Forgotten Past

I don't want scraps of your time

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Chapter 6

I knew I should be focused, we were having a very important discussion about the cost of our project and I should give this particular topic my full attention, but I couldn't stop myself from looking at P'Arthit. I was just checking his emotions; I just wanted to know what he would do after our talk yesterday. It had taken everything in me to call him and admit that. I knew that my feelings were being stirred but I didn't want to give P'Arthit the satisfaction of seeing me suffer. He told me that his feelings were being stirred too, but P'Arthit said it as if he thought I already knew that. That was the thing with him. He has no idea how cold he looks outside. He doesn't know that I couldn't read him as easily as he could read me and while I left my emotions out in the open, he was good at burying his.

"Kongpob," my name was called and I blinked at Ariel. She was waiting for my input and as if knowing that I wasn't paying a single attention to what was being said, she added and shook the chart in front of me, "what do you think about the plan?"

"Yeah, let's work with it," I smiled and closed the chart. My response was obviously heavily anticipated and even important because everyone in the room let out a deep breath. Except for P'Arthit, he just gave me an enigmatic stare and then looked away like has been doing all morning. I sincerely hoped this was not another cold shoulder attack. He said it was alright for us to at least maintain some semblance of civility.

When the meeting was over, I wanted to stay behind and talk with him but he left faster than everyone else. I stood outside the door of the conference room and watched him walk away with lightning speed.

Okay, P'Arthit, if that is what you want I will give it to you. No one said we had to be friends to work on this anyway. I was still staring when Ariel bumped into me and lifted her brown brows, "are you guys fighting."

I blinked, amazed. "Oh good, it's not just me. He is ignoring me."

"Why, what happened."

"I... admitted the truth and I guess he doesn't like it." I paused. Was this awkward, talking about it to Ariel? I didn't feel awkward at that moment. I was actually hoping for some advice. Ariel was the best at getting to lost causes like she did with me when I didn't think I wanted to do anything with my life after P'Arthit left for good. "Do you have any idea what I should do?"

"Um, the best way is to make sure you are always there for him. That's all. "She smiled and reached over to kiss my cheek. "I am going home to essentially stalk your mother so see you."

"Okay," I nodded. She was still trying to win over my mother and that inspired me to do the same with P'Arthit. Not as friends again. If P'Arthit doesn't want that then what was the point of trying. No, friendship wouldn't work for P'Arthit but staying away and ignoring each other won't work for me. Since I have seen P'Arthit, been around him, I can't move on with my life if I couldn't continue to see him or speak with him. I needed that and even as shameful and gutting as it was to admit it, there was nothing I could do about it. At least not until I can put more than a few miles between us. Not until I can return to Chicago, to my life.

So I dropped by in the afternoon with a box from the cafeteria. He looked up when I walked in and sighed. "I have to talk with Puna, she needs to stop letting you in unannounced."

"She likes me," I said grinning. "And she knows you like me."

He rolled his eyes and ignored me in favor of finishing a few words on what he was working on in his computer.