Silence takes over them in the small living room. Mr. Buraphan is staring at them for few minutes and then took out the white envelope in her briefcase.

“I just want to give this to you personally.” He said and gave it to Kim.

She glanced at Pie and went back to her father who is sitting in front of them, cross legs and cross arms on his chest. She flips the envelope and her eyes widened. Heirs Magazine Invitation.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Kim said.

The Heirs Magazine is a magazine that covers all the heirs of the top 50 richest individuals in the country. Aside from being the heirs of their family business, Kim and Zee are both making their names known in different fields with their own perseverance.

Zee, begin to model last year with her girlfriend who is also known as one of the youngest beautiful faces in modeling. She’s also known as one of the top notches in Department of Business in Rangsit University.

Kim became more famous in her achievements outside the university. She competed in prestigious IT Competitions where she represents the University. She’s also one of the top students in Department of Computer Sciences. Moreover, Kim and Zee became popular in the university because of their band who plays different genre of songs.

“You and Zee will be in Magazines in few months from now.” He said. He’s proud to her. He raised her daughter in a way that his wife wants to be. He wished that somehow his wife would be there to see how Kim grew up.

“Wow,” the only word she could say right now.

“I’m sure I’m interrupting something. So I better go now Kim.” He teased and stood up. Their faces filled with embarrassment when Mr. Buraphan teased them.

“Dad,” Kim sighed and he just gave her a winked.

“I should go now. I have a date waiting for me in a restaurant.” He kissed her forehead and kissed Pie’s cheek. “Oh Pie. Please look after my tiger here. See you girls!” he said.

“Please be careful!” Kim replied. The minute the door closes Pie smiles at her. Kim picks her up and swings her around in a circle.

Once she set her down, Pie grasps her cheeks and pulls her face towards her. While Kim’s hands drift down to her back while, she presses her lips to hers. “I’m so proud of you.” Pie stopped the kiss for a moment to look at her.

“Thank you…” she responded.

“I love you.” They said at the same time.

***

Thap’s death

Someone behind his back took the blindfold off. He blinks, letting his eyes to adjust to the light after few hours in the dark. He tries to pull away, but it’s no use. The chains wrap around his wrist and ankles.

“Let go of me!” he scream. He’s in some abandoned building. He’s in front of table and a man sitting at the far end, his head covered with shadows.

 “Stay still mister or I will shoot you,” a young voice said behind him. He could feel the cold, metal thing on the back of his neck.

“Awww. What a great…dog.” Then man in front of him finally said something. It was a familiar voice, he sit up straight and study the man in front of him. He can’t help himself. He gasps when he recognizes the young face exposed under the moonlight.

Van Yupanun.

“Hello Sir.” He said and tilt up his head.

“Why?” a word that corresponds to so many question on his mind.

“Why you’re here…sitting and tied up in front of me?” the look in his eyes shifts. “I’m just settling the scores between your whole ing family and my family.” He took out his gun from his side and put it down in the table, pointing at him.

His mind races back to the scene where the board members of the company accused Mr. Yupanun (Van’s father) who stole money and forged accountant’s signature to released half million baht for their northern branch of the company.

“Van…Please. We’re out of that matter. Your father knows it. Just let me go.” He said.

Van chuckled. “Oh cut it out, Mister Thap. I’m not listening to your lies at all.” His gaze focuses on the man behind him. “You know. We planned this game for a year after our father died. Don’t think that we are going to let you go without making you suffer. Just like what we did to Mr. Buraphan’s family weeks ago.”

Thap’s stomach churns. He’s referring to the accident happened to Mrs. Jittaleela and son. The accident they believed to kill them is all lies. It was a perfect murder; make them believe that they died because of slippery road or malfunction of the tires.

“My brother here, you know Waen right?” Van says and pushes back his chair.

He turns his head and received smack on his face with a gun. The stinging pain on his temple brings him back immediately. Waen’s young face stunned him. He got the looks of his father.

“We planned the ‘Accident’ VERY carefully. We watched your family every now and then.” He paused. “I was the one who changed the tires before the accident while Waen came up with the idea of jamming the signal on that area.” Van admitted.

“It’s easy you know.” Waen started to talk. “Helpless. Bleeding to death. Like my father. I’d hang around and watch them that night.” He continued.

“The next target. Your family.” Van says and throws pictures on the table. It was his daughter Zee with his wife In. They’ve been spying on them the whole time, waiting to come up with another perfect murder plan.

 “Don’t you ever touch my family!” he screamed. He’s struggling against the chains but he knows he won’t break it. “Whatever happened to your father, my family is out of it! The board members have evidences! You’re wrong about Mr. Jittaleela! You got the wrong man to drag here!”

All of the sudden, Waen took out his combat knife and stabbed him to cut him off.

“AHHHH!” he screamed.

“Lies are lies. We don’t trust no one Sir.” Waen said.

 Van laughed at loud. “Tomorrow, your body will be found in your car. And it will look like a bloody robbery. It’s not a good plan though but with your daughter and your wife. That would be more interesting.” He said.

“Stay away from them. Please. Don’t.” he cried, pleading not to kill his family. He could feel the blood running out his body. He starts to cuff, and compress his fist to tolerate the pain but it became unbearable little by little.

“We won’t for now Sir.” Van said. “We have bigger plans for them. Right brother?” he taps his brother’s shoulder.

“I want you to watch them…suffer…from hell.” Waen said and pointed the gun on his temple.

“No. Please…Waen! No!” then, gunfire surrounds the building.

Head down, the blood is coming out from his head, eyes still open, and the last tear drop on the ground. He was brutally murdered by young Yupanun.

“Come Waen. We need to put him in his car.” Van says and gently rests a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

“I’m not going to be Waen anymore. From this day on, my name is Mike.”

Beam’s Condo

“Good Morning,” Beam said. The smell of pancakes and bacon spread through the room.

Zee sat up, the light from the big window somehow hurt her eyes. As she inhales again while rubbing her eyes, the sound of spoon circling in a glass catches her attention.

“You’re too early.” She say with a grin.

Beam walks towards her with a coffee mug in her hand, “Taste it.”

She accepts but put it on the top of the drawer and pulls her down to her. “I want to taste it in your lips.”

“Oh, naughty.”

“I am.” She starts to kiss beam.

“Spoiled.” Beam whispers to her ears. Zee’s hands slide down her body. She giggles as her hands run through Zee’s hair.

Half an hour later, Zee sips the cold coffee and slice chunk of pancake. “Can we go to my father?.” Zee said.

“Yeah, of course babe,” she replied and kissed her.

Zee paused for some time. She remembered how things happened that day when she found out that her father is found dead in his car. All of his valuable things were taken.

“The robbers killed him before they took his things.” The police officer said.

She can’t breathe. She had a hard time saying anything as she sit down and bow her head.

“That’s it? You’re closing the case? You’re just going to tell us that Thap was robbed?” Mr. Buraphan raised his voice.

After the funeral, the worst part begun she witnessed her mother crying all night in her room, broken,  depressed, drinking a lot, throwing things around, not even talk to her once. Until her uncle, come into the room like angry bull. He grabs her, pinned her down on the bed, yelling at her to stop. She has to move on. He was reminding her that she have a daughter, waiting for her, longing for her. As she pinned down on the bed, she turns her head at the door and saw Zee standing there, crying. She rushes to her and holds her tightly. “I’m sorry.” In can’t find any other words to soothe her pain.

“Stop crying mom.” She says as she wipes her tears. “We’re all here for you.” Calling her name brought her back in the present where they heading to the cemetery to visit her father.

“Zee, are you okay?” Beam asks while her hands on the top of the steering wheel.

“Yeah, I am.”

Kim and Pie decide to eat street foods downtown. “What would you like to order?” the waitress asked.

“Moogata (Thai Barbeque)” Pie answered.

“Two serves of Cha Yen.” Kim smiled up at the waitress. Cha yen (it’s a typical Thai iced tea.)

“You got it.” She left them.

“I love you” Kim said.

“I love you too.”

“Oh Geez! I love how you say those words to me.” Kim smiled at her, squeezing her hands.

 “Oh yeah?” she let out a short laugh.

She huffed. “You don’t have any idea how crazy I am to you. I even volunteered to be one of the crewmembers in the pageant where you joined, just to see you up close.” She admitted. Flattered, she burst into laughter. Then Kim starts to confess everything she’d done for her. “I was the crewmember you kicked out from the dressing room when your gown fell off. Promise! I didn’t see anything.” She crossed her fingers.

“Oh! So you’re the one!” Pie said and can’t stop laughing at her.

“I always check you in the library since you love reading books while sitting on the floor with cross legs. I always ask Zee to come with me to your building to just to see you listening to your professor while tapping your pen in your desk. Sometimes she’s asking me why I shouldn’t try to ask you out. And I was just…’nah, she’s going to say NO.’” she continued.

“How do you know that I’m going to say no if you didn’t try to ask me?” Pie inserted.

“Coz that time, you don’t like me. I even followed you to your dorm to make sure you’re safe or followed you and your friends to find out what you liked to eat, where do you want to go. So if ever we bump each other, you know…ever to take you out.” She paused.

The radio plays the “Find you. Covered by Against the Current Ft. Alex Goot” They both smiled at each other.

“So you’re a stalker? Now, since you admitted that. Did you know how scared I am going back to my room because I have those creepy feeling that someone is following me. Geez Kim!” she said and then laughed.

“Okay. I’m sorry about that. I just want to make sure you’re safe that’s all. Zee and Beam always mocked me about you. I always go to school early just to see you walk in the hallway embracing you books. God Pie, you’re so perfect in every single way.”

Pie could feel her cheeks flushing red right now. “Okay, Stop.” Pie said. She can’t stop smiling and the butterflies in her stomach is like having a party.

“Why? You don’t want to hear how crazy I am?” Kim said and smiled at her. The waitress brought their drinks first, they lifted our cups and took a sip, and stared each other. When Kim set her glass down first, Pie burst into laughter again. Kim frowned at her, “Why? What’s so funny?”

“Coz I didn’t know that you’ve done all those things.” She answered. She can’t think straight while talking to her. Then Kim, laugh at her while tapping the table.

“What?” Pie asked.

“Did you just blow your iced tea?” She realized that she did it. Again, they were both laughing at each other.

“Here ladies. Enjoy your food,” the waitress brought the food and they start dig in.

Not far from where they are, Mrs. Solada saw them together. She’s been looking at them for minutes. She had suspected that right from the start when she saw Kim in the hospital with Pie, that there’s something between them. The way Pie speaks to her, touch her, or even just says Kim’s name Pie’s face light up.

She picked up her phone and dialed Pie’s number to check her. Across the street, she can see her searching her phone from her bag.

 “Hello mom?” her voice is cheery as she answer the phone.

“Hi Pie, where are you honey? Are you in the dorm?” she asked, pretending she doesn’t know where she is. She was testing her daughter if she’s going to lie to her.

“No mom, I’m in a restaurant with Kim. We decided to eat here. Why?” she answered honestly.

“Oh! Say Hi to Kim for me.” She said. Pie covers the speaker and says hi to Kim. “Hi Mrs. Solada!” She heard Kim yell.

“You heard her, Mom.” Pie said. She can see them giggling together but she can’t help herself to smile. She’s so comfortable with Kim. Not just because she saved her life once, Kim is a good person and she can see that she don’t have any bad intentions to her daughter.

“Well, I was just checking up on you. I’ll hang up. Okay? I have to cook dinner. I love you Pie. Jub jub jub.” She said.

“I love you too mom. Jub jub jub.” Pie answered.

Few days later

They tried to figure out between their hectic schedules when they could be together again. Kim and Zee were busy for their Heirs Magazine interview, rehearsing for the band, and then Kim have to study her lessons every night, continuing to do her thesis at the same time. Whereas Pie spent her time to help in the hospitals since she’s a volunteer, at weekends, she studies her lessons and do thesis with her friends. If the schedule was too tight the whole day, Kim will call her at night to sing a song for her, catch up with her until they fall asleep with the phone to their ears.

It was Friday. Pie went to Kim’s room and saw her sleeping on her desk with her headphones on. She was listening to the song ‘We can’t stop covered Boyce Avenue ft. Bea Miller’. She’s been staring at her few seconds, content to just look at Kim’s sleeping form for a while.

 Kim stirred when her phone vibrated on the desk, when she opened it. It was her thesis buddy telling her that they’ve been encountering another bug on the system. They have to troubleshoot their device as well. It will take long but they are going to give the list of bugs through their accounts.

When she locked her phone, she saw standing behind her through her reflection on her phone.

“Pie! You scared me!” Kim said while tapping her chest. “How long have been there?”

Pie leaned and kissed her. “Few minutes. Here, I bought some shakes,” handing her a cup.

They both drinking their shakes while Kim showing her thesis to her. Pie asked and Kim answered. When they decide to lie down in bed, Kim looked at her and smiled.

“I have something for you.” She said, and sat up in front of her.

“What?” she sat up with her and leaned on the headboard. “You know that I don’t like material things…Kim-”

“Here.” She held out a small box from her drawer.

 Pie’s eyes widened, feeling her butterflies is currently having a feast in her stomach. “It’s a promise ring.” Pie looked at it closely, “It’s beautiful. And you have name engrave to it!”

“That’s for you. And this is mine.” She showed her wedding finger. She took it off and show her, I love Pie, Promise.

“Put it on me.” Pie said. She took the ring out from the box and put it on her. Pie promised herself that she won’t take it off.

“I love you Pie. I promise. I will take care of you.”

Pie reached forward to hold her face gently between her hands. “I love you too Kim. I love you so much…” she flung her arms around her.

They spend the rest of the vacant hours listening to Kim’s playlist, Pie kissed her and Kim kissed her back with passion.

What would I do without your smart mouth

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out

Got my head spinning, no kidding, I can’t pin you down

What’s going on in that beautiful mind

I’m on your magical mystery ride

And I’m so dizzy, don’t know what hit me,

But I’ll be alright

My head’s under water, but I’m breathing fine

You’re crazy and I’m out of my mind…

‘Coz all of me, loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me, I’ve give my all to you

You’re my end and my beginning

Even when I lose I’m winning

The playlist played the famous ‘All of me by John Legend’. Then Pie snuggled back down into Kim’s neck, “I love you, Kim.” Pie said.

Kim chuckled while singing the chorus of the song. Those lines meant everything. “I love you more, Pie.”

Then Pie fell asleep with Kim singing and her cheeks.