Mystery Lights

Chapter 12

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Third Person POV

Boun was torn between Saint and Prem. For whom should he provide his driving services. Both of them seemed anxious and agitated about something.

Boun knew that he should help out the one who needed his driving services more, but who between the two of them needed his help more?

And then again, Boun remembered that before Saint called he had promised Prem that he would be at Prem's house the next day. There was no backing out now. Prem sounded just as agitated as Saint. He couldn't bail out on Prem now.

"Boun?"

Oh shit, Boun forgot that Saint was still on the phone waiting for his reply.

"Umm ... Saint, I'm terribly sorry I can't drive you to an out of town place tonight," Boun said, sounding sincerely regretful about having to turn down Saint.

Thankfully Saint did not ask for an explanation as to why Boun could not provide him his driving services.

Saint frantically tried to search online for a reputable cab company but thought the better of it. He could not risk placing himself in the hands of a stranger while he was suffering from his intermittent bright flashes that interfered with his vision.

Then suddenly he remembered Perth. Certainly there was no harm trying to see if Perth could drive him out of town for a fee higher than his usual. Tomorrow was a Saturday so hopefully Perth did not have to attend any physical therapy classes at the local college.

With a fast beating heart, Saint tapped on Perth's contact number.

"Hello?"

Saint's heart pounded against his chest at the sound of Perth's deep manly voice.

"P...Perth?"

Saint heard a soft chuckle on the other end.

"You don't have to call me P' " said Perth. "I'm younger than you and you are my boss."

"No, I'm not your boss," Saint protested. He did not clarify to Perth that he was stammering his name and that was why it sounded like he had called him P'.

"To what do I owe the honor of receiving a call from you then?" Perth asked, sounding skeptical.

"I badly need your help, Perth," Saint replied trying not to make his voice sound desperate, but then again he was desperate. No point in hiding it now.

"I'm listening," Perth said.

"I need someone to drive me out of town tonight," Saint explained.

"As in right now?" Perth asked.

"Yes, please," Saint replied, keeping his fingers tightly crossed.

"Where exactly are we going?" Perth asked.

Saint gave him the name of the place and held his breath for Perth's response.

"That's a good three hour drive," Perth said. "Do your parents know about this plan of yours?"

"Yes, they do," Saint replied, his fingers still tightly crossed, suppressing the guilt he felt at lying to Perth about his parents knowledge about the out of town trip he was planning.

"Okay, wait for me," said Perth. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Saint heaved out a sigh and took in big gulps of air to make up for holding his breath for so long.

"By the way, how long are you gonna be staying at that place?" Perth asked.

"Tonight until Sunday night," Saint replied, feeling nervous once more that Perth might change his mind, because what if he needed to take care of some personal stuff after tonight.

There was a long silence on the other end.

Finally Perth spoke up. "That means I will be needing to bring some change of clothes and personal toiletries."

"I can buy them for you," Saint offered.

"No, no, no," Perth sounded offended and Saint immediately regretted offering to buy stuff for Perth because Saint knew from dealing with less moneyed people that they could get easily offended when others would offer to buy stuff for them.

"Very well then," Saint quickly said. "I will be waiting for you. In fifteen minutes you said?"

"Yes. I will text you when I'm outside your gate," Perth said.

Saint nervously put together all the stuff he needed for his out of town trip in a small duffel bag. He tried to make as less noise as possible. He did not want to wake his parents up, especially not after that terrible mind splitting row that they had over dinner.

Saint had announced to his parents over dinner that he felt he no longer needed the consultation visits with his psychiatrist Zee Pruk.

When his parents asked him why, Saint explained that he felt he knew what was causing his intermittent bright flashes and that he could cure himself of it.

His parents insisted that he still needed the guidance and counselling of Zee Pruk but Saint was adamant about his decision.

The argument escalated and soon voices were raised and it ended with Saint storming out of the dining room.

"I'm here," Saint looked at his phone screen then swiped on it to text Perth back.

"I'm on my way out." he texted back and quickly but quietly went down the stairs, his duffel bag slung across his shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going???"

Saint almost fell off the stairs at the sound of his father's voice. His father had gone to the kitchen to get his mother a tall glass of iced water and was on his way back to his and his wife's room upstairs.