THEWEDDINGPLAN, Chapter 11:

Love is a miraculous thing. When hearts align, everything turns pink.

   A heavy silence enveloped the beautiful teakwood house for a fleeting moment, but it was a moment that felt eternal for both men. Namnuea’s eyes widened, his strength to resist drained as if sucked into the earth. His mind struggled to process the words the other had spoken, his senses overwhelmed. Love…

“You’re lying!”

“I’m not lying!”

The accused shot back firmly, forcing Namnuea to look up with eyes blazing with anger.

If the other thought saying “love” would make everything okay, he was underestimating Namnuea, treating him like a naive fool. The truth was right in front of him.

“Then what about Khun Yiwa?! You say you love me, but what about your bride? Or can you love multiple people at once?!” Nuea’s voice thundered through the house, causing the other to frown sharply. But the deep voice responded immediately, earnest and unwavering.

Yes, I love Yiwa.”

In that moment, Namnuea felt the ground beneath him crumble. Yet he steeled himself, forcing a mocking smile at the despicable man who dared admit to loving two people at once. He was about to snap back when Sailom continued, his voice firm.

“But I love Yiwa like a sister!”

“!!!”

Nuea’s eyes widened, staring into those sharp eyes that seemed to convey something deeper. But in that moment, he couldn’t see it, couldn’t feel it, couldn’t hear it. All he could muster was a look of disappointment and a voice that asked in disbelief.

“Do you think I’m that naive to fall for your childish lies?

Who would marry someone they love like a sister…?”

“I’m the one who has to marry someone I love like a sister to hide that I’m actually gay!”

Once again, Namnuea was speechless. He opened his mouth to retort, but no sound came out. In that moment, his mind spun like it had been thrown into a blender, staring at the other man as if witnessing the strangest thing he’d ever seen. Sailom didn’t wait for Namnuea to regain his senses, rushing to explain in a rapid, urgent tone, afraid he wouldn’t listen.

“Nuea, you felt it too, didn’t you? That something’s off about this wedding. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked if I was willing to marry. And yes, I intended to go through with it because it’s a marriage of convenience—to keep my family

 

from meddling in my life anymore. And why did I get involved with you? Because I liked you from the moment I saw you, and I don’t like women.”

Namnuea couldn’t respond. He stood frozen, like a madman in the arms of the groom-to-be, who was spilling a story that sounded like it belonged in a love advice column in some magazine. But this was real—painfully real, and he was caught up in it. He shook his head slowly, as if… he couldn’t believe it.

“Nuea, you have to believe me. This wedding isn’t about love.

Okay, Yiwa and I love each other, but it’s like siblings…”

“So you deceived Khun Yiwa?”

“Me? Deceive Yiwa? When did I ever deceive her?” Sailom shot back, confused. But Sister Eim’s words echoed in Namnuea’s mind, from a conversation about third parties.

So many gay men marry as a cover, hurting another woman’s life. And Sailom was one of them.

“You tricked Khun Yiwa into a sham marriage, didn’t you? You’re even worse than I thought. I can’t believe someone like you could have such a disgusting mindset. You’re…”

“Nuea, stop! Listen to me first, please, just listen!” Sailom’s voice rose sharply, gripping the shoulders of the man hurling accusations. Whether it was the serious tone or not, it made the angry Namnuea turn his face away, though he could feel the weight of his guilt intensifying.

Was he really Khun Lom’s secret lover behind Khun Yiwa’s back? Despicable… no different from the way Sister Eim cursed her friend’s husband.

   Namnuea’s suffocating discomfort prompted Sailom to quickly pull out his phone, one hand still holding the pale shoulder. His sharp eyes scanned the screen, fingers swiping rapidly, until his eyes lit up. Meanwhile, Namnuea, regaining his composure, started to pull away.

“Nuea, look at this first.”

“No. I’m not looking.”

His entire family understood, but the person in front of him…    “Right after the wedding, we’ll move out and live separately. Even in the same house, we agreed to live our own lives, completely independent. We’re only getting married to keep our mothers from meddling. That’s why this fake wedding is happening.”

It answered every question he’d had before.

Why didn’t the bride care about her own wedding? Because she didn’t love the groom at all.

   Why didn’t they invite the guests their parents wanted? Because it was just a staged act—the more people involved, the more they’d be lying to.

   “Then why me?”

Yes, if they were going to play this charade together, why drag Nuea into it?

Sailom reached out to clasp his cold fingertips, and this time, Namnuea couldn’t push him away. He stood frozen like a log, waiting for the answer that shook his heart the most.

“Because I love you, Nuea.”

The other man spoke with a firm voice, gripping his hand tightly, and continued, “I liked you from the moment we met at that McDonald’s, even before I saw you at the office.” Namnuea flinched, recalling the day he sat eating and eyeing some eye candy… not realizing the other man had noticed him too. “You know, Nuea, when you ate, you looked so happy. You smiled, you were content, you showed it all on your face. It made me feel that small joys could come from the littlest things we don’t expect. Or when you stared out the window, I kept wondering what made you laugh, what amused you. Your expression back then made someone as stressed as me feel good just by watching. It made me think, how much could this person make me smile? And you really did.”

Both hands now wrapped around him, and though Namnuea should’ve pushed them away, he was too embarrassed, his face burning red. He had no idea the other man had been watching him the whole time, and his “amusement” back then… was checking out guys.

Too ashamed to admit the truth.

   “I was glad you were the one handling my wedding. Yiwa threw everything to me because I told her I liked you. She helped me, wanted me to get closer to you. All those excuses— not liking to discuss important things over the phone, needing to hit the gym in the evening—they were just ways to get you to meet me in person, to let you know where you could find me. I did everything I could to keep you around longer, to get to know you better. But the more I liked you, the harder it was to tell you the truth,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh before leaning in, resting his face on Namnuea’s pale shoulder.

“I’m sorry. Back then, I didn’t dare trust anyone… not even the person I was pursuing. I didn’t want our plan to reach my mother. I’m sorry, Nuea, for hurting you, for making you blame yourself for stealing someone else’s man. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

Countless reasons help Namnuea understand the whole story, and he can’t bring himself to be angry.

   It’s true you shouldn’t trust someone you’ve just met, even if you’ve started to fall for them—especially with something this important. But Namnuea can’t help but ask.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

The answer makes his small heart waver. “Because I don’t want to lose you.”

It’s more than just the word “love.”

The young organizer feels the other’s embrace, possessive and pleading for trust, filled with all the affection they have. It makes his hands, hanging limply at his sides, slowly move. He closes his eyes, unable to stop his heart.

He can’t stop his arms from returning the embrace. “You’re such a bad person, you know that, Khun Lom?”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

The strong arms of this man are too warm, so warm that his frozen heart begins to melt. Namnuea asks with a trembling voice, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

I’m not someone’s third wheel, am I?” Like a small child seeking reassurance, his words make the listener hold his soft frame even tighter to affirm.

“You didn’t destroy anyone’s family or life, Nuea. On the contrary, you brought happiness to mine.”

“You’re really a bad person.”

“Yes, I’m a bad person.”

A bad person who made this Nuea cry. He buries his face in the broad chest, letting tears soak the other’s shirt as he hugs back with all his strength.

   All his fears fade with the clearest explanation.

   “But can this bad person love you?” Sailom, brimming with confidence, asks. Namnuea pulls back slightly, sniffles softly, wipes his face with the back of his hand, and asks in a shaky voice, “Can someone like you even be stopped?”

The man who chased him all the way here.

“You could stop me, but I just wouldn’t listen.”

Namnuea was truly angry at himself… angry that he was smiling through tears, that he didn’t resist when gentle fingertips wiped his face, and angrier still that his eyes closed when the other leaned down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

A kiss that was just a gentle press before pulling away. Then, those sharp eyes locked onto his, speaking the words he’d longed to hear from someone.

“I love you, Namnuea.”

The listener lowered his gaze slightly, using both hands to push the broad shoulders away. This time, Sailom let go.

I’ll forgive you, but I have one condition,” Namnuea said, and the other listened intently. Then Namnuea grinned… a wide, beaming grin, and…    Pow!

Crash!

“Ow!”

A warm fist slammed into the other’s cheek, sending Sailom staggering into the edge of a chair with a loud crash, crying out in shock. Namnuea shook his hand vigorously—he hadn’t expected punching someone’s face to hurt this much. Then, baring his teeth through tears, he glared at the man who’d caused him both physical and emotional pain, speaking in a firm voice.

“That’s for making me overthink and go crazy for so long. One punch isn’t even enough.” He turned to storm into his room, but… he wasn’t quick enough to escape the hand that grabbed his wrist.

“I’ll let you punch me as many times as you want, but I have one question.”

“…” Namnuea stayed silent, listening.

“Do you love me?” Nuea raised his fist again, but the other didn’t flinch, staring steadily. The one threatening with a raised hand… smiled.

“I don’t just love you,” he said firmly. “My answer is… I love you.”

Grab.

Hey! You’re still in hot water, let go! Let go!!” But the shameless opportunist yanked his wrist, pulling him onto his lap. Strong arms wrapped tightly around his waist as Namnuea protested lightly but didn’t truly resist. Their hearts were aligned now, they understood each other—why bother freaking out and exhausting himself?

“You can order me around, but I won’t listen,” Sailom teased.

“Then don’t ever let go,” Namnuea shot back.

“No need to tell me—I’m already doing it.”

Namnuea was still angry at himself, angry that he was too happy in the embrace of this cunning man.

“You said you like the color of the sunset.”

“Hmm. I do.”

At this moment, the couple, having just reconciled, sat on the balcony of the teakwood house, watching the sun dip behind the mountain’s edge. Namnuea leaned against the other, bringing up a topic they’d discussed before. Sailom smiled in response.

“So that’s why you used orange and white as the wedding theme.”

“Well, you didn’t help me at all,” Namnuea pouted, recalling the early days of planning the wedding, when he was utterly exasperated and tempted multiple times to dump the work on the client. This made Sailom burst into laughter, tightening his embrace around Namnuea’s shoulders.

“Because I didn’t actually want to get married.”

So what are you going to do next?” Namnuea asked, broaching the subject. The listener’s face turned serious, meeting his gaze.

“You won’t be mad at me, right? If I have to marry Yiwa,” Sailom said, clearly worried. It wasn’t fair to have a secret relationship while married, but for Namnuea, the fact that

Sailom had been open about everything was clear enough. He smiled lightly.

“So I’d be the third wheel, huh?”

“I don’t want you to use that word when I only love you,” Sailom said. But it was the truth they’d have to face. Namnuea would be involved with a married man… even though the bride herself already had a lover.

“What does Khun Yiwa’s partner think about it?”

“She doesn’t agree, but Yiwa’s stubborn. There’s no other way to solve it, so she’s reluctantly coming around,” Sailom said wearily, letting out a heavy sigh.

“If only my mom understood like yours.”

Namnuea knew he was lucky.

“I told you before, Khun Lom, every family has different problems, but what’s the same is that they love their kids. Ugh, anyway, I’m ready to dive into your mess. I love you this much, and I already know the deal. As long as this ‘other man’ doesn’t have to climb a thorny tree, I can handle it,” Namnuea said jokingly, though he was serious about his words.

 

It wasn’t that he was okay with his partner getting legally married, but the situation had gone too far for him to ask Sailom to stop. The listener hugged Namnuea tightly, whispering.

“Thank you, Nuea. I really mean it.” This time, Namnuea laughed before something occurred to him.

“Let’s make it a deal, then.”

“Hm?”

“It’s not hard,” Nuea said. “You just have to accept that I might balloon up. Stress makes me eat, you know. Just don’t ditch me if I get fat.” His words made Sailom break into a wide grin.

“No worries, I’ll help you work it off,” Sailom replied, his sharp eyes glinting mischievously, sending a hot-and-cold shiver down Nuea’s spine. But he wasn’t fazed.

“If it’s in bed, I’m fine. But the gym? I don’t know. Next time you teach me boxing, I might just whip you with a crocodile tail,” Nuea teased, making the groom-to-be burst out laughing. Sailom leaned down, pressing his face against Nuea’s forehead, planting kisses on his forehead and the tip of his nose with such affection that Nuea’s face flushed, suddenly shy in a way he couldn’t explain.

“The workers down there are cheering, you know,” Sailom said.

“Don’t worry. I already like you just the way you are, Nuea. Like this—warm and soft when I hold you.”

He’s head over heels, isn’t he?

Namnuea laughed to himself, seeing how Sailom would let him call a bird a tree or a tree a bird. So, he decided to reward him.

Smack

He pressed a firm kiss to Sailom’s cheek and pulled back.

“I love you, Khun Lom.”

Their eyes locked, hands clasped, and Namnuea knew what was coming… he was about to be kissed.

“I think you got the color of my work shirt wrong,” Sailom whispered softly just before their lips could meet, making Nuea open his eyes again. He saw those sharp eyes sparkling unbelievably.

“The sunset isn’t orange. I think it’s pink right now.”

Namnuea nearly gaped, but all he could do was laugh out loud at the cheesy line. Then warm lips pressed against his several times, both of them trying to stifle their laughter, until they were kissing and chuckling at the same time. But Namnuea couldn’t deny it.

The sunset wasn’t a fiery orange—it was a sweet pink, truly.

   People in love really do see everything in pink.

   “Ahem, Phii Riu…I can see your face is pink too. Looks like I’m blinded by love just like you,” came the voice of the honorary farm worker, interrupting their sweet moment. It made both of them turn to look, only to see the youngest, Riu, standing frozen at the balcony door, his cheeks bright red.

Smack

“You lunatic!” Catching the sneaky glance, the secret admirer turns and punches their partner’s shoulder to cover their embarrassment.

“Well, lunatic or not, I’m crazy in love with Phii Riu. Wink Oh, look, is Phii Riu’s face pink because you were eavesdropping from the start, or is it pink because everywhere I look, it’s all pink? Even the sunset’s pink. Seems like the whole house is colorblind,” the cheeky kid teases, landing a hit on everyone with a playful grin. He catches the fist aimed at him with his palm, facing the huffing, cat-like glare from the youngest, who’s hissing like a feline.

“Get inside already, you guys. Dinner’s ready. Today, Rerai and Phii Ton went to town, and Rarin’s not back yet. Come on, come eat to fuel up before you go ‘eat’ something else. Cause tonight, I’m eating—”

“Sun!!!”

“Whoa, whoa, angry kitty. Easy, Phii Riu, don’t be mad,” he teases, seeing Riu’s anger but still poking at it. He even winks at the two adults following into the house. This time, Namnuea sends a brighter smile and laughs.

“Looks like I won’t be hearing any wall-scratching tonight.”

Sun glances over, flashing a knowing grin.

“Oh, got it. Good call—no scratching sounds. That way, I can belt out at full blast,” he says, pulling the still-glaring Riu, who’s shooting daggers at Sailom, into the house. This leaves the man beside Namnuea to turn with a questioning look. Namnuea laughs loudly and leans in to whisper.

“Because tonight, I’ll be the one scratching the walls. Interested? You don’t have a place to stay yet—wanna crash here for a couple of nights?” The invitation makes the listener’s eyes gleam, instantly catching the meaning of “wall-scratching.” A wicked smile curls on his lips as he responds with full enthusiasm.

“I’m not just staying. I’m doing other things too.”

The challenging tone prompts Namnuea to retort with just one line.

“Then don’t let the kid outdo you. Last night, my little cousin was moaning like a cat, sneaking into a room. If you can’t keep up, you’re losing to a college kid.” With that, he hurries after his younger brother, leaving the challenged man with a determined grin that promises tonight will be fiery.

Last time, it was all hesitation and nerves. This time, it’s looking like the real deal.

   Now that he’s certain he’s not dancing in a red-hot pan, he might as well go for a scorching love session on the bed until they both drop.

    

  

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