Prologue

'I'm sorry I'm gay.'

Even though the sun shone brightly this late afternoon, a young man with sun-kissed skin sat quietly on the pristine white beach. His deep black eyes gazed at where the indigo sea met the horizon. Still, his gaze wasn't reflecting the beautiful scenery before him but rather…the recent memories that had just passed.

"Type, you're probably disgusted with me now, right?"

When he saw a large ferry carrying tourists and locals to Ko Pha-ngan, Khomgrich, or Khom, sighed deeply. He pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face weary-heartedly.

Just a few days ago, he'd confessed to his best friend that he was gay.

It was not unusual for a man to like men these days. However, that did not apply to confessing to a close childhood friend, knowing full well that he'd been molested so severely that he had prejudice towards gay people. Khom should've kept this a secret for his entire life, but he couldn't stand hearing how much Type hated gay people any longer because that meant…he also hated him.

Khom knew precisely why he couldn't stand it. Type saw him as a close friend, but he saw Type as his first love.

Just thinking about it, Khom knew how pathetic he was.

Eventually, Khom blew up at him. It wasn't because he was angry that Type judged all gay people in the world based on a narrow-minded thought from a single incident he'd experienced. It was because Khom was so heartbroken that his friend would never accept who Khom really was.

Are gay people not human, Type? Have I ever troubled you by liking you at all?

"Haaah," Khom sighed again, hugging his knees tighter.

Now, that close friend had returned to Bangkok. Type probably had left Khom behind to be a forgettable ex-friend, while Khom himself couldn't even shake off this terrible, shameful feeling. He was ashamed enough to call his male friend he'd been chatting with and told them that he wouldn't speak to him anymore.

Khom also knew that he was finding someone to date because he wanted acceptance.

It wasn't that the people on the island were all homophobic but because they were too close, too scary. That was why he never came out to anyone until he moved to study at a college in Surat Thani province, where he began to step out of the closet. However, no matter who he met or dated, he'd be devastated once his close friend bluntly said in his face that gay people should all die.

Those people he used to talk to didn't mean as much as a few words from Type.

"Even if I break up with someone else, Type will never see me as a friend again anyway."

Khom didn't want to cry, but he didn't know why his eyes burned.

"I really want to meet someone who makes me get over you."

Khom wanted someone who would accept, not judge, and make him confident enough not to let those harsh words get under his skin. The question remained: when would he meet them or would it ever happen?

"Hey, Khom."

Someone with a thick Southern accent called him from behind. He wiped his face hard with his knee. When he turned to look, he saw a dark-skinned, towering, tall man, grinning to reveal neatly arranged white teeth. Yet, what caught his eye was…the large crutch supporting his body.

"Hey! What happened to you?" Khom immediately stood up and walked over to the man with a cast up to his knee.

"Just a little accident," the big man waved it off as if it was nothing.

"Little my ass. When the hell did you break your leg?" Khom retorted in a southern accent, making the other laugh aloud.

"Full Moon Party. Ran into some idiots. But it's me we're talking about, so I got them crawling on the ground like a dog. What a sight to see." Mahasamut, or Mut, a friend several years older than Khom, laughed heartily. Khom sighed, letting go of the arm he was supporting.

How could he forget that this buff friend of his was as strong as a bear? Typically, Mut was good-natured, always smiling and laughing at every little thing. But when it came to a fight, no one could beat him. Khom didn't have to be there to tell that his broken leg was probably caused by getting ganged up. Otherwise, in a one-on-one fight, Mut would never lose to anyone.

"What brings you here?" Khom asked, to which the other one responded with a smile.

"I need your help."

Khom immediately looked down at the rainbow-colored letters written on Mut's cast.

"What is it?" Khom had some time before college started, so it wouldn't be a problem to help this limping guy. Besides, he didn't want to go back and spend time in his dorm alone, thinking about nothing but the awful fight he had with the other friend.

When asked, Mut's smile widened, making him even more attractive.

Khom had always thought his friend was handsome. He was a typical dark-skinned southern man who attracted many foreign girls. The only downside was his broad smile, which looked like life had no worries. Even with a broken leg, he acted as if nothing had happened.

"I have a guest coming tomorrow morning."

"A guest?" Khom started sensing something troublesome.

"Yeah, I have to take him on a three-day diving trip."

Khom immediately looked down at the cast on Mahasamut's leg. In this condition?

"Oh shit," He mumbled and then looked back at Mut's neatly arranged white teeth. This time, Mut smiled, making an annoying begging face.

"No, that's not going to happen." Of course, Khom turned it down.

Mut's job was to take tourists diving to see the coral reefs. He used to work on his father's small tour boat, but after some argument, he somehow got to guide the customers around on his own. He had a steady stream of customers because he was friendly, provided good service, had a deep diving license, and knew almost every corner of the sea in this area. Most importantly, he was fluent in English, which foreign tourists loved.

But…I'm not as good as you.

"Khom, please, help me out."

"No way! Well, I can drive a boat and dive, but I can't handle guests!" Khom protested. The idea of an amateur like him taking tourists diving made him shiver. Plus, he wasn't like Mut. If he had to deal with demanding tourists, he wasn't sure he could handle them. Also, judging by Mut's condition, he wouldn't even be able to go on the boat with him because if he fell into the water, his limping leg would probably get worse.

"But I've taken the job."

"Then cancel it!" Khom retorted, looking at his friend, who was making a pitiful face, but he didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"I've already got paid."

"Then let your dad handle the guest." Khom stood his ground, this time taking two steps back as a sign that he was ready to flee.

"Just three days."

"No."

"Two, two days!"

"I don't care if it's one day or two. Go ask someone else!" Khom finished and turned around, his long strides indicating that he wouldn't change his mind. But...

Crash!

"Ouch, ouch."

"Mut!"

Khom turned around and saw his giant friend lying in the sand, clutching his cast with a pained expression. Despite his initial intention to stay out of it, he ran back.

"It hurts so bad," Mut said, his face contorted in pain.

"Come on, I'll help you." Khom pulled his friend's arm over his shoulder to help him up, using the crutch for support.

However, the crucial moment was when Mut rapped those words out of his mouth.

"Three days, Khom. I've already got paid. Please. I'm not even sure how long it takes for my leg to heal completely. A little more money helps, you know. Please, I beg you." At the end of his sentence, Mut looked up with a pitiful expression that made Khom press his lips together.

Okay, Khom knew that Mut was a stubborn person who wouldn't even ask his father for help, even though he was in pain and could barely work. However, this person was begging him for help, which could mean there was no other way. So, was he going to be heartless and ignore their friendship?

"Khom."

Damn it!

"Fine. Three days."

Eventually, Khom agreed to it.

"I love you so damn much."

After he finished speaking, the bear-like guy beside him grinned widely, pulling Khom into a full-hearted hug. This made Khom want to curse him out. How the hell could he stand on one leg and hug me like this when he claimed his leg hurts so badly?

Whatever, it's just three days.

Khom thought and let out a deep sigh.

Well, this might help distract me from the things I don't want to remember.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

As Khom stood at the ferry pier, he held a paper with an English name and searched for his friend's guest arriving by the boat. However, he had to quickly look away when his gaze met a pair of charming green eyes.

He knew that look well.

It meant he was interested in him.

Khom shook his head. He wasn't interested in anyone, especially after being bad-mouthed by Type. He considered isolating himself for a while. Eventually, he started to feel irritated with Mut as well.

That guy refused to come, saying it might look unprofessional with his broken leg. So, Khom had to step up and do the job for him, knowing only the guest's name and the hotel where the guest would be staying for the next three days and two nights.

Mut also mentioned that his job wasn't just a snorkeling guide but also a local guide for the entire trip. So, the three full days the guy talked about were indeed full, from morning to night, until the guest went to sleep.

I'll break your damn leg again once it heals!

Khom could only grit his teeth in frustration because he could never hurt his friend. So, he should ignore those powerful green eyes and look for his friend's guest.

Still, he couldn't help but steal glances at the owner of those captivating green eyes.

A tall, muscular foreigner with a sharp face and strong jawline, his prominent nose revealing no trace of Asian heritage. His fitting t-shirt showed his well-built muscles, and his comfortable knee-length shorts did nothing to hide his attractive figure. The southern island sun illuminating his dark blond hair created a captivating golden sparkle, but what Khom found most striking were those eyes.

Powerful, profound, captivating eyes.

Khom was sure he wasn't the only one who found this man eye-catching. Even the other foreign tourists couldn't help but sneak glances at him.

He couldn't accurately guess the man's age, but he knew this man exuded an indescribable power, not the power of wealth but of a passion that easily made others surrender their body to him.

And no, Khom didn't want to get involved with that.

The young man shook his head, raising the sign in his hand higher. But...

No, it can't be. I can't be that unlucky.

The green-eyed man strode towards him. Khom looked back and saw others from Mut's profession waiting to pick up several other tourists. And this eased his anxiety slightly, as the thought of spending three days and two nights with this man was already overwhelming.

This kind of person was hard to handle.

"Um..."

As Khom turned back, his eyes met the sea-like green eyes.

"Hi.[1]"

I can't be that unlucky, can I?

Khom felt like jumping into the water to escape when the man slightly lifted the corner of his mouth into a playful smile. His large hand, covered with soft golden hair, pointed to the sign he was holding.

"I'm Connor Warrington." His soft, pleasant voice rang out.

Huh?

Khom looked down at the sign he was holding, which read in English...Connor Warrington.

"Um...Hello, um...Mr. Warrington. Welcome to Ko Pha-ngan. My name is Khom. I..." Khom wanted to slap himself. He'd spoken to foreigners several times before, but this time, he was stumbling over his words. The more the man smiled, the more awkward he felt.

"Just call me 'Connor.'"

"Pardon?"

Khom didn't want to appear rude but was interrupted before finishing the sentences he'd rehearsed. More importantly... this foreign guy just spoke Thai to him.

"I told you to call me 'Connor,'" Once again, fluent Thai came out of the speaker with green eyes and blond hair, leaving the listener speechless.

"You can speak Thai?"

"What do you think?" He raised an eyebrow playfully, causing Khom to be speechless once again.

"Uh, um, my name is Khom. I'll be taking care of you for the next three days." Khom cleared his throat before speaking formally. He didn't know if he was imagining it, but this man seemed to be interested in him.

"Well then..." The blond man put down his large backpack and extended his hand, which Khom grabbed and shook uncertainly.

It was big and warm.

"Nice to meet you, Khom."

Connor firmed his grip on Khom's hand, pulling it closer and leaning in to whisper in his ear. The soft sound of his name, "Khom," made the owner of the name widen his eyes. A thought rang loudly in his head.

Khom was really screwed.

Connor Warrington…was interested in men.

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[1] In this novel, the characters occasionally converse in English. In order to differentiate between Thai and English conversation, the English words and sentences in the conversation will be shown in italics.