Turned Upside down

Beau stared in the direction the man had run in.

"I'm sorry I couldn't act fast enough," Lanet said, his tone heavy with guilt.

I'm so screwed… and not in the good way. Beau thought in frustration. Life had been so much simpler because he wasn't famous. He wasn't important—wasn't someone people cared enough to notice. But now... things would be different.

"Beau, I'm really sorry. You were leaning on me, and it took me a while to—"

"Don't, Lanet." Beau cut him off. "It's no one's fault."

He scanned the clearing around them. The crowd had reduced, leaving only a few people behind. His jaw clenched as he allowed his new reality to settle in. Fame had its perks, sure, but privacy wasn't one of them.

"I've always been a private person, and now I'm starting to remember why," Beau said bitterly.

Lanet sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't get much privacy. I mean, you can only control so much when you're out in public." He hesitated before adding, "Look, I'll try to track him down. Maybe I can buy the photos or something."

Beau scoffed under his breath. "This is so stupid. What did I even expect?"

"Let's just get out of here," Lanet offered quietly.

Numbness seeped into Beau's limbs as he pushed himself up from the blanket. Together, they packed their belongings in silence, the once-lighthearted atmosphere now filled with tension. The walk along the trail back to Lanet's house was no better.

Beau's thoughts turned relentlessly. His life as a thief was over; it had to be. How could he keep stealing when everyone knew who he was? The plan to rob Hue came to his mind, and he groaned aloud, earning a sidelong glance from Lanet.

By the time they reached Lanet's house, the silence was suffocating. Beau finally snapped, breaking it. "Look, this is… this is a bit much for me."

"I'm sorry about all this," Lanet said at the same time.

They spoke at the same time, which made them both pause. Lanet pressed his lips together. "You can go first."

Beau released a heavy sigh. "There's nothing we can do about it, is there?"

Lanet shook his head and headed up the stairs to his bedroom. Without hesitation, Beau followed.

"I'm sorry," Lanet said as he pushed the door open. "I'll find out who that guy was and try to get those photos—if they aren't already all over the internet."

"You think they'd spread that fast?"

He shrugged, his expression clouded with guilt. "I'm sorry. I brought you into this life."

"Well," Beau spoke in a resigned tone, "this was bound to happen eventually. It's not like we've been hiding."

"Yeah… just a little sooner than I expected." Lanet dropped onto the bed with a tired groan. "I know this complicates things for you. Up until now, the only trace of you online was the clinic you work at. And now…" He trailed off, seemingly struggling to find the right words. "Are you… are you reconsidering us? I keep saying sorry, but—"

Before he could finish, Beau crossed the room and closed the distance between them. He placed a hand on Lanet's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Lanet. Stop apologizing."

"Do you still want to date?" Lanet asked hesitantly, his eyes searching Beau's face. "I mean, I do, but—"

"Yes, Lanet, I do," Beau interrupted, cutting through his doubt. "Now forget about that guy. Let's just enjoy the rest of the day."

The tension in Lanet's shoulders eased slightly, though the worry didn't entirely leave his gaze.

Beau's mind was still filled with what he could do to prevent his face from being plastered all over God knows what. Maybe Nova could pull off some miracle to make him disappear if it came to that.

"Well," Lanet said after a moment, "I was thinking of taking you to some restaurant at the mall for dinner later. If you're up for it."

Beau hesitated, his heart thundering at the thought of being in such a public place after everything that had happened. But he refused to let fear ruin this. He gave Lanet a small smile. "Sure. Why not?"

Determined, he pushed down the unease. Today was about them, not the prying eyes of the world.

"I'm nervous as hell, but let's do it," Beau released a soft breath.

Lanet gave him a reassuring smile. It was a simple gesture, but it made Beau feel much better.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, with Lanet busying himself with work while Beau was left to his own devices.

When night finally came, they were in the back of Lanet's sleek car, heading to the restaurant. The soft hum of the engine did little to calm Beau.

"You look really nice," Lanet said, breaking the silence.

Beau glanced down at his outfit, a mix of casual and formal—a safe choice given he hadn't known what the evening would be like. "Thanks. You look great too."

The car pulled up to an elegant building, its softly lit chandeliers exuding luxury in all its forms. As they stepped inside, a waiter greeted them immediately, leading them to a secluded table in the far corner of the dining room.

"This place is fancy," Beau whispered, leaning closer to Lanet as his gaze flitted across the room. The other diners were dressed classy, their quiet chatter blending with the soft clinking of glasses and silverware.

"It is," Lanet said with a grin as he pulled out a chair for Beau. "But I don't come here for the ambiance. I come for the fish curry—it's the best you'll ever have."

Beau took his seat, as Lanet settled across from him.

"In that case, I'll have the fish curry," Beau decided.

"Great choice." Lanet gave a pleased nod and placed the order.

It wasn't long before a waiter arrived, carefully setting down a steaming plate of curry and rice before Beau. 

"This smells incredible," Beau murmured. He took his first bite, and a soft moan escaped him as the sweet and savory spices danced on his tongue.

"I'm glad you love it," Lanet smiled with pride.

"Who wouldn't? This is so flavourful—it's perfect," Beau said.

Lanet chuckled, watching him with admiration. "I wish my cook could make it like this, but that's a faraway dream."

Beau tilted his head curiously. "Who do you stay with anyway, that you'd even need a cook?"

"Alone, most of the time," Lanet admitted. "Sometimes my parents visit."

Beau noticed the way Lanet's smile faltered, a hint of sadness in his eyes. He wanted to ask more about Lanet's parents, but something about the moment made him hold back.

"Don't you get lonely in that big mansion?" he asked instead.

Lanet opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a waiter approached their table and set a drink down beside Beau's plate.

"Did you order this for me?" Beau asked, blinking in surprise.

"No," Lanet's brows knitted together in confusion.

The waiter offered a polite smile. "This drink is from someone else." She subtly gestured toward a man who was now making his way toward their table.

Beau stiffened.

Over my dead body. The disgust on his face was impossible to hide.

"What's a handsome boy like you doing with a man like him?" Ronald Hue—the arrogant, rich prick who had turned the town into his personal playground of misery—slid into the seat next to Beau. He didn't even spare Lanet a glance, his entire focus locked on Beau.

"And what's your name, handsome?" Hue's gaze crawled over Beau like an unwelcome touch.

Lanet scoffed. His jaw tightened as if it were taking every ounce of self-control not to send Hue flying out of the chair.

Beau forced a polite, confused smile, tilting his head as if trying to place Hue. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

Hue blinked, clearly not expecting that. His momentary hesitation showed a crack in his otherwise inflated ego, but he quickly recovered. Squaring his shoulders, he replied, "Ronald Hue, owner of—"

Beau raised a hand, cutting him off smoothly. His voice, though polite, was sharp. "Mr. Hue, if you'd kindly take back your drink, I'm afraid you're disturbing our date."

Beau could feel the shift around them. A few nearby diners had paused their conversations to watch the exchange.

"What?" Hue hissed through gritted teeth.

Quiet snickers rippled through the crowd, followed by murmured comments. Beau caught someone whispering, "I bet he's not used to hearing 'no.' This must be killing him."

Hue's face flushed a deep red as his gaze swept the room. He stood abruptly, glaring at Beau before turning his fiery gaze to Lanet, who now sat calmly with an unreadable expression.

"In the end," Hue growled, his voice low and full of menace, "I always get what I want. Don't think you can embarrass me and get away with it. I will have your little toy."