Chapter 48: Spend the rest of my life with you.
Augustine’s fingers trembled as he ran them through his hair, and for a fleeting moment, he looked broken. "Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, I was jealous when I saw you with Freda."
He inhaled deeply, his shoulder dropping down with a sigh. "It wasn’t just about Freda—it was about me. I felt like I was losing you, and I hated myself for not being enough."
"W-what?" Charles stammered, his breath hitching and his eyes were wide open with confusion. "Augustine, you know I’m not gay, so why are you having so many conflicted emotions?"
Charles clenched his fist on his lap as he forced himself to hold Augustine’s gaze. "I thought I made it clear from the very beginning. I am not gay, so stop putting your feelings on me," he whispered, but even as he spoke, his heart pounded against his ribcage, betraying the turmoil brewing inside him.
Charles couldn’t understand why Augustine was jealous, especially when he knew he wasn’t gay.
’Or do gay guys get jealous over a straight man?’ Charles thought within himself.
Augustine exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling as he swallowed hard.
His voice wavered, barely above a whisper, yet heavy with raw emotion. "I know you’re not gay... I know," Augustine admitted, his gaze locked onto Charles. "But even knowing that... I still want you."
"I’ve only known you for a week, but you drive me insane. No one has ever made me feel this way before," Augustine admitted.
Augustine believe that his obsession, the way Charles consumed his thoughts, left no room for doubt—this wasn’t just infatuation. It was love.
Charles shook his head as he grabbed the bottle of Coke, effortlessly twisting the cap off. "Don’t try to make me have a sexual crisis," he muttered before taking a sip.
Lowering the bottle, he exhaled sharply. "And even if you do like me, I can only say I’m grateful for that—but liking me shouldn’t be the subject of our discussion."
"Besides, just minutes ago, we were talking about how you made me feel like garbage at your workplace," Charles stated, taking a deliberate sip from the bottle of Coke.
"Ohh," Augustine purred, his mouth curved into a circle. "As of that... I was confused at that time and had no idea of how to handle the situation, Charles. I didn’t know how to handle Aubrey and not get judged wrongly by my workers."
Augustine’s voice dropped to a whisper, his words heavy. "And now, all I can think about is how I messed up. How I let my fears and my pride get in the way of what I should’ve said... what I should’ve done."
Charles sighed, his fingers tightening around the bottle of Coke as he stared blankly at Augustine. "I’m handing in my resignation tomorrow," he muttered, his voice laced with quiet determination. "I already found a job as a waiter, and I doubt they’ll treat me like trash there. At least, not the way I was treated today."
He took another sip, swallowing hard. "Besides... I need to do my laundry in the morning. That’s reason enough to walk away."
Charles’s words were extremely confident and he sounded as if he had carefully thought about his plans beforehand.
"Are you really going to throw away your job because of what happened?" he asked, his words conveying a note of concern for Charles’s well-being.
Charles shook his head. "I just don’t think I can keep working as a cleaner. It’s taking a toll on my health, and I need something less stressful." His tone was firm, but to Augustine, it sounded more like an excuse than the real reason.
Augustine let out a deep breath, his eyes flickering with hesitation before he bit his lower lip.
"I... I know it might be too late, but there’s something I need to say," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he gathered his thoughts.
Augustine paused for a moment, taking slow, deliberate breaths, summoning every ounce of courage he could muster. "I’m sorry for the way I reacted at my place of work. If you... If you could just give me a second chance, I swear, I won’t throw it away. I won’t hurt you again," he stuttered, his voice filled with genuine remorse.
Augustine’s words made Charles raise his eyebrows, his gaze sharpening as he locked eyes with Augustine.
Their eyes locked, a silent conversation passing between them.
In that moment, nothing else mattered but the unspoken connection they shared.
"I promise that if this situation happens again, I won’t run away or hide," Augustine vowed, his voice unwavering. "I’ll... I’ll stand by you, not as a coward but as your protector. I’ll be your shield and your rock. I will make sure to show the world that they have no right to ever look down on you again."
Augustine words sounded sincere as he conveyed his promise with a deeper emotion.
Charles rolled his eyes, pretending not to believe the words of Augustine but deep down, his tense heart seemed to have melted a bit.
"So do you promise never to go back on your words?" Charles inquired and Augustine replied with a nod. "I promise."
Charles bite his lower lips, fluttering his eyelashes even more as he blush.
"Are you blushing right no..."
"Nope. I’m not blushing," he muttered defensively, his tone laced with a mix of irritation and embarrassment. "Why would I? I’m not some schoolboy," he added, rolling his eyes dramatically and smacking his lips in a failed attempt to hide the warmth creeping up his neck.
"Umm... Thanks for the promise," Charles whispered winking his eyes at Augustine. "If you ever have a partner, they’d be the luckiest person on earth," Charles purred with a playful grin. "You’re the kind of person who’s willing to grow and adapt, and that’s rare."
Augustine blinked, his breath catching for a moment. "W-what are you saying?" he stammered, his heart pounding slightly faster. "Why would I need a partner? I could spend the rest of my life with you, and that would be enough for me."