Author's Note: thanks so much for voting. I am sorry this chapter is a day late, I will try to keep to schedule from now on. In the mean time, here is another chapter, hope you enjoy it. if you do, please vote or leave a message. Thank you : )

Chapter 3 –Bound to him.

"No way," I said rising to my feet. Kongpob finished telling me his own side of the story and then finished with: don't do anything. "How do you expect me to do that?"

"P'Arthit please, you said you wouldn't."

"I was obviously lying." I waved my hand and began to pace. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Anya's father was the cause of Kongpob's behavior. I thought it was Anya herself, I thought that she lied about something and it was keeping Kongpob in chains but her father threatened my life? Those two were the most insane human beings I have ever met. Anya already tried to kill me once, what would her father do?

"We have to report this Kongpob," I said, "he threatened my life, there must be something the police can do."

"Wait, P'Arthit, you can't go to the police with this."

I stopped pacing and frowned at him. He continued," we can't act rashly, we have to think carefully about this and come up with a plan. Even if we go to the police, we have no proof and he would deny it and then we would anger him and I don't know what a man like him would do when he is angry."

I closed my eyes and turned away from him. He sounded so rational that it was blowing my mind. I can't accept that what I suffered three days ago was as a result of that man. I can't swallow the irrationality that has seemed to strike both Anya and her father. The reason why they have chosen to stand in between me and Kongpob to this extent is too bitter and frustrating for me to simply understand and rationalize. I wanted to do something about them and I wanted to do it now. But Kongpob was right; even I knew there was little the police could do.

"Okay fine, then what?" I knew my voice was harsh, I couldn't help it. A part of me was annoyed that Kongpob had not told me sooner, a part of me felt that he shouldn't have given in so much, but that was the irrational part that had suffered for those three days not knowing what had happened to the man I loved and our relationship.

He looked at me with assessing eyes, "P'Arthit, can't you leave me to handle this?"

"You are still going on about that? "

"I can't risk you getting hurt by being involved."

"Are you stupid? I am already involved. Just tell me what you are going to do." My impatience mounted as I neared him.

He suddenly smiled and nodded," first of all I need proof. I need something to hold him accountable for. "

I thought about it," proof like what?"

"A man like him who threatens people easily must have a long list of victims, if I can just find one."

"You mean people he has hurt?" I swallowed because while I am aware that he threatened me, it was a whole other thing to think he was capable of actually doing it. "People like that, do you think they would ever speak up against him?"

"There would have to be a way that they can speak without doing so themselves."

I sighed,"Kongpob, instead of doing that why don't we confront him. He will threaten us again and then we can..."

"No, P'Arthit, there is no we."

I stood very still and watched him. He held my eyes in return a stubbornness to his brow." What do you mean, Kongpob?"

"I broke up with you."

"Wait, wasn't that for show?" I was very confused all of a sudden.

"Yes and no," he replied and looked uncomfortable. "I still want to be able to be with you but... like before, without anyone knowing."

"You want us to date in secret?"

He looked at me then nodded. "P'Arthit we—"

"No way, I don't want that," I didn't give him a chance to explain his reasons to me. I understand that he is scared, and I understand that he wants to protect me, but I will not let my life, a life that I finally took the courage to bring out into the open after so much suffering, to be pushed back inside a cage again. "Listen to me Kongpob, we will meet with Anya's father and we will threaten him if we have to and do all that we can to make him stop messing with our lives. I intend to file a case against Anya and if I do that I bet the old man would think twice about trying to attack us."

I did not understand the panicked look that briefly entered Kongpob's eyes then disappeared like dust. Was he really that terrified of Anya's father, or was it something else.

"I knew you would be like this," he said. "You can't just act so recklessly P'Arthit, the consequences might mean your life."

"So the alternative is what? Pretend that I don't know you? After all we aren't even supposed to be friends right? When I see you on the street should I wave or just walk by like you are a ghost or something. "I spoke my words as fast as I could so he wouldn't interrupt, "if we do that then what next should we do when someone else comes and threaten us? "

"P'Arthit, it's not going to be that way forever, only until I can get him thrown in jail or unable to do anything to us. "

"I think we should go together, tell him to go to hell and then we can just let him do whatever he wants. When I file a case against his daughter, he would be too busy trying to protect his family name to look at us."

"P'Arthit, doing that will only make you a target even more. "He took hold of both my hands and pulled me to face him. "Trust me a little, give me just a few weeks, I will make sure that you are safe—"

"I don't need to be protected by you Kongpob,"

"But I want to protect you," he answered back just as sharply.

"I can protect myself, I'm not a girl."

"I know you are not a girl."

"Then stop acting like I can't take care of myself, like I am weak."

"I know you are not weak." I opened my mouth again and he sealed it with his. I struggled at first but one of his hands gripped the back of my head and wouldn't let me go. His mouth was hot against my freezing lips and soon his taste enveloped my senses enough to distract me and make me kiss back. When he sought to enter, I opened for him and let myself be pressed to him. I had forgotten that we were now on the corridor of my grandfather's house and that through the window anyone would be able to see us.

He tilted my head to the side to kiss me deeply and my free hand moved up to cup his face. We kissed like this for a while, almost like we were refilling our empty reserve of each other.

When I pulled back, my face felt nice and warm and I was tingly all over and I knew that I would agree to everything Kongpob was saying.

Irritated I pinched him and smiled in satisfaction when he cried out. "P'Arthit, did you just pinch me?" he asked with shock.

I shrugged my shoulders," don't interrupt me when I am speaking."

"But you were kissing me back,"

"shh," I gestured at the window and he laughed. If those people didn't already know that we were a couple then they would never know anything.

I sat back on the bench— Kong and I had moved here when he started his story—and I looked at the blanket of snow. "One week, Kong, then after that we have to confront him and Anya."

"Okay," he readily agreed and I had to eye him suspiciously.

"I am serious," I said.

"I know," he answered and sat next to me. I was staring at him and he was trying not to grin. "I know," he repeated.

I didn't feel like he did so I kept giving him suspicious glances and he kissed my cheek for my effort and then side hugged me with one arm," P'Arthit is so feisty," he said," I have never seen you like this... outside of bed."

I elbowed him with a tight grin and he pretended to choke harder than necessary. "I see you are feeling too cold, a jog around the house should warm you up. Oh make that twenty jogs."

He laughed," do you want to kill me? Are you Mr Rojhat?"

I laughed and shook my head," too early for that one," I said.

"But still funny," he hugged me again and I didn't push him away. It felt right to have this back again when I had thought I lost it. I was so desperate that I flew halfway across the country to get away from it and he... followed me. I glanced at him when he wasn't looking. He really does love me. I smiled till my cheeks felt permanent that way.

It was too cold to keep staying outside despite my blanket. My grandfather lived near a mountain and this side of Thailand was always freezing at night, but today was special due to the rare snow fall.

Kongpob and I had to go inside after sometime. My grandfather is the type of person that is just too carefree. He invites almost anyone into his house and makes them his family. A lot of the people sleeping in the living room were new to me and even though my grandfather had only two bedrooms, the house was filled with at least eight people, I and Kongpob not included.

"Where are we sleeping?" Kongpob whispered next to me. It was useless since I don't think anything short of the house burning can wake these people.

"Don't ask me," I whispered back anyway, "I'm not the one who asked you to come." I pushed him away as I walked towards the hallway.

"P'Arthit, are you abandoning me?" he tried to hold on to me but I withdrew laughing quietly.

"Find somewhere in there to sleep," I gestured to the pile of bodies sleeping on the floor and on the couch.

I walked towards my grandfather's room but I kept turning to see what he was doing. "Wait," he held his hand out and stepped over someone. "Where are you going to sleep?"

"Next to my grandfather."

"On a bed?"

I smiled, unable to help it. I walked back to him and wrapped my blanket around him. "At least with this you won't freeze to death."

"Aw, so you do care."

I knocked him on the head.

" just stay with me instead, you are much warmer."

I laughed at him as he made to wrap his arms around me. "This is all your fault so don't even bother," I said, shrugged him off and waved goodnight to him.

As I crawled into grandfather's bed and heard him snort then began snoring, I thought to myself we can't stay here one more night. Even without Kongpob coming after me, I was still going to leave.

My grandfather, though a part of my family, wasn't very close to me. He was the type of family you only see on holidays or celebrations, plus he has so many responsibilities, I won't add to it.

"Are you okay, son," I hear him ask which startled me because I thought he was asleep.

"Yes, grandfather."

" Sleep, it will be alright in the morning."

"hm," I agreed. Everything will be alright soon.

The next morning Kongpob looked haggled and was making me laugh as he explained his night with his new friends. They all had weird sleeping patterns that basically kept Kongpob up throughout the night.

"So are we going to Bangkok?" he asked as we came down from the truck one of his new friends had used to drop us at the junction on his way out.

We thanked him and started trekking towards a place we could get a bus. "Well, yeah. " I said, "Do you want to stay here?"

The sun was rising and melting away the cold and the little village was revealing itself to look nothing near developed with low buildings and thatch roofs. A Bangkok born and bred guy like Kongpob couldn't possibly like it here.

"It's okay. Maybe we should stay for a bit and then go."

I shook my head dubiously, "what could you possibly want to do here."

He suddenly took my hand and startled me to stop walking. I looked at our hands then at him. I was still not used to this so my first instinct was to try pulling away but he spoke, "P'Arthit, when we go back to Bangkok, it begins."

I remembered what we had discussed last night. I agreed to it but if I say that I had wanted to I would be lying. In my heart I was still thinking of another way.

"Yeah," I said.
"So let's stay here, where we don't have to do that, where we can be ourselves. Just for a few hours."

Something occurred to me: about moving away from Anya and her father, but then before I could voice it I realized we would have to give up our lives, our jobs and relatives and friends. We can't carry them along. So I kept quiet and nodded.

His smile was like spring, bright and cheerful. "You are such a kid," I teased at his cry of Hurray!

"I am just so happy," he replied.

"But what do you want to do? Aside from hunting and fishing, there is nothing to do here."

"What about site seeing? We can take a lot of pictures."

"hmm," I was still considering it when Kongpob dragged me off in a run.

"Wait, Kongpob," I couldn't help being pulled along while screaming at him.

We climbed mountains and took pictures of animals like the monkeys that lived there openly because they practically owned half the village. The temples were old but warm and obviously well taken care of. Kongpob and I went there to say our prayers even though we were not religious and Kongpob left a lot of cash that had me twisting over it.

We also entered the market but aside from fish, vegetables and other foods, there was hardly anything to buy that we could take as souvenir. I laughed at Kongpob's expression.

When we took a break because I was hungry and found the one out of the very few restaurants in the area, Kongpob and I talked over everything even our pictures, and the way people looked at us like we were peacocks in a market place, easily standing out like a sore thumb. We laughed hard at things that happened like Kongpob nearly falling into the river that flowed between the houses, or me getting pecked by a bird I had pitied.

"That bird, if I can I would like to eat it in stew," I said and Kongpob snorted a laugh.

"Do you still want me to kiss it better?" he asked.

"Shut up, I never asked you," I said and smiled at his laughter. The food was brought in front of us and we dissolved into silence as we ate. It was moderately delicious, but nothing compared to the food Kongpob's mother could make.

I suddenly felt my joy fade a little. I slowed unconsciously in eating my food and Kongpob took notice. "P'Arthit? What's wrong?"

I blinked a few times and smiled shaking my head," nothing, this is good." I began to eat with vigor and I could feel him watching me.

"P'Arthit," he called but didn't immediately start talking, "once everything is over then... all other things... we will deal with it."

I squeezed my brows," what?"

He breathes and shook his head smiling. "Just be patient with me, and mother and father."

Oh right, I forgot to tell Kongpob about how his father now knows and accepted us, or did I? Anyway, I opened my mouth to speak but then I recalled him standing there beside Kongpob's mother looking at us, Kongpob and I. I actually don't know what he is thinking. I want to believe that he is still on our side but I can't be sure.

"What is it again, you are spacing out so often."

I blinked at Kongpob," nothing just eat your food and stop watching me."

"How can I do that when P'Arthit is so interesting like this?"

I mocked him for saying that and he laughed, never seeming to care.

We paid and got up to leave. "Look at the time Kongpob, it is already evening. Let's go or we will never be able to get back to Bangkok today."

"P'Arthit," he pulled me to his side as we walked the hilly way up to catch a bus too slowly for my liking. "There is something I want you to promise me."

I froze. I did not like this. "Kongpob,"

"No, don't..." his words were tight like he could barely hold on and I wondered what was hurting him. "Just promise me, please. I need you to promise me this P'Arthit."

"What," I said; I would promise anything to make him stop sounding like that.

He turned and stood in front of me. In his eyes was a war going on. "Promise, no swear that no matter what you will never leave me. That no matter what happens, what you hear, what I do, that you won't ever break up with me. That these words lets break up that I had to say to you will never come from your mouth."

"Kongpob," I called to hush him. I have no clue where this is coming from. I mean, even if we have to pretend to be over and even if Anya remains by his side, it's not permanent but it sounds like Kongpob is planning to do something or has already done something that is making him terrified that I would leave him. "What else haven't you told me?" I asked.

He shook his head, "it's not about what I have or haven't told you. When I saw you suffering, and I realized that I brought this on us, that maybe it would have been better to have stayed a secret or to... have never forced my way into your life I just—"

I placed my hand to his mouth, seriously wounded by those words. "You did not force your way into my life, I fell in love with you even though you are a guy. I can't stop being in love with you, that is my own fault, and I don't care. Besides, I don't regret coming out and as for those words, didn't I say them to you first anyway. Let's just say we are even. And yeah, I promise. I swear that I won't ever say it again. I won't ever leave you Kongpob."

Suddenly a necklace appeared from nowhere and was placed around my neck. "Kongpob?" I picked the locket. It looked old and was more of a trinket. To be honest it was not fancy at all. "What is this?"

"I picked it up at the temple; they call it a promise bracelet."

"Bracelet?" but this was obviously a necklace.

Kongpob shrugged," I didn't care what its name is; I only care about the fact that it keeps people tied up forever. Even if I die or you die, this would never let us part. And as long as we are alive, and even though we get separated, our fate will keep tying us up, pulling us together."

The locket looked like two thick vines or snakes twisted up a tree. "And how much did you pay for this necklace?"

He didn't answer immediately and my brows went up, "4000 baht," he answered.

"4000 baht?! " I sighed and shook my head at this hopeless case.

"I know it's a bit expensive,"

"You've been scammed you idiot," I wanted to smack him but he evaded me. "I didn't know you had 4000 baht just lying around," I said chasing him.

He ran backwards while saying," It doesn't matter how much it costs, since you are already wearing it, you are bound to me P'Arthit!"

"Just shut up you brat, bound to you my foot, just wait until I get my hands on you. Twenty pushups for you."

He ran, I chased and though I had no thoughts that the necklace was real, I believed in all my heart that I am bound to Kongpob. I want to be bound to him forever and even after. But it was still a stupid necklace and the idiot still did get ripped off.