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Love Flavored Latte - Chapter 24
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I love you.
Those three words rang in Ray’s head out of the blue, and he couldn’t help smiling. It was strange in a way, how those words were so simple but had etched into his mind the very first moment they were spoken out loud. The image of his partner that night appeared along with them. He could still remember the shy look in those brown eyes, the bashful blush on his cheeks, as well as the way he felt so small and soft in his arms. It had been about three weeks since then, but with the moment still so clear in his mind, it seemed like it was only yesterday. He felt like a child for smiling non-stop about it, but he couldn’t really hold it back. He was just so overwhelmed with tingling and happy feelings.
Walking along the busy streets, he inhaled, taking in the cool breeze and listening to the rustling sound of the leaves. This felt familiar and he knew exactly why. That day, the very day he first met his boyfriend, the weather was just like this—pleasant and relaxing, able to make one’s stress melt away.
But the warm afternoon sunshine from above, no matter how nice it was, it could never compare to his one and only partner. To him, Matt’s smile was more radiant than the sunlight itself and his eyes were brighter than any star he had ever seen. With how the surroundings looked around him, he felt like he was reliving that day, like he was walking to Grandhaven Coffee after one year of studying abroad, not knowing that he would then meet the person who would change his view on love. The fact that he was now heading to the same coffee shop made the experience even more real.
Matt’s shift ends in five minutes.
He thought, looking at his watch when someone suddenly bumped into him. Naturally, he apologized…
“I’m, I’m sorry. Are you okay—”
… until he cut himself off upon seeing the person he came across.
The moment their eyes caught sight of one another, it was as if time had frozen. The warm sunshine, he could no longer feel. The sound of the cars running down the roads, he could no longer hear. Even to the ground beneath his feet, he could no longer sense. Everything had completely stopped moving and it felt like the two of them were the only ones left in the world around him. His heart thumped rapidly, filling his ears with the sound of its fast and hurried beat. His eyes were wide, and leaving his lips was a small gasp.
No matter how much this resembled his first time meeting Matt, it did not feel the same.
When he met Matt, his heart beat fast because of the butteflies in his stomach. However, right now, it was due to the bitter taste of the past. Bad memories rushed to him like a horrendous tsunami, hitting him harshly over and over again with its constant waves.
When Matt first appeared before him, a blush had threatened to make its way up his face, making him struggle to keep calm. But now, all the colors had left his face, making it turn as pale as a ghost.
When Matt first gave him that beautiful smile and that friendly gaze, indescribable yet delightful emotions came gently and slowly filled his empty heart with their mellowness. But right at this moment, all he could feel was the chills running down his spine and the sudden sharp pain in his heart, the heart that had turned stone cold at the sight of the man in front of him.
Once again, he was reliving his old days. Except that this time, they weren’t the days he dared to recall. His heart screamed, begging to return to the present and refusing to revisit that tearful moment. However, it was simply impossible, not when the man of the past was right before him, silently staring at him with a stunned expression.
He wished his eyes had been mistaken. He wasn’t willing to believe what he was seeing. But once more, his life forced him to accept the reality that he was, indeed, looking at the same person. How could he ever mistake those auburn locks and those fiery amber eyes? However, he would be lying if he said he was looking at them the same way. No matter how breath-taking those eyes were, never could he forget the lies hidden behind them. Those lips, they had let out hurtful words as well, the words that he thought he had been able to get over until now. That amber glow, it was flaming like the fire that had burned away his hopes of finding love, leaving it to turn into a pile of ash that represented the world in his eyes at that time.
A gush of wind passed through them, snapping him out of his thoughts. If it hadn’t been for it, he would have been dragged into the darkest corners of his mind.
Biting his lips, he forcefully averted his gaze and turned on his heels, ready to walk away and pretend that this encounter never happened. However, the other man was the opposite. He didn’t want it end things just like that.
“Ray!”
That same deep voice hadn’t changed one bit, as well as how strong the man’s grip felt on Ray’s arm. The memories of that day rushed back to Ray even more painfully, making his heart throb in distress and agony. He gritted his teeth as he unhesitantly yanked the other’s arm away.
“I don’t know you.”
His voice was chilly, his eyes were cold and his glare was icy. The other man seemed to flinch a little, but his determination remained.
“Ray!” He took hold of Ray’s arm once more as he pled. “Listen to me! I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Please give me one more chance!”
His voice was firm, yet it sounded so wretched and guilt-ridden. Even so, it did not move Ray in any way. In fact, all he felt was pity for the other’s sorry look.
“Honestly, how shameless, Aaron.” Ray had finally managed to muster up the courage to utter the man’s name. “Not everything can be fixed with just an apology. You should know that already.”
Aaron didn’t seem pleased with that answer, which could be proven by the faint spark of anger in his eyes.
“Ray, can’t you see that I’m literally begging you right now? Can’t you see how sorry I am?” Aaron said with a furious yet pained gaze. “I know I hurt you, but can’t you give me another chance? I can’t stop thinking about you. Everyone’s left me and I realized you’re the only one that’s ever given me the genuine affection I need. I want to start over—”
“Shut up!”
Ray shouted, not bothering to stay calm anymore. He was on the verge of tears as he spoke with a devastated voice.
“Stop playing with my feelings, you heartbreaker!” Ray said with his eyes full of rage. “Don’t think you can just use all those sweet words to get me back, because it won’t work! And do you know how much you actually hurt me? You cheated on me, but that’s not all. You did it just because I said I wasn’t ready to have sex with you yet!”
Ray’s voice was soar and sorrowful. His eyes had lost their shine and only pain was left in them.
“Is sex really the only thing that’s important to you? In fact, is it so important that you’re willing to leave me for it? Do you remember what you said to that girl you kissed behind the tree? Didn’t you say that I’m ‘boring to date’? Why do you suddenly want me back now? Don’t you wish to find something more ‘exciting’? What the hell do you want?”
Ray was breathless after he had finished talking. He took a few seconds to let his heart calm down, sweats dripping down his face and dampening his hair. As he did so, he secretly observed the man before him. The whole time, Aaron was completely quiet, letting Ray say everything that was on his mind no matter how much it weighed him down. But only after Ray had finished talking did he realize there was a dark aura in Aaron’s amber eyes. He already seemed irritated a few minutes ago, but only now did he truly have an enraged look.
Aaron wordlessly took a step forward and grabbed both of Ray’s wrists, shortening the distance between them and making Ray’s heart skip a beat.
“Wh-What are you doing?”
“Ray…” Aaron’s tone was low as he stared right into the other’s scared blue eyes. “I know what I want, and that’s you. I desire only you, I wish to keep you all to myself, and I’m going to make sure that you belong entirely to me.”
Aaron’s fingers reached up to hold Ray’s chin, sending shivers down the latter’s spine with their chilling touch. In the moment of panic, Ray desperately tried to break out of his ex-boyfriend grasp, but he strangely felt helpless and all his effort was in vain. No matter how much he struggled, Aaron was still able to overpower him, inching his face closer and closer to his as each seconds went by. Aaron’s breath had reached him, and he whispered in a small yet petrifying tone.
“You have no idea how empty I’ve been feeling all these years.” The way his eyes was staring at Ray was like how a beast eyed its prey. “No one can make me feel loved besides you. I’m tired of all the fake and shallow feelings others have given me. You were so pure and innocent, you filled me with affection, and not a single one I’ve dated can do it. You’re irreplaceable.”
“L-Let me go—!”
Ray was utterly powerless with the other’s grip tightening around his wrists. He wanted to run away from the past and this cruel person. He wanted to cover his ears and block out every single word Aaron was telling him, because to him, they were nothing but hollow promises. Lies after lies… they kept stabbing his heart over and over again. He wanted to shut his eyes and begged that this was all just a bad dream, that he would soon wake up and saw his angel lying next to him. But Aaron, he was ruthless and wasn’t going to let him get what he wanted.
“I’ve been searching for you everywhere,” Aaron growled like a madman. “So now that I’ve finally found you, I’ll never let you go again. Even if you try to escape, I’ll run after you until I catch you. You’re mine. Your body and soul are in my possession, and I’ll make sure that from now on, you can only look at me. If someone wants to steal you from me, it’ll be over my dead body.”
He leaned in, his faces inches away from the Ray’s when he was suddenly interrupted.
“Let him go.”
Ray’s heart skipped a beat when he realized that he recognized this voice. Upon being interfered, Aaron clicked his tongue in annoyance and turned to the mysterious third person.
“What did you just say?”
“I said let him go.”
Matt’s voice was stern, unaffected by Aaron’s threatening tone. His brown eyes confidently looked into the other’s amber ones, challenging him and diverting his attention from the man he was trying to get back. After staring at Matt for a while, Aaron chuckled and walked up to him, his tall body looming over him.
“Hey, kid, you do have some guts to stick your nose into other people’s business like that.” He laughed mockingly. “Get lost if you don’t want to get hurt. Do you even know him in the first place?”
To both of the older man’s surprise, Matt had an unfazed expression on his face, his gaze firm and strong. There was no hint of fear in his eyes and in the way he took a step forward, making Aaron move back.
“First of all, I’m not a kid. I’ll have you know that I’m twenty.” Even his voice was unwavered as he clearly spoke each word. “Second, I don’t need to know him to stand up for him. All that matters right now is what you’re doing. You’re violently pressuring him into doing something he’s not willing to do, which is wrong.”
Stunned by Matt’s unexpected bravery, Aaron seemed to be taken aback, but he wasn’t going to give up just yet.
“Wrong? I’m just trying to convince him to come back to me. Don’t try to act like you know the full story here.” He lightly pushed Matt away by the shoulder. “Mind your own business and scram.”
Matt’s feet stayed still, his mind not getting swayed by the other’s intimidating remarks.
“Yes, maybe I don’t know the full story, but what you’re doing is still unacceptable. I can see you weren’t just ‘convincing’ him to come with you like you’ve said—you were threatening him.” Matt unhesitantly pointed out. “And he doesn’t belong to you. He’s his own person, and he has the right to leave you if he’s been mistreated in any way.”
In Ray’s eyes, Matt was like a different person. He could still remember how Matt had yelled out his age in front of the whole class and got embarrassed afterward, how he had bashfully taken the pen from his hands and the way he blushed uncontrollably whenever he was given a surprise kiss. However, right at this moment, in front of him wasn’t the same shy person. The one he was looking at was a courageous and unperturbed man who was sure of every action of his.
“You don’t want to make a scene here, do you?” Matt added while Aaron was still trying to think of something to say. “If you continue to bother him like that, I’ll call the police without a second thought and report you for street harrassment.”
Aaron now seemed to have become aware that he was still on the streets with many people around, and that Matt indeed could call the police at any given moment. Feeling helpless, he let out a small tch and angrily pushed Matt aside.
“I’ll let you off for now. But this doesn’t end here, so don’t get full of yourself and think you’ve won.”
He walked away in an irritated manner, mumbling “damn kids nowadays” as he did. Matt’s eyes followed him for a while to make sure that he wouldn’t try to do anything else before returning his attention to Ray, who had already walked up to him.
“Matt, are you okay?” Ray panicked. “Goodness, I was so worried! Did he hurt you?”
“No. I’m completely fine, Ray, so don’t worry about me,” Matt said before gently holding his boyfriend’s hand, which was still shaking. “What about you? Are you alright?”
“Y-Yes, I’m, I’m alright…”
He was lying and Matt was certain about it. From the frightened look in Ray’s eyes, Matt knew he was still unable to get over what had just happened. He must have been so scared that Aaron would hurt him and possibly his partner as well. Matt wrapped his arms around Ray, lightly patting his back and whispering words of comfort. It looked like it was working, as Ray seemed to have calmed down a little. The man in question let out a sigh before mumbling a thank you.
Now that Aaron was no longer here, curiosity sparked in Matt’ mind – what had exactly happened between his boyfriend and that crazy man? He couldn’t help wondering about it, but he figured that he shouldn’t pry. It was Ray’s private matter and he didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it, so Matt decided to change subject, saying that his shift had ended and asking what Ray wanted for dinner.