[1] Gone Groom | Seonghwa ✓

BOOK 1.5: THE PENITENCE OF MARS

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E X C E R P T

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"Has anyone..." I pause, not to reason out if it's the right thing to say, to be honest, because I'm assuming I just need to gather momentum. I start again: "Has anyone ever told you your smile was beautiful?"

The way his eyes widen a tad and his brain looks visibly on momentary lockdown and I know he isn't expecting that turn of event. Neither am I. Although it's quite ... refreshing, to give reality to the fact that after so many days, this is the longest conversation we've had. And it's going as smooth as can be.

"Does my mother count?" He jokes. "But I think you have. Once."

Really?

Apparently, I didn't keep tabs on myself as much as he did.

"I say second time's the rabbit's foot. It's reassuring."

"Meaning?"

Meaning? That it makes me certain that I can make a complete one-eighty and forgive him, give Park Seonghwa another shot. Except this is sparsely about forgiveness. I tell myself that I have forgiven Seonghwa, just that scars roused from broken trusts and broken promises takes its precious time to heal, and the main issue on both our hands is a second chance: me, willfully giving; him, gladly receiving.

Oh, it doesn't stop there. Everytime second chances pops to mind, I see him falling back to old habits (it's a habit, isn't it?), hurting me all over. And then, shame on me, only me!

"Nevermind that," I say instead. "I don't know either."

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