Love to Lose~

-x-

After Simone has soundly slept for her nap, Tyson made sure he had locked all the windows and main door before he left for Kai's call. 'Now what does that bastard has to say?' He sneered mentally and drove his car.

Tyson ambled into the large expanse of the four star restaurant and looked around for Kai. Spotting him, he casually joined him on the round coffered table opposite to him. "Greetings," he said aridly. Kai gave a nod.

"Have some tea, Tyson."

"I haven't come here for tea. What's your motive?" Tyson frowned harshly.

"I've come here to talk about Hilary. I'm not supporting anyone. I just want to know the truths." Kai demanded calmly, folding his arms across.

"Truths?" Tyson jeered, "What kind of truths that you are looking for that Hilary couldn't say you and you had to meet ME for unearthing it?" He sipped some water to calm his raging nerves. Sitting in front of his wife's boyfriend wasn't easy. Tyson wished if this person never existed. 'Oh, Hilary would have looked for someone else in lieu.'

"Why did you marry her when you were not interested in her clearly? Where did she go wrong?" Kai questioned the first thing that would have occurred in his mind.

Tyson gave a disastrous glare to him and almost crumbled the glass in his hold of fingers, "Not interested? Who said this to you huh? That cheater?"

"Answer me," Kai urged calmly.

"For your information, Hilary and I were high school lovers. We first met at 16. That's where our dopey friendship started. Fell in love at 17. Nah, she wasn't a bitch at that time." He seethed as he revealed every part of truth and flashback, "We were baseball lovers, canteen buddies, late night studies partners and what not," he mulled, "Despite her parents never appreciating our relationship, we dared to take it to next level before 20." He examined Kai's reaction. He was calmly listening. "We married at 24. We were happy. She...she wasn't a bad person. Was just a little liar sometimes and stubborn at times. But I knew that, I accepted that anyway." Tyson sighed as he entailed into their flashbacks. Delicate she was, little selfish and willful but he loved her anyway. That didn't stop him. "I don't know why she changed." He himself was confused.

"How she changed?" Kai quizzically mused, "When did that happen?"

Tyson clutched his hair bangs in regret and covered his face, "Why...why are you asking this?" He mumbled jadedly.

"Because I want to know her. I know her since-"

"Since 4 years. But I know her since past 12 years." He snapped suddenly showing his fierce auburn eyes, doubtlessly accusing him.

"Correct." Kai gave a nod,

"Look, you're my wife's boyfriend. It's my kindness and generosity that I came to meet you on your call. But now I can't bear your presence anymore. Because, it just hurts to see you. You were the reason she cheated me." He was frustrated as he expressed.

"I've left her." Kai admitted. "Or may I say, she left me."

Tyson stood up from the chair, "What?"

"You can sit. Everyone are looking at us." Kai frowned at him, little angered at how hot headed he was.

Tyson scowled and sat back.

"What's happening here? You're not saying me anything!" Tyson glared indignantly at him.

"She left me because she was done with me. She don't want you either. She wants Simone now." Kai smirked bitterly.

"And until I'm alive and breathing, I'll not let that happen," Tyson sneered,

"You know her very well, don't you? Let me ask you. Who was the first to confess among you two during your teen years?" Kai strummed on the table slab coolly.

Tyson hesitated, "She..."

"And the same was with me. Hilary- she gets what she wants. Always. First it was you, then me. And now, she'll get Simone as well." Kai sighed,

Tyson darkly smirked, "You don't seem to know ME well. I haven't said you our entire story, Kai. Buckle up now to listen. But first answer this, why are you doing this to me? I'm not neither your friend nor-"

"Because I sympathize!" Kai yelled almost, "She thinks men are heartless. But no, I wasn't. And I hope you weren't too."

"Oh," Tyson chuckled, "So this is an ego satisfaction and justification session?"

"You may think that. Now narrate your tale. I want nothing from you. I'm not going after Hilary. She left me and I'll never accept her ever." Kai hissed.

Tyson mused for few seconds, "In high school..." he doted, "I loved her and it was our friendship that progressed to things. But she had ego. She always did. She wanted play hard to get me despite the beautiful moments we were having. But," he smirked dangerously, "I had my own pride as well. I willingly ignored her for this attitude of hers. I was ready to digest her little lies which she thought I don't know. I was ready to accept her slight selfishness and uncaring attitude because she wasn't a bad person at heart. She helped me and was sweet, I guess." He gulped, "My ignorance and distancing hurt her. Before it would become too much, she boldly took the first step to confess me. Once that phase was over, there were no hurdles ahead. Because we were officially a couple now, I happily endured all her antics. And Kai?" Tyson said amusingly.

"What?"

"I bet she was tender with you. You didn't face any such issues while you dated her. Did you?"

Kai smugly looked down, little submissive to this, "She wasn't this bad with me."

"No, she wasn't at all dominating at you I bet. Because you're a tough guy, man." Tyson winked. Kai smiled at him honestly, "I guess you're right. She lied to me because I didn't know her all well of her habits but she wasn't egoistic and dominating." Kai nodded,

"Well... Hilary still was my sweetheart. My heartbeat... she kept my rhythm there, alive and happily beating," he smiled, "We did every forbidden thing." He even blushed slightly, "It was our secret. We trekked, toured in snow, slept in cave, dived in oceans, did air gliding." He chortled, "Even once we fooled our Physics sir, pranked on Principal, always got detention together. She was my hero because despite being rambunctious and hot, she was amongst class toppers. I usually dragged her in detentions because well," he chuckled, "I wasn't the brightest student, at least not like her. But when I was given detentions she would willingly drag her into one, just so we could spend time. Later that genius would explain me the missed lessons. More often, we would entail into an entirely different session, romancing desperately and abandoning the books." He simpered commemorating, "We were so happy and perfect...we... we were partners in crime, partners in every adventure we did, and finally partners of life! I thought I got everything I wanted. I'd Hilary, a bright career and wealth. She was happy too...but." he paused, confused and retrospecting, "Marriage didn't change her. Time did or maybe... I did. Maybe I should have given her more time. But, I believe she was becoming done with me. And..." his smile faded, "She didn't understand my efforts. I didn't expect this sort of immaturity. She didn't believe me when I swore I was tired each night. She grew selfish, uncaring. Maybe I should have dropped my career. I gave her time Kai, but it wasn't always possible!"

"It's not your fault, Tyson." Kai sympathized, feeling so bad for this guy, "Hilary was not patient."

"I took her out even in those nights when my eyes were shutting close and I was so sleepy and jetlagged. I sacrificed my personal comfort so much for her. She never understands this," he bitterly smirked, voice tremulous.

"Tyson..." Kai whispered, "I'm sorry for what happened with you. But... but why did you torture her?"

"Say what? Torture?" His eyes widened,

"Why you did physically tortured her? She said you used to beat her, and keep her starving for days!" Kai puckered,

Tyson shook, bursting out in laughter, "I...I tortured her? Physically?" He held his stomach and bend to laugh his pain out,

"Why are you laughing?" Kai seethed,

"Because what you're saying IS laughable, Kai. I guess you believed her and why wouldn't you?" Tyson composed back, "I never tortured her. Never. Never did any of the things you said. She's a liar. And I can't believe she said this to you about me. God damn her." He scowled, "I never cheated her. She did."

"You know why she lied about you?" Kai asked calmly with a cool demeanor.

"I... why would I know?" Tyson shrugged.

"Because she wanted my attention." He said,

"Might be." Tyson sniggered,

"Which you were not giving her."

"Which I was giving her but wasn't sufficient for her." Tyson slammed the table furiously, "What do you think? I was at least not hooking up with other women on her back! I've thousands of fan girls swooning over me, so many women who would have happily dated me, but I never gave them the love and attention I'd for my wife! I was busy, but she's the reason I was busy," he yelled, eyes becoming glassy, "She demanded a lavishing life, so I was earning it! For her. She would be going out at construction site each day to pass her time building a new home for us. And you know what Kai, she had spent so much money in waste on that house. At least I'm not dying to live luxuriously. I just wanted her. Just her! Her by my side."

"Tyson I'm not here to-"

"No! You asked for it, now listen up." He blasted, riled up at everything, "You have no idea what I'm going through," he laughed through tears, quickly wiping them clean once again. Swallowing, he continued, "What do you think? I was stupid? Hilary is stupid! She had no idea that despite working hours away from her, I'd my eyes on her. I knew her lies all the time she thought I never know. I'd my men guarding on her all time. It was not because I was a suspicious guy. It was because I cared for her protection! And what do you think? I didn't know she had an affair with you?"

Tyson simpered maliciously, "I'd an eye on every move of her. The only thing was I was still trusting her. I believed she wouldn't betray me." His voice faltered tremulously, "I didn't love to lose somebody like her, Kai. I don't know when my love was this deficient for her that she started finding it in another man."

"Tyson..." Kai gasped, "I... I didn't know this. I'm so... sorry. I wronged but I never know the truth Tyson, believe me. When Hilary lied-"

"I knew what happened Kai, I've the knowledge of it all." Tyson smiled, "I had asked Hilary and she told she just had a good companion there. But slowly her lies became more and more."

"You knew everything and still you didn't stop her!" Kai yelled back.

"You should be happy I wasn't a hurdle in between you two," he contemptuously smirked,

"Cut the crap! Why didn't you stop her!"

"You think she was stoppable? I tried so much to spend my time with her so that she leaves you. When she was sick, I shut my whole world and stayed by her side till she was okay. No matter how much I tried to spend time and love her, I was never enough when you came in her life. She... she was done with me. She became harsh, rude and snappish at me without cause. She was drunk on you." He jeered, his heart breaking tortuously with every word he said and every moment he recalled.

"She had been so done with me." Eyes welled and he sighed so defeatedly that even Kai felt crippled for ever believing Hilary and destroying Tyson's life, "She was blind to whatever I tried to do. Me... missing my work for even a week to repair our relationship didn't work. She lied that she's working at your company while..." he laughed barely, "While you two dated." He stopped, "Excuse me," he got up, grabbing few tissue papers and exiting to washroom to cry his heart out, the bottled up maelstrom surfacing up so quickly. Kai was left so staggered and shocked. The fact that Hilary cheated Tyson even when there was no reason because of him gave him hard hit.

Clutching the edges of the counter of basin, his eyes were squeezed shut under the sparkling light. Tired of feeling of tears falling down and down his cheeks, he yelped out, "I hate you so much Hilary! You ruined us!" he coughed out and blood came out. He was not terrified, he was…used to it now. He rinsed his mouth.

Sighing out of ragged breaths, he splashed cold water on his face, his throat wobbling in sobs, sliding down the wall and squatting down, "I don't know why, but every time I look into your eyes, I see a thousand falling shooting stars conveying us- so many moments- friendship, love, intimacy, ego, lies, tiredness, fake promises and a fragile bond falling down."

He took out his phone, recovering from the cries. Trying to breathe normally, he strenuously ignored the throbbing pain in throat and aching chest, he pulled out his phone, "We end up. Never together." He browsed over five hundred photos of him and Hilary and of just hers starting from high school till marriage, deleting each and every one of them, erasing all those moments with each click. "You are dead in the story of my life." Sighing, he plugged in his phone, relieved from his own action.

"Tyson?"

"Forger her. You never deserve her. I'm with you." Kai stood there, firmly encouraging him.

"She has hurt you a lot. She used you very badly. I'm wholeheartedly sorry for that, Tyson. I was the reason." Kai was embarrassed,

Tyson chuckled. Getting up, he walked to him and smiled, "It was never your fault. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else. It was her fault and maybe partly my fault too." Tyson hugged him, "Thanks for the support, bud." Kai's heart moved when Tyson hugged him.

"I'll avenge Hilary for you." Kai declared. Tyson smiled amusingly, "I already avenged her by separating Simone from her." He darkly smiled, "She thought she was the only one who could play with feelings of others and torture me? I'd given her the worst punishment. Yeah it was me- I willingly made her undergo C section painfully. I grieved her for months after I made her believe she lost Simone. Instead of seeking closure from me in such fragile circumstances, she rather took advantage of it and eluded with you."

"Egos are what broke you two, more from her." Kai said disappointingly.

"Hers was overboard." Tyson shrugged, "Kai, what I did was wrong. But that was my revenge for what she did to me. We are equal and over." Tyson smiled, "You shouldn't leave her for me-"

"I didn't leave her. She left me." Kai grunted,

"Get her back. Don't leave her alone. Because she's not getting Simone-"

"Do you still love her?" Kai questioned abruptly,

Tyson's mouth hung open as it is. He nostalgically and hopelessly smiled, staring at the floor. His heart was shuddering, beating fast, crying and doing all the stuff that he couldn't handle,

"Answer me. Despite everything you've done, she's done, do you still love her?"

"I've always had, I always will and I still do." He said so dejectedly and disappointingly in a mumble that his own ears couldn't hear it. He felt so excruciated and tattered for still feeling for her and being under her toxic-love-spell, "But loving her always hurt. I don't want to have her now," He whispered, "Knowing she's safe and happy is enough for me. I've satisfied my ego years back by separating Simone from her. Now just leave me alone. I want to be alone with my daughter now, please." He walked past Kai, feeling absolutely throbbing chest-pain suddenly.

-x-

A/N: Hey guys, thanks so much for dropping such awesome reviews! I can say how bated and curious you all were, I appreciate your thoughts so much. Everyone had some different ideas and options and it was interesting to read all of them :) Okay so there was some hint about something of Tyson here. Anything you noticed? I hope you liked Tyson's and Kai's meeting. I hope I was able to keep them in character. especially Kai.

Since I've privately replied to reviews of authors who reviewed, I'll be addressing only the guest reviewers whom I cannot personally approach.

Guys, next chapter focuses Hilary and Flashbacks, buckle up for more. ;) Thanks for reading; leave and share your thoughts and guesses. :) I will share my own and justify each one in the chap's chap's AN.

Reply to Serena: Actually Hilary is slightly OOC here since it's not canon but the negativity portrayed in her character was too much and it's actually a build up through the story and wasn't there from the beginning. You'll see it and I guess you got a fair idea even through this chapter. Circumstances and her inherent selfishness got her doing all this stuff. Granger family angst and family problems? Even that's a nice concept, I'll try it next for you when I can. ^_^ thanks for sharing your precious thoughts dude ;)