emotions | love alarm

38 ~

Chapter Thirty-Eight

"Okay, want to go over the plan one more time?" Sun-oh asks gently, seeing the distant look on Ae-ri's face.

She nods and huffs, tucking her feet under her from where she sat on the couch with him. They were in her room, finalizing the details of what they were about to do and mentally preparing for what they would inevitably discover. 

In-ho would be coming over soon and he could feel her anxiety peaking.

"We meet up in the lounge, we ask questions, gauge his reactions, and make sure he confesses to the truth so we can have evidence for mother."

"Good," he nods, holding her hand in his.

Their eyes meet and she gently exhales before sinking into his arms, his fingers coming up to rub her back soothingly.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart."

"Yeah," she mumbles from where her head rested into the crook of his neck. "I just expected more."

"From him?" Sun-oh asks, his eyes looking toward where her attention was currently focused, and watches as she looks at her reflection in the mirror near her closet.

"From everyone," she admits quietly, her eyes averting from the mirror quickly only to fall on where his fingers were slipping into hers.

She kisses the top of his knuckles before kissing his wrists, upper arm, neck, cheeks, nose, eyes, and gently rests her forehead against his own. They breathe each other in for a few seconds longer than was wise. 

The silence wraps them in a hug, their bodies soft, touching and he presses a kiss against her mouth, just once and briefly.

She releases an exhale through her nose and presses her cheek against his own, her lips brushing against his ear, "You are divine." 

Her hand slips his palm against the middle of his chest, his breath catching slightly as he feels her heart's strong yet fast beat against his skin. She moves away slightly, to look him in the eyes properly and the amber in her eyes feels extra bright today.

"You are so beautiful to me. Your love is patient and kind, Sun-oh."

He swallows.

"You deserve all amazing things and I'm sorry," she says softly, her eyes unwavering and full of sorrow he didn't understand. Her lashes seemed wet from the glossiness in her eyes.

"Sorry for what?" his brows furrowed, his thumb swiping against her cheek.

She offers him a soft smile but he can't shake off the lack of genuineness behind it. She shakes her head.

"Just sorry."

***

In-ho looks between Sun-oh and Ae-ri and sighs heavily. His eyes meet Ae-ri's and she looks away immediately; his heart seems to skip over a beat for all the wrong reasons.

He had assumed she wanted to discuss what had happened the day they had kissed—the day he had felt her mouth pressed against his, her body, her hair—

Fuck.

His eyes close at the memory and he grounds himself in a weak attempt to not set off her alarm any more than he already had.

He regathers his train of thought.

He had been more than happy to oblige to that conversation but he didn't fully understand why Sun-oh was with them if that was the topic of conversation.

"Why am I here?" he asks Ae-ri more than Sun-oh.

She opens her mouth to speak, her eyes still flittering on anywhere that wasn't him. Sun-oh cuts her short, "I heard you on the phone with your mother."