Gyan nudged my arm as we sat on the couch. "Who're you texting?"

I put my phone aside. "This bloke I met online." Gyan frowned. "His name is Steven. He's really nice." I smiled. "We may even be mates."

Steven and I had been talking a lot lately. It started with our conversations on ArtVerse. Then it moved to us exchanging numbers, and we talk even more now. He was a very interesting person. A little dark but intriguing.

"I don't know, Gabriel," Gyan said. "How much do you know about this guy?"

"I keep learning more."

He didn't look convinced. "The internet is hella sketchy. The people are worse."

I frowned. "Not all. Steven seems normal."

"What if you're talking to some old man?" he said. "There are a lot of pedophiles online."

"I'm not some prepubescent girl," I reminded him. "A pedophile talking to me is a waste of time. Steven knows my age."

"Something else could be wrong with him."

I turned to face him on the couch. "Why can't you just be happy for me? I made a friend."

"There's nothing wrong with making friends," he said, "but just be careful with what friends you make. You don't have to force friendships."

"I'm not forcing anything."

Steven and I meeting and talking was organic. We clicked.

"I just don't like the idea of you talking to some guy off the internet," he said. "I'm not jealous or anything because I want you to make friends. I just don't want you to be disappointed."

"Nothing's going to happen."

He was being too pessimistic.

"Just be careful," he said with a soft expression. He grabbed my head and brought our foreheads together. "I'll never want anything bad to happen to you, especially when I'm here."

I covered his hand with mine. "I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

We pulled away. "I want to meet this Steven guy eventually," he said.

"You're acting like a dad," I said with a smirk.

"I'm your partner," he said. "I'll always worry about you."

        Partner.

Gyan and I hadn't officially said what we were, but I liked "partner." It sounded more serious than "boyfriend," and even though Gyan and I had only been together for a short time so far, we still had college. We would always be serious, no matter how much time passed.

I gave him a chaste kiss. "I know. And I love you for that." We smiled at each other. "Oh, and there's something I have to tell you."

"Good or bad?"

"Good," I answered. "I'm applying to grad school."

His eyes expanded. "That's great. When did you decide this?"

"Recently."

My and Gyan's talk really opened my eyes. I'd been feeling stuck, which led to inaction. I needed to be proactive and go after what I wanted. This was it.

"Why grad school?" he asked.

"Education has always been important to me," I said. "Higher education is something I've always wanted, but I never pursued anything past undergrad. It's never too late, and I want to do this. I'll like to get my PhD, and then find work as a professor at a university."

"Wow." He looked impressed. "Why a professor?"

"Professors continue education," I said. "Like I said, education is important to me. And they also impact lives. They may not personally know their students, but they teach them many things. The students may not always remember those things, but professors put that information out there. I want what I do to benefit people."

The professors I had were always important to my success in my classes. They made a difference. I wanted to be that professor who could be there for my students, even if that was just teaching them something they didn't know before.

"What are you going to teach?" Gyan asked.

"English," I replied. "Literature. Those were always my favorite subjects. I'm applying to multiple programs because even getting into one program is an accomplishment."

Gyan grinned. "Hey, on the bright side, working at a university makes you more money. Hell, having a PhD makes you even more money. You may even get tenured."

"It's not about the money," I said. "Although, that's never a bad thing. It's about having a purpose. Doing something I don't hate or feel indifferent towards. I think I've found it. What I've always been looking for."

Gyan pulled me to his chest, and we sat on the couch, cuddling. "I'm proud of you, Gabriel. You inspire me. I'll find my purpose, too."

"You will."

"It's definitely not at Appeto," he said. "I'm gonna start looking for jobs. Once I find one, then I'll quit Appeto, and my father can't stop me. Even if he cuts me off, I'll be ready."

"Are you?" I asked. "Are you ready to be on your own? Without your father and his resources?"

Gyan wasn't a brat, but he also utilized having so much money from his family. He was used to a certain lifestyle, and I wasn't sure if he was ready to give that up.

He glanced down at me. "Like you said, it's not about the money. It's about having a purpose and not hating your job or feeling indifferent towards it."

I held him tighter. "Look at us. Being adults." We chuckled. "I'm proud of us."

"We don't always have it together," he said, "but we'll find our way." I nodded. "Gabriel?" Our gazes met. "I'm glad you got fired."

"Wow." I didn't know what else to say.

"If you wouldn't have gotten fired, you never would have come back," he went on.

"You don't know that."

He arched a brow. "Would you have come back if you still had your job?" I didn't say anything. "Thought so."

I sighed. "I built a life in Sydney, Gyan. I had my mates. I was making decent money at Barkley's. I had my flat. I had my life. It was hard to just leave it all behind. So, yeah. You're right. I wouldn't have come back if I didn't have to. If I wasn't forced to."

He looked ahead. "A part of me is a little disappointed that you didn't come back because of me."

"Gyan..."

"You had to get fired to come back."

I made him look at me. "I'm back now."

He caressed my cheek. "Don't leave again. I don't know if I can handle you leaving a second time."

I cupped his cheek in my hand. "I won't."

He sent me a small smile as our hands came down. "Good. Because I'm not letting you go."

He pulled me over to lay on him on the couch, and I snickered as he tickled me. I couldn't even ask him to stop because of how hard I was laughing. When he stopped his assault, he moved my hair out of my face.

"I don't want you to ever cut your hair," he said.

"You cut your hair."

"Not too much," he said. "Plus, I really like your hair the way it is."

"It's getting pretty long."

"Let it get long," he said. "Hell, have hair as long as Kenji's. Just don't cut it."

"Okay," I said. "I won't. Just for you."

He grinned, but his eyes widened as he sat up, and I moved over to sit beside him. "I knew I was forgetting something. Arya wants you to come to her apartment around eight."

"Why?"

"She wants you to do something," Gyan said. "She wanted me to come, too, but I'm having dinner with my parents, Anushka and her parents." We went silent, and Gyan briefly closed his eyes with a sigh. "I shouldn't have said that."

I shrugged as if it was no big deal. "I mean, that's what's happening, right? You're having dinner with them."

"It's still awkward."

"Because you haven't called off the wedding."

"I don't know how to," he confessed. "It's much easier to quit Appeto than it is to call off this wedding."

I nodded with my lips pressed together. "What are we going to do? Just sit here until you marry her. Leaving me on the side."

"Can we not talk about this now?"

"When are we going to talk about it?" My voice came out louder than I intended. "You keep avoiding it, as if it doesn't exist. How can you end the engagement, how can you be with me if you don't acknowledge it?"

"I'm gonna go take a nap." He stood up. "I need the rest before this dinner."

"Gyan."

He was already walking away, and I angrily ran my hand through my hair. When his room door slammed, I threw myself back onto the couch. This wedding was only getting closer. At this rate, I didn't know if he would ever call it off.

Was I wasting my time, investing in a relationship that was going nowhere?

I tried to push it to the back of my mind until eight, when I made it over to Arya's flat. Gyan dropped me off, but we didn't talk much. I didn't feel like talking to him, anyway. We exchanged curt byes, and I made it up the stairs to the flat.

Arya grinned when she saw me. "Gabriel." She led me into the flat. "Thank you for joining us. Shoes."

I removed my shoes at the foyer, and when I stood up, that was when I saw Kenji and a petite Asian girl watching us.

Arya and I made our way over. "You know Kenji."

"What's up, man?" He pounded my fist. "Sorry for bringing you into this."

What was I brought into?

"This is Honoka, my roommate," Arya said. "She's also Kenji's twin sister."

"You're Kenji's twin?" I said in disbelief.

She chuckled. "Yes." We shook hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Okay." Arya clapped her hands together. "Now, all we have to do is wait for Darian."

"Okay, what is going on here?" I couldn't take the suspense anymore. "Why am I here?"

"We're forming a counsel," Arya answered. "We're going to help Kenji and Darian get back together."

"Why am I part of this counsel?"

Kenji and I were mates, but he seemed to have a lot more friends who were more fit for the job.

"We need as many people as possible," Arya said. "Gyan is being an ass and not coming. Clay and Alissa's bitch ass have to take care of their daughter, so they can't come." Clay and Alissa. Their other friends. "So, Honoka and I need you because it can't just be the two of us."

"What if we're prying?" Honoka pointed out. "It is Kenji and Darian's problem."

"Honoka, shut up," Kenji said, and his sister glared at him. "I need as much help as I can get. Darian's being an idiot."

"We're their friends," Arya said. "We're meant to pry. Plus, this shit is impacting our group. This is what happens when you have couples in your friendship group."

There was a knock on the door, and Kenji inhaled deeply. Arya ran to answer the door. "Darian." He entered the flat, removing his shoes and freezing when he saw us.

His eyes flickered to each of us as he perked a brow. "What's going on here?" Arya nudged him to stand in front of Kenji, who watched him with his hands in his pockets. "I'll ask again. What's going on?"

Arya stepped forward. "We're here to help you and Kenji get back together." Darian sent her a look of disbelief. "We want you to stop being a bitch and take him back."

I wouldn't have said it like that, but okay.

Darian pointed to himself. "I'm the bitch?"

"Yes," Arya said. "You're the bitch."

Gyan's cousin sure was blunt.

"What she means is," Honoka intervened, "we're here to guide you in figuring this out."

"What is there to figure out?" Darian said. "He likes someone else. He had sex with someone else."

"You had sex with Gyan," Kenji countered.

Darian focused on him. "I don't like Gyan."

He better not.

"Okay," Arya interrupted, "everyone, cool it down." She turned to Darian. "Darian, why are you so angry?"

He scoffed. "It's pretty obvious. He likes someone else. He's supposed to be my partner. We've been together for five fucking years. I'm loyal to him, only him, but apparently, he doesn't have the same loyalties."

"I love you, Darian," Kenji said. "I've never loved someone the way I love you."

"I guess it's not enough to stop you from liking Jessica."

"This is bullshit," I said, and all eyes turned to me.

Darian narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You're trying to tell me you've never had a crush or been attracted to someone else in your five-year relationship?" I asked.

He didn't respond immediately. "Fleeting attractions, but I never developed strong feelings for anyone."

"My feelings for Jessica aren't strong," Kenji said. "It's just a crush. I thought they were strong, but they're not. I love you."

"Darian, this is ridiculous," I said. "Gyan and I were together for four years, and I was attracted to other people. I even had some crushes, but they didn't mean anything. There was this bloke on the newspaper called Antonio, and I was attracted to him, but I wasn't going to leave Gyan for him. Gyan was still the man I loved. No outside attraction can change that. I bet Gyan found other people attractive, too. Just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you stop experiencing attraction to other people. It's unrealistic to expect your partner to be attracted to only you just because you're in a relationship."

"It bothers me, okay?" he said. "I can't help it."

"All that matters is love," I told him. "If your partner loves you more, and they know they aren't going to leave you for this person, that's all that matters. I could be attracted to Antonio all I wanted, but I knew Gyan was the one for me. That's the most important thing."

Arya and Honoka nodded in approval, and Arya placed a hand on my shoulder. "Well said."

Darian rubbed his head. "This hurts, Kenji."

Kenji moved closer to him. "I'll never leave you for Jessica. I'll never leave you for anyone, Darian." He cradled Darian's face in his hands. "I love you. I don't know how many times I have to say that."

Darian removed his hands. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not the right person for you." Kenji appeared confused. "The way I treated you in the past. All the drama. You being with me when you could be with a girl."

"I want you," Kenji said. "Not some girl."

"But you could be with some girl," Darian said. "You could fall in love with her. Have kids. Have a better life than I could ever give you. I feel like I'm in the way of you having that life."

"I want a life with you," Kenji said. "I want to marry you. I want us to have our kids, even if they're not our biological kids. I want it all, as long as it's with you. You make my life better, not me falling in love with a girl. All I want is to be with someone I love. I don't care about their gender. You're the one I love, and I love all of you. You don't have to be a girl to make me happy." Kenji smiled. "You just have to be Darian. Being with Jessica confirmed that you're the one I want. I want my ichiban."

Darian pulled him into a hug, holding him tightly. Kenji wrapped his arms around him, too. "I love you so much, Kenji," Darian said. "I never want to lose you."

"You won't," Kenji said. "I'm not going anywhere, and we're in this together."

Darian buried his face into Kenji's shoulder, and Honoka touched her heart. Arya sent me a smile. They didn't need a "counsel" after all. They just needed to talk and be vulnerable.

"I'm guessing the wedding is on?" I asked.

Kenji and Darian pulled away with a grin. "Definitely," they said simultaneously.

Honoka squealed, clapping her hands.

"The group is back," Arya said, and I shook my head in amusement at them.

We spent a little more time at the flat until I headed back to my and Gyan's flat. He wasn't home, and I stayed up for him to come back. When he did, we stared at each other.

"Hey," he said. I walked over to him, and I encased him in my arms, resting my head on his chest. He held me back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said. "It's just right." I looked up at him. "I'm glad I came back, too." He smiled at me.

The wedding was on, but I couldn't leave him, even if I wanted to. I couldn't turn away from Gyan, and that could be the best thing for me or the death of me. Either way, I was staying by his side.

Gyan would always be the one for me, and he was all I needed.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

* What do you guys think? About Gyan and Gabriel's talk? Kenji and Darian?

* I'm so sorry for the late update. I've been wanting to write so badly, but I literally didn't have the time. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.