Chapter 2: I did everything I could, but he still left

Pat reluctantly pulled his suitcase out of the house. It was written all over his face, he wasn’t ready to leave.

“Ugh…tsp… even this suitcase doesn’t want to move,” Pat muttered sulkily as he lazily dragged it along.

“Are you sure it’s the suitcase… or you?” Way asked with a smile as he stepped out of the house to meet him.

He gently took the suitcase from Pat, lifted it, and carried it into his Mercedes AMG car. After placing it in the trunk and closing it, he walked back to Pat, who was still standing by the door, unwilling to move an inch.

“P’ Pat, I should be the one feeling sulky right now. You know I’ll be left here alone… Do you even realize how sad I am?” Way said, folding his arms with a slight pout.

Pat knew Way was right. Way was all alone in the United States, he had only come here because of work. Once Pat left, he would be by himself again. Realizing this, Pat felt a twinge of guilt. He softened, then pulled Way gently into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Nong. I was being selfish and didn’t think about you,” Pat said warmly. “I’ll call you all the time, and we’ll FaceTime every night before you go to bed. I won’t let you feel alone, I promise.”

He raised his pinky finger toward Way, offering it as a promise.

Way scoffed softly and smiled at Pat’s cute gesture. Looking at the pinky finger extended toward him, he gently wrapped his own around it.

“It’s already your daily routine, Pat. You don’t need to promise me,”

Way said with a faint smile, leaning in to plant a light kiss on Pat’s cheek.

Pat’s face flushed instantly, his ears turning red.

“Oh? Someone couldn’t help but blush,” Way teased.

“Nope, I’m not, I’m just… um…” Pat stuttered shyly before quickly walking ahead and slipping into the passenger seat, trying to escape Way’s teasing.

Way watched his reaction, clearly pleased, before walking over to the driver’s seat. He got in and glanced at Pat.

“I’m already missing you like f**k… but you have to go back and make money to take good care of me, P’,” Way said with a playful smile.

“Should I stay one more day with you? I don’t want to leave yet,” Pat replied.

“Okay khab, Alright. let’s face reality, you’re going to miss your flight if we keep this up,” Way said with a soft chuckle. “Let me drive you to the airport quickly, I have an appointment at noon too.”

Pat fastened his seatbelt and nodded with a small smile. Way did the same, then started the engine and pulled onto the road.

………….

It was 9 a.m. The morning sun shone brightly through the window, its rays slipping past the blinds and spilling into the cluttered room.

The space was large but untidy. Empty beer cans were scattered across the bed. A T-shirt, along with Ruby’s underwear and pants, lay carelessly at the far end of the sofa. A laptop rested on the fluffy rug, with a beer can beside it.

A ray of sunlight fell across Pat’s face, causing him to furrow his brows and groan softly. He lazily turned to the other side of the bed, trying to escape the light, not ready to wake up. He was naked, with only the duvet loosely covering his butt.

His phone rang on the bedside table.

Half asleep, he murmured at the sound and stretched out his arm to silence the call before drifting back to sleep. A few minutes later, the phone rang again.

This time, he let out a frustrated groan as he stirred awake.

“ Who the f**k are you?” he swore at the caller as he picked up the phone, still lying in bed. His eyes were heavy and half-open as he glanced at the screen to check the caller before finally answering.

“Open the door, you asshole,” a male voice shouted from the other end, making Pat pull the phone slightly away from his ear.

Groaning, he got out of bed, wrapping the duvet loosely around his waist as he lazily made his way out of the room.

….

He opened the door.

Standing outside was a man around Pat’s age. His presence was striking arguably more eye-catching than Pat’s. Even through the blue short-sleeved T-shirt he wore, his well-defined collarbone, broad chest, and toned arms were noticeable.

His long white trousers hinted at strong, well-built legs. His face was equally captivating, smooth and fair, with sharp, dark eyebrows, a well-defined nose, and naturally pouty lips. His black fringe hairstyle framed his features perfectly, adding to his overall charm.

Tee scanned Pat’s body and immediately felt embarrassed.

“You’re such a pain in the ass, bro,” Tee said, eyeing Pat with a mix of irritation and concern.

Pat simply stood at the doorway, looking back at him tiredly. Tee ignored him and walked past into the condominium.

The moment he stepped into the sitting room, he froze, then frowned.

“Shiaa, Pat… how can you sleep comfortably in this mess? You’re no different from a pig,” Tee scolded, letting out a playful snort as he mimicked one.

From the sitting room to the kitchen, the place looked like a dumping ground, cluttered and unkempt.

Pat didn’t respond. He quietly walked back into the room and returned a moment later, now wearing only a pair of black underwear. Tee had already started picking things up, cleaning as he went, while Pat dropped onto the couch and pulled a throw pillow against himself.

“Pat, you can’t keep living like this,” Tee continued. “You need to move on. Look at yourself, you’re a mess. I don’t like seeing you this way.”

By the time Tee finished tidying the sitting room, he moved into the kitchen to make tea. He took a cup from the shelf, scooped some beverage mix into it, and added hot water from the dispenser.

“It’s starting to affect your work, you know that?” he added. “It’s time you let go.”

Tee stirred the hot tea absently with a teaspoon before walking over to Pat and handing him the cup.

Pat took it and sipped quietly, his face completely blank, empty in a way that unsettled Tee. He had been talking all this while, yet Pat hadn’t said a single word.

Tee’s gaze drifted to the photo frame hanging on the wall, Pat and Way, smiling like nothing could ever come between them.

He let out a soft sigh.

Slowly, he sat down beside Pat, who still held the cup loosely in his hands.

“Bro… I know how much it hurt when you two broke up,” Tee began, his voice low and careful. “But it wasn’t your fault. Way was the one who ended things… two years ago.”

Pat’s grip on the cup tightened slightly.

He paused, glancing at Pat’s face, unshaven, tired, and far from the person he used to be.

“You did everything you could to hold onto that relationship,” he continued, his voice tightening slightly. “So why are you the one still paying for it? Why are you the one falling apart over a mess you didn’t create?”

Pat remained silent.

Heavy and suffocating

Tee clenched his jaw, his chest tightening as he really looked at him.

“Look at you, Pat…” he said more softly. “You’re not even taking care of yourself anymore.”

A heavy silence settled between them.

After a moment,

Then,

A small crack.

Pat’s fingers trembled.

The cup shook lightly in his hands.

“I… I tried…” Pat’s voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Tee froze.

“I tried so hard…” Pat continued, his breathing becoming uneven.

“I did everything… everything I could… but he still left.”

His voice broke.

Tears welled up in his eyes before spilling over, one after another, falling into the tea he still held.

“I wasn’t enough,” he choked out, shaking his head weakly. “No matter what I did… it was never enough for him.”

Tee’s chest tightened.

Tee quickly pulled him into a tight embrace.

“Hey… hey,” Tee murmured, holding him firmly as Pat finally broke, his body shaking with quiet sobs.

“It’s not your fault,” Tee said softly, his voice steady despite the emotion in his chest.

“You hear me? It’s not your fault.”

Pat clutched onto Tee like he was the only thing keeping him grounded, burying his face into his shoulder as years of suppressed pain finally poured out.

Tee held him there, not letting go.

Tee exhaled and stood up.

“You know what… go wash up first. Shave, clean yourself up… then we’ll talk properly.”

He gently pulled Pat up from the couch. The tea cup was set down on the table as Tee guided him toward the bedroom door with a light push.

“Go on,” he added quietly.

Then Tee stepped back and sat down again, watching him with a mix of worry and helplessness.

………

Outside the building, Tee and Pat stepped out together. Pat was now cleaned up and properly dressed from head to toe. He wore a black striped T-shirt, buttoned halfway to reveal part of his chest, paired with black trousers. Although he looked neat and well put together, his expression remained dull and distant.

They walked toward Tee’s BMW XM sports car and got in, fastening their seatbelts.

“Will you move into my condo until you heal? I’ll take care of you,” Tee asked in a concerned tone.

“I’ll be fine, Tee. Thanks for being there for me… what would I have done without you, bestie?” Pat replied with a faint smile, trying to sound grateful.

Tee felt a little embarrassed, though relieved at the same time.

“I haven’t really done anything,” he said softly. “I just feel guilty watching you stay in this state for so long. I’ll get you out of it soon. You’ll be happy again, I promise.”

Pat couldn’t resist his friend’s warmth and stubborn care. A small, genuine smile finally appeared on his face.

“Okay khab,” he replied lightly, trying to lift the mood.

Both of them chuckled softly.

“Let’s eat first, buddy, then head to work,” Tee added cheerfully.

He pressed the start button, shifted the gear, and slowly reversed the car onto the road.