A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Bright's POV

I had my finger poised over my phone app to call for a taxi when I decided, No, I was not going to give Win up to whoever that young man was who's sleeping in Win's bed right now. I was willing to overlook and forget any intimacies that Win might have shared with that young mam. Who was that young man anyway? How did Win come to know him. I did not recognize the young man's face. I don't recall having met him before.

Even though I promised myself that I was going to overlook and forget whatever intimacies that Win might have shared with that young man, the images of Win being kissed passionately by him and worse, being caressed in the most intimate places struck my heart like a dagger with ragged edges on both sides.

But I was going to fight to win Win back. I was going to plead, literally on my knees if necessary, to ask him to take me back. I was willing to start with a true friendship in the beginning and hopefully it would progress to a deeper kind of relationship.

I walked back inside the building but was blocked by the building security guard.

"We don't allow visitors at this time of the night," he told me. "Actually it's not even night anymore. It's half past one in the morning."

"Please," I pleaded with the security guard. "It's an emergency."

"What kind of emergency?" he eyed me skeptically/

I almost blurted, "My heart will stop beating if I don't see him right now" but of course the security guard would only turn me away for resorting to theatrics.

"What kind of emergency?" the security guard asked me once more. "If it's not an emergency please don't waste my time," he added, already starting to walk away.

"Please! Please!" I called after him. "It's a personal emergency. What must I do to convince you?"

"Call him and ask him to call my extension here at the lobby." he said.

Shit, what if Win ignores my call, or what if he muted his phone so that he could sleep uninterrupted through the morning. Or worse, what if he muted his phone because he did not want his intimate activities with that young man to be interrupted with a phone call?

All these painful thoughts made me want to collapse in a heap on the steps leading up to the lobby of the condo building.

But I told myself to stay strong. If he did not respond to my call, I was willing to wait it out till morning right here by the steps of the building.

I took out my phone and went to my list of contacts while the security guard watched all my moves. I found Win's name and tapped on his number.

Shit, my worst fears materialized. After several rings my call went to his voicemail.

I noticed the security guard's expression change from wariness to a sympathetic look. He must have seen the look of despair on my face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Just come back later at seven."

I wanted to tell him. 'If you're really sorry why won't you let me into the building' but of course I knew that it would be an exercise in futility.

I turned away and went down the steps. I walked a little farther down the curb and sat between two cars parked by the curbside.

I rubbed my bare arms briskly to fight the early morning cold air. When I couldn't bear the cold anymore I pulled my suitcase close to me.

I unlatched my suitcase and took out a sweater. Thankfully I had brought my luggage with me because I had been hoping that I could stay the night with Win.

I put my sweater on and hugged myself to keep out the cold from seeping into my body.

I didn't know for how many hours I had been sitting on the curbside but I felt myself starting to dose off. Soon I found myself leaning against my suitcase.

I was awakened not just by the morning sunlight but my someone gently shaking me awake.