chubbycheeks
imma kick ur-ass-aya !
Thanks for another wonderful update my dear. Nee is starting to get on my nerves lol. Awhh and Yaya is so innocent, thinking she betrayed Nadech by kissing another guy 555. Too cute!
Soulmate's Path| Complete
- Thread starter jjinxx
- Start date
shengvang
sarNie Adult
I knew I smell something bad coming out of nee!!!I hope she doesn't do anything to hurt yaya and nadech relationship.
This is such a good update jjinxx! I love all of there moments together! Especially when he found yaya at the pool sight. The kiss was absolutely amazing!!! Bad nadech, not telling the truth. Lol...
Thanks!!!
This is such a good update jjinxx! I love all of there moments together! Especially when he found yaya at the pool sight. The kiss was absolutely amazing!!! Bad nadech, not telling the truth. Lol...
Thanks!!!
jjinxx
Is your "nom" Fai-approved?
Chapter 15
Yaya heard some strained voices.
“…no, mom, I’m going.”
“You can go another day. Have you seen yourself? Your face is as white as chalk. Do not leave the house when you’re not feeling well.”
“Mother, I have to go today. You know why,” Om replied with an anxious edge in his words.
Yaya peered in and understood why Mother was opposing so much. Om looked like someone who had woken up in the middle of the night a hundred years ago and forgotten how to fall asleep. He was much paler and tired looking than yesterday.
“Son, this is nonsense. You can’t go like this!”
“Don’t tell me I can’t be with her!”
This was the first time Yaya had ever heard him raise his voice. He seemed to regret losing his temper and looked away in shame.
“I’m sorry mom. But you don’t have to worry, I can take care of myself. Once I’m with her for a little while, I’ll feel better.”
“Om, please…”
Mother’s voice shook as he purposefully took off. Yaya hurried to Mother’s side.
“Is he ill?”
She wiped away a tear. “I’m afraid he’ll never be able to move on. And it breaks my heart not knowing how to help him.”
“Why can’t he stay? He doesn’t look very strong.”
“Today is the day of her death. He’s been going to her grave every day for the past week.”
Yaya should have guessed. Poor Om. Would he ever smile again like she had seen in the picture during his engagement? “Maybe we shouldn’t force him to stay away. Maybe we should be beside him so he sees the people he still has in this life.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled optimistically. “I promised to do Nadech a favor. Maybe this is the right way.”
Om drew in a deep breath and finally stepped out of his car after a long struggle with himself. Was Mother right? Was he just hurting himself? But what other way was there for him to ease his pain when forgetting was not an option. He knew he was neglecting his work and his family the past few days, but he’d tried his hardest to keep a smile on his face for everyone while his heart was eaten away. What was worse was his foolish yearning every time he looked into Yaya’s eyes.
“Maybe today will be my last day coming here…”
Turning around the small walkway, he continued until reaching the familiar marked patch of earth. Om discovered he was not alone.
Yaya turned and smiled widely. “There you are! I was wondering if maybe you had decided to go back home.” She told Mother she would keep him company until he was ready to leave. Om just needed someone to encourage him not to give up on the future, just as Nadech had done for her. Yaya stepped up to him and showed what she held. “I’m not sure what kind of flowers were best but I tried to pick pretty ones. What do you think?” She went over and laid them in front of the white tombstone, kneeling to look at the name. “She must have been a wonderful person. But Om,” she spoke gently, trying not to sound imposing, “I think it would be a good idea if you didn’t come here too often. I know you miss her; that’s a feeling I understand too well,” she said, thinking of her parents, “But don’t forget about Mother and Nadech and all your family who are still here with you. They miss you a lot too.”
“I’ll do whatever you say.”
She looked up and was alarmed to see the tears streaming on his face and even worse, that mesmerized stare once more. “Om…”
“I won’t have to come here anymore. Because you’re finally back with me.”
What was happening to him? Yaya was frozen with confusion as he wrapped his arms around her, tears mixing with her hair. “Om, what are you doing?”
“You’re here.”
“Yes, but…”
“Araya, you’ve come back. I knew it. I kept dreaming of you, and I knew it meant you were coming back to see me. I won’t have to be sad anymore.”
“No…” Yaya loosened herself from him, but he was holding onto her as if she were a life line. In a split second, she had triggered the switch that made him lose focus with reality. This was really bad! She had to bring him back from his daze! “Om, it’s me, Yaya. What’s wrong? Can’t you remember?” His eyes were out of focus, and he leaned heavily on her. “Om! What’s wrong?”
“You’re back!” He stumbled into her arms and Yaya frantically caught and shook him.
“What’s wrong with you? Om, wake up!”
-------------
The doctor told them he was psychologically unstable and that coupled with neglect of his health was putting too much stress on his body.
“Will he get better?” Mother asked anxiously.
“We’ll run more tests. I will bring in one of our counselors also, who will be able to assess his psychological state more thoroughly. Right now, we have him on sleep medications to catch up on rest.”
As Mother and Yaya walked down the hall to Om’s room, Yaya said quietly, “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone.”
“Don’t dear, it wasn’t your fault. Sooner or later, he would have come to this point.”
They arrived at Om’s bedside and Yaya watched as Mother tiredly held her son’s hand. She felt so bad that there was nothing she could do for them. Why had she been so foolish, to think she could actually heal someone? But Yaya had thought Om was past this, past the infinitesimal resemblance she might have with his dead lover. Heart heavy, she wished Nadech was there with her. He would know what to do. She should have never assumed she had some kind of miracle power to help others.
She glanced at Om’s face, dark circles rimming his eyes. There had to be a way to help him.
“Yaya?”
His eyes were open now, blurry with exhaustion.
“Om? Are you awake? How are you feeling?” Mother seemed to have fallen asleep at his side.
He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry Yaya, for whatever happened. I’m trying to let her go.”
“Don’t worry about that.” She anxiously leaned by his side. “Just rest now. That’s what you have to concentrate on. We’re all here for you.”
His eyes were pools of despair, searching her features desperately. “I’ll…try.” He sighed, and closed his eyes once more.
-------------
Nee traced the rim of her cup as she waited. Chai, the man she had hired to do work during the party, had finally replied to her call. There he was. She clenched her jaw as he bumped into a man on his way over to her table.
As soon as Chai sat down, she demanded, “What happened?”
“I was pushed into the pool.” He was obviously begrudging this.
“What?” she asked sharply. “By whom?”
“It’s okay though,” the man pulled out a camera, “I caught some interesting photos.”
She flipped through the pictures in confusion. “Who is the man in here?”
“Does it matter? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Does this belong to you?”
They both looked up at the stranger holding one of the pictures that Chai must have dropped. Chai tried to snatch it back, but wasn’t quick enough. “Give it here.”
Ignoring him, the stranger said, “I’d like to know how you know the girl in this photo.” There was a condescending tone of command in his voice that Nee didn’t like but also didn’t dare to refuse. She tried to read through his stone cold eyes, but in the end, had no clue who he could be.
“She works for me.”
“Who is in this picture with her?”
“None of your damn business,” Chai retorted.
“On the contrary, it’s very much my concern. She,” he pointed at Yaya in the picture, “is my cousin.”
Nee’s grip on the stack of pictures tightened. She was about to be caught by a person who would ruin all of her plans. “Who are you?”
“My name is Pope. Now kindly inform me what my cousin is doing.”
His unwavering stare made her nervous. “As you can see, she’s behaving inappropriately. This was during a very important party. I was going to bring this up with her family.”
“Family?” Pope scoffed.
“But I suppose that includes you, doesn’t it?” Would he stand up for Yaya in outrage and demand for the pictures to be confiscated? She couldn’t allow him to get her on the bad side of the Theerada family, Nee thought harshly.
Instead, Pope offered a soft smirk, “Yes. And it is unfortunate you had to deal with her misconduct. Would you object if I…took her off your hands?”
Nee could hardly believe her ears. “You want to take her away?” This man who claimed to be related to Yaya was going to answer her prayers? She wouldn’t even be suspected at all—she could say he was the one who wanted everything this way.
Pope’s smirk deepened. “Consequences have to be taken for her actions.” He watched as the woman’s beauty transformed into menacing greed behind her soft makeup. Whoever she was, she obviously had as little love for his cousin as much as he did. Punishing Rassa would be easier than he thought.
Yaya was just returning to the hospital with some food for Mother. Without a thought, she swung open the door to Om’s room, and froze upon the face before her, sitting with a slight lounging posture in the seat between Mother and Nee.
“Rassa, why haven’t you greeted me?” Pope asked. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. Oh, and I’ll have to thank you some time for having Mark visit us.”
Yaya knew he was less than pleased by that. She stiffly replied, “Hello, P’Pope.”
“Yaya, please go back home. If I need anything, I’ll let you know,” Mother order gently, but tensely.
“Oh no. It’ll make things much simpler if she’s here to hear what’s going on. She’s an adult and must take account for her actions. I assume you’ve taught her this much?”
Mother eyed him coldly, but was unable to hide her distress.
Yaya stood rigidly, afraid to move lest she catalyze some disaster. What was going on? Why was he back here?
Nee spoke up. “I’m sorry Yaya, I don’t know who did it, but when these were sent to me I didn’t know what to do. On accident, I met your cousin and he insisted on coming here, so I couldn’t ignore what happened.”
Her eyes fell on the photos scattered across the table. Yaya’s heart dropped. How in the world had someone captured a memory that was too hazy for her own mind to confirm? She had even still hoped that it was all just some bad dream, but the evidence was there.
“I was afraid someone had bad intentions toward the family. Pope says that he has a solution and I thought it best that he come here to meet you. Being relatives, he has your best interests at heart,” Nee continued, hiding her smugness well.
“But…I don’t even know who this was or how…” Yaya clutched her dress in fists. “It was all a mistake, really,” she explained earnestly, tears stinging her eyes. “I’m s-sorry…Please.” She dropped to her knees in front of Mother. “Please let me explain. I never meant for it to happen. I don’t remember clearly what was going on at the time…”
“I know dear—“
“You don’t really think you can pretend this never happened. Aren’t you ashamed of how this looks?” Pope’s face leered subtly, as if the thought of anyone wanting to associate with her was impossible. “I can’t let others be responsible for you. I think the best choice is for you to return with me. Things don’t seem to be working out after all,” he sighed dramatically.
Yaya was stunned by this suggestion. Never once had it entered her mind to return home. Even if she had to leave this place, she would never go back to the place that had claimed her parents’ lives.
“I can’t agree to that.”
Her heart nearly failed when she heard Mother speak, turning to reassure Yaya with her eyes. “No matter what, I won’t allow Yaya to leave. She’s my daughter and we’ll work things out.”
Pope didn’t flinch, but gingerly picked up a picture, one of Yaya held in the unknown man’s arms—the sight was offensive to Yaya and she had to turn away. “Then how will you explain these when they reach the eyes of others? Because I assure you, she is still very well known as a daughter of OUR family.” The speck of sympathy he’d acted moments ago was gone. Now, there was nothing but disdain and a desire to have his way. “If you can’t guarantee my name won’t be stained by this, then I insist that you let her go.”
Yaya couldn’t comprehend him. Why was he doing this? Did his reputation matter that much? Was watching her friend get hurt not enough? Was handing over her parents’ land not enough? At that moment, Pope appeared to her as the cruelest person on earth.
“I should think simply destroying the photos would be sufficient,” was Mother’s cool response. “Nee? Are those all the photos that you received?”
“Y-yes ma’am.”
“Burn them.”
“You really think this will be the end?” Pope smirked.
“It was me.”
It took a few seconds for those three words to sink into everyone. They all then swung their gazes to the bed, where the patient had been forgotten in all the tension. Om was weakly sitting up, but his expression was fierce through his eyes.
“The man in the picture was me.” He didn’t back down when Pope set his gaze on him. “If I take responsibility for that night, will that be enough for you?”
Pope sneered. “And what makes you think I believe you?”
“You don’t have to, but it’s the truth.”
This statement made Yaya catch her breath. He spoke with so much conviction that she was losing hope he was only bluffing. It couldn’t be Om, it just couldn’t…
“I had left to get Yaya a drink but she disappeared, so I searched for her. She drank wine and I admit, I was under the influence myself. But what happened was with a clear conscience.”
“Om,” Mother looked aghast, “Are you saying…”
“Yes mom. I’m…in love with Yaya. And that night, I couldn’t help it. It was I who kissed her.” He looked at the deeply confused Yaya, “I’m sorry for not telling you. I was waiting for the right time, but since it’s come to this, there’s nothing I can do. And I don’t want to have anyone look down on you for something that wasn’t your fault. So,” turning his attention away from Yaya, who was sure the earth would open up and drown her away from this terrible turn of events, he said more clearly, “now no one can insult your family name, right? Are you satisfied?”
“How are you going to keep your word?”
“Keep my word?”
Pope scoffed, “Just a pathetic confession isn’t going to convince me this won’t bring any more shame than it already has. So unless you’re suggesting something more committal, I still must insist that she return with me.” He wasn’t going down without a fight this time.
But the defensive play was more than any of them could have prepared for. “Then I’ll marry her.”
Three mere seconds felt like a lifetime of suffocation to Yaya. Everything about this scene was wrong, her mind screamed, from Pope’s presence, to Om’s words, to the horrible pictures lying innocently on the table.
“You’re serious?” Pope asked, in a voice that was almost fascinated.
“Yes. Since you’re here, I will formally propose. As her cousin and elder, will you give Yaya’s hand to me?”
That was when, one by one, they noticed another person had joined them.
“What’s going on?”
Never would Yaya have dreaded haring that voice except at that moment. Trembling, she looked up and found herself looking at Nadech, and she knew he was just as confused by the few words he’d come in time to hear. Nadech was intensely searching for answers in the scene in front of him that made no sense whatsoever. And she hated that she could not snap her fingers to wake both of them out of this bad dream. Their eyes met.
Pope saw this connection, the one he’d suspected ever since the beginning and the confusion and fear in his cousin’s and Nadech’s faces amused him. So he answered Om, “I have no objections. From now on, she’s yours.”
“What’s he doing here?” Nadech had ceased to try figuring things out silently and was hostilely referring to Pope.
“I,” Pope replied lightly, “am here to deal with my cousin’s behavior. You’re just in time, we’ve reached a solution.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
Yaya wanted to snatch all of the pictures up and hurl them into the wind, but already Nadech made his way over and looked at the pictures. She watched with a sinking feeling as his eyes registered disbelief.
“These…”
“It’s okay Nadech,” Om said, “I’ve already confessed. I’m the one with Yaya.”
Nadech’s brow grew more perplexed. His lips parted to object, to explain what he knew was the truth, but couldn’t quite find the right words, especially with Om looking at him so earnestly as if he really had been there that night instead of Nadech, as if Nadech were the delusional one. “But, how…”
“I’m afraid I’m on a tight schedule.” Pope stood up with an air of having concluded a business transaction. He said to Om, “I expect an invitation when everything has been prepared. For your wedding,” he confirmed for the sheer pleasure of seeing Yaya grow more apprehensive.
“Om and…and…” again, Nadech stuttered as if the sentence he was forming was technically impossible.
“But—“ Mother began.
“And as a person who still holds rights over her as family,” Pope interrupted, “I’ll be expecting you to keep your word, or I will be forced to take her with me. I assure you, I’ll have no problem with persuading the authorities how concerned I am about my, dear, cousin. Is that clear?”
Yes. He was threatening them. Yaya had no doubt Pope had a dark charm that could sway people into doing his bidding, whether from his power or simply fear.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Pope smirked, enjoying the frustration Nadech exhibited. “Ask your dear little ward. But remember,” he stepped closer to Nadech and said softly, “she belongs to your brother now.”
Pope left the hospital with a bitter sense of satisfaction. It was always good to taunt his enemies, and this time, he’d shot two birds with one stone: Nadech, who had dared tried to take away his land, and Rassa. Rassa thought she could escape from him, but he saw that she had led herself into torture. She thought she could have happiness but she would soon realize that wasn’t everyone’s fate. There could be no doubt she had hoped for the younger Theerada brother’s proposal instead. Now she would understand the pain he himself felt.
-------------
Thanks for reading. <333
jjinxx
Yaya heard some strained voices.
“…no, mom, I’m going.”
“You can go another day. Have you seen yourself? Your face is as white as chalk. Do not leave the house when you’re not feeling well.”
“Mother, I have to go today. You know why,” Om replied with an anxious edge in his words.
Yaya peered in and understood why Mother was opposing so much. Om looked like someone who had woken up in the middle of the night a hundred years ago and forgotten how to fall asleep. He was much paler and tired looking than yesterday.
“Son, this is nonsense. You can’t go like this!”
“Don’t tell me I can’t be with her!”
This was the first time Yaya had ever heard him raise his voice. He seemed to regret losing his temper and looked away in shame.
“I’m sorry mom. But you don’t have to worry, I can take care of myself. Once I’m with her for a little while, I’ll feel better.”
“Om, please…”
Mother’s voice shook as he purposefully took off. Yaya hurried to Mother’s side.
“Is he ill?”
She wiped away a tear. “I’m afraid he’ll never be able to move on. And it breaks my heart not knowing how to help him.”
“Why can’t he stay? He doesn’t look very strong.”
“Today is the day of her death. He’s been going to her grave every day for the past week.”
Yaya should have guessed. Poor Om. Would he ever smile again like she had seen in the picture during his engagement? “Maybe we shouldn’t force him to stay away. Maybe we should be beside him so he sees the people he still has in this life.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled optimistically. “I promised to do Nadech a favor. Maybe this is the right way.”
Om drew in a deep breath and finally stepped out of his car after a long struggle with himself. Was Mother right? Was he just hurting himself? But what other way was there for him to ease his pain when forgetting was not an option. He knew he was neglecting his work and his family the past few days, but he’d tried his hardest to keep a smile on his face for everyone while his heart was eaten away. What was worse was his foolish yearning every time he looked into Yaya’s eyes.
“Maybe today will be my last day coming here…”
Turning around the small walkway, he continued until reaching the familiar marked patch of earth. Om discovered he was not alone.
Yaya turned and smiled widely. “There you are! I was wondering if maybe you had decided to go back home.” She told Mother she would keep him company until he was ready to leave. Om just needed someone to encourage him not to give up on the future, just as Nadech had done for her. Yaya stepped up to him and showed what she held. “I’m not sure what kind of flowers were best but I tried to pick pretty ones. What do you think?” She went over and laid them in front of the white tombstone, kneeling to look at the name. “She must have been a wonderful person. But Om,” she spoke gently, trying not to sound imposing, “I think it would be a good idea if you didn’t come here too often. I know you miss her; that’s a feeling I understand too well,” she said, thinking of her parents, “But don’t forget about Mother and Nadech and all your family who are still here with you. They miss you a lot too.”
“I’ll do whatever you say.”
She looked up and was alarmed to see the tears streaming on his face and even worse, that mesmerized stare once more. “Om…”
“I won’t have to come here anymore. Because you’re finally back with me.”
What was happening to him? Yaya was frozen with confusion as he wrapped his arms around her, tears mixing with her hair. “Om, what are you doing?”
“You’re here.”
“Yes, but…”
“Araya, you’ve come back. I knew it. I kept dreaming of you, and I knew it meant you were coming back to see me. I won’t have to be sad anymore.”
“No…” Yaya loosened herself from him, but he was holding onto her as if she were a life line. In a split second, she had triggered the switch that made him lose focus with reality. This was really bad! She had to bring him back from his daze! “Om, it’s me, Yaya. What’s wrong? Can’t you remember?” His eyes were out of focus, and he leaned heavily on her. “Om! What’s wrong?”
“You’re back!” He stumbled into her arms and Yaya frantically caught and shook him.
“What’s wrong with you? Om, wake up!”
-------------
The doctor told them he was psychologically unstable and that coupled with neglect of his health was putting too much stress on his body.
“Will he get better?” Mother asked anxiously.
“We’ll run more tests. I will bring in one of our counselors also, who will be able to assess his psychological state more thoroughly. Right now, we have him on sleep medications to catch up on rest.”
As Mother and Yaya walked down the hall to Om’s room, Yaya said quietly, “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone.”
“Don’t dear, it wasn’t your fault. Sooner or later, he would have come to this point.”
They arrived at Om’s bedside and Yaya watched as Mother tiredly held her son’s hand. She felt so bad that there was nothing she could do for them. Why had she been so foolish, to think she could actually heal someone? But Yaya had thought Om was past this, past the infinitesimal resemblance she might have with his dead lover. Heart heavy, she wished Nadech was there with her. He would know what to do. She should have never assumed she had some kind of miracle power to help others.
She glanced at Om’s face, dark circles rimming his eyes. There had to be a way to help him.
“Yaya?”
His eyes were open now, blurry with exhaustion.
“Om? Are you awake? How are you feeling?” Mother seemed to have fallen asleep at his side.
He blinked slowly. “I’m sorry Yaya, for whatever happened. I’m trying to let her go.”
“Don’t worry about that.” She anxiously leaned by his side. “Just rest now. That’s what you have to concentrate on. We’re all here for you.”
His eyes were pools of despair, searching her features desperately. “I’ll…try.” He sighed, and closed his eyes once more.
-------------
Nee traced the rim of her cup as she waited. Chai, the man she had hired to do work during the party, had finally replied to her call. There he was. She clenched her jaw as he bumped into a man on his way over to her table.
As soon as Chai sat down, she demanded, “What happened?”
“I was pushed into the pool.” He was obviously begrudging this.
“What?” she asked sharply. “By whom?”
“It’s okay though,” the man pulled out a camera, “I caught some interesting photos.”
She flipped through the pictures in confusion. “Who is the man in here?”
“Does it matter? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Does this belong to you?”
They both looked up at the stranger holding one of the pictures that Chai must have dropped. Chai tried to snatch it back, but wasn’t quick enough. “Give it here.”
Ignoring him, the stranger said, “I’d like to know how you know the girl in this photo.” There was a condescending tone of command in his voice that Nee didn’t like but also didn’t dare to refuse. She tried to read through his stone cold eyes, but in the end, had no clue who he could be.
“She works for me.”
“Who is in this picture with her?”
“None of your damn business,” Chai retorted.
“On the contrary, it’s very much my concern. She,” he pointed at Yaya in the picture, “is my cousin.”
Nee’s grip on the stack of pictures tightened. She was about to be caught by a person who would ruin all of her plans. “Who are you?”
“My name is Pope. Now kindly inform me what my cousin is doing.”
His unwavering stare made her nervous. “As you can see, she’s behaving inappropriately. This was during a very important party. I was going to bring this up with her family.”
“Family?” Pope scoffed.
“But I suppose that includes you, doesn’t it?” Would he stand up for Yaya in outrage and demand for the pictures to be confiscated? She couldn’t allow him to get her on the bad side of the Theerada family, Nee thought harshly.
Instead, Pope offered a soft smirk, “Yes. And it is unfortunate you had to deal with her misconduct. Would you object if I…took her off your hands?”
Nee could hardly believe her ears. “You want to take her away?” This man who claimed to be related to Yaya was going to answer her prayers? She wouldn’t even be suspected at all—she could say he was the one who wanted everything this way.
Pope’s smirk deepened. “Consequences have to be taken for her actions.” He watched as the woman’s beauty transformed into menacing greed behind her soft makeup. Whoever she was, she obviously had as little love for his cousin as much as he did. Punishing Rassa would be easier than he thought.
Yaya was just returning to the hospital with some food for Mother. Without a thought, she swung open the door to Om’s room, and froze upon the face before her, sitting with a slight lounging posture in the seat between Mother and Nee.
“Rassa, why haven’t you greeted me?” Pope asked. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. Oh, and I’ll have to thank you some time for having Mark visit us.”
Yaya knew he was less than pleased by that. She stiffly replied, “Hello, P’Pope.”
“Yaya, please go back home. If I need anything, I’ll let you know,” Mother order gently, but tensely.
“Oh no. It’ll make things much simpler if she’s here to hear what’s going on. She’s an adult and must take account for her actions. I assume you’ve taught her this much?”
Mother eyed him coldly, but was unable to hide her distress.
Yaya stood rigidly, afraid to move lest she catalyze some disaster. What was going on? Why was he back here?
Nee spoke up. “I’m sorry Yaya, I don’t know who did it, but when these were sent to me I didn’t know what to do. On accident, I met your cousin and he insisted on coming here, so I couldn’t ignore what happened.”
Her eyes fell on the photos scattered across the table. Yaya’s heart dropped. How in the world had someone captured a memory that was too hazy for her own mind to confirm? She had even still hoped that it was all just some bad dream, but the evidence was there.
“I was afraid someone had bad intentions toward the family. Pope says that he has a solution and I thought it best that he come here to meet you. Being relatives, he has your best interests at heart,” Nee continued, hiding her smugness well.
“But…I don’t even know who this was or how…” Yaya clutched her dress in fists. “It was all a mistake, really,” she explained earnestly, tears stinging her eyes. “I’m s-sorry…Please.” She dropped to her knees in front of Mother. “Please let me explain. I never meant for it to happen. I don’t remember clearly what was going on at the time…”
“I know dear—“
“You don’t really think you can pretend this never happened. Aren’t you ashamed of how this looks?” Pope’s face leered subtly, as if the thought of anyone wanting to associate with her was impossible. “I can’t let others be responsible for you. I think the best choice is for you to return with me. Things don’t seem to be working out after all,” he sighed dramatically.
Yaya was stunned by this suggestion. Never once had it entered her mind to return home. Even if she had to leave this place, she would never go back to the place that had claimed her parents’ lives.
“I can’t agree to that.”
Her heart nearly failed when she heard Mother speak, turning to reassure Yaya with her eyes. “No matter what, I won’t allow Yaya to leave. She’s my daughter and we’ll work things out.”
Pope didn’t flinch, but gingerly picked up a picture, one of Yaya held in the unknown man’s arms—the sight was offensive to Yaya and she had to turn away. “Then how will you explain these when they reach the eyes of others? Because I assure you, she is still very well known as a daughter of OUR family.” The speck of sympathy he’d acted moments ago was gone. Now, there was nothing but disdain and a desire to have his way. “If you can’t guarantee my name won’t be stained by this, then I insist that you let her go.”
Yaya couldn’t comprehend him. Why was he doing this? Did his reputation matter that much? Was watching her friend get hurt not enough? Was handing over her parents’ land not enough? At that moment, Pope appeared to her as the cruelest person on earth.
“I should think simply destroying the photos would be sufficient,” was Mother’s cool response. “Nee? Are those all the photos that you received?”
“Y-yes ma’am.”
“Burn them.”
“You really think this will be the end?” Pope smirked.
“It was me.”
It took a few seconds for those three words to sink into everyone. They all then swung their gazes to the bed, where the patient had been forgotten in all the tension. Om was weakly sitting up, but his expression was fierce through his eyes.
“The man in the picture was me.” He didn’t back down when Pope set his gaze on him. “If I take responsibility for that night, will that be enough for you?”
Pope sneered. “And what makes you think I believe you?”
“You don’t have to, but it’s the truth.”
This statement made Yaya catch her breath. He spoke with so much conviction that she was losing hope he was only bluffing. It couldn’t be Om, it just couldn’t…
“I had left to get Yaya a drink but she disappeared, so I searched for her. She drank wine and I admit, I was under the influence myself. But what happened was with a clear conscience.”
“Om,” Mother looked aghast, “Are you saying…”
“Yes mom. I’m…in love with Yaya. And that night, I couldn’t help it. It was I who kissed her.” He looked at the deeply confused Yaya, “I’m sorry for not telling you. I was waiting for the right time, but since it’s come to this, there’s nothing I can do. And I don’t want to have anyone look down on you for something that wasn’t your fault. So,” turning his attention away from Yaya, who was sure the earth would open up and drown her away from this terrible turn of events, he said more clearly, “now no one can insult your family name, right? Are you satisfied?”
“How are you going to keep your word?”
“Keep my word?”
Pope scoffed, “Just a pathetic confession isn’t going to convince me this won’t bring any more shame than it already has. So unless you’re suggesting something more committal, I still must insist that she return with me.” He wasn’t going down without a fight this time.
But the defensive play was more than any of them could have prepared for. “Then I’ll marry her.”
Three mere seconds felt like a lifetime of suffocation to Yaya. Everything about this scene was wrong, her mind screamed, from Pope’s presence, to Om’s words, to the horrible pictures lying innocently on the table.
“You’re serious?” Pope asked, in a voice that was almost fascinated.
“Yes. Since you’re here, I will formally propose. As her cousin and elder, will you give Yaya’s hand to me?”
That was when, one by one, they noticed another person had joined them.
“What’s going on?”
Never would Yaya have dreaded haring that voice except at that moment. Trembling, she looked up and found herself looking at Nadech, and she knew he was just as confused by the few words he’d come in time to hear. Nadech was intensely searching for answers in the scene in front of him that made no sense whatsoever. And she hated that she could not snap her fingers to wake both of them out of this bad dream. Their eyes met.
Pope saw this connection, the one he’d suspected ever since the beginning and the confusion and fear in his cousin’s and Nadech’s faces amused him. So he answered Om, “I have no objections. From now on, she’s yours.”
“What’s he doing here?” Nadech had ceased to try figuring things out silently and was hostilely referring to Pope.
“I,” Pope replied lightly, “am here to deal with my cousin’s behavior. You’re just in time, we’ve reached a solution.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
Yaya wanted to snatch all of the pictures up and hurl them into the wind, but already Nadech made his way over and looked at the pictures. She watched with a sinking feeling as his eyes registered disbelief.
“These…”
“It’s okay Nadech,” Om said, “I’ve already confessed. I’m the one with Yaya.”
Nadech’s brow grew more perplexed. His lips parted to object, to explain what he knew was the truth, but couldn’t quite find the right words, especially with Om looking at him so earnestly as if he really had been there that night instead of Nadech, as if Nadech were the delusional one. “But, how…”
“I’m afraid I’m on a tight schedule.” Pope stood up with an air of having concluded a business transaction. He said to Om, “I expect an invitation when everything has been prepared. For your wedding,” he confirmed for the sheer pleasure of seeing Yaya grow more apprehensive.
“Om and…and…” again, Nadech stuttered as if the sentence he was forming was technically impossible.
“But—“ Mother began.
“And as a person who still holds rights over her as family,” Pope interrupted, “I’ll be expecting you to keep your word, or I will be forced to take her with me. I assure you, I’ll have no problem with persuading the authorities how concerned I am about my, dear, cousin. Is that clear?”
Yes. He was threatening them. Yaya had no doubt Pope had a dark charm that could sway people into doing his bidding, whether from his power or simply fear.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Pope smirked, enjoying the frustration Nadech exhibited. “Ask your dear little ward. But remember,” he stepped closer to Nadech and said softly, “she belongs to your brother now.”
Pope left the hospital with a bitter sense of satisfaction. It was always good to taunt his enemies, and this time, he’d shot two birds with one stone: Nadech, who had dared tried to take away his land, and Rassa. Rassa thought she could escape from him, but he saw that she had led herself into torture. She thought she could have happiness but she would soon realize that wasn’t everyone’s fate. There could be no doubt she had hoped for the younger Theerada brother’s proposal instead. Now she would understand the pain he himself felt.
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Thanks for reading. <333
jjinxx
chubbycheeks
imma kick ur-ass-aya !
Oh goodness! This is the most dramatic chapter so far. Poor Om, Yaya and Nadech. Uhh Nee and Pope :smack: Those two should end up together lol. Thanks for the update hon! I'm so loving this story and you're writing is getting better each time < 3
I'm so sad right now! Thanks jinx! Yea like chubbycheeks said.. Ur writing is getting better!
shengvang
sarNie Adult
Wow! This chapter make me want to kills pope and nee! Gosh I can't stand pope any long. And poor nadech, not knowing anything at all. And yaya, I can soooo feel her pain. She has been hurt so many times and as soon as she found her soulmates, it get ruin by POPE!!!! I hope this gets clear up soon. I hope nadech don't miss understood yaya. Croosing fingers!!!
Thanks jjinxx for the update na ja!
Thanks jjinxx for the update na ja!
oh, jjinxxy - my heart is so heavy now.... was so happy with the masquerade chapter then now I am all torn na. :cry1:
jjinxx
Is your "nom" Fai-approved?
@Chubbycheeks: oh, if only you knew...kekeke...
@ukepearl: thanks girl! <3
@kenann fan: muahaha, as you'll soon see, Nadech doesn't misunderstand...but maybe it would be better if he did...
@lakornkiki: I apologize in advance...
Chapter 16
It could only be the shock of Pope’s last words that kept Nadech from chasing Pope down and demanding him to explain more clearly. That, and the dread on the faces of everyone who remained in the room, except of course, Om, who had reclined back in his bed, a contented smile on his face.
Nee pushed her chair back and said in a distracted voice, “I have to go.” She exited quickly, just barely able to control the quivering of her rage.
Outside, she raced to Pope’s car and stopped him from getting in. Pope motioned for his driver to let them talk alone.
“What,” Nee enunciated harshly, “what the f.uck did you just do?”
“Carried out some well-deserved punishment.”
“W…what is that supposed to mean? Do you realize that your stupid pride just ruined everything for me?”
“I had no intention of assisting whatever insignificant plans you had,” he replied, ignoring her angry glare.
“But you said you would take her away!”
“That was before I found a better way to do what I wanted.” He sighed. “You wouldn’t understand. Anyway, I had the impression you don’t like my cousin. You should thank me for the misery I’ve landed her in.”
“I’M the one you’ve landed in misery! What the hell did you go and make Om propose to her for?!”
He smiled in amusement at her tantrum, not a bit remorseful. “Oops.” He opened the door and got into his car.
“Mom, when can we begin our preparations?”
Mother looked at him like she hadn’t heard him right. “Om, you-you can’t be serious.”
“Of course I am. I gave him my word didn’t I?”
Nadech waited, waited to see if his brother would start laughing and say he was joking. He waited for Om to say he had only said those things to make Pope go away, and they would find some other way out for whatever mess that had occurred. Wait. He looked down at the pictures and remembered that this mess was caused by him. And Om was not laughing.
Nadech began slowly, “Om, I don’t know what happened to make you say what you did, but the person in the picture—“
“It’s not me,” Om said. He continued though, effectively killing the split second of relief everyone felt, “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to change my mind. I’ll stand by my decision. I won’t let Yaya be looked down upon.”
“Om, honey,” Mother pressed her hand to his head. She ran her frantic eyes over him in concern. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing mom,” he shook his head at her like she was being silly. “Didn’t I tell you? Once I visited her grave, I would feel better. Now I have a clear mind, so I was right.” He smiled, turning back to Yaya. It was when he spoke those words while looking directly at her that they knew something was wrong.
“P’Om…” Nadech cautiously held on until Om returned his gaze, “she…she’s not Araya.”
Om’s face clouded. “I…I know that.”
“Are you sure?”
“What...Of course.”
“But…” Yaya found and lost her voice again. Did he really not see the true problem with this situation?
“Let’s make this official. Yaya,” Om looked to her directly, “will you accept my proposal?”
Nadech’s mind raced in confusion. But once he really thought about it, he knew Om had been too preoccupied with Araya’s death anniversary lately to pay attention to what was going on at home, and especially the relationship that he and Yaya had slowly developed. Om was completely unaware of what he was interrupting by making his proposal.
“Son, we can’t begin any preparations,” Mother eyed him with growing distress.
“Why not?” Om asked.
“Because…well, because Nadech and…and Yaya,” she turned to the other two, seeking guidance on how to enlighten Om.
“Of course,” Om said, “I understand that Nadech is the guardian of Yaya. Nadech, you approve of this match, right?”
He looked so confident in the answer, it threw them off.
Om breathed a laugh. “You all act like I’m going crazy. I’m doing what’s best. Pope never would have left if I hadn’t spoken up, but I think this is still the best solution. Yaya’s been living with us for a while, it won’t come as a shock to the rest our family. And we can only grow closer through this. I’m willing to put her first in my life now, to give myself a second chance. Haven’t you and mom told me to move forward? What else is wrong?”
“Nothing,” Nadech answered instantly. He forced a smile on his face, “P’Om, Yaya and I will get the nurse to bring you food.” He grasped her wrist and pulled her out with him.
“Nadech,” his sudden reappearance was not questioned. All that mattered was that he was here. “Wait, what’s wrong with him? Should we call for a doctor—“
He kept walking until they reached a small gazebo on the hospital grounds. “Yaya.” He turned to face her fully, unsmiling. “Do you remember me telling you about all those accidents I got into?”
“Wha…yes?” But what did that have to do with their current dilemma?
Nadech swallowed hard, as if bracing himself against something he didn’t want to do. “My brother is almost the exact opposite of me. You couldn’t find someone who was more careful and precise about everything in life. He’s never done anything or made any mistake to get himself or others hurt before. He’s not reckless and he doesn’t let his emotions control him. There’s only been one time in my life that I’ve witnessed Om hurt himself. It was after Araya died. Unable to accept her death, he withdrew from the world and his pain took over.” Nadech pressed his eyes closed against the memories of his brother’s past, his time of grief when he shut himself in his room and made a sport of throwing around objects, eventually accidentally cutting himself, and would have bled to death if Nadech hadn’t forced his way in to check on him. “I can’t watch him go through that again. I can’t bear to watch him take his anger for the world out on himself. I need you…to do me a favor.”
“What is it?” Yaya asked, eager to help in any way possible.
He made himself look into her eyes. “Marry him.”
It was her turn to decipher his impossible statement. “S-say that again?”
“It’s completely selfish of me,” he couldn’t stand to see her brown eyes on him anymore, so Nadech looked away, trying not to let his voice waver, “but I can’t think of any other way to help him.”
“You can’t mean it,” Yaya took a step back, the force of his request hitting her hard, “He-he’s ill! We can’t fix him this way!”
“Please…”
Her chest began to tremble with waves of dread and fear at the outcome to this terrible day. “How can you even…” Yaya shook her head. “Do you even understand what you’re saying? Me…marry…”
He hated himself for saying it, but Nadech worked each word out of him, each word like a vice tightening around his heart. “Please marry him. Do it for me.”
In the following silence, an observer could have possibly heard two hearts breaking.
“If…if you’re angry at me because of those pictures…” Yaya felt her grasp on hope fading away, “…L-let me explain…”
“The pictures are irrelevant,” Nadech replied, clenching his teeth to restrain himself from taking back his words, from shouting out that everything was just a stupid misunderstanding and that he would be more than glad to confess the truth. “What matters most now is the well-being of Om. I don’t want to see him the way he used to be.”
“Lying to him won’t help. We both know why he’s like this—it’s because he misses her too much! His mind is confusing me with her and it won’t make things better by—“
“Do it for me,” he repeated, this time more harshly. Nadech rounded on her and the callous expression on his face masked his own pain one hundred percent. “As someone who has done so much for you, I’m asking you to please help me.” The words tasted bitter in his mouth, loathing himself for making her feel guilty when he had promised her he didn’t expect anything from her. If he continued to see her at that moment, Nadech was sure his resolve would break and he would be on his knees begging her to forget he had ever said such things to her. Without another word, he took off towards his car so he wouldn’t give in to his weakness.
Yaya collapsed on the seat, breath shallow, vision blurred by hot tears. Had the good dream ended at long last?
“There you are,” Mother worriedly went to Yaya’s side as she walked back with no energy in her left. “Where’s Nadech? Did you two talk?” She went on, “Don’t worry, I’ll make Om understand. We won’t do what he—“
“I’ll marry him.”
Mother stared at her, wide-eyed. “What was that sweetheart?”
Yaya repeated monotonously, “I’ll marry him.”
Mother pursed her lips sternly. “You don’t have to. If it’s because you feel embarrassed about the pictures, there’s really no reason you have to worry about it. Not only is it not right, but I know you don’t want to.”
“I do.” Yaya’s lips froze at those premature matrimonial words.
As Mother was just about to deny what she’d heard, Yaya looked up with an exaggerated smile. “I really DO want to marry Om.” She passed by Mother and went into the room.
“There you are,” Om said with delight. “The nurse brought me lunch already. Ah!” he winced when his soup burned his tongue.
She pulled a chair up beside him and dutifully tucked a napkin on his lap, reached for the bowl and blew on it to cool it. “Here.”
Om’s face was a lit up with bliss as he willingly accepted her spoonful of soup, not noticing anything else except that she was beside him.
------------
“Nadech!” Mother called loudly. “Kat, where is that son of mine?”
“I’m here mom.” Nadech came in.
“What’s going on? Don’t you realize the mess that’s been created? And I don’t even know what’s gotten into Yaya, she said she would agree to marry Om! You have to stop her from this nonsense. I’ve got the doctors checking Om’s condition and they say that he has too emotionally distressed and for the time being, to let him be happy while they give him therapy. But Nadech,” she sat down worriedly, “I have a fear that he’s not going to get better. And Yaya too! You have to go fetch her from the hospital, she refused to leave with me.”
“It’s okay mom, let her stay with him.”
Mother looked appalled at him. “Don’t tell me you’re going to…to just go along with Om’s delusion! Have you gone mad with the both of them?”
“No mom,” he sighed, “I think this is what’s best.”
His mom was speechless for a minute. “Son, but I thought that you and Yaya…?”
“No,” he looked up quickly, “Whatever you thought, it’s wrong. She…she belongs with P’Om. That’s the way things should be…That was what had me bring her here in the end, I guess.”
“You can’t be serious.” But for a second, she did question whether she’d imagined what was going on between Nadech and Yaya. But how could such a natural bond such as the one that had formed between the two of them be mistaken for anything but love? Mother was deeply perplexed at the moment by their new attitudes. Yaya was easier to read, she could tell something was wrong that had made Yaya so suddenly agree to Om’s idea. But Nadech was standing in front of her right now and looking so stoic that she had to think twice.
“I’m serious. Like I told you long ago, the most I want is to be her brother,” he lied, “and…now it’ll come true.”
-------------
It was three days later. Three days since the chaos had unraveled in what everyone thought was a tame and normal life. Yaya had spent all of her time at the hospital, having not seen Nadech since then.
She did not expect to see him either, because the fact was, after seeing the desperation in his eyes that day, she knew he had meant what he asked of her. During the past three days, her mind had conjured various strategies to make him change his mind; she could cry, she could beg, she could use anger against him, do anything, throw away her pride just as long as she succeeded in bringing things back to the way they had been. But if she had to honest, all of those strategies were not approached with energy or determination…because Yaya knew doing so would make things harder than they already were for Nadech. The suffering that contorted his face that day was enough to make her stop every time she told herself to go to him. She never wanted to see him hurting, and right now, he was hurting most. She would not throw more salt on the wound caused by his love for his brother, nor on the conflict between that and his feelings for her.
Because Yaya knew he had feelings for her. Yaya closed her eyes, hearing his voice, ‘You are precious to me.’ Never had he lied to her before, so even if now, the words coming out of his mouth were hard to bear, or even if his feelings had changed, Yaya would not take those precious moments for granted.
“Yaya,” Om’s voice penetrated through her thoughts. “I’m ready now.”
He was being discharged from the hospital, and there was more reason than just that for the smile on his face that greeted Yaya. Unable to find an excuse since neither Nadech or Yaya chose to speak up, Mother had been forced to concede to the marriage plans.
Yaya mentally wandered back to the past few weeks. She couldn’t blame Om for not seeing that she did indeed have feelings for Nadech. Not to mention that Yaya had insisted on taking things slow when Nadech asked whether he should let the others know about them. But that was no longer a concern, was it?
“So…have you had more time to think about our wedding?
She smiled tiredly. “I’ll do whatever you think is best.”
This satisfied Om. “That’s good then. And I know that this is very sudden, but since I don’t want your cousin to interfere anymore in our lives, I think it’s best if we take care of our wedding as soon as possible.”
Just like that, Yaya’s resolve faltered. She wasn’t opposed to the ceremonial conditions of a wedding—it was the part about being tied to another human being for the rest of her life that threw her off, because ever since her life had flipped up-side down, there had only been one person who she would have moved the heavens to keep at her side.
But he didn’t want to stay by her side anymore.
“…mom already booked the appointments for a photoshoot. And I’ll have the guest list put together…”
As they drove home, she fell deeper into her own lost thoughts until she realized they were standing by the front door already, as if her soul had fled for those minutes and only just returned because of…
“Nadech,” Om greeted warmly. “Where ya been? Don’t you know how to visit a patient, especially when he’s your brother?”
“Sorry, Om,” Nadech took the bag from Yaya’s hand, purposely avoiding eye contact, “I’ve been busy with work, but now that you’re here, you have my full attention.”
“Great, because we’re going to need all the help we can get to prepare for our wedding,” Om took Yaya’s now free hand, a gesture that Nadech couldn’t ignore, so that his eyes came in contact with Yaya’s. Om was oblivious to their shared silence.
“Come sit down,” Nadech said finally. Watching his retreating back, Yaya grew cold with how much she missed him. Om tugged her hand, leading her in.
As they took their seats and the brothers caught up, Yaya noticed the light in Om’s eyes, and the natural smile on his lips, which was mirrored by Nadech. She felt resigned to her decision because she saw and understood Nadech’s desire to give Om happiness.
Mother joined them and when Om brought up the subject of a wedding again, she at once replied, “I want to hold an engagement ceremony first.”
“Would that be good?” Om looked unsure.
“Yes dear. That’s the proper thing to do.”
“But Pope—“
“There’s nothing that can reassure him more than the promise that we’ll carry out our…our duty,” she said firmly. “Besides, things are moving too fast. For now, I’m sure he won’t find fault in an engagement.”
“Okay, whatever you think is best,” Om glanced with a gentleness at Yaya, who held her linked hands in her lap tensely.
“I’d like to be excused,” Yaya said.
“Of course Yaya,” Mother said, “You must be tired. Om, I want to talk to you about the plans for that day...”
Nadech’s eyes betrayed him, sliding over to where the Yaya’s figure was shuffling slowly to the stairs.
‘…remember, she belongs to your brother now…’
-------------
Thanks for reading!
X]
jjinxx
@ukepearl: thanks girl! <3
@kenann fan: muahaha, as you'll soon see, Nadech doesn't misunderstand...but maybe it would be better if he did...
@lakornkiki: I apologize in advance...
Chapter 16
It could only be the shock of Pope’s last words that kept Nadech from chasing Pope down and demanding him to explain more clearly. That, and the dread on the faces of everyone who remained in the room, except of course, Om, who had reclined back in his bed, a contented smile on his face.
Nee pushed her chair back and said in a distracted voice, “I have to go.” She exited quickly, just barely able to control the quivering of her rage.
Outside, she raced to Pope’s car and stopped him from getting in. Pope motioned for his driver to let them talk alone.
“What,” Nee enunciated harshly, “what the f.uck did you just do?”
“Carried out some well-deserved punishment.”
“W…what is that supposed to mean? Do you realize that your stupid pride just ruined everything for me?”
“I had no intention of assisting whatever insignificant plans you had,” he replied, ignoring her angry glare.
“But you said you would take her away!”
“That was before I found a better way to do what I wanted.” He sighed. “You wouldn’t understand. Anyway, I had the impression you don’t like my cousin. You should thank me for the misery I’ve landed her in.”
“I’M the one you’ve landed in misery! What the hell did you go and make Om propose to her for?!”
He smiled in amusement at her tantrum, not a bit remorseful. “Oops.” He opened the door and got into his car.
“Mom, when can we begin our preparations?”
Mother looked at him like she hadn’t heard him right. “Om, you-you can’t be serious.”
“Of course I am. I gave him my word didn’t I?”
Nadech waited, waited to see if his brother would start laughing and say he was joking. He waited for Om to say he had only said those things to make Pope go away, and they would find some other way out for whatever mess that had occurred. Wait. He looked down at the pictures and remembered that this mess was caused by him. And Om was not laughing.
Nadech began slowly, “Om, I don’t know what happened to make you say what you did, but the person in the picture—“
“It’s not me,” Om said. He continued though, effectively killing the split second of relief everyone felt, “But it doesn’t matter, because I’m not going to change my mind. I’ll stand by my decision. I won’t let Yaya be looked down upon.”
“Om, honey,” Mother pressed her hand to his head. She ran her frantic eyes over him in concern. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing mom,” he shook his head at her like she was being silly. “Didn’t I tell you? Once I visited her grave, I would feel better. Now I have a clear mind, so I was right.” He smiled, turning back to Yaya. It was when he spoke those words while looking directly at her that they knew something was wrong.
“P’Om…” Nadech cautiously held on until Om returned his gaze, “she…she’s not Araya.”
Om’s face clouded. “I…I know that.”
“Are you sure?”
“What...Of course.”
“But…” Yaya found and lost her voice again. Did he really not see the true problem with this situation?
“Let’s make this official. Yaya,” Om looked to her directly, “will you accept my proposal?”
Nadech’s mind raced in confusion. But once he really thought about it, he knew Om had been too preoccupied with Araya’s death anniversary lately to pay attention to what was going on at home, and especially the relationship that he and Yaya had slowly developed. Om was completely unaware of what he was interrupting by making his proposal.
“Son, we can’t begin any preparations,” Mother eyed him with growing distress.
“Why not?” Om asked.
“Because…well, because Nadech and…and Yaya,” she turned to the other two, seeking guidance on how to enlighten Om.
“Of course,” Om said, “I understand that Nadech is the guardian of Yaya. Nadech, you approve of this match, right?”
He looked so confident in the answer, it threw them off.
Om breathed a laugh. “You all act like I’m going crazy. I’m doing what’s best. Pope never would have left if I hadn’t spoken up, but I think this is still the best solution. Yaya’s been living with us for a while, it won’t come as a shock to the rest our family. And we can only grow closer through this. I’m willing to put her first in my life now, to give myself a second chance. Haven’t you and mom told me to move forward? What else is wrong?”
“Nothing,” Nadech answered instantly. He forced a smile on his face, “P’Om, Yaya and I will get the nurse to bring you food.” He grasped her wrist and pulled her out with him.
“Nadech,” his sudden reappearance was not questioned. All that mattered was that he was here. “Wait, what’s wrong with him? Should we call for a doctor—“
He kept walking until they reached a small gazebo on the hospital grounds. “Yaya.” He turned to face her fully, unsmiling. “Do you remember me telling you about all those accidents I got into?”
“Wha…yes?” But what did that have to do with their current dilemma?
Nadech swallowed hard, as if bracing himself against something he didn’t want to do. “My brother is almost the exact opposite of me. You couldn’t find someone who was more careful and precise about everything in life. He’s never done anything or made any mistake to get himself or others hurt before. He’s not reckless and he doesn’t let his emotions control him. There’s only been one time in my life that I’ve witnessed Om hurt himself. It was after Araya died. Unable to accept her death, he withdrew from the world and his pain took over.” Nadech pressed his eyes closed against the memories of his brother’s past, his time of grief when he shut himself in his room and made a sport of throwing around objects, eventually accidentally cutting himself, and would have bled to death if Nadech hadn’t forced his way in to check on him. “I can’t watch him go through that again. I can’t bear to watch him take his anger for the world out on himself. I need you…to do me a favor.”
“What is it?” Yaya asked, eager to help in any way possible.
He made himself look into her eyes. “Marry him.”
It was her turn to decipher his impossible statement. “S-say that again?”
“It’s completely selfish of me,” he couldn’t stand to see her brown eyes on him anymore, so Nadech looked away, trying not to let his voice waver, “but I can’t think of any other way to help him.”
“You can’t mean it,” Yaya took a step back, the force of his request hitting her hard, “He-he’s ill! We can’t fix him this way!”
“Please…”
Her chest began to tremble with waves of dread and fear at the outcome to this terrible day. “How can you even…” Yaya shook her head. “Do you even understand what you’re saying? Me…marry…”
He hated himself for saying it, but Nadech worked each word out of him, each word like a vice tightening around his heart. “Please marry him. Do it for me.”
In the following silence, an observer could have possibly heard two hearts breaking.
“If…if you’re angry at me because of those pictures…” Yaya felt her grasp on hope fading away, “…L-let me explain…”
“The pictures are irrelevant,” Nadech replied, clenching his teeth to restrain himself from taking back his words, from shouting out that everything was just a stupid misunderstanding and that he would be more than glad to confess the truth. “What matters most now is the well-being of Om. I don’t want to see him the way he used to be.”
“Lying to him won’t help. We both know why he’s like this—it’s because he misses her too much! His mind is confusing me with her and it won’t make things better by—“
“Do it for me,” he repeated, this time more harshly. Nadech rounded on her and the callous expression on his face masked his own pain one hundred percent. “As someone who has done so much for you, I’m asking you to please help me.” The words tasted bitter in his mouth, loathing himself for making her feel guilty when he had promised her he didn’t expect anything from her. If he continued to see her at that moment, Nadech was sure his resolve would break and he would be on his knees begging her to forget he had ever said such things to her. Without another word, he took off towards his car so he wouldn’t give in to his weakness.
Yaya collapsed on the seat, breath shallow, vision blurred by hot tears. Had the good dream ended at long last?
“There you are,” Mother worriedly went to Yaya’s side as she walked back with no energy in her left. “Where’s Nadech? Did you two talk?” She went on, “Don’t worry, I’ll make Om understand. We won’t do what he—“
“I’ll marry him.”
Mother stared at her, wide-eyed. “What was that sweetheart?”
Yaya repeated monotonously, “I’ll marry him.”
Mother pursed her lips sternly. “You don’t have to. If it’s because you feel embarrassed about the pictures, there’s really no reason you have to worry about it. Not only is it not right, but I know you don’t want to.”
“I do.” Yaya’s lips froze at those premature matrimonial words.
As Mother was just about to deny what she’d heard, Yaya looked up with an exaggerated smile. “I really DO want to marry Om.” She passed by Mother and went into the room.
“There you are,” Om said with delight. “The nurse brought me lunch already. Ah!” he winced when his soup burned his tongue.
She pulled a chair up beside him and dutifully tucked a napkin on his lap, reached for the bowl and blew on it to cool it. “Here.”
Om’s face was a lit up with bliss as he willingly accepted her spoonful of soup, not noticing anything else except that she was beside him.
------------
“Nadech!” Mother called loudly. “Kat, where is that son of mine?”
“I’m here mom.” Nadech came in.
“What’s going on? Don’t you realize the mess that’s been created? And I don’t even know what’s gotten into Yaya, she said she would agree to marry Om! You have to stop her from this nonsense. I’ve got the doctors checking Om’s condition and they say that he has too emotionally distressed and for the time being, to let him be happy while they give him therapy. But Nadech,” she sat down worriedly, “I have a fear that he’s not going to get better. And Yaya too! You have to go fetch her from the hospital, she refused to leave with me.”
“It’s okay mom, let her stay with him.”
Mother looked appalled at him. “Don’t tell me you’re going to…to just go along with Om’s delusion! Have you gone mad with the both of them?”
“No mom,” he sighed, “I think this is what’s best.”
His mom was speechless for a minute. “Son, but I thought that you and Yaya…?”
“No,” he looked up quickly, “Whatever you thought, it’s wrong. She…she belongs with P’Om. That’s the way things should be…That was what had me bring her here in the end, I guess.”
“You can’t be serious.” But for a second, she did question whether she’d imagined what was going on between Nadech and Yaya. But how could such a natural bond such as the one that had formed between the two of them be mistaken for anything but love? Mother was deeply perplexed at the moment by their new attitudes. Yaya was easier to read, she could tell something was wrong that had made Yaya so suddenly agree to Om’s idea. But Nadech was standing in front of her right now and looking so stoic that she had to think twice.
“I’m serious. Like I told you long ago, the most I want is to be her brother,” he lied, “and…now it’ll come true.”
-------------
It was three days later. Three days since the chaos had unraveled in what everyone thought was a tame and normal life. Yaya had spent all of her time at the hospital, having not seen Nadech since then.
She did not expect to see him either, because the fact was, after seeing the desperation in his eyes that day, she knew he had meant what he asked of her. During the past three days, her mind had conjured various strategies to make him change his mind; she could cry, she could beg, she could use anger against him, do anything, throw away her pride just as long as she succeeded in bringing things back to the way they had been. But if she had to honest, all of those strategies were not approached with energy or determination…because Yaya knew doing so would make things harder than they already were for Nadech. The suffering that contorted his face that day was enough to make her stop every time she told herself to go to him. She never wanted to see him hurting, and right now, he was hurting most. She would not throw more salt on the wound caused by his love for his brother, nor on the conflict between that and his feelings for her.
Because Yaya knew he had feelings for her. Yaya closed her eyes, hearing his voice, ‘You are precious to me.’ Never had he lied to her before, so even if now, the words coming out of his mouth were hard to bear, or even if his feelings had changed, Yaya would not take those precious moments for granted.
“Yaya,” Om’s voice penetrated through her thoughts. “I’m ready now.”
He was being discharged from the hospital, and there was more reason than just that for the smile on his face that greeted Yaya. Unable to find an excuse since neither Nadech or Yaya chose to speak up, Mother had been forced to concede to the marriage plans.
Yaya mentally wandered back to the past few weeks. She couldn’t blame Om for not seeing that she did indeed have feelings for Nadech. Not to mention that Yaya had insisted on taking things slow when Nadech asked whether he should let the others know about them. But that was no longer a concern, was it?
“So…have you had more time to think about our wedding?
She smiled tiredly. “I’ll do whatever you think is best.”
This satisfied Om. “That’s good then. And I know that this is very sudden, but since I don’t want your cousin to interfere anymore in our lives, I think it’s best if we take care of our wedding as soon as possible.”
Just like that, Yaya’s resolve faltered. She wasn’t opposed to the ceremonial conditions of a wedding—it was the part about being tied to another human being for the rest of her life that threw her off, because ever since her life had flipped up-side down, there had only been one person who she would have moved the heavens to keep at her side.
But he didn’t want to stay by her side anymore.
“…mom already booked the appointments for a photoshoot. And I’ll have the guest list put together…”
As they drove home, she fell deeper into her own lost thoughts until she realized they were standing by the front door already, as if her soul had fled for those minutes and only just returned because of…
“Nadech,” Om greeted warmly. “Where ya been? Don’t you know how to visit a patient, especially when he’s your brother?”
“Sorry, Om,” Nadech took the bag from Yaya’s hand, purposely avoiding eye contact, “I’ve been busy with work, but now that you’re here, you have my full attention.”
“Great, because we’re going to need all the help we can get to prepare for our wedding,” Om took Yaya’s now free hand, a gesture that Nadech couldn’t ignore, so that his eyes came in contact with Yaya’s. Om was oblivious to their shared silence.
“Come sit down,” Nadech said finally. Watching his retreating back, Yaya grew cold with how much she missed him. Om tugged her hand, leading her in.
As they took their seats and the brothers caught up, Yaya noticed the light in Om’s eyes, and the natural smile on his lips, which was mirrored by Nadech. She felt resigned to her decision because she saw and understood Nadech’s desire to give Om happiness.
Mother joined them and when Om brought up the subject of a wedding again, she at once replied, “I want to hold an engagement ceremony first.”
“Would that be good?” Om looked unsure.
“Yes dear. That’s the proper thing to do.”
“But Pope—“
“There’s nothing that can reassure him more than the promise that we’ll carry out our…our duty,” she said firmly. “Besides, things are moving too fast. For now, I’m sure he won’t find fault in an engagement.”
“Okay, whatever you think is best,” Om glanced with a gentleness at Yaya, who held her linked hands in her lap tensely.
“I’d like to be excused,” Yaya said.
“Of course Yaya,” Mother said, “You must be tired. Om, I want to talk to you about the plans for that day...”
Nadech’s eyes betrayed him, sliding over to where the Yaya’s figure was shuffling slowly to the stairs.
‘…remember, she belongs to your brother now…’
-------------
Thanks for reading!
X]
jjinxx
jjinxxy - I almost chicken out and not read the update when I saw your note na. You know I am going to be in tears.
Grrrrrrrrrr I can't stand it..... I have to give up my love for my sibling thing. :teary: *pulling my hair out now* If I go ball, it's all your fault na.
Grrrrrrrrrr I can't stand it..... I have to give up my love for my sibling thing. :teary: *pulling my hair out now* If I go ball, it's all your fault na.
thai-lakorn-fan-forever
sarNie Oldmaid
This is extremely well written! I'm so hooked on this! Update soon na.
jjinxx
Is your "nom" Fai-approved?
@ Kiki, Ukepearl, thai-lakorn-fan-forever: Thank you!
Chapter 17
“Whoa there, you’re going to drown the poor thing.”
Yaya’s eyes came back into focus and she realized she had overwatered all of the potted plants on the patio. Tilting her head up, she met Om’s handsome face.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was casual; Yaya found that she neither liked nor disliked it.
“I was just…being absent-minded. Why are you out here? You should be go on inside and rest.”
He chuckled at her. “I’m no longer a invalid, Yaya. In fact, I’m more worried about you. You look so distant lately.”
“There are just things on my mind.”
He nodded understandingly, “You don’t have to stress. Our engagement is being taken care of. Speaking of, I wanted to bring something up with you. I was thinking that it would be better if you no longer went to Nee’s house.”
“Y-you mean…stop working there?” she asked. While she hadn’t been going to work because she was taking care of Om, she had at the same time given little thought to going back too. It appeared she was becoming numb to her surroundings.
“Yes. It’s just, I would prefer if you were here more often. Mom made me take a vacation and I’d love to have you around longer.” He pouted slightly, “Nadech’s no fun. All of a sudden he’s gotten super busy, it makes me feel guilty actually. If only I hadn’t gotten sick, he wouldn’t have to share my work too. He’s not looking well, don’t you think? But all he keeps saying is that he doesn’t want me to get tired. Seriously, I don’t know why he keeps thinking I haven’t gotten better,” he sighed.
Yaya’s heart clenched at the thought of Nadech stressing. She knew she had to do whatever it took to make him less distressed, and that meant keeping Om happy. “Om?”
“Yeah?”
“I think you’re right, I shouldn’t go to Nee’s anymore. I’ll stay home with you, okay?”
He grinned in response. “Thank you Yaya.”
It took all of her will power to keep the smile on Nee’s face. “Engagement?”
“That’s right,” Om replied. He glanced outside, where Yaya had gone out to see Bee in the yard. The two were holding hands, making him smile. “I hope you’re not too disappointed, but with things getting busy around the house, I’d really appreciate it if you could let Yaya go. I’ve already found you a replacement and everything.”
“How…how considerate of you Om,” she thanked. “And you two are really going get…engaged?”
He nodded, not restraining his smile, which further crushed Nee’s heart. “It seems like even with Pope’s negative presence, things worked out after all.”
Pope. Just the sound of that b.astard’s name made Nee’s blood pump heatedly. She composed herself and looked up at Om. “Congratulations.”
He might not have heard, too busy admiring the two outside who were skipping around and had settled on the grass.
“You’re going to leave?” Bee asked in alarm, his delicate adolescent features twisting sadly. “But why? Don’t you like me anymore?”
Smiling, Yaya propped herself up on her elbows. “Of course honey, I love you always.”
He pouted, “But I won’t get to eat your yummy food anymore.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Uncle Om has already hired an excellent chef for you. You won’t be able to tell the difference for sure.”
Still stubbornly sad, Bee crossed his arms and turned away from her. “No, I only like your food. If you don’t come here anymore, then I won’t eat. I’ll…I’ll run away!”
With a solemn face, she kneeled in front of him. “Bee, haven’t you sworn that you won’t run away?”
“B-but…” his lower lip quivered tragically, “I don’t want you to go. YOU’RE the one that’s running away from me.”
“No, I’m not. I’ll always be here for you, it’s just that I have…an important job to do, and if I don’t do it, people will be sad. Bee, look at me,” she tilted his face up, “Remember? Running away is very mean. The people who love you would die.” Her thumbs erased the tear tracks on his face.
He sniffled loudly, “Would your soulmate die then? Is that why you promised your soulmate you won’t run away?”
At the word ‘soulmate’ her masochistic brain thought of Nadech and her brow puckered slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Because Uncle Nadech told me that Yaya’s soulmate is someone who loves her, so she has to promise him she won’t run away. Will he really die?”
‘…Yaya’s soulmate is someone who loves her.’
‘Let’s be soulmates’ he had said.
The meaning behind his innocent inquiries knocked the breath out of her. “Yes,” she managed to say quietly, getting up on her feet and swaying as the light danced in her vision.
“Yaya!” Om called, approaching them.
Still disoriented from what she’d learned from Bee, Yaya looked up when Om and Bee said her name, and took a step forward, but tripped and fell to her knees.
“Yaya!” Om crouched by her side. “Are you okay?”
“I just…” she gulped back the flood of tears that tossed her guts around, “I’m fine. I must have stood up too quickly.”
“Do your feet hurt?”
She shook her head wordlessly.
He held her elbow cautiously as she limped to keep balance, “Maybe we should cancel the photoshoot today. What if your fee--”
“No!” she blurted. “We have to do it.” Om was taken aback by the vigor of her reply.
At that moment, Yaya just needed to be enveloped by the job that Nadech had asked of her, she needed to get so focused on the preparations for the beginning of her fate that she would be able to forget the wound blossoming through the four chambers of her heart right then.
‘…someone who loves her…”
What was more preposterous; that he never told her? That he might have stopped loving her before she found out? Or that he was making them both suffer?
Yaya needed to be distracted from the aching words she’d heard from the unsuspecting boy beside her, or else she might break her promise…and run away.
-------------
Beautiful. That was the single humble word that could be uttered as the bride-to-be was unveiled in her white glory of soft fabric and dainty lace trimmings. The camera loved capturing images of the two aesthetically pleasing individuals in front of the lights. Yaya thought all the camera flashes had succeeded in making her blind to the cold world around her, and on and on, the camera went, stealing moments of her beauty while not betraying her throbbing heart, so that the photographer, the makeup coordinator, the set designer all sang praises for Yaya and Om. But to Yaya, they were simply two individuals in front of a camera.
While they were preparing for the last set, Yaya slumped into a chair and stared unseeingly at her reflection in front of her. Om had lit up in fascination of her beauty, the others had been equally awed. But at that moment, she wondered what her parents would say if they saw her now, with her face blushed up, her eyes colored with the most precise technique, lips reddened. Would they recognize her? Would Mint pass by her without looking? Would Mark mistake her for a stranger? Then there was the man whom she wanted to ask most, but though he was very much a part of her life, Yaya felt like she’d lost him.
If possible, the sensation was worst than after her parents died. Right now, she felt like she had lost a vital part of herself, and the worst was that she didn’t blame him, couldn’t hate him for what he was putting her through, because she welcomed any way of easing his pain. But that didn’t alleviate the sense of being cruelly deprived of something dear to her heart, as if heaven were taunting her. She had already endured loss, why was it so hard to get used to? The thing is, the bitterness of losing her parents had faded though, because she had willed herself to cling to the sweet memories instead. But with Nadech, there could be no making up for the bitterness, because he was still so tangibly present in her life, just a glance, a heartbeat away.
“Yaya?” Om stood at the door. “How are you? You had to stand for quite a while.” He noticed that she had been very quiet during the shoot and wondered if she had hurt her feet more than she let on.
“Everything’s fine,” she assured him.
“Mother and Nadech are here. They want to see us.”
And there again was the person that she knew she shouldn’t broach upon but had nothing to stop her from yearning—what would Nadech think if he saw her like this. And that question alerted her to the sharp stab of pain that reminded her it didn’t matter because he was no longer the man in the picture with her and never would be once she married his brother, because neither of them were willing to jeopardize Om’s happiness. Why was the universe making it so difficult for her accept it? Without warning, a cascade of tears rolled down her face.
“Yaya? What’s the matter?” Om instantly stepped closer to her as her body trembled. Frowning deeply, “You’re not feeling well?”
She stuttered for words that were not sufficient to describe that she both longed for and yet didn’t want to see Nadech. “P-please, tell them I can’t…can’t go out there.” She sobbed, pearly tears weaving into the tulle and lace of her gown, a ceaseless thread of agony.
Om winced in concern. “I’m sorry. I knew we should have canceled. Did you hurt your feet bad? We don’t have to continue taking photos anymore.”
With no other excuse, she nodded and lowered her head to hide her tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so c-clumsy and now I’m hurt. I don’t think I can go back out to see h-him. My f-foot hurts…it hurts too much…” she sobbed. “It hurts…”
And while she was trying to deceive herself, her glistening tears woke up the part of Om’s conscience that had been shoved back in his recent grieving. For a moment, he blinked rapidly as if aware of where Yaya’s true pain lay.
Was he imagining it, the sound of someone crying? Nadech’s hand lifted and covered the left side of his chest. There was a vast empty black hole in his chest, and it didn’t make any sense to him. If there was true emptiness inside him, then why did it hurt so much? And why did that painful black hole seem to pulse bigger and bigger with each sunrise and yet never ebb away from him? Each morning, he rose before the others to go to work so that he wouldn’t have to witness Om and Yaya side by side, but each day, he came home and couldn’t avoid that very picture. He hated seeing the lifelessness on Yaya’s face, but he told himself it was worth it because Om was happy, and in the future, she too would come to find happiness with his brother…right?
The door opened and he held his breath, but it was only Om who appeared.
“Where’s Yaya?” Mother asked.
“She’s not feeling well. I’m going to end it early today.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Both Mother and Nadech asked at once. Mother stood up impatiently and went into the set room to get to Yaya’s dressing room.
“W-what’s going on?” Nadech asked, fighting hard to keep himself from following his mom through the door.
“She hurt her feet while we were visiting Nee and Bee. I told her we could postpone the pictures, but she insisted on coming, like…well, I guess she just wanted things to stay on schedule. But…she looked like she was in a lot of pain,” Om frowned at Nadech, with an accusatory glint in his eye as if his younger brother were the source of this dilemma. Feeling a migraine pulse at his temple, Om shook his head at the senseless things that flitted in his mind.
“You okay?”
“Yeah…I’ll get changed and we can go back home. Actually, I think it’s best if you and I go home first.”
“What?” Nadech asked, perplexed by this suggestion. “But what about—“
“Yaya said she doesn’t want to see anyone right now. I’m sure mom will take good care of her, but…Yaya said she wanted to be alone because she was…” hurting, Om finished silently. And the strangest thing was, Om wasn’t sure why he should have this pinch of instinct to blame Nadech or why he knew Yaya didn’t want to see Nadech, especially considering he was someone she trusted whole-heartedly. And Om suddenly felt like he was in the wrong place. But that didn’t make sense. Of course he was in the right place, preparing for his engagement to the girl he wanted to marry.
“Come one,” he urged Nadech towards the exit.
“But…”
“They’ll be fine. There are things I want you to help me with about the engagement.” He took one last look over his shoulder at the doorway that led to the maiden within.
Nadech straightened up when he heard a car pull in. He saw that Om was looking at his reaction, so Nadech sat back in his chair once more. They both turned their attention to the entrance when the two ladies came in.
Mother was murmuring quietly to Yaya, who looked so exhausted that Nadech wished he could just go over and hug her for eternity. Though her face was lowered, he could tell her eyes were red. Like holding back a natural instinct, Nadech fisted his hands to keep his fingers from reaching out to her, while Om went to her side.
“How are you feeling?”
She gave a soft reply, and Om said, “Okay. Go on to bed. Mom, can you take care of her?”
Just the two of them again, Om spoke out to the room, “I hope she feels better. If not, I’m taking her to the hospital tomorrow. I think she’s stressed out from Pope’s visit.” Om shook his head. “How can he treat his own blood relative like that? He’s a disgrace to Yaya’s family.”
Nadech merely nodded.
“It’s weird. Every time I see him,” Om continued, “I get the feeling like he has a personal grudge against Yaya. But that’s ridiculous. You told me that she handed all of her inheritance to him, didn’t you?”
Nadech nodded again.
“So then what the h.ell is his problem?” Om sighed. “No matter what, I’ll protect her from him.” Their eyes met, and Om smiled, “I know that you’ve been taking care of her. But now, I’ll do my best to give her happiness. And…I know that before, you probably thought I was using her as a replacement for…Anyway, I just want both Yaya’s and my lives to have new beginnings. Thanks for your support.”
“No…no problem…”
-------------
jjinxx
Chapter 17
“Whoa there, you’re going to drown the poor thing.”
Yaya’s eyes came back into focus and she realized she had overwatered all of the potted plants on the patio. Tilting her head up, she met Om’s handsome face.
“What were you thinking about?” he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was casual; Yaya found that she neither liked nor disliked it.
“I was just…being absent-minded. Why are you out here? You should be go on inside and rest.”
He chuckled at her. “I’m no longer a invalid, Yaya. In fact, I’m more worried about you. You look so distant lately.”
“There are just things on my mind.”
He nodded understandingly, “You don’t have to stress. Our engagement is being taken care of. Speaking of, I wanted to bring something up with you. I was thinking that it would be better if you no longer went to Nee’s house.”
“Y-you mean…stop working there?” she asked. While she hadn’t been going to work because she was taking care of Om, she had at the same time given little thought to going back too. It appeared she was becoming numb to her surroundings.
“Yes. It’s just, I would prefer if you were here more often. Mom made me take a vacation and I’d love to have you around longer.” He pouted slightly, “Nadech’s no fun. All of a sudden he’s gotten super busy, it makes me feel guilty actually. If only I hadn’t gotten sick, he wouldn’t have to share my work too. He’s not looking well, don’t you think? But all he keeps saying is that he doesn’t want me to get tired. Seriously, I don’t know why he keeps thinking I haven’t gotten better,” he sighed.
Yaya’s heart clenched at the thought of Nadech stressing. She knew she had to do whatever it took to make him less distressed, and that meant keeping Om happy. “Om?”
“Yeah?”
“I think you’re right, I shouldn’t go to Nee’s anymore. I’ll stay home with you, okay?”
He grinned in response. “Thank you Yaya.”
It took all of her will power to keep the smile on Nee’s face. “Engagement?”
“That’s right,” Om replied. He glanced outside, where Yaya had gone out to see Bee in the yard. The two were holding hands, making him smile. “I hope you’re not too disappointed, but with things getting busy around the house, I’d really appreciate it if you could let Yaya go. I’ve already found you a replacement and everything.”
“How…how considerate of you Om,” she thanked. “And you two are really going get…engaged?”
He nodded, not restraining his smile, which further crushed Nee’s heart. “It seems like even with Pope’s negative presence, things worked out after all.”
Pope. Just the sound of that b.astard’s name made Nee’s blood pump heatedly. She composed herself and looked up at Om. “Congratulations.”
He might not have heard, too busy admiring the two outside who were skipping around and had settled on the grass.
“You’re going to leave?” Bee asked in alarm, his delicate adolescent features twisting sadly. “But why? Don’t you like me anymore?”
Smiling, Yaya propped herself up on her elbows. “Of course honey, I love you always.”
He pouted, “But I won’t get to eat your yummy food anymore.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Uncle Om has already hired an excellent chef for you. You won’t be able to tell the difference for sure.”
Still stubbornly sad, Bee crossed his arms and turned away from her. “No, I only like your food. If you don’t come here anymore, then I won’t eat. I’ll…I’ll run away!”
With a solemn face, she kneeled in front of him. “Bee, haven’t you sworn that you won’t run away?”
“B-but…” his lower lip quivered tragically, “I don’t want you to go. YOU’RE the one that’s running away from me.”
“No, I’m not. I’ll always be here for you, it’s just that I have…an important job to do, and if I don’t do it, people will be sad. Bee, look at me,” she tilted his face up, “Remember? Running away is very mean. The people who love you would die.” Her thumbs erased the tear tracks on his face.
He sniffled loudly, “Would your soulmate die then? Is that why you promised your soulmate you won’t run away?”
At the word ‘soulmate’ her masochistic brain thought of Nadech and her brow puckered slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Because Uncle Nadech told me that Yaya’s soulmate is someone who loves her, so she has to promise him she won’t run away. Will he really die?”
‘…Yaya’s soulmate is someone who loves her.’
‘Let’s be soulmates’ he had said.
The meaning behind his innocent inquiries knocked the breath out of her. “Yes,” she managed to say quietly, getting up on her feet and swaying as the light danced in her vision.
“Yaya!” Om called, approaching them.
Still disoriented from what she’d learned from Bee, Yaya looked up when Om and Bee said her name, and took a step forward, but tripped and fell to her knees.
“Yaya!” Om crouched by her side. “Are you okay?”
“I just…” she gulped back the flood of tears that tossed her guts around, “I’m fine. I must have stood up too quickly.”
“Do your feet hurt?”
She shook her head wordlessly.
He held her elbow cautiously as she limped to keep balance, “Maybe we should cancel the photoshoot today. What if your fee--”
“No!” she blurted. “We have to do it.” Om was taken aback by the vigor of her reply.
At that moment, Yaya just needed to be enveloped by the job that Nadech had asked of her, she needed to get so focused on the preparations for the beginning of her fate that she would be able to forget the wound blossoming through the four chambers of her heart right then.
‘…someone who loves her…”
What was more preposterous; that he never told her? That he might have stopped loving her before she found out? Or that he was making them both suffer?
Yaya needed to be distracted from the aching words she’d heard from the unsuspecting boy beside her, or else she might break her promise…and run away.
-------------
Beautiful. That was the single humble word that could be uttered as the bride-to-be was unveiled in her white glory of soft fabric and dainty lace trimmings. The camera loved capturing images of the two aesthetically pleasing individuals in front of the lights. Yaya thought all the camera flashes had succeeded in making her blind to the cold world around her, and on and on, the camera went, stealing moments of her beauty while not betraying her throbbing heart, so that the photographer, the makeup coordinator, the set designer all sang praises for Yaya and Om. But to Yaya, they were simply two individuals in front of a camera.
While they were preparing for the last set, Yaya slumped into a chair and stared unseeingly at her reflection in front of her. Om had lit up in fascination of her beauty, the others had been equally awed. But at that moment, she wondered what her parents would say if they saw her now, with her face blushed up, her eyes colored with the most precise technique, lips reddened. Would they recognize her? Would Mint pass by her without looking? Would Mark mistake her for a stranger? Then there was the man whom she wanted to ask most, but though he was very much a part of her life, Yaya felt like she’d lost him.
If possible, the sensation was worst than after her parents died. Right now, she felt like she had lost a vital part of herself, and the worst was that she didn’t blame him, couldn’t hate him for what he was putting her through, because she welcomed any way of easing his pain. But that didn’t alleviate the sense of being cruelly deprived of something dear to her heart, as if heaven were taunting her. She had already endured loss, why was it so hard to get used to? The thing is, the bitterness of losing her parents had faded though, because she had willed herself to cling to the sweet memories instead. But with Nadech, there could be no making up for the bitterness, because he was still so tangibly present in her life, just a glance, a heartbeat away.
“Yaya?” Om stood at the door. “How are you? You had to stand for quite a while.” He noticed that she had been very quiet during the shoot and wondered if she had hurt her feet more than she let on.
“Everything’s fine,” she assured him.
“Mother and Nadech are here. They want to see us.”
And there again was the person that she knew she shouldn’t broach upon but had nothing to stop her from yearning—what would Nadech think if he saw her like this. And that question alerted her to the sharp stab of pain that reminded her it didn’t matter because he was no longer the man in the picture with her and never would be once she married his brother, because neither of them were willing to jeopardize Om’s happiness. Why was the universe making it so difficult for her accept it? Without warning, a cascade of tears rolled down her face.
“Yaya? What’s the matter?” Om instantly stepped closer to her as her body trembled. Frowning deeply, “You’re not feeling well?”
She stuttered for words that were not sufficient to describe that she both longed for and yet didn’t want to see Nadech. “P-please, tell them I can’t…can’t go out there.” She sobbed, pearly tears weaving into the tulle and lace of her gown, a ceaseless thread of agony.
Om winced in concern. “I’m sorry. I knew we should have canceled. Did you hurt your feet bad? We don’t have to continue taking photos anymore.”
With no other excuse, she nodded and lowered her head to hide her tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so c-clumsy and now I’m hurt. I don’t think I can go back out to see h-him. My f-foot hurts…it hurts too much…” she sobbed. “It hurts…”
And while she was trying to deceive herself, her glistening tears woke up the part of Om’s conscience that had been shoved back in his recent grieving. For a moment, he blinked rapidly as if aware of where Yaya’s true pain lay.
Was he imagining it, the sound of someone crying? Nadech’s hand lifted and covered the left side of his chest. There was a vast empty black hole in his chest, and it didn’t make any sense to him. If there was true emptiness inside him, then why did it hurt so much? And why did that painful black hole seem to pulse bigger and bigger with each sunrise and yet never ebb away from him? Each morning, he rose before the others to go to work so that he wouldn’t have to witness Om and Yaya side by side, but each day, he came home and couldn’t avoid that very picture. He hated seeing the lifelessness on Yaya’s face, but he told himself it was worth it because Om was happy, and in the future, she too would come to find happiness with his brother…right?
The door opened and he held his breath, but it was only Om who appeared.
“Where’s Yaya?” Mother asked.
“She’s not feeling well. I’m going to end it early today.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Both Mother and Nadech asked at once. Mother stood up impatiently and went into the set room to get to Yaya’s dressing room.
“W-what’s going on?” Nadech asked, fighting hard to keep himself from following his mom through the door.
“She hurt her feet while we were visiting Nee and Bee. I told her we could postpone the pictures, but she insisted on coming, like…well, I guess she just wanted things to stay on schedule. But…she looked like she was in a lot of pain,” Om frowned at Nadech, with an accusatory glint in his eye as if his younger brother were the source of this dilemma. Feeling a migraine pulse at his temple, Om shook his head at the senseless things that flitted in his mind.
“You okay?”
“Yeah…I’ll get changed and we can go back home. Actually, I think it’s best if you and I go home first.”
“What?” Nadech asked, perplexed by this suggestion. “But what about—“
“Yaya said she doesn’t want to see anyone right now. I’m sure mom will take good care of her, but…Yaya said she wanted to be alone because she was…” hurting, Om finished silently. And the strangest thing was, Om wasn’t sure why he should have this pinch of instinct to blame Nadech or why he knew Yaya didn’t want to see Nadech, especially considering he was someone she trusted whole-heartedly. And Om suddenly felt like he was in the wrong place. But that didn’t make sense. Of course he was in the right place, preparing for his engagement to the girl he wanted to marry.
“Come one,” he urged Nadech towards the exit.
“But…”
“They’ll be fine. There are things I want you to help me with about the engagement.” He took one last look over his shoulder at the doorway that led to the maiden within.
Nadech straightened up when he heard a car pull in. He saw that Om was looking at his reaction, so Nadech sat back in his chair once more. They both turned their attention to the entrance when the two ladies came in.
Mother was murmuring quietly to Yaya, who looked so exhausted that Nadech wished he could just go over and hug her for eternity. Though her face was lowered, he could tell her eyes were red. Like holding back a natural instinct, Nadech fisted his hands to keep his fingers from reaching out to her, while Om went to her side.
“How are you feeling?”
She gave a soft reply, and Om said, “Okay. Go on to bed. Mom, can you take care of her?”
Just the two of them again, Om spoke out to the room, “I hope she feels better. If not, I’m taking her to the hospital tomorrow. I think she’s stressed out from Pope’s visit.” Om shook his head. “How can he treat his own blood relative like that? He’s a disgrace to Yaya’s family.”
Nadech merely nodded.
“It’s weird. Every time I see him,” Om continued, “I get the feeling like he has a personal grudge against Yaya. But that’s ridiculous. You told me that she handed all of her inheritance to him, didn’t you?”
Nadech nodded again.
“So then what the h.ell is his problem?” Om sighed. “No matter what, I’ll protect her from him.” Their eyes met, and Om smiled, “I know that you’ve been taking care of her. But now, I’ll do my best to give her happiness. And…I know that before, you probably thought I was using her as a replacement for…Anyway, I just want both Yaya’s and my lives to have new beginnings. Thanks for your support.”
“No…no problem…”
-------------
jjinxx
Yaya is crying because of missing Nadech.... I AM CRYING BECAUSE "TOO MUCH OM in CH.17".
Grrr... he is so selfish!!! Can't he see????
Jjinxxy, please please take me back to some Yadech sweetness. I need it desperately after reading this tonight!
Grrr... he is so selfish!!! Can't he see????
Jjinxxy, please please take me back to some Yadech sweetness. I need it desperately after reading this tonight!
jjinxxy ja, Have a public plea for you na. Heal our broken hearts please. Don't know how you are coming along with the updates but I made MV yesterday for Katelyn and I couldn't stop thinking about this FF na. Somehow the soulmates are hurting and they must find a way to console each other - and that will heal our sadden hearts too.
Can you give them a little rendezvous? Away from Om, away from everyone? Just the two of them and let them share their love without even having to speak out loud?
Also, I wonder if you can let Yaya know that the man she kissed at the party is Nadech soon? The MV made me think of this possible scene naka:
"She stepped out to breath and make a wish on a falling star. He came after her and he watched her making her wishes. He couldn't resist - he kissed her. Maybe then she will know that he was the one who she kissed at the party without him even having to say it".
Here is the MV...... wishing upon the star when he followed her was my fav part. still get butterflies when I watch that scene.
Pretty please??? naka. naka. naka? hehehe
Can you give them a little rendezvous? Away from Om, away from everyone? Just the two of them and let them share their love without even having to speak out loud?
Also, I wonder if you can let Yaya know that the man she kissed at the party is Nadech soon? The MV made me think of this possible scene naka:
"She stepped out to breath and make a wish on a falling star. He came after her and he watched her making her wishes. He couldn't resist - he kissed her. Maybe then she will know that he was the one who she kissed at the party without him even having to say it".
Here is the MV...... wishing upon the star when he followed her was my fav part. still get butterflies when I watch that scene.
Pretty please??? naka. naka. naka? hehehe
jjinxx
Is your "nom" Fai-approved?
^Oh Kiki, I love you. That is such a heartfelt mv (I love all Yadech's shared sweet moments). For sure Yaya will find out that Nadech was the one who kissed her during the party, and hopefully it will be a good scene for you guys, because I had fun writing it.
But I will be completely honest with you--I have something planned out for the rest of the story. Some of it might be just what you ask for in a differently formatted way, but you guys have to stay strong, okay? As a matter of fact, I should just let you guys know that there will (most likely) be no more than THREE chapters left and then, the end.
THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR COMING THIS FAR WITH Soulmate's Path.
<3
jjinxx
But I will be completely honest with you--I have something planned out for the rest of the story. Some of it might be just what you ask for in a differently formatted way, but you guys have to stay strong, okay? As a matter of fact, I should just let you guys know that there will (most likely) be no more than THREE chapters left and then, the end.
THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR COMING THIS FAR WITH Soulmate's Path.
<3
jjinxx
You know i am along for the ride na. ; )
Wow - only 3 more chapters? Please update soon naka. I am dying to know how you are going to handle Om, Pope and Nee. And of course, I hope to see more sweetness between Yadech and I do hope they get a happy ending ka. Please do warn me if I need to stock up on tissues! hehe. Thanks Jjinxxy. Love you na.
Wow - only 3 more chapters? Please update soon naka. I am dying to know how you are going to handle Om, Pope and Nee. And of course, I hope to see more sweetness between Yadech and I do hope they get a happy ending ka. Please do warn me if I need to stock up on tissues! hehe. Thanks Jjinxxy. Love you na.