The Burning Rose

44 | The Perfect Disguise

"I love it when you do that."

"I know." I shook my head lightly. "Anyway, my mother told me that she changed her name to Sarah after she turned twenty-one, but in the yearbooks, she was already known as Sarah. It turned out that she had her name changed when she was only four."

"Your mother had a lot of secrets." He twirled a strand of my hair in his finger.

"And an alter ego," I added. "The name Sarah was like a Clark Kent alter ego."

"I stayed with your family when I was in South Korea," he shared in a hushed voice, his eyebrows pulling together. "Your mother helped suppress the scandal."

"So that was the real reason why she left immediately after the scandal happened," I scoffed in disbelief. "She went there to protect you because your father asked her to."

"No," he said, shaking his head discreetly. "Your mother offered to take me in."

"And my grandparents?"

"Your grandfather made me work as his secretary, and your grandmother taught me a few of her recipes." He brushed his thumb against my bottom lip.

I smiled. "Thank you for taking care of them."

"Do you want to know why I don't let people touch my hair?"

I swallowed hard as he took my hand and positioned it right behind his ear, where I could feel the bump of the scar. I had seen it up close a few times and felt it when I touched him.

"When I was in South Korea," he began, his fingers threading through my hair. "I decided that letting go was the right thing to do."

My heart squeezed as I finally understood what he meant that night he was drowsy. I laid my head on his chest again and wrapped my arms around him, heaving a great sigh as I considered the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in my head.

"I'm so sorry for what you went through," I whispered.

"It's not your fault."

"What happened?"

"I tried to hang myself. I woke up at the hospital two days later. I didn't understand why I even tried to do it. It was like my body and mind moved on their own accord. But there was no use with crying over spilled milk; what I did was not going to be undone."

"I guess life always gives a chance for you to live no matter what."

"I'm indebted to your family."

I placed a kiss above his heart. "You'll always have me, Gray."

●      ●      ●

I woke up well-rested with a heavy arm keeping me prisoner. My back was pressed up against Gray's muscular chest, and our legs were tangled up under the sheets. I had never felt so rejuvenated, so relaxed. I could wake up like this every single day, in comfort and next to the person I loved.

Gray stirred and groaned, his arm loosening around me. I grabbed that as an opportunity to turn around and face him. A bright smile was plastered on his face, and I leaned in to peck him on the lips.

"I should start paying you for being my sleeping buddy." The rasp that vibrated through his vocal cords had my heart doing backflips.

I snickered. "I could use a little side income."

He kissed me softly, brushing his lips against mine so torturously that I couldn't stop the whimper from leaving my lips.

"Go shower," he said. "I'll prepare breakfast."