11

BRIGHT'S POV

I saw Win right there through the tears that were streaming down my face. He rushed to me and pulled me away from the edge. I saw panic on his eyes when he saw a few blood escaping from the flicks I've done... 

"Bright... what happened? I've been trying to contact you, you promised we'd see each other, I tried to look for you in the hospital, your sister was there and everyone else was crying, she said you ran off, she asked me to look for you" He said without gasping. 

"How'd you know I'll be here? How did you even get here?" I asked. 

"My friend has a sim tracker, I asked him to track your number down, I took a cab until the stopping zone, I run all the way here." He said wiping some sweat off his forehead. 

We were silent for a minute and then he was in panic again. 

"Y-your arm... Bright..." He said pulling my arm. 

"It's fine Win..." I said. 

"What... D-did you cut..." He asked. 

"No Win... calm down... it's called coping mechanism." I said and pulled the bottle of liquor and handed it to him. 

"You've been drinking as well? What happened to you?" He asked again. 

"I was drowning demons after classes, was supposed to be a sad day but it was chaos, Ton went critical, she had a seizure and they saw a hemorrhage... she has to go to surgery, but they say there's not a big chance she'll make it." I said and closed my eyes. 

"Bright... of course she will make it, you have to hold on to slightest hope you can have, because if you don't, you'd never have peace." He said. 

"Win, this is my problem, just go..." I said pushing me away. 

I've come to the point of pushing people away again. I just couldn't anymore. 

"You could push me away all you want, but you do have to remember we made a promise, that we'd live despite how much bullshit this life throws at us Bright. You can't leave me." He told me. 

I felt my phone vibrate, it was my sister so I decided to answer it. 

"What is it?" I asked when I picked up. 

"You need to come here... please. We need you here." She said trying to fight the urge to cry. 

"I-I'll be right there. Take care of mom." I told her. 

I sighed when I put the phone down and wiped the fresh batch of tears. 

"You can take your time." Win said. 

"No. My sister needs me. Get inside the car." I said. 

"You sure you can drive?" He asked. 

"Get in quickly or I'm leaving you." I said in a serious tone. 

He went inside and made sure I was okay before we left. He was quiet but then, he couldn't be so quiet he started talking. 

"I want to listen to something." He said. 

"Go connect your phone to the bluetooth" I said. 

I turned on the speaker for him and I was waiting what song he picks. 

I can see, see the pain in your eyesOh believe, believe me and I have triedNo I won't, I won't pretend to know what you've been throughYou should know, I wish it was me not you

I looked over at him and he was silently singing along... I also caught him stealing glances. 

"Eyes on the road Bright." He said. 

"You keep on looking at me..." I said. 

And just say the wordWe'll take on the worldAnd just say you're hurtWe'll face the worst

"Just making sure you're okay" He responded. 

He played a couple more songs and we finally arrived at the hospital. I gripped on my steering wheel when I turned off the engine... There's just so much a man can take... 

"I know you're scared... but trust me, she's gonna be better." Win said snapping me back to reality.

"Will you stay with me?" I asked.

"I know you have a lot to do, and it's selfish, but you make me feel less lonely, you give me that slightest hope I could hold on to..." I said again almost breaking down again. 

"Of course Bright. That's what friends are for" He said. 

We got out of the car and walked back to the hallway of the ICU. 

"Bright..." Namtan said and got a grip of me... I tried my hardest not to flinch when she squeezed my arm. 

"What is going on?" I asked, seeing my mom finally stopped crying. 

"T-they couldn't do the surgery here because it is too risky, but I managed to talk to some friends, she could be operated in the US. There is 80:20 chance she survives when she gets operated there, we need to inform you, she is to be transported by 2am later." Mom said. 

"Let them do everything to save Ton, we could go visit in the US for the weekend." I told my mom. 

"Are you ready?" The doctor came... 

"Ready for what?" I asked. 

"We're allowed to go inside and see her again through the viewing glass before she gets prepared for transport." Namtan said. 

"Let's go" I said. 

I looked over to Win and signaled, he was already nodding when I looked over to him. We went inside, she looks the same but this time, there's a doctor and a nurse beside her. 

"Bright, I know you're mad at your father, but he's coming... he has the rights to see his daughter... I know it will be hard, but you could go take your friend with you for a walk or something..." Mom told me. 

"I want to see him, I want to see that he knows what he has done to my sister." I said. 

"I'll have to go home and get some papers, I'll be with Ton going to the US. Namtan will fix the stuff for you and her to come." Mom said and squeezed my arm too but this time I wasn't able to stop the flinching. 

"BRIGHT?!" Namtan said in shock and she pulled me out of the ICU, mom followed us as well. 

They pulled up the sleeve of my jacket and saw the swollen marks and a few scars. 

"What the fuck have you been doing?! " Namtan said in rage. She was so mad with what she saw. 

"I'm gonna go call the doctor" Mom said with panic in her voice as well. 

"BRIGHT?! DID YOU CUT?" She almost yelled at me. I saw Win looked up to us. 

"No. It's elastics... It's alright" I said. 

Mom came with the doctor and he assisted me to the treatment area. He cleaned it out and bandaged it, when I came out, a living nightmare was standing right in front of me. 

"You---" I said but Namtan stopped me. 

They assisted him inside and I sat down beside Win with the rage. 

"Calm down, you're already on their list, they're gonna make sure you see a therapist" Win said. 

"Aint it fun?" I sarcastically said. 

"Let's go grab some food for you and your sister. Let her deal with your father, I overheard he's leaving immediately, your mom doesn't want him around" Win said. 

I talked to Namtan and she said it would be actually be better for me. We went to the fast food chain near the hospital and Win initiated to be the one to place the order, I just gave him the money. 

"Bright... hehe" He went near me and scratched his head like a kid

"What did you do kid?" I asked jokingly with a small smile. 

"I ordered your drink... I got you a strawberry milkshake... then fries and... nuggets hehe" Win said. 

"You got me a toy?" I asked and giggled. 

"I knew it! You're gonna think I'm like a child." He said and pouted. 

"It's fine... " I said and ruffled his hair. 

"You're gonna tease me again" He said and pouted. 

"You keep on pouting, do you want me to kiss you again?" I smirked at him and he blushed. 

"Can you do it?" He looked at me and smirked as well. 

"Are you challenging me?" I asked him and leaned closer. 

"O-okay... not here" He said and moved away. 

I giggled at him and he hit me because he was so embarrassed. 

"Do you think your sister will like what I got her?" Win asked. 

"She's got a lot to worry about already, anything she can digest will be fine" I told him. 

We made our way back to the ICU and my dad is gone. It's already 9pm so we ate what we got and just talked. Namtan lecturing me about self-harm and asking Win to really really report everything to her, but little does she know, Win won't do that lol, Win is the only one who understands me. He has been there with me during my two breaking points. 

It was a fun night when I decided it's time to take Win home... I've bothered him too much for today already. 

"Namtan, I'll quickly take Win home. I'll be back in a while." I told her. 

"Oh... it's fine, I can go on my own" He said. 

"Oh, don't listen to Win, he thinks cabs are super safe" I said. 

"What? No Win, Bright burdened you today, let him drive you, show him the longest way. That's fine" Namtan said and laughed. 

Win lost debating with me and Namtan so the next thing he knew is I am driving him home. 

"Can we stop by somewhere?" Win asked. 

"Sure." I said. 

He pointed the directions to a building in Makati. The security actually knows him and we were even allowed on the VIP parking... He headed to the convenience store and grabbed some ice cream before he went inside the quiet building. 

"Where are we?" I asked. 

"My dad's building... well, I have rights to go here, but I only go here for the rooftop, it's my escape zone" He said and smiled. He pressed on the elevator buttons and we waited. 

It was quiet but when we looked at each other... It was like a magnet, the next thing I knew, I was making out with Win again...

"W-were g-gonna have to stop by security later..." Win gasped when the doors opened. 

I just smirked and walked out of the elevator with him. We sat by the railings and looked at the view. 

"This is my comfort food." He said as he handed me the ice cream. 

We silently ate the ice cream until he spoke again... 

"Bright... A while ago scared me, I want to seriously tell you that you can call me, you can kidnap me anytime if you badly need someone to talk to or when the void in our mind is getting too exhausting and suffocating...." He said.

"I like you Bright, and it is weird because it's the first time, I wanted to know what these feelings are... and I can't loose you... don't leave me" He said like a child. 

"We'll get to know these feelings Win... because I can't stop kissing you too" I said. 

He blushed but then he smiled, a genuine one, even though his eyes screams that he is tired, he smiled the brightest, which made me smile too, a genuine one as well...

We stayed there for a little more while until he said we have to go because I had to go back to the hospital. We stopped by the security and he payed them so that we get to delete that footage of what we did in the elevator. 

I drove him home and he finally said goodbye, he'd text me if he'd be able to see me tomorrow he said he has a quiz to prepare for and might take extra shifts on his work. I drove back to the hospital and stayed at the hall with Namtan as she worked and I messaged my friends I won't make it to school tomorrow. 

Mom came back around midnight with everything she needs also with some luggage. We sighed and talked for the remaining time until the doctors said it was time to transport Ton. They made their way to the helipad and we followed. Mom said goodbye and said she'd be waiting for us on the weekend and we assured her everything will be alright. 

I locked myself on the bathroom when we got home, getting wet on the shower. I was just there, letting the water run through me. When I was done, I checked my phone and noticed a message from Win... 

Win Metawin

Everything will be alright :)

Good Night :))

Good Night Kid :)

I am so lucky to find that man in paradise, he is indeed an escape from my reality. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! <3

Sorry for the kind of short update, updates will resume on December 26. Happy Holidays ya'll! <3