Wait: Chapter #4

4 - Apart Together

Eun wordlessly parked Vee's car in the Coupley’s driveway. Marian waited for him to get out, watching from the corner of her eye as he left the keys with her and went immediately into his parent's house next door. 

She grabbed the keys and locked the door as she went up the front porch stairs. With the front door opened, she smelled food in the air. She set her mother’s keys down on the counter in the kitchen, dropping her purse from her shoulder. 

“There you are. Where’s EJ?” Vee asked as she came in from the back porch. 

“He went next door to clear some of his stuff from his old bedroom.” She grumbled, smelling some of the heated pots on the stove. She focused on the coriander and nutmeg bubbling from the rich brown beef broth, the small pockets of air escaping gave her happier, hungry thoughts rather than the topic her mother was pressing.

Vee walked by Marian and stopped her from picking at the food as she adjusted the silver lid. She gave her daughter a once over, noticing the red to the tip of her nose. She hoped the teary eyes she was looking into weren't permanent. Was pushing them together a mistake? “I hope he’s alright.” 

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Marian asked half heartedly as she left her mother's side, the refrigerator beckoning her instead. How severe could his problems be? Wasn’t he getting what he wanted? 

Hearing the false care-free tone to her voice, Vee hesitated in releasing the information. Would it hurt Marian more to know Eun hadn’t said anything directly to her about it? “It can’t be easy for him knowing his parents are moving back home.” 

Marian popped up in surprise, hitting the back of her head on the roof of the refrigerator as she tried to stand. She pulled back, dull pain at the base of her skull and aching in her heart. “What?!” She looked as her mother seemed unfazed. “Since when?” 

Vee took a seat at the table, drinking her glass of red wine as she went through her phone. “They originally were just going to sell the house and move closer to their offices, but a few days ago they decided to close those too and go back to Korea. They asked him to go with them so that he can practise there.” She had questioned his mother when the first moving van arrived.

Marian leaned against the counter as her mother updated her. How could they move after being so close for almost two decades? Was he planning to go with him? She argued with herself, her mind racing. No. He wouldn’t. His life, his job, everything was here. Was that why he was trying so hard not to tarnish his relationship with her family? Because reconciling with his own was looking dimmer everyday that went by?

She kicked herself, her selfishness hurt their friendship when he needed someone the most. “Did you find his keys mom?” 

As Vee pointed to the counter behind her daughter, she smiled to herself, knowing she had said exactly what she needed to hear. It hadn’t been a mistake. She kept quiet to herself as she watched Marian go, taking another sip as oak and berry washed over her tongue.

She looked to the ceiling as she tilted the glass away from her lips, the silence of the house working with her as she imagined where they could have been if her husband was still alive. What advice would he have given his daughter instead?

Vee wiped away the tear peeking out as she took another sip. She couldn't let grief take over her today. She would go on as best she could as she had promised him.

Marian ran her thumb past the jagged keys in her palm as she walked out the door, and over to the Jeong’s house. She skipped over the trimmed lime shrubbery, trying her best to stay on the rust earth coloured stone pathway leading up to the tan door. 

Preparing herself to knock, she straightened her dress, trying to stop herself from remaining terrified. She lifted her fists, knocking twice, ripping the band aid off. The following seconds seemed like hours as she waited, debating what she would say if his parents answered. 

As she saw a female figure through the glass door, she held her chest, knowing it was probably his mother, but still hoping severely it wasn’t Tracy. Had he really ended things? He said he had, but was it like him now to lie about it?

As his mother opened the door, she gave her a warm smile of relief. But as the taller Korean woman looked un-joyous, her smile dissolved with her confidence. 

Hye-rim's greying black hair was a bob by her ears and her thin pink lips were void of lipstick as her black glasses sat heavy on her face. Marian held up Eun’s car keys in suggestion, almost speechless as to why she was there. “Um, Eun forgot...I just want to give him-” 

“He’s upstairs.” Hye-rim said to her coldly as she walked out the door, passing with a chill to the air. Her acknowledgement was minimal. But coming from her, Marian knew it was the warmest she could be. She watched her get into her car in the driveway.

“Thank you!” Marian called to her, seeing her only give a hand in acknowledgement. She moved into the nearly empty house, not believing that the space would soon be vacated. Although she hadn’t spent much time in his childhood home, she could recognize the shifting in the air, the forced emotional withdrawal between its inhabitants. 

She eyed the few grey chairs as she passed, seeing them covered with protective plastic, the few pictures they had removed from the walls. She touched the white railing as she went up the stairs, making her steps quiet on the marble. She looked around as she reached the top, almost forgetting which bedroom was his. But as she walked to the end of the curving hall, she saw a door ajar, rustling coming from behind it. 

Marian pushed the dark door open, not seeing him in what seemed like the only room still intact throughout the house. She moved to his closet, seeing the door open and the light on. She jumped as she heard a crash, peaking around the corner as she saw him standing frustrated, attempting to pull things from the top shelf. “Are you okay?” She asked quietly as he looked over his shoulder at her.

“Yes.” Eun said loud enough for her to hear, turning his attention back to the items spilling from what was supposed to be their permanent placement. 

She felt him brush her off, knowing he meant otherwise. “I brought your car keys.” Not hearing him respond as he continued dumping items into the box at his feet, she placed them on his bed. “I’ll just… go.” She said moderately softly, hoping he would ask her to stay. But as silence continued to permeate, she stopped walking towards the door, looking at him again as he clicked something in his hands. She stared at his back, hearing him exhale as he dropped the item into the box. 

Catching a glimpse of it, she walked back into the closet with him, bending down at his feet to see into the box. She smiled as she saw what it was. “Oh my god, I remember this!” She pulled the red camera out of the box, turning it over in her hands. “You and Damon had matching photography sets. I loved looking at the pictures you brought home.” She continued to dig through the box, seeing other trinkets as she reached the bottom. “What are you doing with all of this?” 

He looked down at her as he shrugged his shoulders, her eyes connecting with his. Her hopeful eyes lessened his pain minorly. “Trash.” 

She made a small whimper in sadness, not wanting their memories to be nothing to him. “I could help you sort through things if you want me to?” she suggested, seeing him turn back to drop things in. 

“No.” he said quickly, not wanting to face how much he was withholding. She didn't need to carry the burdens he was responsible for.

Noticing his change in demeanour, she reached up, touching his side as she spoke to him. Didn’t he realise how hard he would have to work to hide his pain from someone who knew what it looked like on his features? “Eun-”

“Just drop it Marian.” He exploded. She recoiled, pulling her hand back as she turned her gaze back to the box. 

Eun closed his eyes, regretting every decision he was making as they happened, knowing he had been slowly unravelling, losing the footing he was sure he had. Hearing her sniffle, he bent down, sitting beside her as she pretended to continue looking through the box, wiping at tears in between. “I’m... sorry. I shouldn’t have...” 

He lowered his head, shaking it as he looked for the right words to say. She was only trying to be a good friend, comforting him when she knew he needed it. He looked at her, her eyelashes batting as the few tears fell from them. Knowing something that could make her feel better, he searched through the box.

She watched him reach in, shuffling as he looked. As his hand removed from the worn cardboard, she saw him pull out three ticket stubs. “Do you remember going to see this when it came out? When Damon screamed so loud we almost got kicked out?” 

She reluctantly looked into his hand, seeing the 'Suspicious' tickets. She did. It was the first movie they went to together after their father passed away. She had been excited to see it, the trailers looked interesting before their lives changed. That night she had refused to go, but Damon had had enough of her burying herself. He had taken matters into his own hands, threatening to physically remove her from her room, toss her in the back seat and drive them to the theatre. 

In the end, she was glad he had. It had awakened the joy in her life, even though the first movie had been horrifying, she had watched it with people who cared for her, reminding her that there was more in front of her than she had lost. But there was a moment she remembered the most. She remembered the lead actress having a heart to heart with her family, tears beginning to spill from her eyes as they mimicked her own. She felt fingers tangling with hers, his thumb stroking her hand as she wiped at her eyes. She had looked up to Eun, appreciating his embrace as they held hands, Damon unable to see them in the darkness. “I remember.” She added, fingering the yellowed paper in his palm. She missed their friendship.

He wondered if she knew how much he had wanted to comfort her further, kiss her quivering lip. He hadn’t wanted to force her to come out, but he had agreed, she had hidden herself long enough. He felt her rest her head on his shoulder in the present, her hand trailing through his as she sighed. He ached to ask her if she meant the words she had whispered to him, having heard them repeatedly since that moment. 

She pulled away, not lingering as her heart clenched. Was she still allowed to touch him that way? After what they had done? She touched her thighs as they sat in silence, the space between filled with exasperated tension. 

Remembering what she had seen on the top shelf, she stood, lifting to the tips of her toes. Unable to see, she reached her arm up, her hand struggling to connect. 

Eun tried his hardest to look away as she stood in front of him, coming to see up her dress as she lifted to the tips of her toes. He felt his face warm as he saw that she wasn’t wearing any panties. Her shaved lips fully visible under the yellow sundress, her brown cheeks curving as she stretched further. His hands ached to move up her body. But was he allowed to touch her this way? 

Knowing he shouldn’t, he looked away as he rubbed his neck, the warmth of blood running through his face increasing its colour. He looked back to her as he felt a cool can drop into his lap. He picked it up, seeing the silly string label as he turned it around. 

He looked up at her with a smile, hearing her can shake, he quickly unwrapped his, trying to beat her to it. He stood quickly, trying to block her from running away. 

She ripped the top off, squeezing it as the pink string came out rapidly, loud hissing from the cans’ pressure releasing. She watched as it attached to him feeling his yellow string spraying her as she ran around him. She squealed in laughter as he chased her out of the closest, covering her eyes as she saw it project towards her face. As her knee connected with a box by his bed, she fell forward, sending her crashing to the carpeted floor. 

As she crashed, she felt pain in her knee, not enough to stop her from laughing as he joined in, doubling over from the force of his joy.

Eun’s laughter quieted with hers as she began to sit up, until pain crossed her face. 

"Ow, ow." She sucked in air and seethed quietly as she held her knee.

Eun squatted in front of her and helped her stretch out her leg. His warm hands cradled the back of her thigh near the kneecap and the bottom of her bare foot. "Is that okay?"

He asked as he leaned over her, softly massaging the ticklish bottom of her pretty feet. His veins flexed with the muscles in his hands and up his forearm as he doted on her. 

Marian felt her cheeks scorching, and a tingling in her core. Smelling his spicy fresh skin with his body so close - she couldn’t take it.

She held his shoulders as she nodded gently, not looking up into his questioning eyes. 

Eun smiled down at her and pulled the yellow silly string stuck from her hair. He helped her move onto the deconstructed bed, reaching his fingers to the tip of her nose as string hung from it, moving it as she opened her eyes. 

He took his thumb across her cheek sweeping the remainder of the string away as she plucked at the pink string attaching itself to his sweater. He moved his hand to her hair, touching the base of her neck as he brought his lips closer. He watched her eyes flutter closed, her lip drawn between her teeth, releasing as his breath warmed her. 

If he had to make the choice on whether or not to leave, he needed more to commit to memory. 

He kissed her softly once, pressing harder as she scooted closer to him, her lips parting as his tongue slid between. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling her chest to his as she sat in his lap. He ran his hands down her back, holding her close as her tongue searched for his, much more eager than the first time they mixed. He tried not to think about her bare mound underneath the fluttering dress as she ground against him. 

She felt her pain fleeting, his touch remedying her sorrows as they clung to each other. She felt his hands resting on her back, stopping just above the curve of her rear, his body warming her own. She pulled her lips back briefly, opening her eyes to look into his. She saw the need in his dark brown eyes, touching the side of his face as she moved his black hair away from his pale ears. She gave him a moment, allowing him to pull away if he was to let fear guide him once more. But as he leaned in, his fingers warming the back of her neck, she let her own hesitation go. 

He turned their bodies, extending a hand out behind her head as he laid her on her back, her hands gripping his shoulders as he moved his kisses down her body. He felt her hand tightening against his skin as he went lower, feeling her through her dress as her body readied for pleasure. He looked into her eyes, pushing her dress to her hips as she squirmed. He felt her hands release him as he kissed her bare belly button, settling closer to her pussy as he glanced up once more.  

She bit back a moan as he hovered over her, his lips grazing her clit as he tempted himself. She touched her neck, feeling her body growing in heat as he got closer to her private area. She controlled her nerves, wanting him to give her his tongue as she had dreamed, his pink lips meeting the raspberry of her tender entrance.

If she could experience her firsts with anyone, no one deserved them more than he did. She was reminded that no matter what happened between them, their bond was more than the passion they were slaves to.

He swiped out his tongue, sampling her as her lips continued to glisten from her excitement. He grabbed beneath her thighs, pushing them closer to her hips as he kissed her entrance. He heard her gasping, her hand fumbling along her hips as she adjusted against the mattress. He couldn’t help himself, the way her pussy had flaunted itself underneath her dress, showcasing its tastes as she innocently stretched in front of him. He wanted her to feel happiness, even a temporary one like pleasure.

“EJ...” She whispered as he dove in, his tongue running through her sex as he curled it into his lips. She looked to the white ceiling as she opened her eyes, hearing her sounds echoing off of the walls of his childhood home. She relaxed her head against the soft bed, anxious to feel herself throbbing in his thick lips. 

She took his hair into her hands, clenching it as she felt his tongue enter her. “Fuck…” She gasped, using her free hand to grab the leg of the nightstand by her head, squeezing it to relieve pressure, his tongue too much as she felt more of his saliva slide past her clit. She felt him flatten his tongue, forming ‘s’ patterns in her lips as he angled her hips upwards, drifting down to her ass. She opened her eyes in surprise.

“Eun?” He heard her ask as he passed her pussy, the puckered flesh below tightening as he got nearer. He reached a hand to her clit, wetting his fingertips in her lips before rolling her bud between them, he prodded her ass with his tongue. 

She opened her mouth wider, not able to make another noise as he worked her body beautifully, making the most of the access she continued to give him. Not expecting him to take interest in her ass, she hung on as he licked it, feeling her hole pulsating against his lips as he kissed it gently. 

She quaked as he ran his tongue back up through her lips, flicking the underneath of her clit, sucking on it as he moved his hand up her body. She felt his finger tips at her lips, her mouth watering as she craved his skin. She wrapped her tongue around his middle finger, coveting them as he put them in her mouth. 

He groaned as he felt the tip of her tongue rolling between his fingers, knowing they couldn’t give her what she was desperate for. If she was patient, he would give it to her. He released her clit and dipped down to her asshole again, forcing his tongue against it as she mumbled his name. 

She wondered about the sight they made as he brought her closer. Her legs lifted in the air as they bent over his shoulders, her pussy exposed to his desires as he drank from her. His hair caught between her fingers as she sucked on his own. She bit down on his fingers as she began to pulse, his tongue giving her another lashing as he attached his tongue slower. “EJ!” She screamed thrice in ascending volume as he kept going. She tried to move away as he held her hips down, aiding her orgasms as he cradled her clit. 

As she squirted into his mouth, her clit vibrating as his tongue lapped at her entrance, he quieted his surprise. His Mari was a squirter. He felt his pride swelling as she called for him, her body convulsing as she rode the waves he gave her. “You should wear panties next time, Marian.” He broke away for a moment as he took a breath, continuing to suck her clit between his lips. 

But if that was what had tempted him, she swore she would burn every pair of panties she had. She whimpered as she came down, his licks turning malicious, her lips not being able to take anymore. “Eun…” She said softly, pulling his hair to get him to stop. 

He leaned up, crawling up her body as she laid beneath him, her eyes searching his. He kissed her lips, not wanting her to feel that he would detach again as he rested above. He held her head as she clung her hands to his back. It had never been his intention to destroy what they had. 

She wanted to question him as he pulled back, the sadness in his eyes returning as the seconds went by. “Are we still friends?” She asked honestly, wanting to know if she still counted in his heart. Even if they didn’t pursue more. 

Understanding why she felt the need to ask, Eun sighed. It was his fault that she had room to question. Sixteen years was too much to throw away overnight. Did that mean her anger was dwindling? “Do you still want to be?” 

Marian nodded slowly, wanting to hear him say that they always would be. If she had to consider platonically to get him to stay, she would. No matter the difficulty it would cause. 

He gave her a small smile, happier inside that she had said yes. He wanted that more than he could make her understand. “Then we are.” He took his thumb across her cheek as it brightened.

She didn’t hide her excitement. “Does that mean you won’t go?” 

He stayed quiet for a moment, her eyes pleading with him to say that he would stay. “I don’t know.” He told the truth, having spent much of his time debating. He was doing his best to see every scenario that she would benefit from. If he wasn’t around, she could focus on her studies, her family, and making friends.

She sat up, not understanding.  “What do you mean?” 

“I don’t know.” He repeated, “They’re my family.” Even sudden decisions took gentler eyes. Impulsively, he was losing his mind, acting on things that he had repressed. It only took one wrong ‘yes’ to worsen their relationship. If it took moving to the other side of the Earth to right things, it was something he would have to consider. 

She felt the pain doubling. No matter how she looked at it, she felt if there was any reason for him not to stay, he would take it. As if he was hoping that he had ruined his connections, so the choice to go would settle easier in his mind. “But so are we. Your whole life is here.” 

Not knowing what she wanted him to say, Eun gave her more of his brutal honesty. There was no sense in not preparing for the worst. “When Damon finds out what I’ve done he’s not going to want me around. Then I’ll be here with no one.” He could already feel the burning in his chest that his discovery of their betrayal would cause. He wasn’t sure he would survive the reality of his hatred. How could he stand to stay if he lost his brother? His best friend?

She heard herself beginning to yell, his accusatory tone feeling like an attack on their nature. “Do you think we would let him treat you that way? We would never force you out Eun, not after everything we’ve been through.” How could he believe that they would shun him for what they had both decided to do? Had he ever experienced cruelty like that from them?

Why couldn’t she understand that feelings changed? Today she thought she loved him, tomorrow she could feel another way entirely. Once she got the chance to weigh her options, that would be the end of it. Eun would be caught more invested than she. “You say that now but when you have to choose between your brother and I, Damon will win every time. As he should.” 

“That’s not going to happen! Why would you say that?!” She felt like a petulant child, screaming because she couldn’t get her way. But as she thought about never seeing him again, she couldn’t help herself, every fibre of her being wanted to fight. Why didn’t he want to stay?

He went silent as her volume grew, her cheeks turning red from frustration. Sensing that it was no longer arguable, he shook his head, standing as he moved away from her. She could lie to herself, but her naivety reminded him how much younger she was. Her dreams clung too close to reality. Nothing would end the way she imagined it. Then only he would be scorned, alone and broken. She would always have the comfort of others.

She stood with him, pulling at his sweater as he turned away. “Why are you doing this?” She hated herself for wanting to cry again. But as he ignored her, she couldn’t help but feel she was catching glimpses of someone who no longer existed. The person who cared for her feelings was buried deep within, not surfacing for anyone if they didn’t have something to offer.

Eun turned to her as she pulled, staring down at her as he stopped moving. “Because no matter how much you say otherwise, I’m not your real family. And if you tried hard enough, you could get yourself to recognize that I mean nothing to you.” He felt his tongue burn at his harshness, her face visibly taken aback. 

She inhaled a sob as her lip quivered, feeling his hatred as he furrowed his brows, his freckles shifting as he lied. But who was he trying to convince? “If you didn’t want to be friends anymore, all you had to do was say so.” She let him see the tears falling from her eyelashes this time, not embarrassed as he broke the last pieces of her heart. She let him go, walking unhurried from the room, knowing he wouldn’t follow.

She shut the front door as she got back home, ignoring her mother as she called to her from the kitchen. She kept her sobs quiet until she entered her room, leaning against the cold wood of the door as it closed, keeping her pain secret from the world. But as she wiped at her tears, taking breaths to stop her chest from shaking, she grew tired of them. How many teary moments had she had here? How many had kept her from bettering herself, instead only wallowing in the pain inflicted on her? 

She clutched her phone tighter in her hand. Maybe she was being too careful? Wouldn’t it help to be more daring, take more risks to discover who she was? 

She moved to her bedside table, taking the receipt from the trashcan resting beneath it. She dialled the number on it quickly before she could convince herself otherwise. As he answered, she took another breath, not wanting to sound needy. “Do you still want to go on that date Friday?”

❀

  Marian looked between the two dresses, trying to decide which one said ‘Hard to get.’ She eyed the midnight blue halter dress, the collar almost like a choker. Was it too dark for a movie date? She moved to the pastel lavender strapless dress resting beside it. It had been the one she had fallen the deepest in love with, maybe it was too playful for a night out? But if she chose it, she would be able to wear the shoes she had been dying to try.

Smiling to herself, she pulled the shoe box from the wall brimming with footwear organised by colour, excited to wear the newest addition to her collection. She stopped for a moment, hearing Eun calling her spending irresponsible. ‘Spoiled.’ She heard him say in her ear, her heart lifting by the false sound of his voice. 

She had had him in mind when she got them, hoping to ensnare him with her looks if nothing else worked. But it had been another week since she had heard from him, proving that he had made up his mind, finally distancing himself for a cleaner break. She wondered if at all he had missed her. But why would he? Hadn’t she already given him what he wanted?

She looked at the time, reassuring herself that they could still make it if they left soon. She picked up her phone, listening closely as it rang. But as she waited, not hearing him answer as she hit his voicemail, she began to second guess her decision. She dialled again, trying to remain hopeful that she was on the right path. 

Robbie groaned as Olivia pushed her ass to his hips, fucking herself on his cock as he stilled behind her. He placed a heavy slap on her tanned cheeks, her blonde hair spewing from his fist as he yanked it harder, her loud moans surrounding them as the sweat rolled down his back. He savoured the large red handprints forming as he took the lead once more, fucking her fiercely as she said his name. 

He heard his phone vibrating on the end table, glancing at it as he saw Marian’s name pop up. He reached over, silencing it, never straying from her wet cunt, her puffy red lips taking the pumps of his swollen cock. It was all because of her that he needed to come see his favourite fuck buddy. Olivia was always hungry for it, knowing when not to be clingy and demanding, and especially when to leave. Some of the others were convinced that eventually, he would ask them to stay. 

But with Marian, he knew it would not be the same. She seemed more resistant, her interests fading in and out as if she wasn’t sure about what she wanted, and if he could give her what she needed. That worsened his need for her, knowing from her mannerisms that she was a virgin, waiting to be broken. Satisfying his lust for her would take much too long, and in the meantime, he needed his cock to be buried in wet pussy the way it deserved. 

He rolled his eyes as the end table began to vibrate once more. Good girls always expected more. “Your girlfriend is calling again, Robbie.” Olivia teased through his pumps, his hands retaliating as he pulled her sweat sheened back to his chest. 

“Did I say you could speak?” He saw her smile as he squeezed her jaw, biting her ear lobe as she let out another cry. 

Marian hung up, hoping Robbie wasn’t answering because he himself was still getting ready. She turned in the mirror, pulling her clothes on as she spun. As she settled on her look, she lifted her breasts in the strapless bra. She debated removing it, knowing the lift it gave wasn’t as much as she desired. She thought about how much more attractive she would be if her breasts grew at least a cup larger, would Eun have been more interested then?

She turned away, knowing if she judged herself any longer she would lose the courage to go out all together. Why did she resort to blaming her body for his behaviour?

She pulled the crystal sandals onto her feet, looking down at them in admiration as they paired with her pedicure. She grabbed her phone, shutting the door behind her as she moved down the hallway steps. Feeling only moderately nervous, she went to the kitchen, straight to the refrigerator as she poured water from the purifier. 

Eun kept quiet as she walked right by him, not noticing as he took the batteries from the drawer. He smelled her perfume go by, a new scent that reminded him of carnation petals sweeping slowly against sugar, its natural nectar mixing with false sweetness. Her hair curled loosely around the nape of her neck. He watched her bend over, his mouth gaping slightly as he saw her white lace underwear covering her pussy. He listened to the water hitting the bottom of her cup, hoping for a cue for when to look away. 

She turned around, shutting the refrigerator, almost jumping when she saw Eun feigning interest in the remote control in his hands. The blue long sleeve shirt he wore rolled up to show his forearms, his black watch settled over his visible veins. His dark jeans settled on top of his favourite sneakers. She quieted her heart as it began to pound, he was undeserving of her affections. Even if she did want to wrap her legs around his waist.

“Hey.” She said with no enthusiasm as she sat her phone on the counter drinking slowly from the cup, checking to make sure her lipstick didn’t come off as advertised. 

“Hey.” He said back to her, not surprised she was still pissed at him. “You going somewhere?” 

“Yep.” She said as she drank again, checking the time. A date that didn’t involve him, by his own choice. 

“Where?” He asked, not wanting anymore one word answers.

“Out.” She breathed heavily. Was he deciding that anything she did mattered to him now?

He kept calm as he set the remote down. Where the fuck was she going with a dress on that hardly covered her ass cheeks? “With who?” 

She slammed the cup down, grabbing her phone from the counter opposite him. “None of your business.” She said nastily without looking at him.

He grabbed her arm as she began to pass, not having designated for the conversation to be over. “You should change before you go.” He said calmer than he believed he was.

“You’re not my dad EJ. I don’t owe you any explanation, and I don’t have to listen to you.” How could he be upset when he had been the one to end what they could have started? How many times had he ignored her phone calls, her messages? So far, Robbie was nice to her, something she desperately needed. 

He was willing to bet it was the kid from the grocery store. “If you don’t want whoever the fuck he is to get hurt, I suggest you go change.” he wasn’t going to argue with her. It was all for her protection, even if she didn’t realise it. He knew exactly what he would think seeing her that way, because he couldn’t stop thinking it himself. 

She looked up into his face as he angrily whispered to her, his grip firm but not exerting any force to cause her pain. She nearly laughed. “Oh, I get it.” She pouted her lip, mocking his emotions as his eyes narrowed at her attitude. “You don’t want anyone else to even think about fucking Damon’s, sweet, little, virginous sister. Well you already did that, and I obviously wasn’t good enough for you, so why do you care if I sleep with someone else?!” Still he looked uncaring, as if nothing she had said bothered him. Why had she expected him to care that he hurt her? After she had given him access to her heart, her body.

“So you’re going to go out and fuck everyone you can? For what Marian? To get even? You don’t even notice that you’re only hurting yourself.” On every other matter, she was right. It had been unjust to claim her and then leave her to pick up the pieces after he shattered her hopes. But he wouldn’t be able to watch her with someone else, not after what they had done together. 

She shook her head, no tears left to show her weakness. “Don’t worry about it, with any luck, he’ll do the same thing you did. Fuck me and then leave. Then I’ll have no one. I’ll just be the whore with the dead father.” The words tasted of salt in her mouth, unhappy that she had used her father as a weapon. “Don’t you have packing to do?”  

He let her go as she ripped her arm away, speechless as she stormed away. Why had he said that? How hard would it have been to tell her he wanted her for himself? He followed her out of the kitchen, seeing her double take as she saw the living room crowded with equipment.

“Your mother bought a new t.v and stereo. She wanted me to set it up.” He came closer to her side. It had been a mistake in its entirety. With time to think to himself, it had been clear that he had only made leaving an option because he had been afraid. It was wrong of him to make her feel that it had anything to do with what she had done. “Look, Mari-” 

She dialled her phone again, not wanting to hear him apologise. If she wanted to put it all behind her, falling back into his words would only set her back. She listened to it ring again, holding herself impatiently as Robbie’s voicemail sounded off in her ear. She hung up, not eager to leave him a message.  

Eun watched her as she furiously tapped at her phone screen, staring at the time before sending a message off. He looked between her and the entertainment stand, the new t.v hardly perched in place of the old one on the carpet. “What time are you supposed to be meeting?” 

She shook her head, not seeing the point in withholding any more from him. “Fifteen minutes ago.” With the drive to the theatre, it was looking like they would miss the showtime they had planned on. She couldn’t help her murmuring, her embarrassment beginning to spike, to be stood up in front of the one person she had wanted to show she could live without. 

As she bit her lip, he felt her disappointment become his undoing. “I can take you where you’re going. Maybe he’ll be waiting for you there?” He offered unhappily, wanting a stroke of normalcy between them. Wouldn’t it be better to show that he wasn’t the person who had been cruel to her? That he could try to stand by her choice to see other people?

She looked to him, not understanding what had changed. “Why would you want to do that?” What was in it for him? 

He shrugged, gripping his keys in his jean pocket. But anger had done neither of them any good. Did it matter why? “If you don’t want one, you can say no.” 

Hearing his keys in his palm, a familiar look of sadness in his eyes, she wanted to say yes. Suddenly hoping that Robbie wouldn’t show, leaving them to pretend that none of it had ever happened between them. No harsh words, no unforgivable mistakes. Then, they could start over. 

As the doorbell rang, she moved to it, not wanting to think about it longer. She turned the knob, seeing Robert standing on her porch as he smiled at her. She gave him a smile in return, filled with relief as she noticed the flowers in his hands. “Hey Robbie.” She said to him as he came up a step, coming closer. 

Robbie stopped his tongue from tying in his mouth, his eyes certainly bulging as he saw her hips in the blessed dress. “Hello, Marian. I’m sorry I’m so late.” he came close enough to smell her perfume, feeling his jeans tightening. But as the door opened up further, he looked behind her, to the same man who was with her at the grocery store, the same quiet unhappiness written all over his face. Still, he recognized him from somewhere else. “Hey man, nice to see you again.” 

Eun held his tongue, knowing she had been close to saying yes if only she had had another few moments. Then he could tell her what had been on his mind. As Robbie greeted him, he wished he hadn’t been right. “Where are you two going?” 

He raised his brow as he ignored his greeting.  “Another Suspicious movie came out. Mari said she wanted to see it.” He handed her the flowers, watching as she tilted the purple daisies to her lips and her nose to the petals of the white roses. 

Watching her appreciate the gesture, Eun felt jealousy rearing its head. Retracting his acceptance immediately. “You know, I was just thinking about seeing that.”

“Eun.” She said in warning as she turned to look at him, squeezing the stems of the flowers. Surely he wouldn’t be ridiculous enough to invite himself?

“We were hoping for a bit of alone time. Get to know each other again.” Robbie added, hoping to cut off the suggestion of an invitation. He looked at her as she nodded her approval.

Eun nearly seethed. What did they need to be alone for? He clenched his fist as he thought of her being fondled in the dark. “What, I’m not welcome to hang out with you guys? Too old?” He said with humour as he played stupid. He knew why he wanted to be alone with her. 

“No man–” Robbie said slowly as he lifted his shoulders slightly. Hoping Marian would come to his rescue.

“Cool.” He dropped his false smile and grabbed his jacket from the hallway table. “Then I’ll drive. You don’t mind that, do you? Great.” He said quickly, not giving Robbie a chance to debate.

She watched Eun in fury as he descended the stairs. She sat the flowers down on the table in the hall before she locked the door. “I’m so sorry Robbie. He and Damon are just so over protective.” She stood next to him, his height still above hers. She admired his body in the band shirt that he wore, his legs clad in light jeans while his hair rested by his neck. He had the prettiest icy blue eyes. Why had she felt so uncomfortable the last time she had gotten to look into them?

“It’s alright. It’ll be cool, like a chaperone. Saves me gas money too.” He lied, only wanting her to recognize the good that he could provide.

She smiled at his positivity, his aura turning her sour mood. “Cool.” She repeated, thankful he hadn’t been scared away. She tried hard to not look away as his eyes focused on her, his hand raising to her hair. 

He touched the curled ends, hearing her breath stop coming as he stepped closer. “You look so beautiful.” He felt his mouth salivate as she smiled shyly, hiding her gaze as she shifted. This one would be worth however long the wait would be.

“Marian!” Eun called as he opened the passenger door for her, seeing Robbie touch her. 

“Coming!” She instinctively shouted back, stepping away as she was reminded of their observer. She looked over, seeing him open the door, waiting for her to get in. “Sorry…” She whispered to Robbie as she moved away.  She kept her eyes from Eun as she got in the passenger side of his car.

Robbie groaned to himself, moving to the back of the car as he walked over, Eun giving him his hardest stare. He gave a slight smile back. If this was only her brother’s best friend, he didn’t know if he’d be able to survive her brother. 

 

To be continued....