and feel her warm body against his. He wants to reach out to her and hold her tightly but he falls back, fighting the temptation. Instead he admires her from a close distance, watching her sleep in peace as he caresses her soft cheek, noticing every freckle and beauty mark. Suddenly, she snuggles up closer to him and his heart beats faster.
"Hold me tighter..." she utters in, smiling in her sleep.
He chuckles a bit thinking how cute she looks right beside him.
"Please don't let me go Chin..." She softly utters as she hugs up on Nadech.
His smile dissipate. A sharp pain stabs him his heart. He swallows hard feeling a hard lump in his throat. He gradually pulls his hand back. Forgetting that Chin was the reason she came by last night. Sadness and anger builds up inside. But there's nothing he can do. She doesn't belong to him. They aren't together. Why should he care though? It isn't as if he likes Yaya, does he? He shakes the thought out of his mind.
He carefully pulls away from her, letting her sleep some more. He adjust the blanket for her and gently caresses her head. Although she's thinking of Chin, he could help but think how beautiful and innocent she is sleeping there. He bits his lower lip, leans in closer to her and gives her a kiss on the forehead.
"Sleep on Beauty..." he smiles and walks out, leaving her in peace. He takes a shower, hoping to refresh his body but mostly his mind. He changes into some a plain T and some jeans. In need of some coffee, he heads into his kitchen to make himself a cup. As he opens the refrigerator for some creamer, a smile forms. Breakfast. That's what he'll do. Cook her breakfast. He waste no time getting busy, prepping his breakfast specialty.
Yaya yawns loudly, stretching her arms and legs. Her head pounds lightly. Not a good start so far. She blinks several times, staring at the room in wonder. Springing up immediately as if she just had a nightmare.
"Chin..." she utters but realize she was in Nadech's room. She almost forgot that she had spend the night as Nadech's room.
"Oww...." she massages her head, feeling it pounding viciously. Letting out a loud sigh, she slow rolls out of bed.
"My clothes--" she realizes she's in his pjs. As she looks up, she notice her clothes folded nicely on the couch. She grabs her clothes and heads to the bathroom to change. Once she returns, the whiff of pancake and syrup lingers in her nose. Trudging slowly, she heads to the living room in search of Nadech.
She froze immediately upon seeing him busy in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Nadech stops what he's doing and greets her. "Morning." He says with a big smile. "Have a seat-- I made you some breakfast-- I hope you like pancakes." he set a plate for her on the kitchen counter.
Yaya brushes her hair behind her ears and slightly smiling at Nadech. "Thanks but I'm okay--I can't eat anything right now..." she grabs her purse.
"Oh..." disappointment in Nadech's voice.
"I-- I better be going..." she lowers her head, "I don't wanna waste anymore of your time." she sternly replies, slowly heading for the door.
"Go..?" His eyes widen, "How are you gonna get home? You didn't drive last night.."
"I'll just take a taxi--"
"I can take you to your car." He offers.
"It's okay Nadech..." she scratches her head, "I don't want to bother you anymore..." she smiles a weary smile, "I've wasted too much of your time with my problems... And-- and I'm sure you're tired of hearing about them-- I mean, I'm tired of hearing it myself..." she chuckles nervously, pushing the strains of hair back, "Thanks for letting me spend the night-- and thanks for everything else-- from now on, I'm going pick up the broken pieces myself... " she clears her throat. "You're a great person, Nadech-- and I wish you the best in your life..." she fights back the tears, getting choked up, "This will be the last time you hear from me... so... this is goodbye..." she shrugs and heads out the door.
The door closes and Nadech's left standing dumbfoundedly. His mind just couldn't comprehend it. Feet stay glued to the ground. His heart's beating faster and faster. A feeling of defeat takes over, almost as if he's lost someone dear to him. Why didn't he say anything? How come he didn't stop her from leaving?
"... this is goodbye..." Her voice echos in his mind. Did she mean it? Is she really gone for good? Why can't he move? How come he didn't go after her?
A foreign and strange feeling's taking over him and he isn't sure how to take it. "Fuck...." he curse the air, pounding his fist on the counter table. Without any further hesistation, he grabs his keys and phone and runs out the door. He takes the flight of stairs down to the lobby, hoping he isn't too late.
He searches frantically for Yaya, once again. Nowhere in sight. She's gone. He gets into his car, dialing Kimmy's number.
"Hey-- Are you busy? I need to talk to you..." He's breathing heavily through the phone. It's as if life and death is on the line. "Okay I'll be there in less than 10 mins..." he hangs up the phone and takes off.
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"YOU'RE WHAT BARRY!?!?" Kimmy jumps out of her seat, eyes pop out of her socket, hands covering her mouth. She's in a frantic mode, "You've got to be kidding me!?" She's in utter and complete shock, "Please tell me you're kidding!?"
Nadech sighs loudly, reclining back on in the sofa, "God... somehow I wish I was too..." he rubs his face in distressed.
She flops down beside him, mouth still wide open in shock, "Barry--This--this is for real???" She stutters and stares at him, "You're being serious right now right? This isn't a practical joke or anything?"
"Kimmy--" he toss a pillow at her, "Yes-- I'm being serious..." he shakes his head, "Dead serious..." he sighs loudly, chuckling a bit.
"Well--Can you tell me again...?" she ask sweetly, moving in closer, batting her eyes at him, "I wanna hear it one more time..." she held up her index finger.
"God Kimmy...." he rest his elbows on his legs and glances over his shoulder, "I said... I think I'm falling in love with Yaya...." he utters slowly and softly, emphasizing on the words.
"AHhhhh!!!" Kimmy screeches out of control, "I can't believe it!!! I knew it!!" she's screaming with joy, jumping up and down, doing her little victory dance. "Your mom was right!!" she continues to dance.
"Wait-- my mom?" He looks at her confusingly, "What??" he scratches his head.
She stops dancing, "Well..." she sits down beside him, "She always had a hunch that you had a little thing for her. I mean why else would you bring another woman to her birthday-- you've never done that before-- ever!" she smiles, "Come on Barry..." she nudges him in the arm, "It was so obvious that day you brought her over for your mom's birthday... you were smitten and you couldn't keep your eyes off of her--" she rolls her eyes at him.
He avoids her eyes, feeling nervous all of the sudden. He could feel his cheeks turning red.
"Look-- your ears are turning red!" she tugs on his ear, "Barry's in love...." she teases him.
"Kimmy stop..." he chuckles, feeling his cheeks burn.
"Don't be ashame of it..." she nudges him, "Be proud of it..." she pats her eyes at him, "Own it... love it!" she encourages him.
He chuckles and licks his lips, not uttering a word.
"So when did you started falling for the beautiful geek...?" she ask him, smiling from ear to ear, wanting to hear the details.
"Uh..." he sighs, trying to figure it out. The truth is, he didn't know either.
"Honestly... I don't know..." he smirks at Kimmy. He thought long and hard about it.
"How did a woman like Yaya manage to capture the heart of the sexy player like Barry...?" she giggles, raising her eyebrow, "This is a person who doesn't believe in love and look at you now... you've fallen in love with the least person you'd expected!"
He laughs, "Trust me-- She was definitely not on my list-- The first time I saw her--" he thinks back, "She was not appealing at all-- In fact She may have been the hideous thing I've ever saw..." he laughs, thinking about to the first day.
"That's mean Barry!" she slaps his on the arm.
"You should have seen her that night--" he chuckles thinking about it. "She was in my seat-- my reserved table-- and I walked up to her and told her she's in my seat. She was drooling over me, probably got excited thinking I was trying to talk to her when all I wanted her to do was get out of my seat." He smirks, "She was wearing these huge nerd glasses, big messy hair, oversize blouse, pant size twice her size-- it was just ... ugly... horrible to look at. It was kind of sad actually..." he shakes his head, remembering that night vividly. Remembering how he told her to move out of his seat. She was dying with embarrassment.
"Well-- What change your mind about her...?" she listens carefully.
He thought about it for a few moment, "Well..." He sighs loudly, "I guess cause she's different from the other woman I've messed-- you know... just... different..." He smiles at Kimmy, "She's extremely clumsy-- she's uncoordinated-- innocent-- not to mention a horrible dancer..." he pause for a second, "Then again-- She's cute... yet sexy... she doesn't have to try to be hard to be sexy... it just comes naturally... and her smiles..." his smiles grows bigger, "Yaya has the type of smile that can just lights the room..."
"Look at you Barry... smitten..." She pinches his cheek, "Smiling like there's no tomorrow..."
He shakes his head, trying not to smile but he couldn't help it. "She's just a one of a kind... She's ambitious... has goals... a career.. she isn't chasing men for money... She's making her own..." his heart flutters as he thinks about her little to-do list. "She's just herself..." He sighs.
"And this has nothing to do with Davika...?" Kimmy inhales deeply.
Nadech swallows hard, "I'm positive..." he looks her dead in the eyes, "She may look like Davika... but she's nothing like her..." He clears his throat, "After I gave her the makeover, I thought she'll change into a snotty, arrogant, stuck-up woman who thinks she can get any man... but she didn't-- she stayed true to herself..." he smirks , "I'm glad she didn't..."
"You've fallen for her inner beauty that's why..." She squeezes his arm.
He stares at her, clinching his jaw, "Yeah... I guess I did..." he chuckles, unaware of when he did.
"Alright Barry..." she exhales, "I'm glad you're not living in denial anymore... but--" she pauses, "But what are you going to do now? Chin hurt her really bad... and I don't think she can take anyone serious just yet.."
He shrugs, "I'm gonna take it slow... A heartbroken woman needs comforting..."
"So does this mean you're done messing with those little groupies and skanks?" She arches her eyebrow.
"Completely done--" he nods his head with confident, "Someone said, when you finally meet the right person, you stop all the nonsense games." he smiles at her.
"Well look at you--" she squints her eyes at him, "changing your ways for a woman-- Never thought I'd see the day.." she gushes, "My Barry is all grown up now..." she lets out a loud sigh, smiling from ear to ear.
He smirks, suddenly a change of tone in his voice. "I just hope she takes me seriously..." a distraught look sweeps over his face, "I just hope it isn't too late to convince her that there's still some decent men out there..."
"Then you get on it Barry!" she slaps his leg, "Don't waste anymore time or else you'll be regretting it later--"
"I won't..." he utters, "No more hesistation..." he sighs feeling the weight lifted off his shoulders, "This one's for real this time..." he smiles from ear to ear, feeling like a completely new person.
