Far from home|KTH

Storms

The ride back to Los Angeles was quiet. Tae drew the car Emma was in, her comfortably resting in the passenger seat next to him. Her eyes stared firmly at the road ahead of them , her thoughts running just as fast as the car.

She didn't know what to think, what to do about the situation she obviously put herself into.

Sometimes she wondered if it would have been better not to know what her and Tae could be. It would have been easier at least.

Now she was stuck in a tornado of feelings, dragging her deeper into the pool of complicated.

Was it that complicated? She should just follow her gut, but was she ready to give up her life with Jin and everything they had created in Seoul. She wasn't sure.

The closer she got to her departure date, the more anxiety she felt. She still had no clarity, no answers. And she knew she owed at least two people that.

"What's on your mind baby girl?", Tae asked curiously.

Emma turned to look at him. The sight of him was always breathtaking to her, but it also felt strangely comfortable. Like home.

" I'm thinking about how complicated things got to be honestly...", she replied with some hesitation.

"Does it have to be?", he asked carefully.

"That's what I don't know...", she replied, her eyes still fixated on him.

"Emma...you know how I feel and I'm pretty sure you feel the same. This kind of connection is hard to come by...I would say it's even one of those once in a life time kind of situations. I never met anyone like you, anyone who understands me without a word and drives me completely insane with just her presence...", he said.

"I know", she replied, now looking down at her hands , pulling at her fingers anxiously.

"It doesn't have to be complicated... I'm
Only asking for a chance. I know that you have things to sort out in Seoul but please come back after that. Give us a chance ... I don't know what else to tell you", he said, almost pleading this time.

There was no room for his pride or ego in this situation. She already knew every part of him, his usual games had no room in this relationship.

Emma's eyes were now back on the road. The road had clear symbolism to her own journey right now. It seemed long and unknown, never ending.

"What if I can't make a decision..", she said with a deep sigh.

He thought about his answer carefully.

"Then I would say choose him. If I'm not the first thing on your mind ... then choose him".

Those words hurt. It hurt him to say them and her to hear them. It wasn't what she wanted, she didn't want him to make the choice for her even though it would be easier that way.

"Tae...it's not that easy", she replied, a hint of panic entering her voice.

"Well maybe it is. Let me make it easy for you", he replied, the car now stopping outside of her LA residence.

"No, please don't ", she said with her big eyes now firmly on his.

She could see something she had not seen before in his eyes and that was defeat.

"Tae , what are you saying?", she asked carefully, not wanting to hear the answer.

"I'm saying I'm going to step back now, it hurts too much already. I'm doing us both a favor", he said as his eyes watered and he blinked and looked away to escape her gaze.