Chapter Text
The rain had stopped just before dawn, leaving the village washed clean beneath a pale gray sky. As Rose climbed out of the truck beside Din, the earth released the rich scent of wet soil and fresh leaves, and the cool morning air carried the promise of another humid day.
Already, people were moving from house to house with woven baskets filled with fruit, flowers, and bundles of herbs. Everywhere she looked, someone was preparing for the wedding. A wedding Rose still couldn't quite believe was happening.
It was fake, but necessary. And somehow becoming more complicated with every passing day. "Rose." She turned as Din adjusted the strap of a heavy rice sack over her shoulder.
"You'll probably meet someone today." Rose frowned. "Someone important?" Din hesitated just long enough for Rose to notice before answering. "...Taew." The name had an immediate effect. Several villagers within earshot suddenly became very interested in arranging flower garlands that had apparently required their full concentration all along. Rose looked between them. "Oh."
Din somehow managed to look even more uncomfortable. Before she could explain, Aunt Mali appeared seemingly out of nowhere with three woven baskets balanced effortlessly in her arms. "If you see Taew," she said, pointing firmly at Rose, "don't misunderstand her."
Rose blinked. "I haven't even met her." "Exactly." A laugh came from somewhere behind them. "Too late," one of the older women called. "Everyone misunderstands Taew." Din sighed. "Can everyone please stop". "No," Aunt Mali interrupted without missing a beat. "They cannot."
She turned back to Rose with complete seriousness. "That girl has been in love with Din since they were teenagers." Rose stared. "...What?"
"The whole village knows," Aunt Mali said with a solemn nod.
Another voice joined in. "She used to follow Din around like a puppy."
"She did not," Din protested immediately.
"She absolutely did."
"You shared one umbrella for an entire rainy season."
"That happened once!"
"It happened six times."
Rose slowly turned toward Din.
Din pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I hate this village."
Laughter rippled through the courtyard.
Rose didn't laugh.
Loved her since they were teenagers?
No one had mentioned that. Not once.
"You don't need to worry," Din said gently, noticing the look on Rose's face. "It was a long time ago."
Rose folded her arms. "Is she over you?"
Din opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
"...I don't know."
That answer somehow made Rose feel worse. By noon, she'd built an entire version of Taew in her imagination. Elegant. Reserved. Hopelessly devoted to Din. Probably beautiful. Definitely intimidating.
She imagined long, lingering glances across crowded courtyards, awkward silences thick with old feelings, and quiet resentment toward the outsider who happened to be standing beside the woman she'd loved for years. Rose wasn't entirely sure why any of it bothered her. It wasn't as though Din was really marrying her.
The engagement was fake. The wedding was a performance. Nothing about it was real. So why couldn't she stop wondering about the woman everyone seemed determined to warn her about?
"You've been quiet." Rose looked up as Din settled beside her beneath the old mango tree, stretching her legs out in the shade.
"I'm thinking."
"...About Taew?"
Rose smiled faintly and looked away.
"...Maybe."
Din scratched the back of her neck.
"She's..."
Rose waited. How did someone hesitate that much over a single person?
"Complicated," Din finally said.
Rose laughed softly.
"That doesn't help."
"I know."
Silence settled between them for a moment before Din spoke again, her voice quieter this time.
"She's one of the strongest people I've ever met."
Rose turned toward her.
"And?"
Din smiled despite herself.
"And she smiles even when she's angry."
Rose groaned dramatically.
"That sounds terrifying."
"It is."
"So..." Rose studied Din's face carefully. "She's beautiful too."
Din blinked.
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Suddenly fascinated by the dirt beneath her boots, Din avoided her eyes completely. Rose couldn't help smiling.
"You're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
"I'm hot."
"We're sitting in the shade."
"...It's humid."
Rose laughed.
Din was hopeless.
Late that afternoon, the low rumble of a motorcycle echoed through the valley.
Conversation around the courtyard slowed as several villagers looked toward the road.
"She's back."
Rose's stomach tightened. Without thinking, she stepped a little closer to Din. A motorcycle rolled into view through a cloud of dust before stopping near the entrance to the village. The rider removed a black helmet, and long dark hair tumbled over her shoulders.
She wore fitted jeans tucked into heavy boots and a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows. A silver chain hung casually from one pocket, while a pair of sunglasses rested on top of her head despite the overcast sky.
She looked less like someone returning to a farming village and more like someone who belonged on the streets of Bangkok.
With easy confidence, she swung one leg off the motorcycle. People waved. She waved back with an easy grin. Then her eyes found Din. For just a heartbeat, everything about her softened. The smile became warmer. Gentler. Older somehow.
Rose saw it immediately. The history. The affection. The years they had shared. Her chest tightened. So everyone had been telling the truth. Taew crossed the courtyard at an unhurried pace until she stopped directly in front of Din.
She smiled.
"You've gotten taller."
Din stared at her.
"I'm thirty."
"I know."
"You haven't seen me in four months."
"You could've grown."
Din rolled her eyes.
"You haven't changed."
"I know."
Then Taew turned.
Instead of looking back at Din, she fixed her attention entirely on Rose.
"Oh."
Her smile widened.
"So you're Rose."
Rose nodded cautiously.
"Yes."
Taew looked her over for a brief moment. Not rudely. Almost thoughtfully.
"Hm."
Suddenly, Rose became acutely aware of her own heartbeat. Taew stepped closer, close enough for Rose to catch the scent of rain and jasmine. "I've heard you're beautiful," she said with an amused smile.
Rose blinked.
"You have?"
"Mhm."
Taew tilted her head.
"They undersold you."
Heat rushed into Rose's cheeks before she could stop it. Behind them, Din made a strangled choking sound. Taew never looked away from Rose.
"I was expecting pretty," she said. "I wasn't expecting breathtaking."
Rose's mind went completely blank.
"I..."
Taew raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"I..."
Nothing.
Not a single coherent thought.
Taew laughed; a bright, delighted sound that seemed to echo through the courtyard.
"Oh, that's adorable."
Din finally found her voice.
"Taew."
"Hm?"
"I thought you were in love with me."
Taew looked at her with complete sincerity.
"I was."
Rose's eyes widened.
Was?
"But then I met your girlfriend."
The courtyard fell silent. A heartbeat later, Taew smiled at Rose again.
"I'm beginning to think you were just standing in the way."
Din's jaw actually dropped open. Rose covered her face with both hands.
"Oh my God."
Laughter exploded around them. Aunt Mali nearly dropped one of her baskets.
"I told you!" she shouted. "Everyone misunderstands Taew!"
Taew looked genuinely puzzled.
"What?"
"You've known her for ten seconds!"
"I know."
Her eyes returned to Rose.
"Imagine how much trouble I'll be after ten days."
Rose could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.
"You're impossible."
Taew leaned in just enough that Rose completely forgot how to breathe.
"And yet..." she murmured warmly, "you smiled."
Rose hadn't even realized she was smiling until that moment. Embarrassed, she looked away. Taew laughed again. Beside them, Din groaned dramatically.
"I'm already regretting introducing you two."
Without missing a beat, Taew slipped an arm comfortably around Din's shoulders.
"You'll always be special to me."
Din visibly relaxed. Then Taew pointed directly at Rose.
"But I think she's going to be the death of me."
Rose felt her face burn. Din looked from Taew to Rose and then back again.
"What is happening?"
Taew only winked.
"I have excellent taste."
For the first time since arriving in the village, Rose forgot to be afraid of the woman everyone had warned her about. Because instead of meeting a rival, she had met a disaster.
A charming, shameless, devastatingly attractive disaster who had somehow managed to make both the bride and the groom blush within the span of five minutes. Neither Rose nor Din noticed that beneath Taew's effortless smile and relentless flirting, her attention never truly stopped moving. Every casual glance toward the surrounding hills was measured, every shift in the crowd quietly observed. She had already recognized two men working for the people threatening Rose's family. They still believed she was on their side.
Taew intended to keep it that way. For as long as she could.