To be loved and to be in love
All I can do is say that these arms
Are made for holding you
— 18 by One Direction
"Summer?"
I flinched from the sound and lifted my head to look at the pair of dark eyes gazing at me gently. Her fingers brushed the ends of my hair as she spoke, "Baby, the police asked you something."
My eyes moved towards the man sitting behind a desk. He held a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. "Summer, can you tell us what happened?" he asked.
I raised my head again to look at the pair of dark eyes; there was something different about them. The familiarity, love, and care it held were replaced by eternal darkness.
"Mommy?" I whimpered.
Her lips lifted into a slight smile, but her eyes were menacing. "Oh dear...what have I done."
A scream erupted from inside me when I realized it wasn't my mother beside me, but a woman with crimson red lipstick and a beaten-up face, a bullet hole right at the center of her forehead. Her features twisted as a sinister grin formed on her face.
I turned abruptly to the man behind the desk. He showed me a toothy, dangerous smile, and I sucked in a breath when I took in his bruised face, his eye sockets empty.
"Come here, baby," they cooed grimly in unison.
Sucking in a breath, I jumped out of the chair and sprinted towards the door. I pulled it open harshly and stepped out in a rush, falling forward into a thick bed of red roses. When I raised my gaze, the man and woman were smiling down at me by the door.
"Goodbye, you little brat."
I woke up with a start, my heart hammering against my chest as sweat trickled down the side of my face. I reached for my phone on the nightstand to switch off the alarm. Grumbling, I checked the time. It was only ten minutes to five in the morning. I didn't recall setting my alarm that early, significantly changing the sound to an annoying wailing siren.
I rubbed my face with my hands. A fuzzy memory popped into my head. Gray seated on my bed, telling me he was taking me somewhere by six in the morning. I grabbed my phone to check the time again.
"Shit!" I hissed, flinging the covers off me and jumping out of bed.
I slipped into a hectic frenzy, rushing into the bathroom to take a shower. I didn't wait for the water to reach the right temperature, impatiently stepping under the cold spray that instantly woke me up.
Where the hell were we going so early in the morning?
Wrapping a towel around my body, I moved over to the sink to brush my teeth and wash my face. Once I finished, I stumbled out of the bathroom toward my dresser, pulling the drawers open. I grabbed a matching pair of underwear and slipped into them before going through my closet. I took out a mustard yellow floral print dress and pulled it on, the garment reaching my ankles. Then I blew dried my hair, put on light makeup, and sprayed perfume.
Checking the time on the clock, I gritted my teeth when I saw that it was already ten minutes past six. I grabbed a pair of socks and my chocolate-colored combat boots from the shoe rack, hurriedly slipping them on. Then I sneaked a swift look out the window.
Gray was leaning against a black SUV with his arms crossed.
I grabbed my bag, then sprinted out of the room. Once I exited the building, Gray removed his sunglasses and placed them at the top of his head. He was wearing his signature outfit; a white dress shirt with the two buttons left undone and sleeves rolled up, a pair of black jeans, and black combat boots.
He smiled. "Good morning."
"Good morning."
He opened the passenger's seat door, and I stepped inside. He shut the door and moved over to the driver's seat while I placed my bag down next to my feet. Once we were both settled, he drove out of Brickfields.
"Where are we going?" I asked, gazing at him expectantly.
"It's a place I love and a three-hour drive from here."
I nodded and stared through the windshield. Calmness surged through me as a faint yellow lined the horizon. The sun slowly emerged, brightening the earth with its glow.
"A new day," Gray murmured.
"A new day," I echoed.
With Gray's insane driving skills, we arrived at his special place twenty minutes earlier than expected. We were somewhere up the mountain, in the middle of nowhere, really, really far from the city.
He stepped out of the car and went straight to the boot, and I followed.
"What are you doing?" I asked, slinging my bag over my shoulder.
Gray looked at me smugly as he popped the trunk open, revealing a picnic basket. "Care to join me for a picnic?" he asked, his voice velvet soft.
I couldn't help but smile. "Don't mind if I do."
He took the picnic basket and closed the trunk. Then he guided me as we walked down a rock staircase with our hands twined together. When we reached the final step, I raised my chin, and my mouth dropped open at the beautiful scenery. I didn't realize how high up we were. I could see the whole city and stretch of the sea from where we stood.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured.
"Very," I replied, awestruck.
He tugged on my hand, and we carried on, walking through a narrow path with vines hanging loosely from the trees. Ten minutes into our stroll, we made it past a fringe of ferns, and my jaw dropped in wonderment. The meadow flowed like a sea of green, flecked with a cacophony of color; purple thistles, blue cornflowers, and petite daisies with their yellow centers. I wandered through the grass that waved in the August breeze, the sun directly overhead as it filled the meadow with its brilliance that kissed my skin. The butterflies flitted around the fragrant flowers while the gentle breeze ruffled their petals.
It was beautiful.
I spun around to look at Gray with a grin spread across my face. He did pay attention to all the nonsensical things I shared.
"Is it just as dreamy as you imagined?" he asked.
"It's more than dreamy. It's perfect."
He placed the basket on the ground next to me and opened it to take out a checkered quilt. I watched in amazement as he spread it open in the air before expertly placing it flat on the ground.
I laughed. "The skills are unlike any other."
Settling on the quilt, he pulled the basket and began removing the containers of food. My mouth watered, and my stomach grumbled in anticipation. It was like watching a magic show.
When everything was ready, I clasped my hands in excitement while Gray turned his body away from me to pop open the champagne. As the familiar sound of the cork popping filled the air, I cheered and clapped my hands. Gray chuckled, picking up the flute glass and pouring me a drink before handing it to me. I took the glass and watched as he poured himself the drink. Then he settled the bottle down.
We clinked our glasses together and took a sip of the bubbling drink.
"That's some good champagne," I praised, placing the glass down.
Gray stared at his flute glass. "1988 Champagne Krug Vintage Brut."
I choked on my saliva at the information. Gray looked at me, the worry almost instantly settling in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, I'm fine."
He looked at me thoughtfully. Then a smirk appeared on his face. "I aim to impress, Shortcake."
"With a nine hundred bottle of champagne," I coughed, gesturing to the food. "Did you prepare all this?" I asked.
He packed quite a variety; sandwiches, croissants, blueberry danishes, some fruits, and my ultimate favorite. I picked up the container with the kimbap and brought it close to my face, inhaling the sweet scent that brought back a thousand memories. I set the container down and lifted my gaze to look at Gray.
"Did you make this too?" I questioned in disbelief.
"Your grandmother was quite adamant on teaching me how to make that," he said, a gentle smile etched on his lips. "You said you missed eating it, so I made it for you."
"It must've taken you a long time to make all these."
"I left around four in the morning."
"After changing my alarm sound," I quipped, reaching for the chopsticks. "Why would you even choose that horrible screeching sound?"
He flashed a sweet, alluring smile. "Because it's annoying."
"You know what," I said, picking up the kimbap using the chopsticks, "sometimes, I think whenever you wake up, you chant a mantra in your head saying, it's another new day to annoy the goddess divine Summer Hale."
"That's about right. Excluding the goddess divine." He grabbed the fork and took a slice of the strawberry shortcake. "This is my favourite cake."
I opened my mouth, and he chuckled lightly as he fed me the cake. I noticed the eagerness in his eyes, and it sent my heart stuttering.
"Oh," I moaned, nodding in approval. "It tastes amazing."
● ● ●
The blue that stretched into the horizon earlier had now been covered with transitory wisps of white. It threaded thickly across the sky, yet they were still white with hardly a trace of shade.
Gray laid on the quilt with his arms folded under his head and eyes closed, enjoying the gentle glare of the afternoon sun. I sat next to him with my legs to the side, twirling his curls with my finger.
"Gray?" I called in a whisper.
"Summer," he replied, smiling.
"What was my mother like in that other world?"
"She was terrifying," he said, pushing himself up. "She could command a room with just her presence."
"You know, I came to Brickfields to find the keys to her past. I knew then that it would help me understand my role as the future successor to her business empire, but a part of me wanted to find something that wouldn't bring me to that path."
"Why?"
I shrugged lightly. "It's hard to live up to her legacy. Everybody knows who Hyo-Jin was, but nobody has ever seen her face. If there's a chance they did, they will sign an NDA. But everybody knew about the great things she did for the company."
"I get where you're coming from," he replied, tucking my hair behind my ear. "But you should understand that we are not our parents. We won't be able to do what they did, but we will do something they have never done before. And I'm pretty sure they made a ton of mistakes in the past."
I groaned and dropped my head to his shoulder.
"You'll figure it out once you reach that point, Summer," he assured me, placing a soft kiss on my shoulder.
"Uhm, Gray?" I muttered, pulling back to look at his face. He eyed me curiously, and a lump rose in my throat as I struggled to find the words to use. I forced out a smile instead. "I was just thinking if this was the perfect time to profess my undying love to you."
I wanted to tell him something important, but I didn't want to ruin this moment.
He pinched my nose, and I swatted his hand away. "There's something I want to show you, but it's a three-minute walk from here."
"I don't mind," I said, returning the book inside the picnic basket.
Gray stood to his feet and offered a hand out to me, helping me get up. I stepped back to smooth out the wrinkles at the lower part of my dress while he picked up the quilt and folded it mid-air before shoving it back inside the basket.
We proceeded towards the other end of the meadow between the trees. The pathway was stony compared to the one that led to the meadow. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream, and another rush of excitement brewed inside me as we moved closer.
We reached the end of the stony path, and I marveled at the scenery that greeted me. The stream, lined with a never-ending stretch of trees, flowed smoothly onward without a fuss. The air was rich with the fragrance of leaves and damp, and the breeze had a pleasant coolness. The sky had vanished almost entirely, with only a few fragments of blue remaining.
Gray pulled me with him to the octagonal-shaped gazebo above the stream. I let go of his hand and stepped forward to run my fingers across the vine-covered railings with hundreds of colorful padlocks locked on each line.
"Let me guess," I mused. "These padlocks are a symbol of eternal love?"
"Or wishes, or secrets," Gray added, standing next to me.
I smiled and stood upright. "I hope they're all happy."
"We can only hope for it," he muttered. I spun around to look at him. He stared far ahead, looking deep in thought. "In the end, their paths in life are paved by the choices they make."
I punched him playfully on the shoulder. "What a wise old man."
"Says the sixteenth-century beheading and burning at the stake woman."
"You're crazy," I chortled.
"Crazy like you, of course," he laughed, his mood amazingly radiant.
I pulled a face and turned my back on him to enjoy the view of the stream. He slipped his arms around my waist from behind and drew my back against his hard-toned chest. I melted into his touch, basking in his warmth and scent.
"You're using a different shampoo?" he asked.
I lifted my head to the side to look at him. "What do you mean?"
"Your hair smells different." His lips curved into a sheepish crooked smile. "Your hair usually has a strong scent of citrus. It smells like vanilla now."
"Oh, the store didn't have my usual brand of shampoo and conditioner."
"It's a nice scent," he complimented, removing his arms around me. I was about to turn when he quickly stopped me. "Don't move."
I remained still on my spot, my eyebrows lodged into a worried line. I waited for a few seconds, the tension slowly building inside my chest. Gray kissed the back of my neck, causing me to flinch, then a delicate shiver rushed down my spine when something cold touched the hollow of my neck. I glanced down and held the pendant between my fingers.
It was a rose gold sun.
I whirled around, smiling gleefully. "It's beautiful."
He smiled. "I'm glad you love it."
I would love anything he'd give me, even if it were a keychain or a mug he got for free as a souvenir gift from a hotel.
I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face on his chest and inhaling his perfume. He returned the embrace, his fingers caressing my hair as his lips brushed the side of my face. The gesture sent warm tingles all over my body, and I was sure that he could feel my heart accelerating. I shut my eyes, exhaling slowly.
Another day. I would tell him another day.
His hands gripped my waist as he continued to tease me with his lips, grazing ever so gently across my skin. "What do you say we turn into cliches?" he suggested.
I raised my chin to look at him. "What are we sealing?"
"Us."
"Us," I echoed with a smile. "If you lock it, you're going to be stuck with me forever."
"Beats being alone," he shrugged.
I rolled my eyes. "Always so romantic."
"We can seal it this way too."
He ran his fingers through my hair and lowered his head, kissing me at the corner of my mouth. I shuddered in response. He was a tease, a fucking tease. A satisfied grin appeared on his face, and I rolled my eyes.
He pressed his forehead to mine. "I don't want to come off as possessive, which is what I am with you. But if securing a padlock to fulfill metaphorical meanings will allow me to be with you until you get sick of my annoying ass, then I don't mind."
Laughing, I pulled him in for a kiss.
Gray was going to be the death of me.
● ● ●
Gray placed a hand at the small of my back as he walked me to the elevator in the dormitory building.
"I need to get something from the soccer house," he said.
He waited for me to enter the elevator before bolting out of the building. My heart pounded as I pressed the number to my floor, the noise of my surroundings drowned out by my racing mind.
On the way back to Brickfields, I received an email from the administration office informing me that the yearbooks were already delivered to my room. I knew they would leave it outside by the door since there was no one to claim it, and I knew very well that nobody would bother stealing the package.
I was already aware of everything, even the parts I wished weren't true. But something about this moment didn't feel right.
Approaching my room, I spotted the package on the floor, and my eyes narrowed in suspicion at the sight of a red envelope on top. I picked up the parcel, then unlocked my door, keeping my eyes on the envelope.
I walked inside my room and shut the door behind me before kicking off my shoes. A nagging voice at the back of my head told me not to open the letter. But I had to do it. I placed the package next to me on the bed and grabbed the envelope. The sound of paper tearing caused goosebumps to flood my arms, the anticipation of wanting to know what was inside clouding my thoughts.
I caught a glimpse of the paper inside, and I shut my eyes tight as I pulled it out. Then I began counting backward from five, each number syncing with the pounding of my chest. Reaching the number zero, I drew out a deep breath and opened my eyes. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of what greeted me.
"No," I whispered in disbelief. It couldn't be real.
I flipped the photograph over. Printed on it were the words:
Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand,
Blood and revenge are hammering in my head.
- Shakespeare -
I traced the red seal below the quote, the familiar pattern causing an unusual surge of anger to burn in my chest.
Unbidden, the constant dream I'd been having these past few months flashed in my head.
The stench of rusty metal filled my nose as I took in a breath. I was lying on the cold floor, staring blankly at the darkness ahead as I waited for someone or something to take me away. The fear was slowly consuming me from within, swallowing every ounce of fight I had left. I wanted to fade away, to die.
"Summer!" called a boy.
I ignored him and continued to stare at the darkness. The boy called my name again, and again, and again, each time louder than the last.
"Summer!" he called again, the desperation in his voice profound and the sound much closer to where I was. "Summer, where are you?!"
I turned my head to where the sound came from and spotted a little boy standing with his back facing me. I could hear his labored breathing as he turned his head from side to side, searching.
"I'm here, Gugu."
The little boy, who stood so far and yet so close, spun around to look at me. His face was as clear as day and as vivid as the colors of the earth.
My heart drummed as everything began to fall into place like pieces of fragments, finally merging into one big picture. I now understood the familiarity I felt when Gray and I first met and the undeniable pull that made me want to know him.
The little boy in my dream was Gray.