"Hello?�

"Aum? Hey it�s me Nook.�

"Oh hey Nook.� Aum answered, still a bit weary from staying by Tao�s side all day, �what�s up? Are you coming today?�

"Coming where?� Nook was confused.

"Didn�t Oil tell you? I asked him to��

"Actually�no�� Nook�s tone of voice changed when she heard Oil�s voice.

"Tao�s been in the hospital since last night because Tanya tried to kill him. I saw Oil a too and asked him to tell you about Tao�didn�t you get the message?� Aum was skeptical that Oil would relay the message to Nook.

"That�s horrible! Is he alrite?� Nook was scared.

"He�s doing much better today. The doctor said that once he regains consciousness he�ll take some more tests before he can actually release him. So are you going to come today or what?�

"I�I�can�t� Nook stumbled on her words as she kept glancing up at the screen.

"Why not!?� Aum whined.

"I�m�I�m actually at the airport right now�� Nook confessed.

"What! Why?� Aum went a bit hysterical, it was too fast, �What are you doing there?�

"I�m going to Berkeley�I sent in my intent to register and I�m flying over there today��

"Why all of a sudden? Weren�t we supposed to go together? What happened?�

"I just�I figured out my calling in life and it�s in Berkeley��

"I don�t believe you�� Aum spoke accusingly, she wasn�t going to let Nook off that easily.

"I�I don�t know what else to tell you, but my flight�s boarding in a couple of minutes�I�ll call you when I reach Berkeley�� Nook hung up.

"Nook! Wait!� Aum screamed into the phone, �Oh god! What�s gotten into her?� She hung up her cell phone and walked into the hospital to check on Tao.

"I just don�t know what�s gotten into her Tao�� Aum spoke to the unconscious Tao, �Could it be��

---------------------------

"Bye mom, bye dad,� Nook gave each of them a big hug as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Take care sweetie�� Mrs. Kasemsan hugged her daughter with the same emotion, �And don�t forget to call when you arrive there okay?�

"Thanks�� Nook wiped up the tears and waved to her parents as she set foot into the boarding terminal�and onto a new life.

"Goodbye everyone,� she whispered as she took her seat and looked out the window, �Goodbye�Oil��

---------------------------

Knock Knock Knock

"Nook? Are you up yet?� Oil stood anxiously by her door. He knocked again but received no answer so he tried opening the door.

"Hey�it�s not even locked�Heh heh�� He smiled and invited himself in�

"Surpri�� To his dismay he was met with an empty room.

"She�s not even here�� Oil scratched his head and looked around the room, �It�s pretty clean in here�she even put away her lotion�� He had a strange feeling in his stomach and walked over to the bathroom where her toothbrush was gone. He walked out and flung open the closet to find it also empty.

"What the hell is going on!� He kicked the closet door closed, �Malee! Malee!�

Malee came running upon hearing Oil scream out, �Yes sir?�

"Look at this! Why is this room empty like there�s no one living here!?� Oil was angry and frustrated, �Did Nook come home last night?�

"Yes I saw Khun Nook come in, but I never saw her leave so I assumed she was still here�� Malee looked around at the empty room.

"If she was here then where did all her stuff go?!� Oil walked around and started thinking.

"She can�t have saw me and Tanya�could she?� He thought to himself, �Dammit! Nook where could you be�� Oil looked up and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the Kasemsan house number.

"Shit! No answer at home�she can�t be mad at me�can she?� Oil rushed downstairs and drove over to Nook�s house.

"Nook! Open up! I know you�re in there! Whatever it was I did�I�m sorry!� He banged on the front door.

"Sir?� Jaew opened the door to see Oil, �Sir, Khun Nook is not here��

"You�re lying!� He barged inside the house and ran around the house with the hope of finding her�he was left with disappointment.

"Jaew! Where is Nook? I know you know where she is!� Oil shook her frantically.

"Sir please! Khun Nook isn�t here, she left a long time ago, they didn�t tell me where they were going��

"Liar! Where are Nook�s parents? They have to have known where she went!�

"Sir, Mr. and Mrs. aren�t here now, they won�t be back for a long time.�

"Dammit!� Oil stomped out of the house and sped away in his car.

"Where is she?� He returned back home to see if it was all a misunderstanding and Nook had actually came back.

"Where else could she�� Oil got an idea and drove away to the hospital, he had remembered Aum asking him to tell Nook about Tao�maybe she found out before he had a chance to tell her�there was no other place she could be!

---------------------------

"Nook!� Oil burst into Tao�s room like a madman.

"Shhh!� Aum hushed at him, �Can�t you see he�s sleeping?� She moved away from Tao�s side and walked over to Oil.

"Sorry�I�is Nook here?� Oil asked anxiously.

Aum paused for a second before answering him, �No she hasn�t, apparently you never delivered my message to her�� Aum was a bit pissed off.

"That�s not true! She has to be here�there�s no where else she could be�� Oil spoke hysterically.

"She hasn�t been here, and never will be here anymore.�

"What�s that suppose to mean?� Oil looked at Aum with and questioning look.

"Uhhh�nothing, since you never told her, I don�t think she�s gonna come here anytime soon�� Aum tried to cover up her mistake.

"You�re lying�� Oil wasn�t believing her story, �You know something, don�t you?�

"So what?� Aum retaliated, �Even if I did, I would never tell you! You�ve put Nook through so much pain and suffering, what does it matter to you if she�s gone? You�ve got Tanya back now don�t you! You�ve won, and that�s all that matters to you isn�t it?!� She screamed at him, forgetting that she might wake Tao up.

"What are you talking about? Tanya?� Oil shook his head, trying to piece together what Aum said.

"Forget it,� Aum spoke seriously, �she�s better off without you�you don�t deserve someone as sweet as her�you had your chance and you blew it��

"It�s not true! I love her, I�ve always loved her!� Oil was on the brink of tears, Aum�s words cut him deeply, �She knows that I love her!�

"Does she?� Aum replied coldy.

Oil froze, he realized how he never actually told Nook he loved her without trying to hurt her. She never knew how he really felt, only the pain of false love he once told her. He slowly backed away from Aum, realizing that the thing that drove Nook away was nothing other than, him. He ran away from the room, away from the horrible truth that Aum had just presented him with.

Once he got home, he ran up to Nook�s room and collapsed onto her bed. Tears fell from his eyes as he clutched the white linen the two of them had once shared. He was at fault�he was the reason she left, and it he would never know if he could bring her back.

---------------------------

"Ugh�� Tao moved a little, and stopped.

"Tao?� Aum woke up at the sound of his voice, �Tao? Are you awake?� She was filled with happiness that he was going to be alrite.

"Aum?� Tao spoke softly as his eyes lifted open.

"I�m glad you�re finally awake,� Aum smiled down at him, "For a second there I thought you�d become �sleeping beauty�� She laughed.

"Hey�since when were men beautiful?� He stared up at her.

"Why? They can�t be?� She mocked him.

"I�ll be whatever you want me to be�� Tao took her hand and smiled, "As long as you promise to never leave my side��

"Hmmm�� Aum smiled and put her hand over his, �We�ll see��

He took her hand and kissed it as she looked into his eyes.

"This is the one�� Tao thought and held onto her hand all through the night.

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