S. F. - 50

***

New.

"Can you stop sulking already? It's been a month since he left. It's not like your world has to stop revolving just because he's not here. Can you just accept the fact and get moving? We're gonna be late!"

I crumpled the piece of paper I was holding and threw it at Gun, hitting him square on the face.

"Ouch! I'm gonna tell Off you hit me!" he ranted as he checked his face, particularly his lips, using his phone. He had always been careful with his lips for according to him, it's Off's favorite part of his face.

"I'm not coming with you," I said nonchalantly and sprawled on the sofa. I had slept the entire day, but I still wanted to sleep more.

"Oh, come oooonnn. Are you gonna betray your Alma Mater just because Tay left?" he pulled me by the arm to lift me up but I intentionally made my body heavier.

"Ugh! You freaking heavy giant!" he surrendered as he sat on the carpeted floor.

"Just go without me," I muttered as I buried my face in the pillow.

"Tss. It's not every day we get to attend our university's homecoming, New. Come on, it's just one day. Can you set aside your sulking ass and participate?" he persisted as he continuously shook my arm.

"I don't want tooooo," I tried removing his hands off my arm. "OH FUCK! Are you trying to kill me??" I exclaimed as he abruptly sat on my back and put all of his weight on me.

"Are you going with me or are you going with me?" he cocked his eyebrow as he stood beside the sofa, his hands on his hips and his voice dangerous.

"Ugh! I hate you shortie! Fine, I'm going!" I surrendered and slowly dropped myself on the floor.

There was no way I'd win the argument. For someone like Gun, I was sure he'd nag the whole time if I wouldn't give in to his whims.

"Hurry up! The event's not gonna wait for you," he grabbed my arm and helped me stand. "Use the suit I placed on your bed."

"Can I just wear something else? Like a shirt or anything casual?" I complained as I was not in the mood for some formality.

"New, are you gonna wear it or are you gonna wear it??" he squinted his eyes at me and it felt like lasers were about to come out of them, ready to cut me off into pieces.

"Tss. Now I understand why Off is so damn afraid of you. You're too dangerous compared to your size. That face of yours is definitely deceiving!" I poked his cheek to emphasize how his cute face didn't match his fierce personality.

"He is just afraid of losing me, okay so he doesn't argue with me anymore. Come on. Get your ass moving if you don't want me to choke you with my bare hands. Chop! Chop!" he even clapped his hands twice before pushing me towards the bedroom.

I huffed as I closed the door behind me and lazily walked towards the bed to check the suit he was referring to. I furrowed my eyebrows as I noticed that it was white. Then I remembered that the motif of the event was black and white.

I took my time preparing to somehow irritate Gun as I didn't wanna attend in the first place. I was hoping he'd be mad to the point he'd just leave me alone so I could continue sulking on my own.

I was already fixing my hair when Gun pounded on the door.

"Come on, New! We don't have all day!"

"Coming!" I huffed as I rolled my eyes. "Tss. Why is he even in a hurry??"

I sprayed some perfume before going out of the room only to see Gun restlessly glancing at his wristwatch to check the time.

"Woah. I never knew you're this handsome. If I'm not married to Off, I might fall in love with you this instant," he gawked as he scanned me from head to foot.

"You sound gross, Gun. Can you not? You're sending chills down my spine!" I regurgitated as I glared at him.

"Tss. I'm just trying to make you laugh. Come on, smile a bit. It's our graduation anniversary, too so we have a lot of things to celebrate tonight," he grinned before fixing my collar. "There."

I frowned as he made me remember that date.

"What's there to celebrate about that day? It's the day Tay left me without a word remember? And now he's not here again."

Gun chuckled as he eyed me from head to foot. "You're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Nothing. Come on. They're all waiting for us."

***

I heaved a deep sigh as I got off Gun's car and straightened my suit.

"Come oooon. Can you put on a smile?" he pushed me towards the hotel's entrance.

"I'm trying, okaaay," I forced a smile as we completely entered the hotel lobby.

The event was held at one of The Vihokratana's hotels as Tay offered to sponsor the venue. It was actually the same hotel where I last attended their company's anniversary party. I frowned as I was reminded of Tay's absence.

It had been a month since he left for New York to check on their branch, but due to some unprecedented issues at the company, his supposed one week stay got extended to a month.

And what irritated me the most was the fact that we hadn't even planned our wedding!

We'd been engaged for several months but we hadn't even settled the date for every time I asked him, he'd just say, "We'll check our schedule. I still have a lot of things to take care of at the company."

Like seriously? I'd drop any work at any time if it means marrying him!

"Oh, shit!"

"What now?" I groaned as I looked at Gun who was searching his pockets for something.

"I forgot my phone in the car. You go ahead of me, okay. I'll just go get it. 25th floor. That's where the event is. Use the VIP elevator. Here's the card," he blabbered as he abruptly placed a golden key card in my hand and pushed me towards the elevator.

"Wait!" I tried calling him to tell him I'd wait for him but he already dashed off towards the exit.

"Tss. How can he be that fast?" I muttered as I headed towards the elevator and swiped the card.

The hotel had 50 floors and the 25th one was where the grand function hall was located. I'd been there several times already for business events so I had no problems finding my way in.

The hotel was unusually quiet that time. Aside from the several staff that were in the area, I didn't see any guests unlike its usual daily setup, but I just decided to shrug it off. Besides it was already 8 in the evening so I supposed the guests were in their rooms resting.

I straightened my suit before pushing the doors of the hall open. Unlike what I expected, there was no one by the door so I just assumed the event had already started. But the moment I got inside, I was perplexed to see that it was dark.

"Did I enter the wrong venue?" I asked myself as I tried squinting my eyes in the dark.

I was about to go out of the hall when the doors suddenly shut and no matter how hard I tried to open them, they wouldn't budge.

"What the hell is happening??" I panicked as I tried opening the doors again but just wasted my effort.

I quickly grabbed my phone from my pocket to call Gun but jolted when a spotlight focused on me out of nowhere.

"He-hello? Is anybody there??" I called out but no one answered.

I was in the state of mental panic as to what was happening when a screen suddenly lit up and a song filled the entire room.

I felt it from the startIt grew inside my heartIt changed me from that dayThis love I can't contain

I waited for a signSo patient and divineFor fate was on our sideThat day I came to find.

I clasped my hands unto my mouth as a video presentation started playing on the screen.

It was a photo collection of me and Tay, from the dates we had and the trips we went to but most of them were photos of me sleeping while cuddling him.

That you are allI was hoping forIt's you I'll callMy evermore

The garden as our homeA place where we can growYou're planted in my soulTo nurture and to hold

I chuckled as a photo of me sulking showed on screen. It was when he refused to kiss me because he hadn't brushed his teeth so I curled on the sofa and didn't talk to him the entire day no matter how hard he tried to make me laugh.

I recognized some of our photos during our anniversary trips as Tay would always make sure to bring me on a trip in or out of the country. Our most recent one was our trip to Phuket for our third anniversary.

But what caught my attention the most was a photo of me in my high school uniform. I was laughing so hard and clutching my stomach while pointing at something.

It was obviously a stolen one as I was not looking in the photo. But what confused me was how he got that photo because I was sure we hadn't met that time yet.

'Cause you are allI was hoping forIt's you I'll callMy evermore

'Cause you are allI was hoping forIt's you I'll callMy evermore.

The song faded and the screen dimmed. But they were then replaced with another spotlight shining on the person I wanted to see and hug the most—Tay Tawan. And just like me, he was wearing a white suit.

"Bbaaaabbe. What is this?" I whined as I wiped the tears that were streaming down my face. Unknowingly, I was already crying. "Tss. You really love surprising me. I thought you're still in New York!"

He smiled at me and lifted his hand. It was when I noticed that he had a mic with him.

"New," he started and I rolled my eyes at the way he called me.

"Newww?? What happened to babe now?? Seriously??" I rolled my eyes at him despite our distance.

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head, but what baffled me was the faint chuckles in the background. Or maybe I was just hearing things.

"New, babe, the love of my life, my cutie little kitten, years ago, on this very day, I unintentionally broke your heart when I left you without a word. But I do believe that if it's meant for you, it will always come back to you, because here we are, sharing our love for each other and I want to thank God every day for granting me the wish I didn't even ask for in the first place."

He stopped for a moment and I noticed that he was also crying. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"You, you just happened. You just came out of nowhere without even me knowing that I'd love someone as beautiful and perfect as you, someone who is willing to love me as I am despite what I went through. I know I've hurt you several times and I wanna apologize for all the times that I made you cry."

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I continued listening to him. He didn't have to apologize. He didn't have to say sorry because I had already forgiven him even before he asked for my forgiveness. That was how much I loved him.

"I might have broken your heart several times in the past but I promise to never let go of your hand, no matter how hard our days would be, I'll always come back to you, my home and my refuge. And I want to replace the painful memory of this day with a very special one, the day we finally become one."

As soon as Tay put down his mic, light flooded the area, and I might have stopped breathing the moment I saw the entirety of the hall.

No words went out of my mouth and I just cried even more as I gaped at what was laid in front of me.

Right in front of me was an aisle lined with different blue and pink roses leading to the balcony of the hall.

The entire hall looked different, so much different than it was before. It was magical, like a scene from a fairy tale that I refused to watch when I was kid because for me, it was too far-fetched from reality.

It seemed that everything was prepared with utmost perfection, from the exquisite table setting to the floral decorations. The light blue and light pink ceiling drapes were lined with fairy lights and crystals.

Everywhere I looked, there were flowers of different kinds and colors. It was like a garden was transported into the hall, transforming it into something I had never imagined.

But what really caught my attention was our large picture that covered an entire wall.

Every important person in our lives was also there and it seemed that they'd been listening to our conversation from the beginning.

Even Gun who left me earlier was standing by the makeshift podium at the balcony. He was wearing a playful grin on his face.

I spotted White and Gunsmile as they both raised their fist in the air. Mild and Frank were standing beside the podium. Tay parents gave me an encouraging smile and his father nodded at me.

I smiled at Tay who was already on the podium, smiling at me from ear to ear and I couldn't help but ask what I had done to be given such happiness.

All my life, I'd been waiting for someone who would see me beyond what the eyes can see and Tay just happened. He just came out of nowhere and I couldn't help but be grateful that I decided to steal his phone that night.

Yes, I might have stolen his phone but he stole my heart without even me knowing.

I wiped the tears in my eyes and smiled widely at Tay who was wiping his tears as well.

"New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun, I know I've already asked you this, but I'll say it again. Be with me until our skins become wrinkled and our hairs turn gray. Please, come to me and marry me babe," he extended his arms, asking me to come to him.

And he wouldn't have to ask again because I'd choose to love and marry him countless times. I'd always choose him no matter the odds, no matter the consequences because the moment I let him in my heart and in my life, I already knew there was no turning back.

"Son, let's go?" my mom held my arm and patted my back.

I heaved a deep breath and gave my mom a big hug. "Thank you, mom. I wish dad is still here to see all of this."

"Don't worry, love. I know he's happy for you," she grabbed my cheeks and wiped them dry. "Come on?"

I nodded at her and held her hand.

With light steps and a big smile on my face, I advanced forward to be one with the only person I'd love for the rest of my life — Tay Tawan Vihokratana.

***

A/N: Hi lovies!!! 💙💕

So this is the last chapter but wait there's more!

I'll be posting the epilogue as soon as I can and it will be in Tay's POV because you know, we still haven't known how they met. 😉

By the way, I seriously wanna thank everyone who has come this far. Thank you for your votes, for your comments, for your messages. Thank you for everything!

You just don't know how happy I am every time I read your comments.

Yes, I do read every single one of them even if I can't reply to all of you.

By the way, I really encourage you to listen to the song because it has become one of my current favorites. Let me know if you like it, too. 😜😆

It's Evermore by Hollow Coves. 🥰

I wish you all the best in everything that you do.

Keep safe and keep clowning responsibly. 😜🤪

I love y'all. 💙💕😍😘

_ladycrookshanks