EXCHANGE OF HEARTS [BL]

KABANATA 43

Atlas watched the waves slapping wildly to the shore like the waves was mad. Winds embraces him as the sun slowly hide in the horizon.

"We didn't know that you have a stay cation here," Sebastian stand beside him and they both watched the sunset.

"I bought this when I am sixteen," a paused. "I don't like to stay at home and when my mother was mad at me, I come here to escape."

"This is wonderful," Rile said on his left. "Did your parents knew this place?"

He shook his head without averted his gazed to the beautiful sunset.

"No," he paused. "No one knew this place."

The sky shade red, orange and black. It's so beautiful, it's so bright. You can't take off your eyes from this phenomena. One of the reason why Atlas bought this place because when he wondered here, it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Just like what happened today, he mesmerized by the phenomena he saw on that day so he didn't hesitated to bought this.

For Atlas, sunset is therapeutic.

"When I turned 17, I promised to myself that I will bring my wife here, we'll live here peacefully," he smiled when he remembered how his life change when Race came to his life. "But, this man came and I fell hard. I wanted to bring him here and we'll live peacefully. Away from my family, away from my enemy, away from the toxic people."

"But you planned on breaking up with him," Sebastian added and Atlas felt a pang on his heart.

"Man, this is a bad decision." Rile swore. "What made you think that way?"

"I want to protect him, I don't want him to hurt."

"But you'll hurt him, not physical, but emotional." Rile said, shook his head.

"We'll do that if we wanted to protect someone," he turned his back when the sun finally hid in the horizon. "It's better this way than to drag him in my problems."

"And when you're going to break up with him?" James asked.

Atlas stared on the white sand. His heart's bleeding. Shattered into pieces. Just thinking of Race's reaction when he'll break up with him-hurt, mad, sad-he cannot take it, he cannot stomach it.

"I don't know..." He whispered. "I can't...it hurts me."

It will hurt Race, it will hurt for both of them. Atlas doesn't have a choice but to choose this-to break up with Race. He cannot think another plan in order for Race to be safe. He cannot kidnap Race and bring him into a unregulated island so his enemies cannot hurt him. But, Atlas knew that Race will hate him more if he'll do that. Race didn't know what's happening to him, that he have a lot of enemies chasing after him. It's his parents' enemies, but he's part of this too.