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COMMERCIAL BREAK:
Today is April 20, 2024 (the day Ella met Chan) so please enjoy this bonus chapter for the week to celebrate!
<3
ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 50k READS ILY!
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Chan was pissed off the entire show, and I didn't leave his dressing room for fear of running into JYP. I couldn't face him.
Chan came in to comfort me during intermission and came right back once the show ended. He wasn't picked for fan service, and there was nothing I could do to help Hyunjin who was chosen since JYP was there. I wished anyone else had been picked but him...not that any of them deserved to go through this, but the last few days must have been especially awful for Hyunjin with the trip he'd been sent on.
Chan held me and soothed me while we waited for the others to get ready for the bus walk. I wasn't even sure if I had been pregnant or not, so I didn't know why it was hurting me so badly. I guess it was that I'd been stripped of my choice to find out.
Chan murmured apologies as he rubbed my back despite my numerous attempts to tell him that it wasn't his fault.
Agent Branson had texted that their contact had overheard JYP asking a guard to assist with giving me the Plan B. I knew it had to be Dmitri since he was the only one who had access to our luggage where I'd been keeping the pill.
I typed out my theory for Chan, and he agreed with a sad nod of his head.
Eventually, Felix knocked to let us know it was time for the bus walk. Chan and I passed the fans quickly and got onto the bus first, barely acknowledging any of them. The other girl that was with us kept staring at me while I held back tears. I felt sick to my stomach at what JYP had done.
"What's wrong with her?" I heard her mumble to Hyunjin.
I could see the wheels spinning in his head for a way to use that question to his advantage. He'd been through enough this week after that trip he'd been sent on, and I wanted to help him. If it pissed off JYP in the process, that would be a bonus.
"He gave me covid," I lied. "He got sick a couple of days ago and now the whole team has it."
Hyunjin mouthed a thank you to me when she whipped around in shock.
"Covid?" she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
"Don't worry, you'll probably be fine," Han added.
Seungmin handed her a bottle of Vodka. "I read taking a shot after exposure can kill the germs."
She grabbed it from him and took a swig. "Thank you," she told him.
When the bus stopped, she practically ran off. "It was so nice to meet you, but I'll get going. Hope you feel better soon!" she shouted, and one of the guards directed her to a car that they could drive her home in.
"Thank you," Hyunjin hugged me tightly. When he pulled away, a single tear fell down his cheek. "It's been a hard week," he sighed. He quickly wiped it away. "Are you okay, though?" he asked noticing my closed-off disposition.
"Mhm," I answered half-heartedly. I gave him a soft smile to try to sell it and squeezed Chan's hand to hold in the tears. We hadn't told any of them what was going on, and I didn't feel like explaining it tonight.
Chan and I got off the bus first and headed quickly into the hotel before the fans could notice how upset we looked and before Hyunjin could dig deeper into my mood. The manager told us that they had moved our room, and we retrieved our new key to go up to sleep. We were both mentally drained.
We opened the door to the new room and noticed that, for the first time, there was only one bed. There were rose petals in a heart on the comforter, two glasses, and iced champagne along with a note on the nightstand.
Better luck next time,
JYP
P.S.
Ella, at least you can enjoy the champagne.
I felt sick.
Chan read it over my shoulder. When I turned, his jaw was clenched and one of his hands was in a fist at his side. I tossed the note into the trash.
I went and changed into my pajamas while he calmed down. When I came back out, I saw his toothbrush by the kitchenette's sink and his clothes on the floor.
He was already in bed, and I joined and cuddled up to him. He wrapped an arm securely around me. Neither of us cried. I just felt too numb now. How much more could I allow JYP to take from me? How much could JYP take from Chan until he snapped?
"I probably wouldn't have even gotten pregnant," I reminded Chan...and myself.
"I know," he sighed. My back was against his chest. His hands squeezed around me. "But you could've." His palm pressed against my tummy as he would probably have done thousands of times if I were pregnant and there was a baby for him to feel.
"Yeah," I replied softly. The future he'd described felt like it was fading away.
"Ella?" Chan began.
"Yes?"
"I really wanted it," he confessed. His voice cracked, and he kissed the back of my neck, holding his lips to my skin. The warmth from the sun I'd imagined in our future felt cloudy and cold now.
"I did, too," I admitted. I'd been so unsure but having it taken from me had made me realize that I wanted that life with him.
I turned around to face Chan. His hand on my back held me close to him so that there was no definable space between our bodies.
"Kiss me," I pleaded. I needed to see our future again. I wanted to imagine it.
Chan kissed me delicately. He placed a hand on my cheek and his lips worked tenderly against mine. It was as though he were worried I'd break. I didn't encourage him to be more purposeful...I felt as fragile as I looked.
His lips were soft and his tongue moistened my own lips. I could feel his tears on my cheek, which broke my heart even more. I had my hands against his chest but brought both to his jaw instead.
The kiss was sad and longing. A longing for a future we couldn't have right now. But through the dark cave in my imagination, there was a sunny bright light at the end.
As we kissed, it grew nearer and nearer. The closer I got, the more desperate my lips became. I whined into him, and he reciprocated by squishing me towards him.
The light was so close, and I tangled my hands in his hair to hold him to me. Our kiss became messy. Our tongues explored anywhere they wanted. But finally, I saw it again. I gasped, and Chan paused to look at me.
I felt as though I'd had an epiphany. The sun was warm. The sounds were the same. Only, this time, only one kid was playing outside. I looked down and rubbed my stomach, smiling at how round it was. I was pregnant. JYP hadn't taken our future. He'd tried, but he'd only delayed it.
Chan kissed lazily along my cheeks.
"I saw it," I smiled at him.
"You did?" Chan asked.
"I saw our future. It's still there," I confirmed. I knew I must've sounded insane. I didn't care, though.
"I saw it too, Ella," Chan kissed me softly. "You'll look beautiful pregnant. So pretty."
My heart raced at the words, and I wondered how it was possible that we were both seeing the exact same future in the exact same way.
I thought back to how easy it had been for me to trust him. Chan had broken down walls that I had up for 9 years in just weeks. Maybe we were meant to meet. Maybe we were connected by the fates or the stars. It sounded cheesy and stupid.
"Do you believe in soulmates?" I blurted out.
"I do now," he answered sweetly, kissing me lovingly.
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COMMERCIAL BREAK:
To the Dmitri stans out there...I know this chapter was hard for you!
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To everyone else, sorry it was so cheesy. I literally gagged writing it.