-11-

Healing is key.

Lavender.

The whimsical aroma proved stimulating enough to pry my eyes open in a lethargic flicker. I winced at the harsh rays of sunlight that beamed from a variety of directions. The thrashing ache in my head elicited a pained groan from my chapped lips. My mouth was drier than an old hag and practically every inch of my body screamed from fatigue. The damp lavender-scented cloth draped thoughtfully over my forehead somehow managed to keep my restless heart rate in check.

Jesus, fuck.

My very first blaze and it devolved into such a shitty disaster.

Where even am I...?

It barely took a second to puzzle together exactly where I was.

Right.

Irene.

I was at her house—sandwiched between her sheets.

Funny how our fractured connection hadn't prevented my subconscious from routing me on course to its default solution to solace.

I was numb.

And I wanted to feel again.

Irene makes me feel...

Setting the cold press aside, I lazily shimmied my body upright so that my spine aligned cozily against the posh fortress of pillows bolstered behind me. My hands instinctively began roaming around busily through the tangle of clean sheets, head pulsating with every movement.

I hoped to God my dazed stupor held enough common sense to bring along my cell phone.

My mother was most likely worried sick.

Jaebum too...

Days ago, I could have cared less how they felt about me.

But now...

...For some reason I felt I at least owed them both the courtesy.

Because they love me.

Sure, I've known this beforehand but knowing and actually feeling are two very distinct actions.

My once dormant volcano of emotions I've kept protectively confined over the years capriciously erupted in an overwhelming blast. Their love for me and its reciprocation flowed through the zigzagged channels of my heart and goddamn was it a bizarre sensation.

Have I been repressing this too...?

Abandoning my search, I leaned my weight back and tilted my head down to observe my current attire. I was wearing a plain white t-shirt and baggy navy-blue jersey shorts. Before putting me to bed, Irene offered me a change of clothes since mine smelt horridly of weed.

The onslaught of last night had my brain throbbing even more painfully.

Just as these new fleet of unfamiliar sentiments had flocked my brain, so had forgotten memories of those vibrant pair of green eyes—now forever singed lucidly in my mind.

And remembering struck me like a speeding bullet train.

Kyungri.

Yes...

God, her eyes were beyond beauty.

So...lively.

How invigorating it was to just gaze into those enchanting eyes and have them gazing right back...

"You like my eyes on you...don't you?"

The bedroom door abruptly swung open just then revealing a fresh-faced Irene dressed snuggly in a matching set of periwinkle silk pajamas, hair lobbed idly in a hanging side bun. Gripped firmly in her hands was a silver food tray containing a plate stacked with toast and a bowl of fruit. Also leveled on the tray was an ivory coffee mug, a cloud of steam whizzing from the top.

Her dazzling smile seemed to magically alleviate my migraine.

"Hey, you," The cheerful girl greeted me happily, gliding over to my completely immobilized form on her mattress while expertly balancing the food tray in her hands. "How did you sleep?"

I grunted my response, sensitive eyes weakly squinting at her petite figure gracefully settling down beside me.

"I made you breakfast," She gestured with her head as a signal for me to readjust myself so that she could suitably place the silver tray in my lap.

"I'm not really hungry..." I muttered lowly under my breath, my stomach rumbling loudly in contrary.

"A growling belly never lies," Irene giggled while tearing open an herbal tea packet and dipped it delectably in the mug full of steaming hot water. She then whipped in a dollop of sugar and honey with a tiny spoon.

I examined her silently, secretly admiring her rejuvenated morning appearance.

She's always been beautiful, and I've always credited her as such but my oh my was she truly a gift from the heavens.

Lovely...

"I put your clothes in the wash," Her lighthearted voice redirected my attention back to her brisk hand movements that continued to stir the tea concoction.

My eyes widened upon remembering the extra joint I had still stuffed in my pocket.

"Shit, I had a—" I began to panic but she held up a solitary finger to hush me.

"Don't worry," She stretched an arm out to her nightstand and pulled open the drawer compartment to expose a thick bundle of plastic. "I figured you'd have leftovers."

I breathed a relieved sigh.

Lucky she was such a stealthy thinker.

I couldn't even begin to imagine the uncomfortable outcome of having to explain to her parents why the laundry rancidly smelled of a hippie house.

"So, are you going to tell me why you were so high last night?" Irene asked, quietly blowing at the whooshing steam from the mug to settle its haste.

I shrugged.

"I like making trouble for myself."

"That hardly seemed like planned trouble," She immediately debunked with her thin brows raising in skepticism. "I'd much prefer it if you were honest with me."

"I am being honest."

"Bull."

I further dodged her suspicions and commenced feeling around for my phone.

It's gotta be here somewhere...

"Looking for this?"

My eyes instantly snapped up to find her clenching my cell in her hand, a haughty smirk pursed on her lips.

I went in for a quick swipe, but she swiftly retracted her hand.

"You'll get it back after we talk," My smug muse stated deviously while tucking the device into the thin opening of her buttoned pajama shirt. She then motioned down to the food tray. "Now eat your breakfast."

"Bossy..." I grumbled crankily with a hard roll of my eyes, lowkey adoring the hell out of the alluring smile that continued to spread at her natural rosy lips.

I stared down at the platter to properly analyze the spread she arranged for me. There were three pieces of perfectly toasted toast lathered in a peanut butter coating, garnished with thickly cut slices of bananas. In the tiny glass bowl were cleanly diced chunks of pineapple.

How odd...

Peanut butter toast was a childhood favorite of mine.

My cravings were so erratically strange as a child.

I loved, loved, loved having my peanut butter toast toppled with fruit—primarily bananas and pineapples. My mother prepared my meals without question, right down to the amount of fruit I preferred on each slice.

It was the most maternal thing I remember about her.

But how did Irene know that...?

"Your mother told me this was your favorite," Irene answered my own thoughts, pushing a butter knife toward my hand. "I find pineapple on toast to be rather disgusting, so I just put it on the side but knock yourself out I guess."

Disregarding the butter knife, I barbarically grabbed a decent-sized pineapple chunk and plopped it right on top of the gooey peanut butter spread.

"You spoke to my mother?" I asked while devouring my loaded toast taco style.

"She's been calling you nonstop since last night," She told me as she adjusted her position on the bed so that one leg was propping up her weight while the other hung to the floor. "Your brother called a few times too."

I was disheartened at the mention of Jaebum.

"What did you tell them?"

Our eyes paralleled in a fated lock.

"That you were safe."

Before the bind of our gazes could deepen into an inescapable trance, she tore away and audibly cleared her throat.

"Anyhow, I told them that you'd be with me until you were ready to go home," She gently rested the back of her hand to my flush forehead. "You had a little fever last night...looks like it settled."

I gulped.

Direct contact with her skin had the butterflies in my stomach twirling loops.

"This domestic shit is weird..." I grumbled through another delightful bite of toast.

Irene winked cutely.

"Well, get used to it because I'm the queen of domestic care."

I paused my munching to eye her intriguingly.

"So, you're skipping school on my behalf?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," She chuckled, sneaking a pineapple from the glass bowl and popping it in her mouth. "You've been skipping all week. We need to talk about that too."

Talk...

I saw that coming.

"Not up for talking..." I muttered while sucking on my fingers sticky with peanut butter then took a quick sip of hot tea to wash down, the heated water bathing my throat in soothing tranquility.

"You don't really have a choice," She followed up sharply.

"What about you par—" I began to excuse but she once again cut me off.

"Seulgi, you should know by now that I've thought of everything, don't worry," Irene said sensibly.

I realized for myself that I was coming up with so many excuses as to why I shouldn't be here or why this shouldn't happen.

But it was happening anyway.

And Irene was going to make sure of that regardless.

"Besides, my parents are way too absorbed within themselves to even freaking care to check my bedroom," She laughed listlessly as she chomped down on another pineapple chunk.

She said it as if it were no big deal, but I could tell from the lingering undertones of that remark that it was something that bothered her quite a bit. She explained to me weeks ago of her parents' negligence, but the more I witness the behavior, the more I realized the hard toll it drew on Irene.

I wonder if she's ever tried talking to them about it...?

But could I really hold this opinion? It would be hypocritical considering...my own family life was currently in shambles.

And it was all my fault.

It's my fault Jaebum left...

We finished eating together in relaxed silence. When I was mostly finished, she picked up the ivory mug and pressed it into my hands.

"Drink the rest of this," She coached me while placing the now empty food tray aside on the floor.

I downed the remaining hot liquid as instructed, its divine effects easing the negativity haunting my mind. She had her hand out to collect the empty mug after I was finished and set it on her nightstand.

"Okay so," She started to say, her left shoulder pleasantly feathering against my right as she spoke. "Tell me what happened."

"What makes you think something happened..." I evaded.

"You climbed through my window crying, high out of your mind mumbling something you remembered about that woman. Don't you dare tell me nothing happened."

I swallowed nervously.

"...I was hanging out with my brother...he wanted to smoke so we went to get weed...we talked about shit and I got a little triggered..." I trailed off momentarily, my eyes distracted by her fidgeting fingers. "And I ended up here somehow...I don't know why anyway."

"I do," Irene stated confidently.

"Yeah, because I'm your obsessed stalker," I sighed heavily, waiting for her to agree or even say as much but to my surprise she didn't.

"No, dork," She gently punched my arm and released a buttery laugh. "It's because you trust me."

The involuntary jolt of my heart nearly catapulted me into the ceiling.

I trust her?

...Did I?

Do I?

In a sense, I supposed I always had but it never dawned on me as strongly as it had now hearing her blurt it to the universe so candidly.

Yes.

I trust her.

"You can deny it all you want but I know it's true," She buttoned my nose teasingly. "You trust me, Kang Seulgi."

More than you know.

"I wasn't going to deny it..." I admitted, the tips of my fingers caressing her soft sheets. "It's just weird that I came here...since last time I was here, we had sex..."

Irene yielded to a strained silence which stretched on agonizingly for ages.

"We didn't just have sex, Seulgi..." She said quietly.

My chest lurched in a maddening spasm.

"...I know."

There was no need to speak aloud what she implied since it was obvious to both of us the moment it happened.

"I didn't mean to avoid you..." She explained in an almost fearful manner, glistening green eyes bouncing around the room in a tizzy. "I just needed time to myself...I made the ultimate betrayal to my boyfriend...I lied to him so many times already and now...I've given away something meant for him to someone else..."

When she trailed off again, I knew what to expect.

It was so obvious the next awful words to come.

It was a mistake.

I anticipated that blow.

It was a mistake, and she regrets it...

But Irene was not giving me her usual today.

"I don't regret it though."

I steadily lifted my astonished gaze to find her staring back.

"Not even a little..."

"I feel the same..." I found myself saying, holding her intense gaze. "I don't regret it either..."

"Then why did you start skipping school?"

I broke the gaze in embarrassment.

"...Isn't it obvious?"

"To avoid me...?" She replied lowly.

I nodded, still training my focus down at my crossed fingers.

"It's stupid but yeah...I couldn't handle being around you anymore...it..."

Hurt too much...

She waited for me to continue when I hesitated, but I only shrugged the rest, way overly insecure to confess openly the hell I underwent without her.

"Is it starting to scare you...?" I heard her ask breathily. "...Our connection?"

I nodded slowly.

It constantly did.

I was just too much of a confused coward to acknowledge it honestly.

"That makes two of us..." Irene whispered.

Silence pushed its way back into the atmosphere and unlike the last time, this silence brought a colossal gush of anxious tension.

It wasn't long before Irene shifted her weight on the bed so that her entire body face me in full focus.

"Seulgi, we can't keep going on like this. I know how this started...but we can't keep treating this situation as if its normal because it's not," She paused, noticing my uneasiness. "We need to know what happened to you..."

"W-Why?" My quivering voice asked meeker than I was comfortable with.

Irene didn't shy away from answering.

"I want to make it better."

She was so resolute and confident about it; my heart spiraled a tangled web of giddiness but I allowed my fear to get the best of me.

"I don't remember everything," I said through an exasperated huff. "I remember her but not...all the details..."

Last night sparked forth a powerful current of memories that I didn't want to remember at all.

The pain...

That pain...

Irene leaned forward into me.

"We can work together to uncover those details."

I gave her a bemused stare.

"We?"

She nodded fervently.

"I'm not letting you face this alone."

"But it's my problem..." I mumbled then tried slinking further into her bedding, but she caught me by the shoulder to thwart me.

"We're in this together now," Irene proclaimed, her wispy finger brushing a stray strand of blonde from my eyes. "So, stop being such a stubborn jackass and let me help you."

The passionate look of determination gleaming in her eyes was something well to be admired.

How could I deny her when she looked at me like that?

"I'm not really sure how to go about all this..." I drawled out.

"Well let's start with what you do know," She cleared her throat a few times as if to pep herself up. "What can you remember about Kyungri?"

I gaped into my lap for a prolonged amount of time then looked up to meet her fiery emerald gaze—Irene's emerald gaze that terrifyingly mutated into an entirely different pair.

Park Kyungri.

The once misted veil shrouding her now lifted, Kyungri was so clear in my view with those shimmering eyes of green that seeded into my soul.

"I remember the color of her eyes ..."

"...What color?" Irene asked cautiously.

And it sickened me.

"...Green."

The disturbed confusion deforming her previous placid expression nearly destroyed me.

Because what did this mean for us?

What could it possibly mean...?

"That's definitely a start..." The chocolate-locked girl exhaled through a strained laugh, her face continuously weaving in and out of trepidation. "Is there anything else you remember? Any places or objects that might help?"

I thought back to when my wicked suppression first began to mock me.

"The vodka we stole..." I said flatly. "I think I chose that brand for a reason..."

And the memories hurtled back in vengeful droves.

There she stood, dressed lusciously in a black laced negligee. I was sprawled out on her bed, awaiting her anxiously, her hallucinogenic honey scent rendering me virtually paralyzed.

"My little Seulgi...you're so tense..."

"She drank a lot when we were together..." I recalled in a stoic daze.

Vodka was her poison of choice.

"I love the strong taste. It just releases all my tension..."

That blue bottle.

"...Would you like to try?"

A cold sweat broke across my forehead.

"She made me drink with her..."

Irene's feathery touch on my shoulder again brought me back to existence.

"I'll work on that then..." She reassured me then burrowed herself with me underneath her thick comforter.

We stared up at the ceiling.

The t-shirt I wore smelled just like her...and it was comforting.

Our hands were inches apart.

I wanted badly to hold her hand.

But I fought off the urge when she moved to reach for her cell phone on the nightstand.

As she checked her messages, a robust sigh escaped her.

"Seungyoon?" I guessed and she confirmed with a single nod.

"He wants to bring me some chicken soup after school...since I called out sick today," She said gloomily. "Now I have to lie to keep him away...he doesn't deserve that."

"Cause he's such a fantastic guy?" I said sarcastically.

"He is."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right, he's so pretentious."

"You don't know him like I do," She rebutted with a radiant smile. "He's so calm and encouraging. Whenever I freak the fuck out over my grades or need to vent about my parents, he's always right there to lend a supportive ear...he listens to me and makes me feel safe. He is literally my rock," Her jade eyes clouded from distress. "And I'm fucking cheating on him..."

She loves him.

I knew that.

The affectionate way she spoke of him—she loves him.

My throat knotted sorely in behemoth-sized lumps.

But it wasn't jealousy gorging away at me as it generally would when Seungyoon was mentioned.

Reality was—even though Irene was here with me instead her boyfriend—even giving herself to me instead of him, she still loved him.

Her heart was with him.

And I wasn't him.

I wasn't Seungyoon.

I'm second.

"You think I'd leave him for you? Don't be such a child."

I'm never the priority...

"He's my husband, Seulgi. There is no comparison. You knew what this was from the start."

My body stiffened.

"What is it...?" I heard Irene whisper.

I swallowed hard.

"She was married."

There was an inflated pause.

"Married," The word rolled bitterly off Irene's tongue. "...Just how old was this woman?"

How old was she...?

How old...?

That's right.

I met her on her birthday.

It was a Saturday; I was with my mother...was she working?

Kyungri was the most beautiful woman I've ever seen...and she had me captivated from the start.

My mother would often compliment her for her youthful appearance, that she looked good for her age.

"I hate getting older, my youth slips away from me each day."

Kyungri mentioned her age upfront only once.

She said it in passing, complaining about becoming 'elderly' and how dreadful birthdays were for her so she refused to celebrate it but her husband...

"My husband forces me to celebrate my birthday anyway, what a guy right?"

"The year I met her she just turned thirty."

Irene froze, her skin paling white.

"Thirty?" She reiterated sharply. "And you were fourteen?"

I didn't breathe another word.

"I thought she might have been an older friend but just by a couple of years..." She continued, thoroughly disgusted. "This is really fucked up..."

"Have you ever been with an older woman before...?"

Acid spitefully bubbled within my stomach.

"...May I be your first?"

My legs were like jelly stilts as I leaped to my feet and sprinted from the bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom. I landed knees first just in time to decorate the toilet with my breakfast.

Irene was right behind me.

"It's okay...you're okay..." She rubbed soothing circles into the small of my back as I proceeded to violently empty my belly, her long fingers roping my hair out of my face. "We will get through this together... I promise..."

And I believed her.

When I eventually finished, Irene tactfully walked me back to her bed where we both settled back under the mass of blankets. The aftermath left me a trembling mess which Irene remedied by spooning herself plush against me, her arms protectively encircling my waist. She hummed a sweet tune lovingly in my ear as the anguished nerves in my body progressively relaxed.

I wasn't able to fall asleep completely, but Irene's tender comfort was plenty to refresh me.

The rest of the day went along remarkably normal.

Irene and I talked endlessly about a variety of things.

Random things.

Bad habits.

Pet peeves.

Favorite past times.

Do you like the beach?—she did, I personally hated it.

What genre of television is your guilty pleasure?—mine was classic cartoons and hers was trashy reality tv.

What's the first thing that usually pops into your head when you wake up in the morning?—for her, she mentioned her long-deceased kitten, Bada. I, however, was far too ashamed to profess that her brilliantly green eyes frequently flashed in my mind since now I knew most likely it was another green pair instead...

But despite my sullen moments, Irene was quick to maneuver the mood back to a positive note.

We laughed together which I loved the most.

It was the first time we were together simply as two teenage girls, leisurely developing a genuine...bond.

There were no obscure sexual undertones.

Not a trace of animosity.

Just me and Irene being authentically Irene—not that perfect façade she put on at school or the dark monster she manifested whenever she was with me in the past.

She was just herself.

Unique.

Natural.

Beautiful.

It terrified the fuck out of me.

"My parents wanted me to be a 'refined' lady so they forced me to take piano lessons for five years straight. That sucked major eggs," Irene buoyantly spoke as she craftily applied another layer of fire truck red polish to my freshly manicured nails.

I never bothered to tend to my nails much or even cared to, but Irene somehow convinced me in consenting to 'the full works' as she so casually phrased it.

"My piano teacher was ancient—a literal fossil and she smelled like decay and mildew," She chortled, puffing lightly on my wet nails for a quick dry. "She'd make me practice the same three chords for hours and hours, God, it was such cruel torture."

"I think you'd make a fine pianist," I teased her with a broad grin.

"No way, piano is for uptight snobs," She scrunched her nose in a silly fashion that had us both cackling hard. "Plus, I wasn't all that good at it."

"But you're Miss Perfect," I playfully goaded. "You're great at everything."

"Miss Perfect knows her limits," She smirked, polishing the last nail of my left hand which she placed to her mouth to blow dry.

I felt her concerned stare on me.

"Are you feeling better?"

"A little," I grunted, bashfully cutting my eyes away from her in avoidance. "Being here helps..."

Being with you helps...

"Do you want to stay the night?" Irene suddenly blurted out.

I tensed.

Stay the night?

She wants me to...sleepover?

"...What about your parents?" I timidly squeaked.

She scoffed.

"Don't even worry about them. They work super late, and they rarely check on me," She fished my cell phone from her pajama shirt then handed it over to me. "Call your mother and let her know where you'll be tonight."

I hesitated a tad before taking my phone.

Although I wanted to ease her worries, I was very nervous to talk to my mother. I wasn't sure how to act or what she even expected of me.

It hadn't mattered once I dialed her number.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Seulgi? Honey? Are you okay?" Her alarmed voice wafted through the line.

"Yes, mom...I'm okay..." I replied, guilt-stricken.

There was an awkward pause.

"Have you eaten?"

"A little, yeah..." I answered then quickly followed up with an additional sentence to prevent another uncomfortable silence. "I'm calling to let you know I'm staying overnight with a friend."

"Irene, yes, the polite girl I spoke to earlier...that's fine, as long as you're okay."

"I am..."

The awkward silence reigned on.

My mother filled the void.

"Don't miss school tomorrow, okay?"

"I won't..." I thought wisely before speaking my next words. "...Is he gone?"

She fell briefly quiet.

"He left a few hours ago."

...Didn't even say goodbye.

I shrugged off my disappointment.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

I promptly cut the line.

He was gone.

I didn't think I'd feel this...torn over it but I was.

"I never want to see you like that again...I can't...I love you so much..."

I pushed down my grief and brought my attention back to Irene who was staring at me again, reading my mood like the damn empath she was.

She smiled and took my hand.

"Come on, I want you to paint my nails now," She whisked me over to her vanity to choose from an array of polishes.

As the afternoon lingered on into the early night, Irene made stealth work hiding me from her parents which proved to be extremely easy. I was able to shower and even get a quick meal in without them noticing at all. In fact, when they got home, I heard her only greet them with a single line of dialogue before retreating to her bedroom.

I loved the freedom of it all.

It was exciting to be her secret—in a much more wholesome way.

And being with her was a safe haven for me.

"We can make sure to get up extra early so we can grab your uniform and stuff for school tomorrow," She gave me a stern look. "Because we aren't skipping twice."

"I already told my mom I wouldn't skip," I ensured.

We shared a satisfied smile.

She's so very...I'm so...

Noisy vibrations of a ringing cell phone disrupted the peaceful ambiance.

I knew it was Irene's.

Seungyoon. I automatically thought but was surprised when she addressed a different name.

"Hey, Wendy," She answered, her serene expression distorting with concern. "Are you okay? What happened? Oh God...he what? Shit..."

I watched as her bare feet paced an anxious pattern into the spotless carpeting, hands fiddling nervously through her tousle of long curls.

"You need to get away from him..." She quickly glanced at me. "Do you want to come here? Mmm....yes it's okay."

I furrowed my brows.

Fuck.

I knew it was too good to be true.

Me staying overnight with her, it was just too fucking good to be true. Now Irene was changing her mind and she had to make way for her real friend.

When she hung up, I was already swift on my feet.

"I'll make sure to be gone before she gets here," I groused lowly then moved to prepare to leave but she snatched me back by the collar of my t-shirt.

"You're not going anywhere."

"But—"

"I know it's weird," She drowned out my words protest abruptly. "But I want you to stay."

"What about Wendy? She doesn't know I'm here..." I excused nervously, the weight of burden pressuring into my mental psyche.

"I will work it out. I'm a problem solver, remember?" From the determined way her eyes twinkled, I believed her.

Because I trust her.

I trust you.

It wasn't long before there was a solid thump at Irene's window. Both Irene and I braced ourselves as we watched a distraught Wendy climb through the window. A nasty cut gashed down her forehead and dripped right below her right eye. Her clothing was tattered and disheveled, face puffed and swollen with tears.

This Wendy was vastly different from the happy-go-lucky blonde I met a few weeks ago.

"R-Rene, I'm sorry for doing this..." The overwrought blonde blubbered, her messy hair hampering her vision. "He went fucking ballistic tonight, I couldn't—"

She halted her movements when she caught sight of me, blue eyes enlarging in horror.

I haven't felt this awkward in my life.

I saw her through a different lens now and I myself had changed; I really didn't know how to take to her and because of this, I felt so very small.

"God, Wendy, your eye," Irene rushed to Wendy without hesitation, her panicked gaze never left me as Irene brushed her fingers carefully along the open wound. "We need to clean this, I'll be right back," Irene then flew from the bedroom, leaving us both in an awkward heap of confusion.

Neither of us dared to move an inch.

Should I greet her?

Would she greet me?

Should I accept it?

We knew things about each other that we weren't aware the other knew. She knew about the erotic relationship Irene and I manufactured, and I knew she'd been beaten by her father.

But it was truly Wendy who was mostly in the dark.

"I-I didn't know you'd be here..." She whispered shyly, staring down hard at the floor in humiliation.

Unable to find the appropriate words, I merely nodded my head. I wanted to say something to reassure her since she looked like she'd combust into a chaotic wreckage any minute.

But I couldn't find the courage.

So, we stood for a few more painfully awkward moments before Irene came slinking back into the stressed-filled room, first aid kit in tow. She went to take Wendy's hand but the latter rapidly pulled away.

"I-I shouldn't have come over..." Wendy stammered then turned to leave but Irene firmly grasped her palm.

"You're staying," Irene demanded strictly.

"I don't want to be a bur—" Wendy started to fuss but Irene silenced her.

"Look," She then grappled for my hand so that she was holding us both in her tight grip, giving us a stern stare down while we stared back like lost children. "I know this is a really weird situation, but I really, really care about you both and you need me so we will make this work, got it?"

Wendy and I shared a quick look and nodded in compliance since there really was no point in arguing with Irene when she was geared into stubborn ox mode. Irene then led Wendy over to her mattress where she began to tend to the fresh cut.

"It's not deep enough to need stitches, I think a band-aid should be fine..." Irene explained while dapping the laceration with disinfectant then dressing it with gauze.

Wendy's jumpy blue eyes still watched me nervously.

"I-I had a little accident..."

"I understand," I said softly then stepped away to fiddle on my phone.

I viewed a text thread of unopened messages from Jaebum.

I'm sorry I left like that, will you forgive me?

Seully? I'm sorry.

-Jae

Seully, at least let me know you're okay.

-Jae

Confliction stirred within me.

He babbles on about how much he loves me then walks out on me again. The nerve he has to boldly accuse us of running knowing damn well he was the one to run away first.

"You really have no idea what that sadistic bitch did to you?"

I dizzied at his words.

"I really don't have to stay..." I heard Wendy say, flouting me from my thoughts. "I was just having a rough night...nothing new there..."

"Wendy, stop," Irene negated. "There's no way in hell I'm letting you go back there tonight."

Wendy, newly patched up and cleaned, gave Irene a slight look of reluctance, but Irene shook her head.

"Let's get to bed."

Somehow, we all ended up nuzzled together on Irene's queen-sized bed, with Irene plopped in the middle and Wendy and I on either side of her. As we laid there collectedly in a docile silence, I felt Irene's thin fingers interlace with mine.

Crazy how things work out.

I longed to be in her bed weeks ago but now being this close with her, just like this was more than enough but that really scared me silly.

She wasn't my monster anymore and I wasn't her burden.

Were we...

...Friends?

We were twisted lovers before but now it was...

As if she were...

I think I'm...

I felt myself drift off somewhere, almost in a tranced sleep.

But I could still hear and feel the bed rustling.

"Is she asleep?" I overheard the tentative voice of Wendy ask.

I felt Irene lightly squeeze my hand then elevate her weight as if she were craning over my body.

"Yeah, she's sleeping," Irene confirmed.

Which was technically true.

If I allowed myself to, I'd be lost to my dreams within seconds, but I ended up listening in any way. It'd be the second time my aware ears were listening with them unknowingly.

"Did I interrupt a booty call?" Wendy asked through a soft snicker.

Irene matched her laugh.

"Nah, it's nothing like that."

"Oh really?" Wendy said sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Wen, it's not like that this time," Irene's voice was sincere and firm. "She's here because she needs a friend just like you do."

"Friend?" Wendy repeated, baffled. "I'm pretty sure the last time we talked about this you were telling me how much you hate this girl."

"It's different now..." Irene murmured, and I had to mentally weigh myself to the bed to prevent from floating away in blissful elation. "When people need you, you just have to be there for them."

"So, she needs you?"

"That's what I said."

Wendy laughed softly.

"Irene Bae, are you catching feelings?"

"N-No it's not like that..." I detected the fluster in her voice. "She's having a hard time and I just want to be there for her," She paused. "Just like I'm here for you..."

I heard an acute inhale from Wendy.

"H-He was so fucking drunk tonight...I couldn't even get him to settle down...he was so angry with me..." She hiccupped through her sobs. "He kept calling me by her name...after he realized I wasn't her...he blamed me for her leaving...he said I'd leave just like she did..."

"It's okay, baby..." Irene hushed her, the bed shifted which I assumed was Irene tugging Wendy in a consoling embrace.

"I'm not her...I won't leave him like she did..."

No longer comfortable, I tuned the rest out and finally allowed myself to give in to the temptation of sleep.

In my dreams, Irene appeared.

I ran to her, happy.

Safe.

But the closer she reared into my viewpoint; she began transforming into...someone else.

She sprouted taller; face contoured in a more matured angle.

Breathtakingly beautiful but dark—corrupted—deception concealed behind that phony sneer she called a smile.

Kyungri.

"Come here, my pet..." She sensually purred.

I shivered.

"Come show me how much you really love me."

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A/N Chapter photo is of Park Kyungri for those of you who don't know her visual :)