10. Run?

I promised myself that I would never smoke again after I had lost my grandfather to lung cancer but after the day I just had...It couldn't be helped. As I sat at the stop where I usually go to soothe myself, I began to cry. A long time ago, I found a way into the roof of the hospital where my grandfather had died. I was surprised to have found that the door was still broken and that I was still able to access the roof.

I sat there and cried as I replayed the moments earlier in my night that caused me to run away...

"Liar!" I hear someone say from behind the thin man. I was so shocked by his words before I heard Bo say in a low voice, "What are you doing here?!" I was disgusted by his response not denying the thin man's words! Suddenly the thin man grabs Bo's arm and pulls him in before kissing him. I looked up and saw Bo's lips on that vile disgusting man! Our security men pulled the thin man but there was a bit of struggle. I turned around and began running. I could hear Donna yelling out for me but I kept running.

I kept running until I couldn't run any longer. That's when I looked up and saw that I was standing in front of the hospital. I felt all those feelings of when I lost my grandfather coming up as if I was about to throw up. I saw a convenience stoor across the way. I ran to it and found the bathrooms at the back of the store. I quickly made my way in and threw up in the toilet. I sat back and took a few breaths before I heard a knock on the door.

"Are you okay in there?" I heard from the employee who must have seen me running into the bathroom. I pulled myself up from the floor before washing my face and hands. I opened the door and the man in a uniform asked, "You don't look so good. Do you want me to help you to the hospital?" I could tell he was an employee of the store. I took in a deep breath before responding, "No. Thank you. I am fine." I walked past him and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge to my left before walking toward the cash register.

There was a scared scrawny young girl who looked concerned for me. "Will that be all?" She asks as I reach the counter. I pointed at the cigarettes behind her and said, "One, please." She nodded and grabbed a pack before showing it to me. I nodded and she handed it to me. I gave her some cash from my pocket and walked out. "Wait! You forgot your change!" I heard from behind me. I turned and it was that nice kid again. He gave me my change before he began reaching into his pockets.

I gave him a confused look before I saw him pull out a lighter and say, "You will need this." I nodded in agreement before taking the lighter and saying, "Thank you. Here. Keep the change." I put the change back into his hands and walked away. Now, I am on the hospital rooftop smoking my third cigarette. I am sure Donna must be scared right now because I left my phone in the car. There is no way for them to find me unless I want them to. I needed to be alone now.

I know that whoever this thin person is that dared to kiss Bo must be an ex who is trying to get between us but the fact that they said that they are engaged, makes me think that there is something Bo has kept from me. I have felt this way for some time now. Especially since he avoids questions about his family. I know that he comes from a wealthy family and that they must not be happy to have found out at some point that a tiny man is running around calling their son his husband but this was low!

I need to calm down! I am just assuming this is the case! For all I know, Bo's family doesn't know who I am and they assume that he is still engaged to that slanky piece of trash! "Who is a piece of trash?" I heard from behind me a familiar voice. I turned to confirm that it was my grandfather's doctor, Dr. Kim. "Did I say that out loud?" I asked trying to hide my apparent embarrassment. He chuckled as he pulled out a cigarette himself and lit it.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again, much less here at the rooftop." Dr. Kim said as he chuckled and let out a large smoke. I smiled as I pulled another cigarette out but before I could light it, Dr. Kim grabbed it and tossed it. I looked up at him with a frustrated look on my face before he said, "I also remember you making a promise to your grandfather that you would never smoke again." I looked away to avoid him seeing a tear fall down my face.

I felt him sit by me before asking, "You used to come here when you needed to cry. Is that why you are here now?" I still wouldn't look at him. He took in another pull at his cigarette before he said, "Fine. Don't tell me." He chuckles a bit again before he says, "I can tell that you are doing better because of that fancy suit you are wearing and whatever brought you here is not as bad as your life before this suit." He said before he began to laugh.

I looked at him with an angered look before his laugh got even louder and boisterous. I couldn't help but laugh with him. He then began to cough and it sounded bad. I stopped laughing and asked, "You are so worried about me but you are still smoking even though you promised my grandfather the same!" I stood up and walked away to the wall at the edge of the building. I can hear him start to walk toward me as he said, "Don't turn this on me. You are the one that is having a hard time. Not me."

I roll my eyes and turn toward him before I respond, "It's my issue. Not yours." He chuckles and leans on the wall before he says in a kind tone, "I know this but I thought you could use a friend. If not...then I will let you be." I turned away before he began to walk away. He stops walking before turning his head toward me and says, "Remember that there is someone out there worried about you right now. Think of them and try to make your way back home."

I looked at him and asked, "How? Did he call the hospital?!" He turned around and smiled before he said, "He is just worried. People like him have the money to find people like us. He is not here. He only called to speak with me and ask if I would happen to know where you would go during a crisis. I didn't tell him you would be here. Partly because I wasn't sure if you would come here again. But, also because I figured you needed time to think. Whatever the crisis is though...It's best to confront it. Stop running. You're not a kid anymore."

He chuckled and then walked away. I rolled my eyes but then I noticed that he grabbed the pack of cigarettes I had left on the floor! I got angry but then I started laughing. I couldn't believe that I was still acting like a kid. Dr. Kim is right. I am an adult now and I shouldn't allow things to scare me this way. I can handle this "crisis"! I leave the roof and exit the hospital. I walked over to the convenience store and the young girl looked relieved to see me.

I was confused by her reaction as I asked if I could use her phone. "Sure, I am just glad to see that you didn't jump." She said as she handed me her cell phone. I then realized what she meant and felt a bit embarrassed as I dialed the only number I knew by heart. "Master Jake is that you?!" Don yelled into the phone. I smiled and said, "Yes. No need to yell." I could hear her out of breath as she was pacing.

"Where are you? Master Bo is..." She began to say before I interrupted her to say, "I am at the convenience store next to the hospital." Then I hung up. I gave the phone back to the girl and she smiled at me again before saying, "Some woman called the store looking for someone who looks like you and I told her that you were here earlier but that I wasn't sure where you went. I became worried so...I walked across the street. That's when I saw you on the roof looking down. I prayed and hoped that you would make your way down on your own. I am glad to see you are okay."

I smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it." I bowed and so did she. I sometimes forget that people can be kind without any negative motives. I walked out of the store and waited for Donna to arrive. Donna finally arrived about ten minutes later before she jumped out of the vehicle and opened my door. To my surprise, Bo was not sitting in the car. I got in and Don made her way to the driver's seat. As she drove she said, "We've been looking for you everywhere. I already told Bo and he is heading back to your place now."

I nodded and she noticed that I wasn't listening before she asked, "You've gotta know by now that all of this was a stunt pulled on Bo by an ex, right?!" I looked at her in the rearview mirror before I said, "I am not stupid. I know how exes can be." Donna nodded in agreement but didn't ask or say anything else the entire ride. I know I shouldn't have snapped at her but I wasn't in the mood to discuss it with her. We arrived at my place and I felt the bottom of my stomach get heavy. "Try to be kind. He loves you very much." Donna said softly it was almost a whisper.

She gets out and opens my door. The doorman then opens the door to the entrance of the building. I head up to my condo door before I put my code into the door. Before I could finish imputing the code, the door opened and I was suddenly hugged by Bo. "Bunny! I am so glad you came home!" He said with a tone of fear mixed with relief. I pulled away and walked into the living room to find a man I've never seen before sitting on my couch. He turned and saw me before smiling.

"That's Toh. My brother." Bo said with sadness in his tone from behind me. Toh stood up and bowed before he said, "It's nice to finally meet you." I bowed but I did not say anything and after a moment, Toh noticed that I was still angry. He looked up at Bo and then back at me but now he looked nervous. "Bo asked me to come by to assure you that he is not engaged and to formally invite you to our parent's home this weekend. We are all looking forward to getting to know you." Toh said with a smile on his face.

I gave Toh a sharp warning look that caused him to lose his smile before I asked, "Will his fiance be there?" Toh's eyes widened before he let out a nervous laugh. "No. He won't and he is not my fiance." Bo responded with the same sad tone from behind me. I didn't respond and that made Toh even more nervous. He walked over to stand in front of me before he said, "His ex is desperate. After today's stunt, Bo realized that there are some things that he should have been upfront with you. That is why I am here. To confirm that what happened today was not true. Bo broke up with his ex-fiance a long time ago."

I stared at Toh for a bit and saw the conviction in his eyes. I rolled my eyes and passed by him to go sit on the single couch behind him. Toh turned around to look at me before I said, "Okay. I am listening." Toh then sat next to me on the longer couch and began to explain that Bo's ex-fiance, Kin, cheated on Bo. He also explained that their engagement was arranged by both Bo and Kin's father a long time ago. When Bo explained that Kin cheated on him, Bo's dad refused to allow him to break up the engagement.

But after a year passed and their father saw that there was no reconciliation, he decided to dissolve the engagement. Even though I knew that Kin's stunt today was probably a desperate lie or attempt to break us up, it makes me wonder how Kin found out where we were and that Bo had moved on? I knew that someone within Bo's circle was somehow responsible for today. I immediately thought of the old woman who triggered me earlier today. I remembered that Bo spoke with her privately. He never told me what happened!

"Thank you, Toh. I appreciate you coming all this way to reassure me." I said in the middle of him explaining yet another reason why his brother would never cheat on me. Toh looked visibly nervous and concerned. I forced a smile to reassure him. I stood up and bowed before I said, "I am tired now. I need to shower and get some rest. I apologize for interrupting but I must get some rest. Thanks, Toh. I truly appreciate you coming by."

He stood up and bowed too before I looked at Bo and then back at Toh. I turned away and walked into our master bedroom before slamming the door shut. I could hear them talking before the front door opened and shut. I step away from the bedroom door to head toward the bathroom but before I could make it there, Bo was already behind me. "I didn't run away because I believed what Kin said. I ran because the sight of you kissing another man was too much for me." I said before I turned around.

He saw the tears in my eyes but didn't dare to move. "I didn't run away because I thought you had been cheating on me this entire time. I ran away because I realized how quickly we moved in together. How quickly I gave myself to you." I said before I walked closer to him. He reached out and pulled me in for a hug and I could smell a mix of sweat and cologne on him. I love that smell. I could feel the tears run down my face now before I said, "I ran away because I got scared at the possibility that I could lose you."

To be continued...