A Love For Keeps

A Story

(DAYU)

"What are you thinking?" Qing asked me while we lay on the bed together. We were supposed to be sleeping, but while Qing is yawning every now and then, I cannot seem to shut my brain down. It won't stop thinking of the story that old woman at the bookstore shared to me this afternoon.

Actually, I haven't focused fully on anything since hearing that story. That story...it can hurt people.

People like my family and the family of the man I love.

But it's just a story...or something that happened in the past. A story of the past...

I look at Qing, wondering if I should share the story to him. "Nothing," I said before smiling and caressing his cheek. "Let's sleep..." I closed my eyes. I felt Qing pulling me close so I lay my head against his shoulder.

But sleep won't come to me. I found myself opening my eyes again, staring at the shadows playing in the dimly lit room and the profile of my lover with his eyes closed.

"Yes," I whispered, "Sleep. Rest. Let me worry about this. I can handle it and...ick!" The last sound just come out of nowhere when Qing suddenly opened his eyes.

He is not asleep after all.

"Okay, tell me." He ordered before moving to lie sideways, his arms around me so I cannot go anywhere.

I winced, "I am not sure..."

"I am sure, I want to hear what is bothering you. Tell me..." Qing stared at me with his serious "I will not let you get away with this" stare.

I sighed. I am dying to talk to someone about this anyways. Might as well it be my lover.

"Do you want to hear an interesting story?" I asked him.

"Yes. Of course the answer will be yes. I am practically forcing you to tell me..."

"Okay," I guess there is no getting around this with Qing but to tell it to him straight. "It's about a boy and a girl, meeting in college and falling madly in love with each other. The girl came from a simple farming family in the middle of the country while the boy is an heir to a vast inheritance and noble lineage..."

"A Cinderella story then," Qing just looked mildly interested in my story as he interrupted me.

"Maybe. Anyways, the boy has a friend. A friend who grew up with him. The boy introduces the girl to his friend..."

"Bad idea," Qing intercepted the story again. "A love triangle is a messy idea. I don't know why writers put love triangle in their story, two people in love is already complicated, exhibit A is us, if you put another person on the equation, that is just asking for a whole lot of mess. Go on..."

I chuckled at him. "You are already invested in this story."

"I am," Qing gave me a light and quick kiss on my lips. "Continue..."

"They all became close. The boy, his friend and the girl. But..."

"But three is a crowd..." Qing nodded wisely. "I get it..."

"Well, I was going to say, but the boy's family, his rich family, has a tradition of picking brides for their sons and the boy's wife was already decided. It's not the girl."

"Fuck..."

I nodded, "Fuck indeed. So what the boy did is ask his friend a favor. Look after my girl while I fight my family to decline this wedding they set up on me. But the thing is, it was not an easy fight and it took some time...time that gave the girl insecurities, you see she was only eighteen and stupid and scared and..."