The ring felt like a foreign object on my finger. I couldn't help but stare at it instead of looking at the whiteboard during lectures. Many people looked at my finger as I walked into class and around the hallways. Teachers, faculty, and students alike gave me curious looks and unwanted whispers. It's rare for a 17-year-old to have an engagement ring or be engaged at all.

During the passing period, Gorya and I met at our lockers. She closed her locker as I kept looking at my finger. "How long are you going to stare at it?", she teased. 

"Hmm?", I mumbled, not paying attention. Gorya shook her head and hooked her arm around mine as she led us away from the lockers. I felt people staring at my hand and couldn't help but cover it from their view. "You're a trending topic on the socials."

I groaned, "I've been avoiding looking at my phone this morning. I silenced the class chat. I know they're talking loads of shit about me." 

"It's not that bad," Gorya reassured. I narrowed my eyes at her, "Even though I don't look at the internet, I can hear what they say about me." 

I counted with my fingers, singling out every word, "Gold digger, whore, mommy's money. And I heard they think I'm with Ren to help me further my mom's career. As if she needs higher recognition as Thailand's #1 neurosurgeon." Gorya only shook her head as I exclaimed, "AND some rumors said that Ren and I are expecting. As if I'm pregnant."

I slapped my stomach and kept my hands on both sides, "I may be bloated after one bowl of rice but, I'm pretty sure there's not a single child here."

Gorya laughed and patted my arm, "Maybe it is bad but, you know they're not true." 

"I know, but it's frustrating. I almost want to take this off so people can stop speculating." 

She looks at my ring and says, "I would be more worried about getting robbed than speculations. It's a beautiful ring."

I sighed and brought my hand in full display in front of us, "It is, huh? Ren doesn't want to pressure me to wear it but, I love wearing it." 

"You guys make me want to throw up," Gorya said, and I pushed her shoulder. "How's it going with Thyme?" 

We reached a bench in the quad and sat together. Gorya sighed, "Well, my parents moved out a few days ago. You know, Roslyn came to my house with a vendetta and a cheque."

I shook my head, "I can't believe she tried to bribe you to stay away from Thyme. She hasn't been so present in Thyme's life because she was obsessed with Parama Group. I feel bad for Thyme." 

"How about me?" 

I kissed her on the cheek, and she looked at me with wide eyes, "You know I care about you." She smiled, "Me too." I smiled back and she continued, "Anyway, she took my dad's investors, and now they're going back to the province to help my relatives and make some income there. I might have to start working. Luckily, Glakao is still home but, he's going to live with them for the summer." 

"You'll be alone?" I asked. 

She nodded, "Crime has increased in our area because of inflation. Hopefully, by the time Glakao goes to our parents, it won't be so bad." 

"Move in with me. I'll talk to mom. We have a lot of rooms sitting vacant at our house," I offered. Gorya shook her head, "I don't want to burden you."

"But you wouldn't. I'm more concerned over your safety," I said adamantly. Gorya thinks about my offer, "I'll think about it."

I nodded and slumped in my seat, "Have you talked to Thyme?"

"We did. After he found out what his mom did. He apologized and told me to not worry about a thing. But...how could I not?", she asked. My best friend looked stressed and in a deep conflict herself. 

"Do you regret anything? Do you like Thyme?" I asked. She thinks about my question, her eyebrows crunched up and her lips pursed.

"Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing. Having to separate my parents from their home and us because of Thyme. My parents know I like him. My mom was encouraging me to continue." She shrugged, I don't know if it's to protect my dignity or the fact that one of the richest in Thailand could be my boyfriend." 

I smirked, "It can't be. Your parents are one of the most thoughtful people I know. They would want you to be happy." 

"But what if my happiness means breaking my family apart, making us even more broke than before, and having to spend tireless hours at a low-income job?" 

I gave her a close-lipped smile and draped my arm on her shoulder, leaning her head towards mine. I softly patted her hair and pressed my finger in the middle of her eyebrows, smoothing over the stress from her face. "Your toughest battles will only make you stronger," I said. 

She chuckled, "Where did you get that quote?"

"Google."

...

I walked with Gorya to her house and the block was pretty quiet. We see a moving truck in front of her house, and we both look at each other confused. "Is someone moving in?" I asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I don't know anything about getting a new neighbor." I took her hand in mine and led her closer, "Let's see who it is." 

Gorya whispers, "Slow down. Don't make it obvious." I made her follow behind as I inched my way to the truck. We slowly walked to the back and saw a few men taking furniture and boxes out. I peeked inside, and Gorya said in a low voice, "Let's go, we meet get caught peeking at their stuff. They might think we're burglars." 

I ignored her and see a mover walking towards us. Gorya tugs me back from the trunk, and I whispered, "Whoever they are, have pretty nice things. I wonder who is moving in?" 

"I don't know." 

Then a voice cuts in between our heads and whispers, "I am." My heart spiked ten folds, and I screamed, making Gorya jump and punch the man behind us. Thyme almost trips back, covering his nose, "Ow!"

Gorya opens her eyes and realizes she punched Thyme, "Thyme!" She goes to his side as he groans, "I think I'm bleeding."

I look beside him and see MJ, Kavin, and Ren who laughed at their friend's expense. I crossed my arms, "Did you guys have to scare us like that?" 

Kavin shrugged, "It was fun watching you sneak around." I narrowed my eyes and cast my attention at Ren, "You too?" 

He walks toward me and drapes his arm around my shoulder, "You've got to have a little fun sometimes." I rolled my eyes as I watched Gorya apologize, and Thyme in serious pain. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Do you have a first aid kit in the house?" she asked. He nods and she leads him inside. MJ shouts, "Make sure to not punch him again...at least in the same place!"

Gorya shook her head as they both walk inside. All the movers come back, and Kavin goes to talk to them. I turn toward the guys and ask,

"Are you all here to help him move?" 

Ren nods, and Kavin says, "He wants us to celebrate with him later."  I look towards the house, beige exterior with a copper-toned metal roof. The gate was small and black, not even a fraction of the Paramaanantra's grandiose gate. MJ asks, "Do you think he'll be able to live alone?"

Kavin scoffs, "I give him a week." 

I ticked my lips, "Have a little faith in your friend."

"Thyme doesn't do any chores since he was born. He's always had people doing things for him. I don't think he even knows how to wash his own clothes," Kavin teased. 

"You boast as if you've got any experience living 100% by yourself," I countered back. Kavin says, "I don't. I'm just like Thyme but, I would never do something like this, that's what makes us different." He walks with confidence towards the house, his pretentious demeanor can make anyone go crazy. MJ looks at me with a smile and waves at us, "I'll see you guys inside." 

I peered at Ren, "Do you know how to wash your clothes?" 

He sighs and shook his head in resignation. I narrow my eyes, "You need to learn how to take care of yourselves. What if you're in a situation where no one can help you?" 

"You can help me or teach me." 

I tilt my head to the side and asked, "How can you be so sure?" Ren shrugged, "Because I'm sure I can count on you." 

I chuckled, a failed attempt to hide my blush. Ren raised an eyebrow, amused at my disposition and I clear my throat, "Oh yeah. Why is Thyme moving in?" 

"His mom, they got into an argument when he confronted her about Gorya," he explained. 

I looked towards the window; the drapes pulled to the side to expose the interior. I watched as Gorya and Thyme yelled at each other while MJ and Kavin tried to stop them. "I wish I could do more for her. But, I'm glad she has him." 

Ren nods, "Let's go inside?" 

...

We ended up becoming Thyme's interior decorators. The guys helped set up all the furniture in the house while Gorya and I did the decorating part. It took us five hours to complete everything in which we were all exhausted.

As much as I wanted to design his house to look more homey or comfortable, he wanted various different pieces like a tiger-print pillow, dark furniture, and obscene art fixtures. He wanted to put a porcelain statue but, Gorya and I dissuaded him from making that mistake. The house looked contemporary with little touches of Thyme–the perfect "bachelor" pad.

By the end of it, we all slumped on the couch, and MJ and Kavin sat on the ottomans. The fans and the AC were the only things helping us get through the heat, but my back was drenched in sweat. I opened and closed my mouth due to the thirst, and Ren noticed, "Do you want some water?" 

I only nodded, and he got up, touching my knee before walking to the kitchen. MJ raised his hand, "Get some for all of us!" Ren signaled by showing a thumbs-up. "Do you have anything to eat here?" Gorya asked. 

"Only ramen packets. I haven't been able to go grocery shopping." 

Kavin takes his phone out, "I'll order chicken for us. I don't feel like eating ramen right now." He gets up and leaves the room. Thyme points at him and says, "He likes to decide for all of us without a second opinion." 

MJ says, "Ey, he's paying for food for us. Just go with the flow." I chuckled and Ren came in with a tray of six glasses of water. "Thank you," I said, gulping down the water in one sip. I feel water trickle down my chin and I stop drinking, trying to catch the water before it gets into my shirt. Ren beat me to it by wiping my mouth and chin with a napkin. 

"You shouldn't drink too fast; you'll choke." 

I watched him as he wiped my face, and he gave me the napkin after he was done. Nonchalantly drank his glass of water as if he didn't just wipe my mouth. Gorya stifled a laugh as Thyme purposefully drops water onto his cheek, "Ren, I need help wiping my face too." Ren threw a couple of napkins at Thyme's face. MJ laughed, "Me too!" Ren threw some napkins at him, as Kavin walks back into the house asking, "What did I miss?"

"A sweet display of affection," MJ says pointing at us. Kavin sat down and smirked, "You two got close in no time." 

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He points at my ring, "I was shocked to see you wearing it." 

I looked at my ring, heat overcoming my senses, and shrugged,

"Wouldn't you wear a gift someone gave you?" 

Kavin held up his hands in surrender and slumped in the chair. Thyme looked at the group and waved his hands, "We should be celebrating my new house." 

Gorya narrowed her eyes at him, "You had a temper tantrum with your mom, and you decided on a whim to buy this house." 

"Do you not like the fact that I defended you against my mom? That isn't an easy thing to do." 

MJ interjects, "But, won't you'd suffer through the consequences of this decision? You of all people know how your mom is."

Everyone watched Thyme as he frowned, "Why is this such a bad thing? I moved here on my own because I want to be by Gorya's side, to protect her." I met eye contact with Gorya–whose expression I couldn't exactly read but I knew she felt uncomfortable. Ren pats Thyme's back, "You're right, this is your first time moving away. Regardless of the circumstances...this is an important moment for you."

A knock came from the door and Kavin immediately stands to open the door. MJ looks at Thyme and leans forward, tapping his knee,

"Bro, I am proud of you for taking this step, I just am concerned that's all." 

Thyme only nods as Kavin plops a soda bottle and two buckets of chicken on the black wooden coffee table. "Chow." 

I pass out napkins for everyone and ask Thyme, "Do you have any plates?"

He shook his head, "A package will come tomorrow. I only have cups in the cupboard."

"We can just help ourselves," Kavin says as he wolfs down the fried chicken. I took a leg out of the bucket, holding it with my napkin. As soon as I swallowed a bite of the crunchy skin, my taste buds were equally as satisfied as my stomach. I stuffed it down after a few seconds, and Ren offered to take my bones to the trash, "Are you done?" 

I smiled, wiping my oily lips, and handed him my trash, "Thanks." 

Kavin took his hand out towards Ren holding his trash, "Take mine too."

Thyme followed suit, "Take mine and Gorya's." Ren took both of theirs, and his hands filled with napkins and chicken bones. He peeks at MJ with an expectant look, "Ahh, could you..." Ren sighed and took all the trash to the kitchen. Kavin sits back on his chair, sighing contently, "That was what I needed."

Ren comes back and sits next to me, his right arm resting on top of the couch, supporting my head. Thyme sitting on the floor with Gorya, handing more chicken than she can eat at one time. Kavin scoffs, "We should go MJ, I think we're third wheeling here." MJ nods along and they both stood from their seats. 

Thyme acts surprised, "You guys are leaving? Already?"

MJ nods and waves, "Thanks for inviting us, I'll see you tomorrow."  Kavin teases us, "Try not to stay up too late. You'll wake up the neighbors." He winks and I threw a pillow from the couch at him before he bolts out. Ren looks at me and raises an eyebrow, tilting his head at the door. I nodded and stood up, putting my bag onto my shoulder. 

"We'll go ahead as well. Thank you, P'Thyme for letting us come. Congrats on the new place." 

Ren stands with his keys in his hand, "Thanks, Thyme. Bye Gorya." Thyme says, "Thanks for coming. I'll see you out."

"No need, my car is just outside. I'll see you tomorrow maybe." 

"Let me come on."

Thyme stands as well as Gorya and he leads us to the outside. Ren and I turn around, and I asked, "You're staying?"

Gorya nods, "I'll stay and help clean up a little before leaving." Thyme only looks at Gorya intently and I smirk, "I'll leave you to it."  Ren smiled, "See you. Thanks again Thyme." Thyme waves and Gorya stands next to him as Ren opens the door to his car for me. 

...

As he drove me home, something that couldn't leave my mind was doubt. I massaged my ring throughout up until Ren parked next to the sidewalk.

Ren and I sat in front of my house and I stayed in my seat. He looks at me and asks, "You, okay?" I looked down at my ring and took a deep breath. I looked at Ren who only held concern for me in his eyes. I asked, "Are we moving too fast?" 

"What do you mean?" 

My eyes trailed onto the illuminated street, and licked my lips, "I mean, I'm wearing this ring and we suddenly are acting...I don't know. Close?" 

I looked at him and asked, "Am I the only one thinking this?"  Ren opens his mouth but then closes it as he thinks of what to say. He met eye contact with me and hesitantly asked, "How do you want us to pace...this." 

"I just can't tell if this is for show or if any of this is genuine. Because if this is for show...I feel..."

I picked the raw skin on my thumb and out of embarrassment, I whispered, "I feel like I don't want it to be." As much as I wanted, I could never read his mind. Nor his intentions. This confession enough gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. I felt stupid for asking a question I could already guess the answer to. When suddenly, he takes my hand–covering my thumb. I looked at him, and he sends me a soft smile that would make any girl swoon. 

"Everything I did today was genuine. Are your actions true as well? True to what you feel for me?" I blinked, my hand sweating both of ours as he held it in his grasp. My heart beat accelerated as he continued to watch me, his gaze was curious but nervous. "Do...you like me?" I asked. 

He snorted into a laugh, "Of course I like you. And before you ask it's not because of our engagement."

I sent an incredulous look towards him, and he said, "Maybe, it did play a factor in it. But I do like you, Nova. I have feelings for you." I felt instant relief in my heart that we shared the same sentiment. I smiled as he continued, "If we're going too fast, or too slow...you can decide how fast or how normal we can go. This is new territory for both of us. If you don't want to wear the ring or if you do want to wear it, you can choose." 

I chuckled, "Thanks, Ren." A corner of his lips lifts and he talks my hand, twists it so the back of my hand meets his lips. He gives me a light, soft kiss and lays my hand down on top of the armrest. I bit my lip to keep myself from showing my giddiness –if that's possible. Ren sighed, "We're in this together. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts with me...ok?" 

I nodded, "Ok."

...

Note:

Oh my gosh, guys! This story hit #1 for ren which is crazy!! Thank you for 22K and voting as always. Right now, we are still on episode 8 just before the bday party so stay tuned. Thank you guys so much, I am very appreciative of all your comments and can't wait for you to read the upcoming chapters.