Wittawin's turn came faster than he'd imagined. At dawn, Teeradon remained sprawled across the bed in blissful unconsciousness, while Wittawin had already showered and dressed.
"Khun Teeradon, wake up. I'm leaving." Wittawin deliberately roused the man who claimed to be an early riser.
"Mmm... leaving already?" Teeradon's eyes fluttered open slowly, focusing on Wittawin with drowsy confusion.
Fair skin, dark brows, a sharp nose, red lips—looking down at him with those same bright eyes from their first meeting...
"Thank you for keeping your promise last night." Wittawin smiled, inwardly amused as he prepared to leave something for Teeradon to ponder.
"Huh? What?" Teeradon blinked, not understanding why the stubborn engineer was speaking so warmly to him.
"See you in Bangkok." Wittawin leaned down, his hand reaching out to touch the pale cheek of the man on the bed. He withdrew his hand slowly, fingertips trailing feather-light across Teeradon's lips, down to his neck and chest. The man beneath him watched with wide, unblinking eyes.
So this is what Wittawin's touch feels like...
Teeradon forgot how to breathe...
"Wittawin." Teeradon's voice came out as a whisper, pushing himself up on his elbows, watching with longing as the tall figure walked toward the door. His heart leaped when Wittawin bent to tie his shoelaces, then straightened and turned back with a smile before disappearing through the doorway.
His chest swelled with the knowledge that Wittawin had shown him such tenderness. He told himself that last night had been worth everything—more fulfilling than bringing countless lovers home for fleeting pleasure.
What's happening to him? This isn't just wanting Wittawin's body like he'd thought initially. He wants more than that. More than just the physical...
What's wrong with him? Why is he feeling this way?
***
Wittawin spooned pork congee into his mouth slowly, watching Pamorn eat in similar silence. He found it strange that his friend hadn't asked why he hadn't returned to their hotel room last night.
"Sleep well last night, Pamorn?" Wittawin decided to probe first.
"Huh? What?" Pamorn looked up, raising an eyebrow with shifty eyes.
Just from that reaction, it's obvious Pamorn didn't return to the hotel either...
"I drank a bit too much last night, wasn't really conscious." Pamorn grinned sheepishly.
"How did you get back to the hotel then? Crawl back, or did you have to wait until you sobered up?"
"Why do you need to know?" Pamorn's tone turned curt as he glanced at someone approaching their table, muttering under his breath, "What's this about now?"
Wittawin followed his gaze to see Sarayoot walking toward them with an expressionless face. He immediately sensed that his uncle was in a foul mood.
"I thought you two could take care of yourselves. Where did you both disappear to last night?" Sarayoot's voice was stern as he looked between Wittawin and Pamorn.
"Hey, Win." Pamorn turned to glare at his friend. "Just now you were interrogating me like I was the only one who went missing. Turns out you did too?"
"Win, I was worried sick." Sarayoot's face showed an unprecedented level of seriousness.
"Come on, I'm turning 28 this year. I drank too much last night and wasn't really conscious." Wittawin sighed, borrowing Pamorn's excuse. "I didn't return to the hotel because it would've been dangerous. I happened to rent a motorbike to tour the pubs at the end of the island."
"Where did you stay?" Sarayoot asked, though in his heart he wanted to add 'with whom.'
Please don't let it be Teeradon... Sarayoot held his breath
"Probably stayed with Khun Teeradon," Pamorn answered for him.
"Loose lips. You're going to get your mouth slapped." Wittawin turned to glare at his friend, raising the back of his hand as if to actually strike Pamorn.
"Uncle Yoot, help me! I still wanna have my mouth to eat Som Tam for lunch." Pamorn leaned away, pretending to seek shelter behind Sarayoot's shoulder, though the older man showed no sign of playing along.
"I don't want you getting involved with Khun Teeradon. I don't trust him." Sarayoot's voice was flat.
"Oh!" Pamorn exclaimed with an exaggerated expression.
"I wasn't planning to get involved with him anyway. You're the one who brought him into my business. We came here to vacation together, and Khun Teeradon still managed to show up in the middle of the ocean. You let Khun Toey trick you into being a tool to deliver fresh meat to his boss." Wittawin pursed his lips, his face equally stern.
"I accidentally said something without thinking. I didn't expect Khun Toey to go scheming with Khun Teeradon. I didn't think he would..."
"I'm completely lost," Pamorn interrupted, looking at his older friend with confusion.
"Khun Toey kept asking questions until I let something slip without being careful enough," Sarayoot explained defensively.
"I told you—you can't keep up with Khun Toey. You're not compatible."
"Win, I'm worried. I don't want you becoming Khun Teeradon's plaything. Stay away from him."
"I've been running from him until I'm exhausted. You don't need to tell me that." Wittawin put on a weary expression.
"I think Khun Teeradon isn't that bad. Sure, he's a playboy, but he's investing heavily. If he didn't really like Win, would he go to such lengths? Playboys looking for casual fun don't invest millions." Pamorn quickly spoke up, then just as quickly shut his mouth, eyes widening as he looked away.
"Don't tell me he bought a boat just to anchor it in the middle of the ocean." Wittawin misunderstood.
"Are you crazy? Who would do something like that?" Pamorn quickly denied it. "I was just talking nonsense. The point is, he's sincere and seems more determined than someone just looking for a one-night stand. This Khun Teeradon is... strange, you know."
"He probably sees it as a challenge. Someone as handsome and wealthy as him, with that level of confidence—when he wants something, he has to have it," Sarayoot interjected.
"You've changed, uncle yoot. I thought you were rooting for Khun Teeradon. How did you suddenly switch sides like this?" Pamorn tilted his head questioningly, feigning surprise.
"I wasn't rooting for anyone. I was just answering Khun Toey's questions, and also..."
"You can't keep up with Khun Toey. I told you you're not compatible. Why don't you turn your attention to Pirayu instead? You won't believe it." Wittawin's voice carried a sharp edge. "Something good is right there with you, and you can't see its worth."
"But..." Sarayoot started to argue, but Pamorn quickly interrupted, sensing the conversation was about to turn into a real argument.
"Enough, come on. Let's not argue about this. Let everything follow its natural course and the calling of the heart."
The calling of the heart, Pamorn? The calling of the heart? It's not that simple...
Sarayoot turned to look at Pamorn with cold eyes before glancing around, as if to show he too wanted to end this discussion.
Wittawin sighed quietly and sat in silence for a moment before getting up to fetch some fruit and fresh orange juice. Pamorn followed, while Sarayoot watched the two young men leave with a thoughtful gaze.
What's happening? He doesn't want Teeradon creating more chaos in Wittawin's life...
Toey's question from last night still echoed in his mind.
"What about your heart, Khun Sarayoot? Could you consider me at all?"
His unspoken answer resonated just as loudly.
"I'm thinking about it. Give me a little more time, Khun Toey. I'm considering it. There are many things to think about, many things to handle...
It's not just only person I need to handle
***