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

Frank's POV

I knew that I was just imagining the shakiness that crept into Joss' voice when he asked me what I was trying to say.

And if I did not imagine it, I was not going to put any meaning into it. He was probably just feeling tired because it was already evening.

"What I'm trying to say, Joss," I said, as patiently as I could, "is that by the end of this week, I am moving to my own place, if it's still alright with you to put me up for the rest of this week."

"Frank," he said, grabbing my arm, "it's alright with me for you to stay till the end of this century."

I pulled my arm away, "Stop fooling around with me, Joss. You will probably get tired of me before the end of this week. I promise to move out even before the end of this week the moment I am able to sign the contract with the apartment manager whose building is not too far from my agency's office."

"No, YOU stop fooling around with me, Frank," he said, with a very serious expression on his face, "I am not letting you move out of my condo unit EVER."

"Joss!" I exclaimed, "you can't keep me prisoner here! I need to be free and have a place of my own. I cannot camp on this couch in your living room forever and ever. I need some privacy, too!"

"Fine," he said, running his fingers through his hair, "you can have my room and I will sleep on this couch."

"Stop it already, Joss!" I was starting to feel frustrated now. I felt that our conversation was not going anywhere.

"Frank," he said, grabbing my arm again, "you said you needed some privacy, so I'm giving you my room so that you can have some privacy."

"I'm really sorry, Joss," I was starting to feel tired of pursuing the argument, "but I have made up my mind to have a place of my own, away from you, away from..."

I cut myself short. I had almost said "...away from the heartache of living with you, knowing that Bas is the person in your heart."

"What have I done to you, Frank, to make you want to leave me?" he asked.

How was I going to answer that, except with a lie.

"You have done nothing wrong, Joss," I said, "I just don't want to be a burden to you anymore."

"But you are not being a burden to me, Frank!" he exclaimed, "what can I do to convince you that you are not a burden to me at all, that in fact, if you leave me, I will ... "

It was his turn to cut himself short.

I did not push him to finish his sentence. It was his right not to say anything that he did not want me to know.

I stood up and started to walk to the kitchen to start washing the dishes.

He ran after me.

He grabbed my waist from behind and started to kiss me on the side of my neck while my back was still turned to him.

I pulled away.

"Joss," I said, "I need to wash the dishes."

"To hell with the dishes," he said under his breath, and grabbed me again, turning me to face him and tried to kiss me.

"This is not the way to try to convince me to stay," I said, pushing him away.

Suddenly, his phone started to ring. He took it out of his pocket.

He swiped his phone to accept the call.

"Yes, Bas," I heard him say as he started walking to the living room.

I quickly went to the kitchen sink and started washing the dishes, trying my best not to eavesdrop on his conversation with Bas.

I was more determined than ever to leave Joss and make a life on my own in peace, in my own apartment unit.

I knew that there was no way that I could ever compete with Bas in Joss' heart.

Bas was a very handsome young man, full of charisma, full of charm. He had a smile that could hold anyone captive forever and ever, the way he had held Joss' heart captive.

"No, Bas, I'm afraid I cannot meet up with you tomorrow," I heard Joss saying.

There was a brief pause,

"I'm not free day after tomorrow either," I heard Joss talking again.

I turned the faucet knob to full strength to let the sound of the water drown out Joss' conversation with Bas.

I did not want to hear Joss saying "I love you, Bas" when he ended their conversation.

I had enough heartache for the day.

"No, Bas, I am not available for you at any other time," Joss was saying. Did I detect some kind of impatience in his voice? That was impossible.

"Yes, Bas, I'm sorry I have found someone else."

I almost dropped the soapy plate that I was holding under the strong pressure of the water.

"Good bye, Bas, I wish you all the best with your P'Godt," he said and then all was quiet.

Shit, he had found someone already. He had not yet even given me a chance to compete with Bas and now he had found another one for me to compete with.

I had enough. I knew that I could not stay another day longer. I was going to ask my manager this evening if I could stay with him until I finalized the contract with my prospective apartment manager.

I concentrated hard on my task of washing the dishes.

He walked up beside me, taking the rest of the dishes, saying, "here, let me help you wash the rest of it."

"I can manage this, Joss," I said, taking the other plate from him.

"You are such a proud and stubborn person, Frank," he said, shaking his head, "I don't know what made me fall in love with you in just a short time."

Again, I almost dropped the plate under the strong running water.

He moved close behind me to turn off the faucet, took the plate off my hand and turned me around to face him.

"No, Joss, you are not kissing me," I said firmly as he tried to kiss me again, "I already told you earlier that that is not the way to convince me to stay with you."

Suddenly he turned away and walked back to the living room.

I saw him pick up a gift bag that had been sitting on the coffee table. I had seen it earlier when I walked in and I had assumed that it was something that he was probably thinking of giving to Bas.

He walked back to the kitchen with the gift bag in his hand.

He extended the gift bag to me.

"Open it, Frank," he said, "it's something that I had wanted to give you over lunch but you were not answering my call earlier."

I took the gift bag and pulled out the t-shirt that was in it.

"Read what's on the front of the shirt," he instructed me.

I unfolded the shirt and read what was printed on it. "Thoughtless, thoughtless, thoughtless but very sorry for it."

"What are you saying sorry for?" I asked.

"Have you forgotten already?" he asked.

I tried to remember what had happened earlier before he had dropped me off at my agency's office.

If he was referring to his calling me by Bas' name, I had already forgiven him for it. It was natural for him to be thinking of the person he loved while he was with another person whom he didn't love. I was very understanding in that way.

"I don't hold grudges, Joss," I said, handing him back the t-shirt.

Suddenly his facial expression changed and it scared me a little bit.

He flung the t-shirt away.

"Okay, I've had enough of your stubbornness," he muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, I no longer felt the floor beneath my feet.

Shit, he was carrying me towards his bedroom!