Honey, Hold Me Tight || Completed ✅

14) The Cracks In Our Hearts

Zen came back from work feeling exhausted. The new project is taking a toll on him. The company's reputation relies on his shoulders and he'll be damned if it tarnished because of him. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his mom and some of her friends chattering in the living room.

He politely greeted them and was about to walk away when someone stopped him.

"Son, sit with us for a while, we're about to leave in a few minutes. Come here." Zen smiled at his mother's friend and took a seat, next to Jesse.

"Zen, when will you give us the good new of you getting married." The ladies giggled after the question was asked by one of them. Zen just laughed awkwardly and made eye contact with his mother who also had an awkward smile on her face.

"Or is it that you already chose the one for yourself." One woman teased and all of them hollered.

"Oh Sanvi, how will Zen get time to find a woman for him when he is too busy taking care of his friend?" Zen grimaced as soon as these words left Amira's lips.

"Friend? What friend?" Amira decided to answer this question for Zen.

"Ahh, yes. This man, Kai, lives here with Zen. He is his friend from his college days. Kai is always clinging to our poor Zen. And Zen also never denies him. You won't believe, he is living here without paying any rent for almost two years." Loud gasps came from the ladies present and they started talking about how Kai is using Zen's kindness, unaware that the man being talked about is listening their conversation.

"No Auntie. He is not using me in any way." Boonsri decided to handle the situation before Zen slips out anything about his marriage with Kai. The last thing she want is for Zen to scream Kai is his husband.

"It's true that Kai is not paying any cash but he helps in the house chores, along with the helpers. My Zen is so nice, he couldn't take money from his friend. Zen is Kai's landlord. We give him a roof to stay, he works for us to payback the rent. That's all, right Zen?" she signaled Zen to agree with her.

"Yes, yes. That's all." Zen had no idea that the words that he uttered shattered his husband's heart into a million pieces.

"Hey everyone." Kai showed himself and politely greeted everyone. Zen gulped looking at Kai's face. He knows he heard. Zen could see Kai broken expression and he knew he screwed up.

"He's Kai." Amira said and gave Kai a smile which he knew was fake.

"I'll pick up the empty bowls." Kai went up to pick them up but halted when he was gripped on his arm by Zen. Zen gave him a what-the-hell-are-you-doing look.

"What happened Zen? Let me do my work." Kai tried to free his arm from Zen's grip but failed. "The servants will do it." Zen said in a firm tone.

"Why mister landlord? How will I pay my rent if I don't help?" Zen got up and looked straight into Kai's eyes.

"You know Kai why I said it. Don't be like this." Zen's tone was more pleading than firm. He didn't want Kai to feel like it's not his home. When Kai called him landlord it felt like a million knives were stabbed into his heart.

Kai jerks his hand away from Zen's hold started climbing the stairs to get away from Zen. His heart was in pain. Zen agreeing to his mother felt like a slap on his face. He knows that Zen can't reveal anything about their relationship but it doesn't mean these words hurt any less.

"Kai!" Zen called him but Kai stopped when he heard one woman saying. "What an ungrateful man. How do you deal with him daily, Zen?" Kai turned back to look at Zen and his mother in law with blurry eyes and fastened his pace to reach his bedroom. Zen followed behind him.