Greed

Chapter 11

Prapai POV 

SEEING SKY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO HOLD him was a special kind of torture. It'd be two days, thirteen hours, and thirty three minutes since our dance together, and I had spent every waking moment since replaying it. He was right next door, but I was afraid that if I didn't etch him into my mind deeply enough, he would slip away like grain of sand through my fingers.

Fortunately, phuket was small, and we ran into each other everywhere. At the beach, At the boardwalk, At the supermarket shopping for fruits. Unfortunately, our interaction in those places were limited at best.

Sky was still wary of me. He eyed me like I was a cobra waiting to strike every time he saw me. It made me feel like shit because I knew he had every right not to believe me, but at the same time, I loved watching him in the quick moment before he realize I was there. The flash of his smile, the glow of his face, the untouchable, intangible something that harkened back to the boy who'd taken his wing at thayer and hadn't let go until I could fly on my own.

Although I was in Phuket for sky, I really did need a vacation. I couldn’t mope around town the entire time; that was too pathetic even for my current circumstances. I was taking virtual meetings and working early in the mornings, but I trusted my team to keep things running while I was gone.
I gave them Christmas and new year off but had to prep them for my extended absence the following day.

The problem was, I’d never gone on a solo vacation before. Now that I was here, I didn’t know what to do, so I’d booked every activity that looked interesting. Scuba diving today, a boat tour tomorrow.
And if I just so happened to have booked the same scuba diving class as Sky after Mr win slipped up and told me about it during our grocery store run-in yesterday…well, it was a small town. There were limited options.

I checked in at the front desk and joined the small group of first-time divers out back. My gaze skipped over the silver-haired man, the pair of giggling coeds, and the couple whispering furiously to each other under their breath. It landed on a glossy white skin at the edge of the group… and stayed there.
When was the last time Sky had tank shirt. I couldn’t remember. It was such a small detail, but it was yet another sign of how far we’d grown apart over the years. We’d used to play tennis together;
He was the one who’d introduced me to the sport, and he’d worn the same tank shirt and all-white outfit every time. He was checking something on his phone, but he must’ve felt the heat of my stare because he looked up and froze. He didn’t utter a word, but he didn’t have to; his expression said it all.

Small world. I stopped opposite him. Good morning, sky.

Good morning.he didn’t return my smile.

What a coincidence we’re signed up for the same dive excursion at the exact same time.

Like I said, it’s a small world, I drawled, ignoring his pointed tone.

My gaze skimmed over the curve of his shoulder and up his neck to his face. You look beautiful.

His hair had lightened into a sun-kissed brown, and he’d developed a healthy tan from the beach. A tiny constellation of freckles scattered over his nose and cheeks, so faint they would’ve been unnoticeable had I not been so familiar with his features that even the slightest change stood out.

Most of all, the stiffness that had cloaked him in Bangkok had melted away, revealing a relaxed easiness that did more than any makeup or fancy dress could.
Sky was always stunning, but here he glowed in a way that made my chest ache—partly because he was so beautiful, I couldn’t believe he was real, and partly because it took him leaving the city, leaving me, to find happiness again. Out of everything, that hurt the most.

Regret formed a jagged rock in my stomach, and emotion flickered across his face before he looked away.
It was only then that I realized the rest of the group had fallen silent.
The silver-haired man was on his phone, but the coeds and couple were watching us with avid interest.

Bom dia! Our diving instructor interrupted the awkward tension and approached us with a toothy grin. He looked like one of those twenty-somethings who spent their days stoned or surfing, which already irritated me. Then his gaze lingered on Sky for an extra beat, and the irritation ignited into sudden, fierce possessiveness. It took all my willpower not to punch him in the fucking face.

I’m Ignacio, your diving instructor today. It’s our beginner’s course, so it’ll be nice and easy. He spoke in Portuguese first before translating into English. He stood way too damn close to sky as he droned on about our itinerary and the safety protocols. He made a stupid joke about whales that made him laugh, and my fantasy evolved from punching him to ripping his tongue out.

After an eternity, we boarded the boat and headed out to the dive site.
Maybe I’d get lucky and Ignacio would fall off the side and get eaten by a shark. Stranger things have happened.

Nervous? I asked softly.

He was fine with surface-level activities like swimming and surfing, but he was terrified of going under the ocean.
He’d refused to go scuba diving during our honeymoon, which was why I’d been surprised when Mr win had told me his plans for the day.

I’ll be fine. I’ve gone diving before. he didn’t look away from the water.

A fresh wave of surprise rippled through me. When?

Last year when I went to the Bahamas.
I vaguely remembered his boys’ trip in the Caribbean. That was the same weekend I’d flown to London to close a deal, and I didn’t recall us ever discussing our respective trips with each other after the fact. I hadn’t asked; he hadn’t offered.
The regret expanded and filled my lungs.

How did it go? he must’ve been terrified.
Shame soaked through me. If I hadn’t been so damn oblivious during our marriage, I would’ve been the one he went scuba diving with for the first time. I would’ve held his hand on the boat ride over, distracted him with jokes, and just fucking been there.

We’d stood at the altar and vowed to share our milestones together, but how many had I missed since I had uttered that promise?
Too many.
Sky shrugged. It went well enough that I’m doing it again.

Good. I tapped my fingers against my seat. Nerves twisted through my gut; I felt like a freshman trying—and failing—to talk to the most popular boy in school.

What made you decide to take the plunge? No pun intended.
Oh, for fuck’s sake. The line was so corny I wanted to snatch it back before it fully left my mouth, but at least it got him to look at me. A shadow of amusement crossed his face, and I decided I would deliver as many corny jokes as he wanted if it meant he would look at me with anything other than sadness or wariness.

I wanted to try something new, he said. It was about time. Besides, I stopped being so afraid of the ocean a while ago. I don’t plan on breaking any dive records, but the basic stuff…it’s not so bad. We all have to face our fears eventually, right?”

Some of them. Other fears were better left intact.
I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see it, I said quietly. I should’ve been there. I should’ve been a lot of places on a lot of occasions over the years.
My gut churned in time with the engine behind us.

It’s fine. I was used to it. Sky’s tone was matter of fact, which cut deeper than if he’d spoken out of anger.

Hatred, I could battle. But indifference? That was the death knell for any relationship.

______________________________________

I'm sorry I couldn't post last week. I was out of town because of some work.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will try to post next chapter as soon as possible.

Please vote and comment, it encourages me to along to this story.