Step Brothers

Epilogue Part 2

"Can you stay here?" Swiftly, he turned around to look into my eyes. His expression showed as if he was confused. So quickly, I added. "Sorry. I shou-shouldn't have said that." Who was I to ask him to stay? How can I forget about his hatred for me just because he spoke politely to me once? Cursing myself in the head, I closed my eyes, knowing he would probably leave.

But they flung open when I heard the creak of the chair, placed next to my bed. I found him looking at me. Just looking at me. His eyes took in my hair, then wandered to my cheeks, and he scrunched his face, maybe from seeing the bruises. Then they went down to my chin, lips, and nose. And finally, they collided with my hazel-brown eyes.

Several emotions flashed through his mind. And my mind flashed through all that had happened to me. And confusion took over me. As I recalled, I was with Hyun-woo as he tried to

I blinked my eyes, scared of what he might have done, as all I remembered was him throwing me on the bed. My lips wobbled as I tried to form the words.

"Wh-what hap-happen-ed? I was thinking, how did I?" My words didn't even make sense to me, but somehow he quickly got the idea of what I was saying. His hands came forward to grab mine. I tried to pull away. But-

"Shhhh... nothing happened. You're alright. Nothing happened." His other hand came to push the strands of hair from my forehead, tucking them behind my ear. The softness in his voice, the gentleness of his touch—everything felt surreal.

"All you need to focus on is getting healthy. You don't have to worry about anything anymore. Your brothers will take care of everything. Rosie~"

He's so kind to me. Has he accepted me as his sister? Finally? After what I went through, maybe he finally realized I didn't deserve his or anyone else's hatred? Is it possible?

My train of thought halted as I realized he called me Rose. The warmth I felt a few seconds ago turned to cold; I felt it freezing the tip of my finger on the hand he held in his. Moving from vein to vein, freezing the blood as it spread to all parts of my body, finally stopping after leaving my heart cold and shriveling.

"Who told you?" I didn't even recognize my voice; it was void of any feeling. He frowned. So I repeated. "Who told you I'm Rosie?" I shifted my eyes to no longer look at his eyes, but instead they stared at the ceiling.

"Namjoon told us when he woke up. He told us everything; we're sorry, Rosie. "I'm so sorry." I pulled my hand roughly from his and placed it on my stomach. Refusing to look at him. Rosie. The word is starting to feel like poison to me now. So all this kindness is because he got to know me, the child who they had spent some time with years ago. I wanted to laugh in disbelief. So now they want to say sorry.

Not because they think what they did was wrong, oh no, but because I'm fu*king Rosie. Great. Just how much more selfish can these people be? "Rosie," he called.

"I'm sleepy." I turned the other way. Not wanting to see him. I didn't hear him say anything for a while, but when I finally started to drift off to sleep, I heard him whispering. "Goodnight."

........

"Namjoon!" I quickened my steps, wanting to reach him as fast as it was possible with a whipped back.

"Slow down Y/n." But without paying heed to his words, I flung myself into his arms, which were opened, to welcome me with his hug as he laid on the bed in his room. "I missed you so much. I missed you so much." The tears fell from my eyes as I repeated the same words again and again.

"I missed you too, Y/N." He whispered in my ear, running his hand over my hair. "I'm so-sorry. I'm so sorry. Because of me—"

"It's not your fault, Y/N." He pulled me away, making me look at him by putting his lips lightly on my cheeks. "But if I had listened to you, you wouldn't have fallen, trying to chase me."

His hands wiped the falling tears. "Yes, if I wasn't trying to chase you and missed the step because of my clumsy self. It isn't your fault. I was careless."

"Now hush, I don't like you shedding these crocodile tears." I laughed at his wording. He smiled at me. "I'm so glad you're alright, Y/N." His expression changed to anger. "What were you even thinking? Huh? Going to that house without even informing anyone?"

I looked down, ashamed at my actions. "I wanted to run away." I mumbled.

"You wanted to what?" He looked shocked at my words.

"Everyone was blaming me for pushing you. Even Jin and Jimin thought I pushed you. And it got too much to handle." I avoided looking at him.

"So what? What if they were blaming you? You knew you weren't at fault, so why did you even think about leaving? Did you want to prove them right that it was your fault by leaving?" His voice held anger. And I refused to look at him, even when he grabbed my chin to make me look at him.

"I'm sorry." I finally muttered when I could no longer justify my actions.

"As you should be." And then he took my wrist in his hands. "And don't you even think for a second that I didn't see these?" What were you even thinking? Is my Y/N this weak? That she resorted to harming herself when the world threw hardship at her. That she wanted to kill herself. Didn't my thought ever cross your mind when you did this?" I tried to pull away. But his grip tightened.

"What? Want to run away once again? Answer me, Y/N, did you not think what would happen to me when I woke up to know you had attempted suicide? What would have happened to me? What would have happened to the brothers who didn't even get the chance to look at you as their sister?" His voice turned low as he said the last sentence.

The tears kept rushing down my cheeks. My lips wobbled. My body shriveled. And I muttered. "I wasn't attempting to kill myself."

"What?" he asked.

"I wasn't trying to kill myself!" I shouted. "I was-wasn't."

"But you wished for it. Didn't you?" He whispered, looking at me. I shook my head. Wanting to deny it. But it was the truth. I had wished for death to come for me. I wanted to die.

"I'm sorry." I was crying, and I apologized. He took me in his arms. Whispering how much I mean to him. How much he loves me. How sorry he was for everything.

half an hour later, when I was stable. And we were both talking about different things when the door opened, revealing Jimin with a cake and balloons in his hands, and the rest of the family stood behind him, smiling.

But as soon as they saw me, comfortably wrapped in the quilt with Namjoon, the smiles dropped.