Hi guys, tbh i didnt want to post today because i have been posting a litle bit too much these past few days, but since we reached 1K i'll post a chapter as a thank you for reading this story. Now you all have fun. <<3
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Although the days I've spent with Sunghoon have been a pure roller coaster ride of emotions for me, I already feel terrible as we drive up the driveway to my parents' house in the car. Even from a distance, I recognize my father, who already seems to be waiting for us joyfully and surely can't wait to ask Sunghoon about my behavior.
Since the incident on the beach yesterday, Sunghoon has largely avoided coming too close to me or talking to me more than what is necessary. Although it makes me very uncomfortable in retrospect, I can now be sure that Sunghoon is similarly sensitive to me as I am to him.
"So here we are again," Sunghoon informs me, shutting off the engine of his car. As he sits motionless in the driver's seat and makes no effort to unbuckle his seatbelt, I assume that he has nothing more to say to me. Although I could care less, it makes me sad.
As I laboriously try to hide my tears, I unbuckle my seatbelt and go to open the passenger door to get out. In a flash, Sunghoon grabs my wrist, signaling me not to leave just yet. His touch triggers a wave of emotions in me, clouding my thoughts and causing goosebumps on my skin.
"Look at me," Sunghoon orders me once again. Slowly, I turn my head in his direction. It's the first time he's looked me in the eye for more than a fleeting moment since the incident on the beach.
"The past few days with you have really been very.... pleasant." Silently, I repeat his words over and over in my head, analyzing them. I open my lips to say something but close them right back when I notice my father approaching the car from the angle.
Immediately, Sunghoon lets go of my wrist, leaving me with a cool blankness. He then turns away from me to unbuckle his seatbelt and gets out of the car.
"It's good to have you back." My father's voice sends icy shivers down my spine, and I immediately feel all the muscles in my body tense as he pulls me into a hug in greeting. Everything in me screams to push him away from me, but I don't even want to imagine the consequences of this behavior.
Never before have I been so close to a person and so far away at the same time as I am at this moment. I am all the more relieved when my father breaks away from the embrace again to greet Sunghoon with a handshake.
"You really need to stay for dinner so you can tell me all about the vacation," my father suggests, ignoring the fact that I'm also present and might as well tell him about the vacation. "I'd love to," Sunghoon immediately replies, nodding in agreement.
"Dolores and I really had a great time together, didn't we?" Sunghoon looks at me wanting to know my opinion. I'm intimidated by my father's looks. So instead of saying anything, I just nod. The less I say, the less I can do wrong and thus avoid an unnecessary wave of anger from my father.
Before we go into the house, Sunghoon takes my suitcase out of the car. In the house he puts it down in front of the stairs. At that moment, my mother enters the hallway, her tired brown eyes darting back and forth between Sunghoon and me before she pulls me into a loving, brief hug.
"I've missed you," she says, and breathes a gentle kiss on my forehead. She then turns to Sunghoon and extends her hand in greeting. "Good evening, Mrs. Rey," Sunghoon says with a charming smile on her lips.
She examines Sunghoon briefly before her thin lips also form into a smile. But it is not a real smile. It is a put-on smile, which she smiles out of pure politeness, and which never reaches her brown eyes.
"Let's sit in the living room for a moment until dinner is ready," my mother suggests, turning to me. "I would still carry Dolores' suitcase upstairs, why don't you go ahead, and we'll follow," Sunghoon replies kindly.
"Teresa can do that later," my father says. He stands in the doorway of the living room with his arms crossed, eyeing us. "Oh," Sunghoon replies with a wave of his hand and lifts the suitcase. "That'll be quick. Besides, there's something I want to talk about with Dolores alone."
Having barely spoken to each other since yesterday, I'm even more surprised now that Sunghoon obviously wants to talk to me about something. Excitedly, I smooth out the fabric of my white summer dress and press my lips together.
"All right, then you just join us when you're done," my mother suggests, putting a hand on my father's arm, looking suspicious. Sunghoon heads up the stairs to my room, where he sets my suitcase down and takes a quick look around. His gaze lingers on the painting he bought me when we went to the art gallery together.
He then turns to me and looks deep into my eyes. "I have something else for you," Sunghoon informs me, glancing at the open door behind me as if to make sure my father is out of earshot. He then reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a cell phone, which he puts into my hand.
"Sunghoon," I say in a panic, closing the door behind me. "If my father sees this, he's going to go crazy."
I want to give him the phone back. After all, my father has forbidden me all contact with the outside world, and I certainly don't want to risk incurring my father's wrath if he discovers the cell phone.
"The cell phone is for your safety. I want you to call me immediately if your father ever gets physical with you again," Sunghoon informs me, reaching for my face. "An agreement between me and your father is that you will not be physically hurt at any time. If he doesn't honor that, it's a massive breach of trust."
Disappointed, I lower my eyes. Of course, this is all business again. "Look at me, please," Sunghoon asks me, and I look him in the eye again. "Regardless of the business with your father, your welfare and safety is my top priority."
"This man is unpredictable...there will be no end to this," I whisper. I don't think a cell phone will protect me from my father's wrath in the long run. "I promise you that I will do everything to protect you," Sunghoon promises me. He gently strokes my cheek with his hand, using his thumb to wipe away a tear that makes its way down my face.
"Thank you," I say softly with tears in my eyes, feeling that urge to hug Sunghoon. However, not knowing how he would react, I refrain from doing so. I hide the cell phone under my pillow, after which I turn back to Sunghoon, who is suddenly standing right behind me.
"There's one more thing I want to clear up with you-," he says, his golden eyes boring deeply into my green ones. "It's about yesterday." The blood in my veins suddenly feels boiling hot.
With a glowing face, I avert my gaze from Sunghoon. "What about yesterday?", I ask innocently, not daring to lift my gaze again to look Sunghoon in the eye, which is obviously merely fine with him, since he doesn't prompt me to look at him when he talks to me like he usually does.
"The thing on the beach," Sunghoon goes into further detail. "What were you thinking about?" "I don't know what you're talking about," I lie, shrugging my shoulders in feigned ignorance. Of course, we both realize what nonsense this is.
"All right," Sunghoon replies, however. With that, I assume the topic is over and want to go to the door to open it, when Sunghoon suddenly grabs me by the shoulders and turns me around.
With the door behind me and my lips slightly parted, I look up at him, whose face is only inches from mine. "What else?", I ask trying hard not to let on how nervous it makes me to be so close to him. Especially after yesterday, it's all the more difficult for me to control myself.
"Nothing." , Sunghoon replies, not making a face. "Then let's go downstairs," I suggest, my voice barely more than a soft whisper. "That would probably be best...," Sunghoon huffs. His brown eyes dart back and forth on my face before he lets go of my shoulders and takes a step back.
A/N: What do u think Sunghoon wanted to do or tell her?