What the heart wants

Chapter 51

Sana knocks gently afraid if she did it any louder she'll break the girl behind the closed door.

The door opens after a while and when Mina's red and puffy eyes stare back at her she pulls her into a hug and let the fresh set of tears soak through her shirt.

She holds the girl in her arms as they lay on the bed and lays kisses on the top of her head when she feels her quake and tremble as more tears assault her. She doesn't let go until she feels the sobs die down and the broken girl slips into a slumber as if to sleep her pain away.

Jeongyeon approaches Jihyo who's staring at the rain. There's a hardened line on her forehead as she looks out into the rainy night.

"Are you mad at me?" Her voice cracks and Jihyo turns to look at her, giving her a sad smile.

"Am I mad at you for falling in love?" She shakes her head as she grips the rail of the balcony. "No, but I wish they weren't hurt."

"I wish for that too." Tears fall freely from her face and Jihyo pulls her into her side as they stand there together, watching the rain pouring down like all the angels in heaven are crying for them.

Tzuyu cuddles up next to Chaeyoung who hasn't said a word since Mina and Nayeon left. "They'll be okay."

Chaeyoung laughs dryly wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I never wanted to hurt Mina."

"I know." Tzuyu pulls the girl to her chest and holds her there. "I'm sure she knows too."

When Nayeon comes back to the dorm nearing midnight, soaked from head to toe in the rain, Momo grabs a towel and pulls her wordlessly to her room. She dries the shivering girl and peels off her wet clothes.

Nayeon lets her.

She sits there as Momo pulls a warm jumper over her head and stares at a spot near her feet. Her eyes are dry as if she has no more tears left in them.

Dahyun joins them after a while and they huddle up on either side of Nayeon on the bed, holding her and comforting her without words until she falls asleep.

Mina wakes up in the middle of the night. There's a weight pressing on her chest and she feels like she can't breathe. She gently removes Sana's hand that's wrapped around her middle, careful not to wake the sleeping girl and goes to the balcony to get some air.

She stops when she sees Nayeon there, looking troubled and broken. She wants to leave her alone but as if pieces of iron drawn by specks of magnet, her feet carries her to where the older girl is.

Nayeon turns around when she hears the door to balcony open.

Her gaze locks with Mina who is looking at her with those soft eyes full of concern.

"Can't sleep?" Nayeon asks, as the younger girl joins by her side to stare at the starry sky. The dark clouds are starting to clear and the moon is gently peeking behind them.

"Nayeon-chan." Mina whispers, gazing at the sky above her.

"Yes."

"Why do you always stare at the rain?"

Nayeon briefly wonders if she should lie as she looks at the distant cars flashing their lights in the dark night as they speed past them. She decides to go with the truth because the girl next to her has been lied to enough by the people she loved.

"It was raining when I first met her."

Nayeon chances a glance to her side and sees the younger girl nod silently. Her eyes glistening with tears.

"It's not raining now." She speaks in a low hushed voice. There's a tinge of sorrow in them and Nayeon's heart begins to ache anew like someone's taken it out of her chest, squeezing it mercilessly with their bare hands.

"No. It's not." She hums.

"Do you love her?"

Nayeon lets out a soft breath. "Since the very first moment I saw her."

"It hurts to have love not reciprocated." Mina finishes for her as she finally turns to look at Nayeon.

Nayeon's eyes moisten when she sees the tears in the younger girl's dark brown eyes.

She averts her gaze and stands there in silence with her for a long time, letting the soft breeze of the night caress their broken hearts.