29

It is already noon when Min and you decide to get out of bed. Because of hangover, you're not in a condition to cook anything, so you order take out. Min jumps from the sofa when she hears the doorbell thirty minutes after you called. 

"Why so many food, Princess?" Reno comes in the door with the take out but stops when he sees an unfamiliar girl in front of him. "Uhm..." he looks at the number at the door then looks at Min again. 

Min looks up at the tall man towering over her with a questioning look. 

"Reno," you stand up from the sofa and take the plastic bag from him. "Reno, this is Min. She's a friend from back home," you point at the frozen girl, "Min," you elbow her and she finally smiles, "this is Reno." 

Reno beams at her and shakes her hand. He then kisses you on the forehead which makes Min raise one eyebrow. 

"What?" you mouth at her.

"You didn't tell me you had company," Reno says following you in the kitchen as you take out the food from the bag. 

Min comes in, too. "I just came yesterday. Unplanned. Anyway, Reno-oppa?" 

You giggle at that. 

But she continues, "how long have you been together?" Min is really straight forward. She asks what she wants.

Reno scratches the back of his head, "Uhm...actually, she works for me."

"He's your boss?" Like he wasn't there, Min shouts.

"Well," Reno has his arm around your waist, "we've only been going out for a week, though." 

"I see," Min continues to stare at him, making Reno blush. 

You change the subject, "How was your trip?" You ask him. 

"Wonderful. We got another big client," he says helping you put the plates on the table. 

Over lunch, Min couldn't stop talking about her party experience last night. 

"The first club was better", she was saying, "but then this girl..." 

You know what she was gonna say. You signal her to stop but she isn't looking. 

"out of the blue, slaps her. That bitch had it..."

"Wait," Reno heard her. "Who slapped you?" He faces you and you close your eyes wishing you've put a tape over your friend's mouth. 

"Nobody," you look down at the food on your plate. 

"She even called her a whore," Min continues with her wide mouth. 

"Bel," Reno looks serious now, "who was it?" He turns your chair so you're facing him. 

Min finally notices the tension. "It was just a drunk girl." Then she continues with her story of how we got so drunk until we came back to the house. 

Reno doesn't push the subject. 

After a lot of stories told, Reno kisses you goodbye. 

"See you tomorrow, sweetie. Nice meeting you, Min." 

"Same here, Reno."

"Shit girl, he's HOT!" Min says after Reno takes his leave. "But..."

"But, what?"

"Are you serious about him?"

"We're just dating, Min."

"I know. But, you don't look like you like him that much."

"What do you mean?" 

"You look so distant from him. It's just different from how you look at Mark's eyes."

"Don't," you stop her. 

It really is different. When you look at Mark's eyes, you feel longing, happiness, desire. In Reno's eyes, it's just security.

"What happened? You can tell me," she urges. 

"It's complicated."

"We have all afternoon, Bel."

You end up telling her everything. It feels good letting it all out. She just sits there, listening. When you finish, you feel your cheeks wet. 

Min pulls you in her arms. "I'm sorry, Bel. Oh my god. I feel like a lousy friend." 

"It was all my fault," you sob. 

"So, this Reno thing. It's just a distraction?"

"I don't mean it to be like that. I like him. But..."

"But you like Mark more. Even though you try hard to forget about him, you can't."

You sob even harder. 

"This is really twisted," she shakes her head. Then her head suddenly shoots up. "Wait a minute," she sits up straight, "that girl last night. It's her. It's Jane. Why didn't I recognize her. It was her, wasn't it?"

You just nod. 

"Now I know why she's angry." 

"Of course, didn't you hear me tell you about the incident at the resort?"

"Don't you watch TV, Bel?" Obviously not. You don't even have a TV in your house. "It was all over the news." 

"What is?"

"Mark cancelled his contract with WGM, making JYPE pay a big amount for breach of contract."

He did what? She gets your full attention now.

"After that, Jane was interviewed and she told the whole world, Mark cheated on him."

WHAT???? That bitch!

Shit! Mark. What happened to him? What about his career? JYP must be so mad at him. 

"He's fine." Reading from your expression, Min answers your unvoiced questions. "He has more fans than you can imagine. They all supported him." 

Thank you iGOT7!

"Isabel!" She pulls up your chin so you're looking each other in the eye. "You're my friend. And I love you. You do what you think is best for you. But, don't deny yourself the love you deserve. I know you're scared because of what you see around you. Look at my parents. They bicker everyday and I hate them, but see, they're still together.

"Your dad! Even after your mom left him, he still tried to find love. Look at him now. He's happy. You can't hide behind those walls forever, Bel. Nothing is safe in this world, nothing is sure. Nobody enters a relationship thinking it would last. They enter it because they want to experience it. 

"Bel, don't do this to yourself. I know Reno is a good guy and he'd protect you. But he won't make you happy."

You know she's right. You've been locking yourself up in your own safe world, that you keep on pushing away the person you know who'll make you happy. You're twisted, confused, and selfish. 

You can't stop crying. Tears won't do you any good, but you still cry. 

Min is hesitant to leave you at your current state, but she has work tomorrow, so after a lot of hugging she left. 

"Oppa," you call your stepbrother at night. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He already knows who you're talking about. He sighs. 

"I know how confused you are, sis. I didn't want you to feel guilty about it. I'm sorry."

"So...how is he?" It's the first time you ask about him. And you're eager to know the answer. 

"I don't know, Bel. He says he's fine. But he doesn't look it. He's been working like a robot and locks himself up in his room when we get to the dorm. He's broken."

This is your doing. This is all your fault. If you could just kept your horniness to yourself that night, this wouldn't have happened. You wouldn't have slept with him again and again. You wouldn't have pushed him away. 

But, there's nothing you can do now. You can't just run to him and say sorry. That word won't undo anything. Damage has been done, and it's all because of you.

"Oppa," you're sobbing now. "Just, please...tell him...I'm really really sorry. I know words can't do anything. But, I really am." 

"I know. It would be better if you tell him yourself."

"I can't. I don't know if I can face him."

"Why not?" That voice. 

You can't speak. No words would come out. That voice just made you freeze again.