Chapter 451: We Left the Shore but Not What Drowned There
There was a pause. "Huh? What did you say?" Clyde asked, voice full of confusion.
Micah shut his eyes. "I said..." He gritted his teeth, fighting the embarrassment. "I... love you."
This time it was slightly louder. Almost audible.
"Are you alright? Where are you right now?" Clyde’s panicked voice came through the phone.
Micah’s ears burned. "You stupid man! I’m never saying this ever again!" He barked the words in frustration and hung up, stabbing the screen with his thumb.
The phone buzzed a second later, Clyde calling back. Micah declined it ruthlessly. Then again and again.
He seethed with anger. Clyde! What a jerk!
He shoved the phone back into his pocket and ran both hands through his hair.
After that near-death experience, he wanted to have no regrets anymore. So he had started with Clyde. He never thought his confession would be treated like this!
Fuck! He would never say the word love! Ever again!
The sky was darkening fast, clouds gathering over the horizon. Micah sighed and started walking back toward the villa.
When he arrived, Zhou Ruyan was standing in the foyer, giving instructions to the butler while a pair of suitcases waited by the door.
"Grandma," Micah called softly.
She turned, her frown easing. "Where were you?"
"Ah...I just went for a swim," Micah replied as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Go take a shower and change quickly. We are leaving in thirty minutes." Zhou Ruyan said.
Micah blinked. "What? Why? I thought you wanted to stay one more night because of Mrs Arsham?"
"There is an alert that a cyclone will hit this area soon. It’s safer to return early." Zhou Ruyan replied.
"Oh. Okay." Micah nodded and hurried to his room.
He didn’t see Darcy his way upstairs, though he knew the other must be packing too. The thought made his chest tighten again.
He quickly showered and changed.
By the time they loaded the car and reached the airport, night had fallen. The wind howled outside, bending the palm trees near the runway.
Inside the waiting area, the atmosphere was heavy. Micah sat beside his grandmother, while Darcy stood a few feet away, scrolling through his phone, expression stiff.
When their flight was called, they boarded in silence. The air smelled faintly of fuel and rain.
Darcy chose the window seat while Micah sat across the aisle beside Zhou Ruyan. The hum of the engine filled the space between them.
As the plane took off, Micah glanced at Darcy. The young man leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, face turned toward the window.
Time passed, and the lights turned on.
Zhou Ruyan leaned toward Micah the moment Darcy went to the restroom. Her eyes were soft but curious. "Did you two fight?" she whispered.
Micah bit the inside of his cheek, forcing a small smile. "Nah. Just a disagreement. Nothing serious. Don’t worry, Grandma."
He was thankful that Darcy’s behaviour toward Zhou Ruyan was still respectful, just as it had always been. Even before their argument, Darcy had never been particularly close or warm with Zhou Ruyan. He never called her grandmother either.
She hummed thoughtfully, clearly unconvinced.
Micah patted her hand, reassuring her. "Really, it’s fine."
When Darcy returned, Zhou Ruyan watched him quietly. She didn’t push the topic further. She thought the boys had fought about Clyde. After all, that man had left abruptly earlier. She believed the boys would sort things out soon. So she didn’t meddle.
Micah put on his headphones and opened a movie on the seat screen, trying to distract himself. But even as the scenes flickered before him, his mind drifted elsewhere.
He kept glancing sideways, catching fragments of Darcy’s reflection in the dark window.
Sometimes Darcy’s eyes were closed, expression grim. Sometimes he stared at the wing of the plane. Other times, he seemed lost in thought. His fingers tapped slightly against the armrest, jaw set.
Micah’s heart twisted painfully. He wanted to say something, anything, but every word he rehearsed in his head sounded wrong. So he stayed silent.
The rest of the flight passed in heavy quiet, broken only by the flight attendants’ voices or the occasional rattle of turbulence.
When the plane finally descended, the sky was bright again.
Micah’s stomach churned as they landed. The seatbelt sign blinked off, and they began gathering their belongings. He forced a polite smile for Zhou Ruyan, helping her with her bag.
Darcy was already standing, sliding his carry-on from the overhead compartment. His expression remained cool, detached, as if the person Micah once knew was hidden behind a wall he couldn’t reach anymore.
Micah followed him through the terminal, keeping a respectful distance. His hands fidgeted at his sides, fingers brushing against the handle of his suitcase. Every step felt heavier.
When they reached the arrival hall, Micah spotted several familiar faces, members of the Ramsy family waiting near the gates. He felt a wave of dread crash over him.
What if Darcy ignored the Ramsy family?
He regretted asking his family to come to the airport. Back when he had made the call, he thought their arrival would be warm and happy, showing everyone that Darcy and he were okay with the baby switch. But now, with the silence between them colder than the plane cabin air, the idea terrified him.
Micah’s eyes flickered toward Darcy. The black-haired young man stood tall, posture composed, with an air of indifference. He looked like he didn’t care about this meetup.
His heart ached. They hadn’t spoken a single word since that argument on the beach.
As they walked through the glass door, chatter swelled around them. His ears buzzed like when he had been trapped underwater. Micah had not let Zhou Ruyan or anyone else know about his near-death experience. Not even Clyde.
That incident was terrifying, something that could easily overshadow their return. Micah didn’t want that. He wanted to be a joyful occasion, not some horror movie, a grim reminder of how he had nearly drowned. And Darcy was forced to save him, risking his own life.
Micah knew his family. They would fuss over him first, making it seem like they didn’t care about Darcy. He didn’t want the rift between Darcy and his family to grow any wider than it already had.