15. Running Away

For the next coming days, Ned was often out of town and sometimes outside the country. Ari didn't mind him prioritizing his work however, Ned constantly felt guilty about being unable to keep up with his tight schedule, insisting on Ari accompanying him.

"It's still not too late to change your mind and come with me, my love. I always keep an extra change of clothes just in case."

"You know very well I'm against your marriage. It'd be extremely awkward having me around. How would you introduce me anyway? Your male side piece? Besides, I get bored quickly delving into your political affairs."

"As you wish my love. See you in a week then."

This had often become the conversation, over and over until Ari began to feel the time they were spending apart was much greater than together. Ned had been equally vamped with meeting after meeting whilst away, in fact, Ari found himself interacting with his secretaries frequently instead. Still, Ned had assured him that things would get better after the presumed marriage but even then, he continued to remain a rare sight.

This solitude brought Ari to wonder that perhaps, seeming that he had a lot of time on his hands was the reason he continued to feel empty and lonely.

'He didn't even get to jump me as he had wanted...even though that provides me with a sense of relief. Still, this kind of relationship was not what I had signed up for.'

"You asked to see me yet your mind is elsewhere. I'm disappointed Ari."

"Yea. I seem lost in thought these days."

Slurping his cold beverage, Mun waited for Ari to open up but all he got instead was more silence and more spacing out. "You know, this is a nice restaurant to just come to, relax and equally enjoy nice company but right now, I'm regretting bringing you to my favourite spot."

"I want to break up with Ned."

Mun had expected this to happen sooner and therefore didn't seem surprised at all.

"I like him and he is a great person but I feel he has a lot of baggage I'm unfamiliar with."

"What kind of baggage?"

"I really don't want to talk about the specifics... I just... I-I feel guilty doing this to him."

"If you don't love the guy, you don't."

"I didn't say that."

"Look, Ari, you can lie to me but not yourself. Well, technically you can't lie to me either."

"You make it should like I'm using him."

"Aren't you?"

"I'm not! I-I gave us a chance but I don't think it's going to work out. He is trying his best and so I'm I but I feel there are a lot of things missing in our relationship."

"My opinion is you both rushed into a relationship when the two of you weren't ready. For one, Ned appears to be a very busy person considering his nature of work. He is probably one of those conglomerates you never hear of until they get involved in a scandal. As his partner, have you ever gotten involved in the kind of work he does, his networks and relations aside from the meeting you'd attended with him? Has he ever introduced you to his family or have you met any of them?"

"I met his mom. She knows he is gay and I've equally interacted with some of his family members."

"So soon? Ned doesn't strike me like the long-term commitment type."

"Well, his family frequently calls to check up on him or follow up on some pending business and that's pretty much it."

"Rey weirdly praised him too but still, you are the one in a relationship with him."

"What he say?"

Mun stared at Ari confused. "I never spoke to Ned. You've been the one handling his businesses from back then..."

"I'm referring to Rey."

"What about him?" Mun smirked. "Funny how you still get butterflies for him."

"Ned said something almost similar to me."

"I would hate to be in his shoes. The poor guy must have realized he'd never fully have you."

Ari sighed in frustration and leaned on his head back. "I hate it when you are right."

"A thin line lies between like and love Ari. You did a favour by accepting to date him and he probably knew that already yet still accepted anyway. Pitiful for an aristocrat if you ask me. He can have everything in the world but can't win over some pointless crush."

"I'm the one who can't win over it." Facing Mun again, Ari added, "I wanted to move on in fact, I even quit my job just to force myself not to see Reu again but still, even that was not enough to rid him of my life. At this point, I might have to completely move a place very far away from here or face him and openly ask him to at least go on a date with me."

"I prefer the latter. You moving means I'm going to have to move too and I don't want to start adapting to another environment. I like it here, especially the Yummy Yum restaurant. I enjoy my job here."

"You know, you really don't have to always follow me."

"Who's going to be cleaning your mess after you screw up? What about times like this when you can barely make a proper decision? I'm literally your physical common sense."

"Common sense my foot. You can't even complete a simple project properly without asking for my help."

"Hey, I'm aware of my limitations. You are great at that stuff but a failure when it comes to real-life situations. You ponder over a decision for too long then still end up making one that continues to disfavour you ten times over."

"Hey..!"

"Listen up! You started this fight with me so sit through it. Call off your relationship with Ned. He loves you, I get that. but you're being unfair to him by stringing this along. It doesn't benefit you neither does it him if you can't meet him halfway still harbouring feelings for a guy you can never have."

"Low blow."

"Good. It's supposed to hurt. Man up and clearly tell Rey how you feel. Don't walk up to him and start fumbling with words like 'nice to meet you I'm gay.' Even I would find you creepy. Call him and ask him on a date properly then let him officially reject you and be done with it. That verbal rejection is probably what you need to hear for you to move on."

"You know it's not that easy. I shared the same room with him for almost a week and all I received were silent insults. I felt bad every time I slept in the same bed as him that I had to keep requesting a change of bedding just so he could sleep comfortably."

"So considerate."

"Don't be cynical about this, it's traumatic. I've dealt with people like him all my life and even now, I don't know how I should act in front of them, talk of being ambitious in love."

"Then get stuck in that fear forever since you seem to like it so much."

"You are really heartless today Mun, you know that?"

"Oh, you haven't seen heartless yet. Stick around a little longer and I might just consider helping you face your fears."

"What do you mean?"

"I was to meet up with Rey after you but seeming that you've kept me here longer than I should have, I texted him to meet me here instead."

Ari instantly panicked and began looking around.

"Calm your horses. He'll be here in half an hour."

"I'm in a relationship with someone else! This is wrong in many ways..."

"Just the thought of him nearby has you all flustered and fidgety Ari." Mun laughed. "The guy hasn't even arrived and you already think you're cheating on poor Ned. You are one hopeless case. Either way, I'm going to stick around to stop you from doing something embarrassing. We wouldn't want you cheating on your rich boyfriend."

"Shut up!"