Author's Note: i made it! my first deadline in forever. this means we will only be getting one chapter per update. also, *smiles* I'm writing my first Tine and Sarawat fanfiction. I am really happy about it so please read it when it comes out. I suspect updates would be either every Monday or Tuesday, at least until my holiday then we are back to chaotic updates.

anyhoo, please read and enjoy. don't forget to leave a vote.

Chapter 14

P'Arthit has gone really quiet since his stepmother walked in. Winry was a tall woman, elegant and in her younger years must have been a looker. She was... nicer than I was expecting. She inquired about her daughter's injury, thanked me for helping, and ushered us to the living room. With the help of a maid, she prepared the meal we were now sitting around.

It was true that she didn't talk to P'Arthit at all. She treated him like he was air. It didn't look like she really wanted his forgiveness as P'Arthit told me. The only person that seemed desperate for it, honestly, was Paula. She made sure that P'Arthit had a place to sit on the table and catered to his every need, seeming to not mind that to P'Arthit however, she was just an eyesore, I started to feel some pity for her.

I knew what happened upstairs had likely been an accident and Paula had explained as such. P'Arthit was probably on edge. I would like to take him out somewhere so he could get himself together. He seemed to have forgotten why he was here.

"Shall we eat?" Winry said.

"Wait," Paula rushed to her feet and almost tipped the glass of water in front of her. I noticed she was a little clumsy and that she spoke with a raised voice unconsciously before lowering it in the middle. It was something I had no business noticing but I can't stop noticing it or wanting to know more.

"I want to say something," Paula announced with a smile. "I don't think this has ever happened in our home before, all of us eating at a table. I know that there is still so much muddy water under the bridge but I just want to say, thank you all for being here. I love you all so much. "

Her lips quivered and she squeezed them to the side. "I know I am partly the reason why we didn't have this before, and that I caused our family to become so dysfunctional. I want to start from today onward, to change little by little and I hope you all will join me."

I looked at P'Arthit who was by my side sitting so stiffly I almost thought he has turned into stone. His expression was impenetrable as though nothing happening at the table, not Paula and not her mother, not even me, mattered or could reach him. It made me itch to hold his hand, to feel him close so that he wouldn't isolate himself, but Paula was right next to me and I was sure she would be able to see.

I have tried all evening to limit my contact with Paula as much as possible. I kept trying to see the evil, sickening monster P'Arthit swore to me she was, but if such a person existed that person wasn't here tonight. Paula was... well she was normal. From the few hours I have been in her company, she was cheerful, kind, and outgoing. She wasn't mean in any way. No matter how I look at it, this girl wasn't a monster. Was she pretending for my sake? No, that made no sense. She had no idea I was coming here and she didn't know that I was related in any way to P'Arthit. Why would she pretend for my benefit? She doesn't even know who I am or who I am to her. Paula couldn't see the sign I could see on her. It was unfair but only I know that she was my soulmate and unless I tell her, there was no way for Paula to know.

"You are doing it again," said P'Arthit through gritted teeth. It distracted and startled me because I didn't think he planned to talk at all at the table.

"What am I doing," I asked leaning closer so he alone could hear my voice.

"Staring at her. Will you quit it?"

That set me back. P'Arthit sounded so angry and wasn't even looking at me but I could feel the vibrations of his anger. I had no idea that he noticed. My eyes moved towards Paula and I stopped myself. Have I been staring at so much that P'Arthit noticed? That is not good.

"What kind of relationship do you have with Arthit?"

It took a moment for me to realize that question was for me. since Winry didn't seem interested in acknowledging P'Arthit, hearing his name in her mouth sounded like she was talking about some dirty unimportant thing.

"Um," I started and noticed Paula smiling at me. Her smile was so bright and I could tell she was interested in me. "We are friends."

"It has nothing to do with you," P'Arthit said at the same time. I almost sighed and closed my eyes. Hostile P'Arthit was back. I thought he would continue to stay silent.

Winry sniffed as if she smelled something foul and turned up her nose. "You are right," was all she said.

Everyone else returned to their food and I kept looking at P'Arthit who was simply whirling the pasta in his fork. He looked a little green now, his face black but pale. I should take him out of here before it gets worse.

"Are you not enjoying your meal too, "Winry asked, which made me to wonder what her deal was. She didn't speak to him all this time but now she had so much to say. And it was getting to P'Arthit. His hand paused on the fork and clenched.

I could almost hear P'Arthit's teeth grinding. He was radiating an aura of hostility so potent that I wanted to raise an invisible guard up. Please don't say anything rude, please just respond civilly, I begged him in my mind. It wasn't that I didn't understand P'Arthit's animosity; it was that I knew it wouldn't do him any good.

"No, now that you mention it. I am not. I'm going to get some air."

I swallowed my sigh of relief as P'Arthit got up. It was exactly what I had been thinking too, that P'Arthit needed to get some air and think about what is happening and what he was going to do.

"I figured you wouldn't like it," Paula said, also rising to her feet. She wanted to be as helpful as possible, I knew that, but couldn't she read the room. That wasn't what P'Arthit needed from her right now. She should have made herself smaller because P'Arthit was like a volcano already brimming to erupt.

"I'll go get the snacks I bought, that would be better," she continued already leaving the table.

"Just leave me alone." P'Arthit's voice was low but it quickly rose. "Just leave me the hell alone. I don't want anything! Stop trying to get into my head and stop pretending to care. I am not a fool, we all know what this is. I never should have come. coming here was such a horrible mistake."

The table scraped as Winry got up too, surprising me. I jerk to see her fuming face. "Then why did you come? To gloat? The bitch woman who tormented you for years ended up becoming sick with cancer, serves her right? Or the girl who abused you got abused herself so good for her."

My mouth fell open as the deafening silence settled into the house. "I know exactly how you think, Arthit. you act like a victim and pretend to endure, you think you are better than us, but you hated us as well. You never tried to live together with us."

"Screw you!" P'Arthit shouted, his finger shoved at the chair almost hard enough to push the table from the position. I worried briefly that the food would all crash into the ground.

"P'Arthit!" I jumped to my feet and grabbed for his waist but he slapped my hand away.

"Don't. just stay out of this." his glaring eyes were all for Winry. "You haven't forgotten all that you put me through have you, I hated you? You despised me and tried to make my life so miserable that I would run out of here and never come back. You wanted to have all my father's wealth to yourself. You wanted me dead!"

"Stop talking rubbish, Arthit!" P'Arthit's father's voice was like the roar of thunder. "If you are going to talk like that to my wife then get out."

"Gladly. I regret ever stepping foot in this house again. "With one more shove at the chair, P'Arthit stormed to the door.

I made to follow him but Paula grabbed for my shirt faster than I could move. She was flushing, tears in her eyes. The words her mother said reregistered in my brain again. Abused? No. she isn't supposed to know any pain until we meet again. How did that happen? In the first place, it is strange that we are only meeting now. The only pain she went through was the pain of knowing me.

I took her hand and said, "I will be back." It was a promise. For now, P'Arthit needed me more. I ran off after him, making sure to shut the door behind me.

"P'Arthit."

He was pacing around the car, obviously waiting for me. "What took you so long," his glare was still harsh.

"hey." I grabbed both his hand and made his standstill. "Hold your breath."

"No, I want out of here, now." He struggled with me, pulling his hand free but I just caught it again. I won't let him go.

"Hold your breath I said. Do you want to make me angry?" I raised my voice a little to get across through his rage. At my words, he went still. I saw him grind his teeth and then move his gaze away from mine. He pulled in a deep breath and held it.

"Okay, now breathe out."Another glare cut through me then he was breathing out.

"Again," I said. Grumbling without words, P'Arthit followed my instruction. His shaking started to lessen after the third time. I let go and touched his cheek.

"Better?"

He shook his head and withdrew. "Let's get out of here, Kongpob."

"No."

"What?" his eyes were glass again, cutting deep into me.

"you said you wanted to end things, if you leave like this then it will continue to follow you for the rest of your life. "

"I don't care. I have lived just fine that way so far. "he shrugged his stubborn shoulders and made me sigh.

"At the very least acknowledge what they said. You don't have to forgive them all at once, but you do have to try. One step at a time."

"No, "he said with finality then pulled completely away from me. I knew he wanted to start pacing again but he scratched at his hair in a flurry of agitation then grabbed my shirt. "Why are you on their side? You are supposed to be on my side."

"I am."

"No you are not. You aren't even focused. Why do you keep looking at Paula? Do you know her?"

This was it. The question I dreaded. Now would be the right time to come clean, but at the same time it probably isn't. If I told P'Arthit Paula was my soulmate it would be like striking a man when he is down. P'Arthit already looked maxed out in the amount of shit he was willing to take tonight.

"I saw her once at a café, I must have forgotten," I told as close to the truth as I could. Still, P'Arthit continued to look skeptical. He only let go of my shirt after a few seconds.

"If that's all it is then stop looking at her. Look at me instead, I am... I am dying here." His expression crumbled and he no longer looked angry but hurt. Very hurt. I pulled him into my arms and held him tight. He didn't hug me back for more than a second but then I felt his arms grab me to him greedily. It was such a heady feeling knowing that you were someone's literal lifeline. P'Arthit's love for me might seem strange and a little obsessive to others, but I adored being loved and wanted so much. I didn't want to let this go.

"Let's go for a drive then we can come back and start over."

"I don't want to," he murmured into my neck, which tickled. "It's humiliating."

"Yeah, I know but even they too don't want you to go and I bet having to beg for your forgiveness is probably humiliating too, to your stepmother."

"She doesn't even want my forgiveness, she just wants to blame me." P'Arthit pulled back an inch to complain.

"She would rather you carry some of the blame than being seen as the only one at fault. I know that and well, she only has one more chance." I pat P'Arthit's hair and caressed his cheek, knowing he loved that. "Tomorrow we are leaving."

"yeah." He exhaled and leaned into me again, becoming calmer and more rational with every passing moment. "I guess it won't hurt to try a little."

I pulled apart and we both entered the car. As I was about to drive off I spot Paula on the balcony. She must have seen everything. At this rate, I am officially killing any chance of us reuniting. I didn't want P'Arthit to notice her as well so I drove off immediately.