Gareth quickly took his hand off Lance, and Lance narrowed his eyes at that action. Kay, too, saw this and raised her eyebrows, looking at Lance but he was focused on Gareth.

Kay then looked at the girl that appeared out of nowhere. 

The girl wasn't bad looking, but she wasn't pretty either. She had a slightly round face, perfectly drawn eyebrows, double-eyelids that were drawn in, and bright red lipstick over thin lips.

She knew how to use make-up to cover her perceived flaws, and Kay idly wondered what she really looked like underneath all that make-up.

Gareth got up, running his hand through his hair and coughed nervously, "What are you doing here, Le Xuan?"

Seeing the displeasure that flashed across her face, Gareth quickly corrected himself, "Sorry. Claris."

Le Xuan wanted an English name and refused to be called by her chinese name ever since she got together with her current boyfriend. Since Le Xuan meant 'happy' and 'bright', she had thought of various English names to reflect that.

Claris is of Latin origin, which carries the meaning of 'fame, most bright, most famous. Naturally, that appealed to her vanity and since it fit within the meaning of her Chinese name, even her parents couldn't object.

Much, that is.

Gareth didn't know what to feel upon seeing his ex.

It was sudden and unexpected.

He had been hurt very badly when she dumped him and for a while, he had even harboured hopes of getting back together with her. When it became obvious that it would never happen, Gareth had felt his heart grow cold.

Until Lance.

It was then that he realised he had abruptly let go of Lance's hand upon Claris's arrival. Aghast, he turned towards Lance who looked rather sad and Gareth felt eternal regret.

Completely ignoring Claris, Gareth sat back down and grabbed Lance's hand in his, then gripped his chin to force Lance to look at him.

"I'm sorry," Gareth said, his eyes pleading, begging him to understand.

Lance just sighed and shrugged.

"I'm serious," Gareth told him, looking at Lance who was avoiding his eyes.

"Whatever," Lance replied.

Gareth knew about this knot in Lance's heart.

Of how he had been 'in the closet' and had fallen in love with his best friend in college - who was straight. He had been hurt badly like Gareth had been but his hurt was different.

It was being heartbroken over a guy that he could never have, and the intense fear of rejection and repulsion he felt would be placed upon him if it was ever known that he was gay.

And now, Gareth had apparently rejected him in front of a friend.

All the insecurities and the fear must have hit him hard. After all, until he met Lance, Gareth had been 'straight'. 

There was only one way to atone his sins.

Gareth grabbed Lance by the back of the neck and brought his face closer, sealing his lips and proceeded to thoroughly kiss him deeply and passionately. 

Lance resisted at first, wanting to pull away, but Gareth held on to his neck tightly. He kept on kissing Lance until he felt Lance reciprocate. 

After that … 

Well, let's just say that he kinda forgot he was in public.

"Gareth!!" 

It was only upon that shout that Gareth seemed to break out of his trance. Even after stopping the kiss, he didn't pull away immediately and instead, placed his forehead on Lance, saying again, "I'm sorry."

Lance looked at him and caressed his cheek, "It's fine."

Gareth gave him a smile, then raised an eyebrow, "Huh."

"Really," Lance insisted, giving him a smile.

Kay, upon watching the two interact, couldn't help but smile. At first, she was ready to give Gareth a severe talking to but realised later that Gareth had made up for it. 

She sighed.

Gareth, like her, had made a mistake when he had seemingly rejected Lance, but he didn't shy away. He immediately stepped up on the plate and delivered.

What about her?

Kay sipped on her wine more, thinking about this.

She had to tell Kyle.

The only question is - tell him by herself? Or should Joseph also be there? And when?

Okay, that was more than one question. 

Before she got caught up in her thoughts, the drama in front of her hadn't finished yet.

"Gareth, is this … ?"

"Oh, sorry. Claris, this is my boyfriend, Lance. Lance, Claris is …," Gareth began, then wasn't sure how to address her.

Ex-girlfriend? Childhood lovers? Friend?

"Someone from my past," Gareth finally said.

Claris, upon hearing this, was rather indignant.

Was this the Gareth that she knew? That she had grown up with? Before, he had been so clingy on her that she felt suffocated. It had been good at first, but after a while, she felt like it was too much.

She had said some rather harsh words to him when she dumped him, as she had been at the height of her frustrations. She knew she had hurt him badly, but she didn't care.

When she thought of how Gareth had treated her, and how her current boyfriend was, it was poles apart. She had taken his care for granted but it was only now that she realised how good he had been.

In fact, the guy she was with right now wasn't even the guy she had hooked up with when she dumped Gareth. She had been so dissatisfied with the other guy that she left him quite fast and moved on to the next.

Now, however, seeing him being all so lovey-dovey with another person didn't make her feel nice. Seeing the sort of care, and gentleness that he had showered her with, being given to another was rubbing her the wrong way.

Worse, it was a guy!

What is wrong with him?!

"Huh, someone from your past? Is that all I am now, Gareth?" Claris said, putting on a hurt face, "After all that we shared? Gareth, I thought I meant more to you than this."

"Is it because of … him? Since when were you … did you … I never thought … do your parents know? You should think of them more, you know. You're the only son after all. Uncle and Auntie would be so disappointed."

The more Claris talked, the darker Gareth's expression became.

What was she saying?

Why was she saying all this?

Was she always like this?

He remembered the words she had spoken to him before, when she broke up with him. It was as if it was yesterday. Those words had haunted him for so long that he could remember every single word, the way she said them and most of all, her expression.

Seeing her now, made him feel relieved.

Just how blind had he been?

If it wasn't for Lance, would he have been burdened by that shadow in his heart forever?

Gareth didn't answer her, seemingly in a daze.

In truth, he was just flabbergasted at her behaviour.

Now, she was suddenly so concerned about his parents? The fact that she practically dumped him just as his parents were going to see her parents about their engagement? She figuratively slapped them in the face!

Lance, seeing how quiet Gareth was, decided that enough was enough.

"Girl, if you don't shut up, I'll make you shut up," Lance said, putting his chin on the palm of his hand while his elbow was placed on the table.

His other hand was flung on Gareth's shoulder and he said, "No matter what you were to him before, you are the past while I am the present and his future."

Gareth's heart warmed.

No one had ever defended him like this before. Not even when he was with Claris. He had always been the one giving, but not receiving.

Being with Lance made him experience what being in a relationship was like.

It was a two-way street.

Giving and taking.

"Oh please," Claris said, "You'll get fed up of him soon. He talks too much."

Lance smirked, "On the contrary. You may not know how to appreciate him, but I do."

Lance looked at Gareth, putting his fingertips on Gareth's lips and said, "Whenever you speak, it reminds me that everyday without you around is torture. Your voice brightens up my day."

"You sweet talker you," Gareth said, seemingly complaining but there was a huge grin on his face as he adoringly looked at Lance.

"Gosh, your eyes are so beautiful," Lance said breathlessly, bringing his face closer, as if studying them intensely, "Why do your eyes mesmerize me so when more than 90% of the people on this planet have brown eyes like yours?"

His lips brushed against Gareth, as he said in a daze, "Like chocolate quicksand that sucks me in."

Kay rolled her eyes.

So much dog food.