PROLOGUE

Ten years ago...

Raffy didn't know how long he had been just staring at his reflection in the mirror. What he knew was that it had been too long, that he had to stop now, or else he was going to be late for his flight.

He glanced at his wristwatch. His flight was at three p.m., and it was already twelve noon, which meant he only had three hours to reach the airport.

A deep sigh came out of his mouth. He really needed to leave if he didn't want to be left behind by the plane…

Or maybe that was what he truly wanted—

"No," Raffy said to himself while shaking his head, putting a stop to all the thoughts he was having. He looked at himself in the mirror again, and this time his eyes showed determination. "You've already made your decision, Raffy. You can't back out now."

And so with that, he took one more look at his sullen face in the mirror and fixed his clothes before he finally grabbed his two suitcases and went out of his room.

He initially planned to just leave right away and not look back. But when he passed by his favorite room in the entire penthouse, he couldn't help himself. He stopped and turned his gaze into that room. And before he knew it, he had already gently let go of his suitcases and started making his way towards that room.

He opened the unlocked door of the room as softly and as quietly as he could. He went inside and made his way towards the bed where his favorite person—or who used to be his favorite person—was sleeping; his steps were so light that they had not made even a single noise.

His eyes travelled to the entirety of Andrew's sleeping figure. But his gaze lingered more on Andrew's handsome face. And there goes the familiar and usual beating of his heart again whenever he sees Andrew—the beating that had never failed to remind him how in love he was with the man he used to dislike.

A bitter smile appeared on his face.

Never, not even in his wildest imagination, had he thought he would end up falling in love with Andrew. And yet here he was.

But this has to end now. The love he was feeling for Andrew had to be stopped now, or he might end up getting more hurt than he already had.

He couldn't continue loving someone one-sidedly. He couldn't continue being with someone that does not value him and does not care about him.

And so, in order for him and his heart to not be fully destroyed to the point that it won't be fixable anymore, he had to put an end to everything now and leave, no matter how painful it was.

"This pain will pass. I just have to endure this," he told himself as he brought his gaze back to Andrew's face.

He bit his lower lip. There was this very strong urge inside him to touch Andrew's face for the last time, but he held himself back.

He couldn't do that. Because he knew that once he did, it would only be harder for him to leave. Also, he couldn't risk the chance of waking Andrew up.

Although Andrew could not reciprocate his love, Andrew wouldn't let him go easily either.

For some reason, Andrew was obsessed with him. At first, Raffy thought it was because Andrew was feeling something, maybe not love but close to it, and he hoped that it would turn into something more. But after being with Andrew for long, he finally realized that what he thought was wrong. That's when he finally decided to let go of the last thread of hope that he held on to.

Instead of touching Andrew, Raffy stood and took deep breaths to calm his racing and aching heart and also for him to be able to breathe normally once again.

When his breathing had gone back to normal, he took one last glance that was filled with love and longing at Andrew. Then, he finally turned around and got out of the room, leaving Andrew pieces of his heart that he knew he could never take back.