Chapter 3

Nani Hirunkit

The warmth of his body still lingered against mine, our breaths tangled in the quiet of the room. Sky's weight was comforting, grounding, but at the same time, it was suffocating-because reality was sinking in fast.

I was still beneath him, our fingers intertwined, his lips just barely hovering over mine as if debating whether to continue or pull away. His breath was uneven, his eyes hazy but filled with something deeper than just intoxication.

My heart pounded in my chest, a sharp contrast to the stillness of the room.

What... what did we just do?

Sky's thumb brushed over my cheek, slow and gentle, his eyes scanning my face, searching for something-an answer, a reaction, anything. I swallowed hard, my mind a mess of emotions I wasn't ready to face.

I should say something. I should move. I should-

"Nani..." Sky's voice was low, hesitant, almost unsure. He sounded sober now, or at least more aware than before. His fingers curled slightly around mine, grounding me in the moment. "Are you okay?"

The question hit me harder than I expected. Because no, I wasn't okay. I wasn't okay with how much I wanted this. I wasn't okay with the way my body still ached for his warmth, or how my lips still tingled from the way he kissed me, slow and deep and like he meant it.

But I couldn't say any of that.

I forced a nod. "Yeah." My voice was barely above a whisper, but it was all I could manage.

Sky exhaled, his lips parting like he wanted to say something more, but then his expression shifted. I saw it happen-his gaze clearing, the haze of the moment lifting just slightly as he blinked, as if suddenly realizing exactly what had just happened between us.

I felt it, too.

The weight of it. The undeniable truth of it.

Sky's hand slowly slipped from mine, his body shifting slightly as he pulled back just a little. The warmth between us faded, replaced by a silence that felt even louder than before.

I should say something. I should laugh it off, make a joke, pretend this was nothing, because that's what Sky would do, right? That's what we always did-play things off, act like nothing mattered.

But I couldn't.

Because this wasn't nothing.

And by the way Sky was looking at me-his lips slightly parted, his brows drawn together-I knew he felt it too.

Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity before Sky finally moved, pulling himself away from me completely. The loss of his warmth made me shiver, and I hated it.

"I-" Sky started, then stopped. He ran a hand through his hair, looking anywhere but at me. "Shit."

I pushed myself up, my hands trembling slightly as I sat up on the bed. "Sky-"

"We should sleep," he cut in, his voice tight, controlled, as if he was holding something back. He stood up, running a hand down his face before turning away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I- I drank too much. I wasn't thinking straight."

The words stung.

I felt my chest tighten, my fingers curling into the sheets as I forced myself to breathe.

So that's what this was? A mistake?

I should've expected it. I should've known that Sky would brush this off as nothing but a drunken accident.

I forced a small nod, even though he wasn't looking at me. "Yeah," I murmured, swallowing the lump in my throat. "You should get some rest."

He didn't say anything.

And I didn't wait for him to.

I stood up, ignoring the way my body still felt warm from his touch, the way my lips still ached from the way he kissed me. I walked past him, heading straight for the bathroom, needing to put as much distance between us as possible.

I turned on the sink, splashing cold water onto my face, gripping the edges of the counter as I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

My lips were swollen. My eyes were unfocused, my breathing uneven.

I let out a shaky breath.

What the hell just happened?

And why did it hurt so much?

But it didn't matter.

Because it was just a mistake.

The words kept replaying in my head, over and over, like a cruel reminder of where I stood. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out the ache in my chest, but it only made it worse. The sound of the water rushing down the drain blurred into white noise, the room spinning as my emotions tangled into something unbearable.

I let out a slow, shaky breath. Then another.

And then, before I could stop myself, a tear slipped down my cheek.

I gritted my teeth, pressing my lips together as tightly as I could, but it didn't stop the flood. One tear turned into two, then three, then more until I couldn't hold them back anymore.

My shoulders shook, my silent cries muffled by the sound of the running water.

I didn't even know why I was crying.

Maybe it was the way he looked at me afterward-like he regretted it. Maybe it was the way he pulled away so fast, like he couldn't stand being close to me. Maybe it was because, deep down, I already knew that Sky didn't see me the way I saw him.

I wiped my face with the sleeve of my shirt, trying to erase the evidence, but my reflection in the mirror betrayed me. My eyes were red, my lips still slightly parted from the sobs I was trying so hard to suppress.

I couldn't let him see me like this.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. The last thing I needed was for Sky to notice. If he saw me like this, he'd ask questions. And I wasn't ready to answer them.

Not now. Not ever.

After a few more minutes, I finally turned off the sink, the silence of the bathroom suddenly deafening. I stared at myself one last time before taking another deep breath and stepping out of the bathroom.

The room was dimly lit, Sky already lying on his bed, his back turned toward me.

Good.

I didn't want to see his face.

Didn't want to be reminded of what happened.

Didn't want to feel this way anymore.

I climbed into my own bed without a word, pulling the blanket over me and turning onto my side, facing away from him.

Even with my eyes closed, sleep didn't come easy.

And from the way Sky shifted restlessly on his bed, I knew he was awake too.

-----------------

Sky Wongravee

I woke up with a dull pounding in my head, the remnants of last night's drinking still lingering like a fog in my mind. My mouth was dry, and my body felt heavy, weighed down by something that wasn't just the alcohol.

For a moment, I kept my eyes closed, trying to piece together everything that had happened. I remembered the bar. The drinks. The laughter. Then... Nani.

A sharp inhale left my lips as flashes of last night came rushing back. The dorm. Nani carrying me inside. The way his hands had trembled against my skin. And then-

I sat up too quickly, my heart slamming against my ribs as if trying to escape my chest. The memory was clear now. The way I had grabbed him. The way our lips met-slow, hesitant, but then deeper, rougher. The warmth of his skin beneath my fingertips. His body melting into mine.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, exhaling slowly.

That was just the alcohol. A stupid, drunken mistake.

Right?

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the unease bubbling in my chest. Nani was my best friend. My closest friend. Maybe that's why it happened. It had to be. It wasn't like I-

I stopped myself before I could finish that thought.

I needed to talk to him. To make sure things weren't weird between us. I couldn't lose him over something that didn't even mean-

I froze.

The other bed was empty.

Frowning, I rubbed my eyes and glanced around the room. Nani always woke up early, but something about the emptiness of his bed made my stomach twist. I got up, stretching as I walked over to his side of the room. His desk was still cluttered with books, his lamp still slightly tilted like it always was. But something felt... off.

I turned to his wardrobe, opening the door without thinking.

A few of his clothes were missing.

I blinked, my fingers tightening on the handle. My throat suddenly felt dry again.

What the hell?

Nani wouldn't just... leave, would he?

I shut the wardrobe, stepping back as unease settled deep in my bones. I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest, the gnawing thought that maybe-just maybe-he wasn't coming back.

-----------------

I walked briskly through campus, trying to focus on the road ahead. My mind, however, was anything but clear. I had barely slept, my thoughts constantly circling back to last night. What had happened between Nani and me? Was it really just a drunken mistake? Or was there something more to it?

As I was lost in my thoughts, a voice called out, pulling me back to reality.

"Hey, Sky!"

I turned, finding Perth approaching with that lazy grin of his, hands casually shoved into his pockets.

"Perth," I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's up?"

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing just a little as he studied me. Something about the way he was looking at me made me feel like he could see right through me. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, his voice suddenly a little more serious than usual.

I forced a smile, shrugging slightly. "Yeah, just tired. The drinking caused me a headache."

Perth didn't look convinced, but he didn't push the issue. Instead, he casually leaned against a nearby tree, glancing around the campus. "Do you know where Nani is?" he asked, keeping his tone casual, but there was that glint in his eyes that told me he was genuinely curious.

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Nani. I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I tell him that I hadn't heard from Nani since this morning? Should I admit how messed up everything felt right now?

"Uh, no. Haven't heard from him. He was already gone when I woke up." I muttered, trying to make my voice sound dismissive, though it came out quieter than I wanted.

Perth tilted his head, his gaze sharp. "Huh. That's weird. You two usually arrive together, right?"

I swallowed, feeling the weight of the question pressing on me. "Yeah, guess he's just busy."

Perth seemed like he wanted to ask more, but instead, he just shrugged. "Well, if you need to talk, you know where to find me."

I nodded, offering him a small smile, but it felt more forced than usual. "Thank you, Perth."

Perth gave me a quick nod, still watching me closely, but didn't press any further. With a final glance, he walked off, leaving me standing there, alone with my thoughts.

I stood there for a moment, still feeling the weight of Perth's words. He had to have noticed something was off, but I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't know how to explain any of it, especially when it came to Nani.

I continued on my way to the university, my mind a swirling mess of confusion and guilt. How could I fix this? Could I even fix it at all?