DRUNKEN TRUTH

“Mr. Desmond!” Rafe called, running toward him as he lifted him up.

Dr. Felix quickly dialed a number.

“Rush to the office with a stretcher. Someone has passed out,” he instructed.

Soon three nurses arrived with the stretcher. Desmond was placed on it and taken to another ward.

“He's fine, he only passed out,” Dr. Felix told Derek as he glanced at his phone to check the time.

“Oh… it’s getting late. We need to leave now,” Derek exhaled, rising from the chair.

“Alright,” Felix replied.

Derek nodded and turned toward the door, with Rafe following behind him.

They walked out of the hospital, got into the car, and drove home.

Arriving at Derek’s room, he hurried inside, took a quick shower, and changed into his pajamas.

He walked to his wardrobe, took out another new set of pajamas identical to the one he wore, and approached Rafe.

“Take this,” he said.

Rafe hesitated at first, but Derek gently pressed it against his chest as he sat on the bed.

“I need you to shower and change into them. We have somewhere to go,” Derek revealed.

Rafe nodded and walked to the bathroom to take his bath.

Derek’s phone began ringing. He grabbed it and glanced at the caller ID: Shawn.

He answered the call.

“Hello, sir,” Shawn greeted.

“Shawn, how’s the bar going?” Derek asked.

Shawn inhaled heavily. “Sir, I should have called earlier, but I thought things might change if I waited a little longer.”

“What is it?” Derek asked.

“Ever since the incident that occurred; the gunshot and chaos, we haven’t been having many customers like before. It feels like people think if they step into the bar, they’ll be killed,” Shawn revealed.

“They shouldn’t feel that way. I’ll enhance the security level there,” Derek suggested, just as Rafe walked in, dressed in the pajamas.

“Sir, I honestly don’t know if that will work. Some customers tremble when they walk in, and when one of our guards warned a man who tried to leave without paying, the rest of the customers immediately stood up, dropped their money on the tables, and left,” Shawn explained.

“I’ll get back to you, Shawn,” Derek sniffed softly as he ended the call, as his face darkened before he turned to Rafe.

“Is everything alright?” Rafe asked, noticing the change in his expression.

“I shouldn’t burden you with my problems,” Derek replied, forcing a smile.

“Let’s go.”

He opened the door and they stepped out, both wearing matching pajamas.

They walked until they arrived at the house pool, with a small minibar nearby.

Derek opened the cabinet, brought out two bar stools, a bottle of whiskey, and two glasses.

They sat down as Derek poured whiskey into the glasses.

“I normally came here with my father,” he began, sipping his drink while Rafe watched him without touching his own.

“I thought that was how things would be forever.” He suddenly burst into bitter laughter.

“But when I lost him, I realized how horrible life could be without him. It breaks my heart every time I remember he’s not here.”

He paused, staring into the deep pool.

Memories flooded his mind. When he was fifteen, during a vacation in New York, their mansion also had a pool, though not as deep as this one. That was where his father had taught him how to swim.

“I’m sorry,” Rafe said, his voice filled with sympathy as Derek met his gaze.

“Thank you,” Derek said quietly, taking another sip of the liquor.

“Why aren’t you drinking?” he asked, noticing Rafe hadn’t touched his glass.

“I need to stay alert and active,” Rafe replied.

“No. We’re safe here… I brought you out here so we could get to know each other better,” Derek revealed.

“I’m sorry, sir, but…”

“Don’t!” Derek cut in. “Rafe, drink and tell me more about yourself. We’re on the same side, and you should feel free around me.”

Rafe reluctantly picked up the whiskey and gulped it down.

“See? You like it,” Derek breathed, picking up the bottle and pouring more into Rafe’s glass.

“What do you want to know?” Rafe asked.

“Everything about you,” Derek answered.

“I’m Rafe… I was a waiter before we met.”

“That’s a lie,” Derek said, letting out a light laugh as he continued sipping his drink. “Then, you said you didn’t want to be my bodyguard because you weren’t good enough. Why did you say that?”

A faint smile curled on Rafe’s lips as he gulped down another drink.

“Yes… I said that because I didn’t want history to repeat itself,” Rafe answered.

“History? What history?” Derek asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he poured more whiskey into Rafe’s glass.

“I… I was once a bodyguard for a billionaire just like you… but something happened.”

He drank again as his vision slowly began to blur.

“What happened?” Derek asked.

“He… and his family were killed.”

Rafe’s words made Derek choke on the whiskey in his mouth. He coughed violently, spilling the drink before turning back to him.

“What killed them?” Derek asked.

But Rafe’s eyes were already closed as loud snores escaped his lips.

“You’ve… fallen asleep,” Derek muttered, his own vision beginning to blur.

“Ray! Ray!” he called.

Ray quickly approached.

“Help Rafe to my room, then call Dave to come help me,” Derek instructed.

Ray lifted Rafe and carried him away.

Soon Dave arrived and helped Derek back to the room, where he collapsed onto the bed beside the already sleeping Rafe.

Derek slowly placed his hand on Rafe’s cheek.

“Maybe the family died in an accident… and it wasn’t your fault,” he murmured softly.

He moved closer until his lips touched Rafe’s.

“How could you do that?” Rafe murmured quietly as his eyes slowly opened.