Author's Note: Hey guys. Here is another chapter. Thanks for voting for the last one. I hope you guys are enjoying this, I am enjoying writing it. so finally we have an estimate for the story. It is a short one not more than fifteen chapters. Wish me luck getting to the end. Don't forget to vote if you like this chapter.

Chapter 7

The road was clear for the early morning so it was pretty easy for me to drive without traffic to hinder me. Ever since P'Arthit got in the car he hasn't said one word. I think he is trying to pretend I wasn't there.

I glanced at him subtly and he was leaning on the window with his face turned away from me. I decided to be cheerful. It wasn't like I didn't understand where P'Arthit was coming from. I mean, he didn't want to get back together as much as I didn't but he also knew that us alone in close quarters was probably not a good idea.

"So," I said in a lively voice, smiling as I stared in front of me. "What should we do to entertain ourselves? It's going to be a long ride maybe we could play a game, tell stories, anything."

He didn't move even a little. His imperceptible sigh wasn't as hard to miss as he probably thought.

"No?" I asked.

"Well," he turned, "sitting quietly sounds good too but knowing you that is the last thing we would do so why don't you decide."

I smiled extra brightly out of spite and pleasure. "Fine. How about stories."

"Fiction?" his distaste was in his voice.

"No, stories about ourselves or our friends from the past."

"You don't have any friends," he said, realized what he just said and corrected, "I mean not anymore. You haven't kept in touch with any one of them since you left."

"What," I turned my head sharply, "how would you know."

He lifted a brow, "well you didn't have any time to call me so how could you spare anytime to call your friends."

"The way I remember it, P'Arthit, is you didn't take my calls when I did call you. And I did."

He stared at the side of my face and I met in his eyes in defiance. I wasn't about to let any dark or hurt feelings surface. I have buried all that pain behind me and I am over it. If P'Arthit wanted to bring it up to drive us apart it isn't going to work.

"So you still talk to Aim, Oak and the guys?"

"Sure," I nodded.

"And you can tell me what is going on right now in their lives."

I opened my mouth, closed and opened it again but he laughed over me. "If you have to think about it then it doesn't count."

"No, no I do," I said. "Try me."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, what is happening in Oaks life right now?"

"I can't say that—"

"ha!"

"Because how can I know what is happening right now. I don't have a camera following them around."

He glared at me then reached out to ruffle my head, "you think you are so smart huh?"

I laughed and avoided his hands, "P'Arthit you are going to kill us."

He still didn't listen and was tickling my chin. I pretended that I would bite his fingers and he did it a few times before stopping. It was nice to see him smiling instead of sulking over this trip.

We continued in that faction as I told P'Arthit of all the friends I had in Chicago. They weren't many I could call close friends, but they were good friends and most of them worked with me. I told how nice it was in Chicago, the differences between there and Thailand and how it didn't beat home. I spoke animatedly for a little while.

As we neared a midway and slowed because of the traffic, P'Arthit and I had fallen silent. It was nice to know that our life moved on even while we were apart but it was obvious I was doing most of the talking and I needed a moment to regroup my mind and re-strengthen myself.

As the traffic began to clear up, P'Arthit spoke up. "It's good," he said.

"What?" I couldn't hear if he said anything more.

He looked at me for a moment, studying me. "It's good that you left for Chicago."

My heart that I thought couldn't break anymore suddenly shook and threaten to break. I looked away from P'Arthit and focused strongly on driving.

"You became the person I always knew you could be," he was smiling. I looked at him again and felt relieved. This hurt a little, P'Arthit can still hurt me, but I won't be here for much longer, when I returned to Chicago, all this would finally be over. My heart still felt like breaking though and that thought couldn't comfort me.

I said, "what about you, was it good for you that I left?"

"In the long run," he swallowed and nodded, "yes. It was. You have Ariel and I have Puna. "As if to prevent from saying any more he grabbed one of the snacks he brought with him and began to eat.

We drove on. We've passed two towns with barely any words between us. I didn't want to be upset but I was and hard as I try to push it behind me, I couldn't. P'Arthit didn't look affected; better yet he was comfortable in the silence. I always knew I was the one pushing us together when he didn't want us to be, but I thought that it would help me become stronger and I could have P'Arthit as a friend but this... was hurting me. I was starting to regret the day and night we still had together. How much more damage would P'Arthit do?

Arthit

Kongpob was upset. I could read him like a book and it had something to do with what I said. I ruffled through my mind and thought I found the one. It would be when I talked about me and Puna. He must be jealous. I was part pleased, but it was starting to get to me. The silence, the fact that he was right next to me and like usual, I didn't want him upset for too long.

"Do you want some?" I asked, holding out the snack I brought with me.

He looked my way then at the snack. "Sure, thanks."

I took out one of the chips and held it to his mouth. A small smile broke forth from the tightly sealed lips. "Don't get any ideas," I said," I am only doing this because I don't want you to kill us."

"Right P'Arthit," he said seriously and I laughed. I fed him the chips and he ate appreciatively.

We started talking little by little, nothing too personal thankfully. When Kongpob told me about his life in Chicago, all I could think was how happy he was there without me. Kongpob thrived without me in his life, he was living the perfect life and I... couldn't get over him. I didn't know until that moment that I wanted to hear about how Kongpob struggled to cope without me, how it was hard for him to forget, but I should have known better. I loved Kongpob for a long time, and I still do. For me, Kongpob was always enough, but Kongpob wanted more and he got it.

At the last town to our destination, we ran out of gas and snack. The next gas station wasn't too far though and we just had to go there on foot. But Kongpob's stomach kept grumbling.

"P'Arthit, why did you eat all the snacks," he accused.

"I only brought enough for me, I didn't know you were going to tag along."

"I helped you, don't you think you could have shared?"

"Didn't I? I definitely remember feeding you all my remaining snacks." He suddenly stopped walking, staring at something at the far distance. "What is it," I asked.

"Is that a mango tree?" he asked, moving closer. Just across where we stood, a little distance away was a mango tree within the bush. He didn't actually plan on entering that bushy path for a bit of mango. Also, there was nothing we could use to pluck a mango and it was getting a little dark.

"Let's get to the gas station, "I said, "I'm sure we will find something to buy."

"But I miss mangoes," he turned to grin at me. "I also miss climbing trees."

I smiled I couldn't help it, "you are not a kid anymore, Kongpob, you could fall and die."

"As a kid, I could still fall and die, P'Arthit. Come on, let's stop for a bit."

"We don't have time, Kongpob," I said seriously. It's already five o'clock, later than I wanted.

"I am driving, right? we will get there on time. Let's go, P'Arthit."

He wasn't listening and so I had no choice but to follow him. We got to the mango tree and I admit, it wasn't too far from the road even though it was a little high and I could see the gas station.

Kongpob was already climbing off by himself without encouragement. I sighed, what would I do if this guy injures himself. He is so damn stubborn. But he was more skilled than I thought. He climbed expertly up and started throwing down mangoes.

"Catch them if you can, P'Arthit," he laughed.

I had to drop the gallon I was holding to catch mangoes. When I did catch them in other to prove Kongpob wrong, he cheered me from above. I caught about four mangoes and begged him to come down already.

As he did, my heart skipped when it looked like he would trip. "Kongpob," I said, warning in my voice. "Be careful."

"Aw, P'Arthit is so worried about me," he laughed. I could hit him but I still needed to wait until he was on the ground. He was being so slow compared to when he climbed. I held myself still, watching his shirt glad back as he slowly climbed the twisted path back down. It was a little gut-twisting, and then he slipped and fell.

"Kongpob!" I shouted and ran to his body that was lying on the ground. He was a little close to the ground so he shouldn't be too hurt, right? I got to him, the mangoes rolling around on the ground, then I took his head on my lap and checked for injuries. "Kongpob!"

"Ah," he let out a relaxed sigh, "P'Arthit's thighs are so relaxing."

"What," I was dumbstruck for a moment I thought he was really hurt.

He opened dark eyes, his charming face smiling pleasantly. "I'm fine, P'Arthit. Not even a scratch."

I poked his head with my finger, "but you pretended to be hurt."

"ow, P'Arthit, if I was going to get hurt wouldn't I scream. Besides I was already close to the ground, there is no way I would have gotten hurt. P'Arthit, you get so scared easily."

"Damn you, get off" I tried to shove him off my lap but he clung on like a parasite.

"No, no, please let me stay like this for a moment," he cried, holding on. Why should I let him though? "You know I have been driving for hours. Hours! My back is so sour, I just need to rest for only a moment, please stay with me, P'Arthit."

I sighed, then I squeezed his nose. "Don't do that to me again."

He chuckled and nodded obediently. His eyes fell close as I released his nose and he looked so happy. My throat closed with a strong ache for this moment, for more moments like this, but he was going to go back to Chicago, he said so himself.

But if I... if I do something, if I try to stop him, maybe he would stay. His eyes couldn't see how tormented I was and how much I wanted to keep him with me. His lips were pleasantly perched in a half smile.

I slowly leaned towards them as if by gravity. I knew how he tasted eight years ago. He used to long constantly for my kiss, my attention and he wouldn't stop until he could get a kiss from me. I knew if I kissed him, he would kiss me back, wouldn't he. I wanted to find out, I also wanted to feel more connected to him, this man who wouldn't leave my heart even after eight years. Eight years where he was happy without me, where he met and started dating Ariel. If I try to get him back I would have to steal all that joy away, wouldn't I?

He opened his eyes, our faces were closed and his mouth opened a little but he didn't move away, didn't say anything. He wanted me to kiss him, I could see it in his eyes that held mine captive. I leaned even closer till his eyes were no longer holding me and his lips parted even more.

But I couldn't do it. I couldn't take it if we had to live that life again.

I pulled back and he sat up. Without any words, we both knew the moment had passed. "Let's go to the gas station."

Back on the road, Kongpob kept talking about nearly everything under the face of the sun. I don't remember him being quite so talkative so I suspected he was trying to fill in the silence because it felt awkward. I could have told him not to bother, I was okay with the line he has drawn, a line I wholeheartedly supported. Okay, maybe not wholeheartedly. I was struggling sometimes to understand why we weren't together. I knew all the obstacles; Kongpob's girlfriend, our project, the fact that we had a painful breakup that scarred me for life. It's just, sometimes, it feels like they aren't enough to keep me from... from wanting more. From wanting to do something about how much I wanted.

In no time at all, we were at the hotel. I hadn't booked a room for two so I hoped Kongpob was okay with booking for himself. The area was known for its influx of tourists so I could only hope that there were rooms still available at eight pm.

The hotel itself was an inexpensive one storey building with a very traditional style. Many of the people I could see inside were foreigners. Kongpob and I approached the desk.

"Hello," I said to the man dressed in Hawaiian shirt at the counter. He smiled and leaned forward,

"Hello my fellow citizens, how can I help you?" he asked.

"I have a reservation under the name Sunlight Company?" I said.

"Ah," he tapped on his computer and nodded, "yes, a room. But you were supposed to call us to confirm your arrival today and you didn't. I'm afraid your room has been given away."

"What?" Kongpob and I exchanged looks. That's right, because of the bus incident and Kongpob's presence I completely forgot to inform the hotel that I was arriving today. I was supposed to call them once I boarded the bus but when I didn't, it completely escaped my mind. "Okay, can we get another room? Two rooms?"

He shook his head sadly and looked at his computer, "I'm sorry, we are completely booked. You can try the hotel right at the corner, they should be open."

I sighed. It was one thing after another with this trip. I looked at Kongpob and walked out of the hotel in a bit of a huff which I lost once I entered the night air again.

"How is this my fault, "Kongpob said behind me. I turned and shook my head.

"It's not. I am just tired. Let's just find a hotel, we need to be ready to meet our client by eight."

He nodded. I had no reason to blame him for this. Sure he was on my every thought, distracting me, making me so focused on him that everything else fades away. I guess I am just at my breaking point.