The Passengers (Book #2)

ℑ'𝔪 𝔑𝔬𝔱 𝔏𝔢𝔞𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤

Wendy shoves their overnight bags into the back of Hyeri's Jeep. "Are you positive that Joohyuk will wake you up all night?"

I balance on the curb in front of my house, half on, half off. "Yeah."

"Call us if you need us. We'll sneak out," Seulgi says.

Seulgi gives me a goodbye hug, but her eyes look at something behind me.

I turn in the direction of her gaze. Sehun and Jisoo are standing near his truck in his driveway. As I watch, he kisses her. My foot slips off the curb, and I stumble.

Seulgi grabs by elbow and pulls me around the Jeep.

Wendy slams the tailgate closed. "Now he's just being an ass. He's totally flaunting this Jisoo thing."

"It's weird, though. It's not like Sehun," I say as he climbs into his truck and starts the engine.

"He always seemed so nice," Hyeri says.

"He was," I say.

Sehun's truck pulls past us, and I watch him drive down our street and away from. It's been weird not talking to Sehun these past few days. My life feels emptier without him in it. "I told Sehun that Joohyuk was back."

Hyeri tilts her head. "You think that has something to do with this?"

"Potentially. Sehun was, well . . ." I can't believe I'm telling them this. "About to kiss me and I blurted it out."

"Just because he got jealous doesn't make it okay," Wendy says. "Trying to hurt someone is trying to hurt someone. Period."

Seulgi's face scrunches up, like she's concentrating too hard. "I don't know. I never got the feeling that Sehun was intentionally mean."

Hyeri leans in. "Okay, I know we're talking about Sehun. And I want to hear every detail of that story. But what is Joohyuk like?"

"We're in the middle of a crisis and you want to talk about boys? Unbelievable," Wendy says.

Hyeri ignores her. "Just for a minute. Come on, Suzy, tell."

I half smile at her. "What do you mean?"

"Details," Hyeri says. "All of them."

Even though Wendy objected, I can tell by her look that she's curious, too. They all wear the same expectant expression.

"Um . . . well . . . he has an accent. A slight one. Kinda old Joseon Dynasty-sounding."

"How old?" Hyeri asks.

"Twenty when he died," I say. "He's formal, like in a seventeenth-century way. Super stubborn."

"Looks?" Wendy asks.

"Tall, about a head taller than me. Dark wavy hair, gray dark eyes, high cheekbones. Sometimes when he stands near a fireplace or looks out the window, he looks more like a portrait than real."

Hyeri squeals. "So basically, he's beautiful."

My face gets hot. Seulgi grins at me. They all do.

"You've kissed him, haven't you?" Hyeri says.

"Uh . . ." I laugh awkwardly. "I . . ."

Wendy looks mischievous. "That good, huh?"

I'm sure my cheeks have transcended red and move on to purple. "You know what? I think I hear my dad calling," I says, and head up my driveway.

"Uh-huh," Hyeri says, and they all laughs again.

I wave goodbye, but I don't feel like laughing. I shouldn't be talking about Joohyuk like this. I know better than to get attached to people who leave. I never want to make that mistake again.