Chapter 30
LIZ
I don't know why I agreed to do that. It was so stupid.
I should've just left it at the first, or even the second song.
Playing that song was just dumb. Tears slip down my cheeks as I look out the little window above the sink and take a sip of my water.
Arms go around me as a body presses me into the sink and a head falls on my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry," Seong murmurs into my ear.
"I don't mean to pull away like that. I'm so used to doing it with the others that it was just an automatic reaction.
You're more than welcome to hug and kiss me anytime you want.
Next time, because I'm sure it'll happen, do it anyway.
I promise you I won't be mad. I just get lost in what I'm doing sometimes. "
"That's not why I'm upset," I try to explain. That did hurt and didn't make these feelings any better, but I tell him. "That song was my omma's favorite. I used to play it for her all the time."
"Mmm," he replies with his face still next to my ear. "Can I have that hug now?"
I huff out a laugh. "You want it now that crying has my face all messed up?"
His lips brush my ear and his warm breath blows against it as he says, "You're still as beautiful as ever."
Turning in his arms, I wrap mine around his waist and lay my head against his chest. "Thank you for the books."
"Mmm," he repeats, the sound vibrating from his chest into mine.
I lift my chin to kiss the bottom of his neck and a line up to his cheek before finding his lips.
As soon as they touch, he takes over. His kiss is rough and soothing all at the same time.
My hands slip to his sides where I hang on as he presses his body against me until I don't know where I start and he ends.
Pulling away, he presses a small kiss on the tip of my nose. "Stay with me tonight?"
"Yes," I whisper, earning me another kiss.
"Will you come back and play the first song for me again?" he requests.
I get the feeling that he's trying to replace the sad memories with more happy ones.
Not to forget the old ones, but so that I won't feel so bad when it happens again.
I agree and let him lead me back into the living room.
He doesn't let go of my hand until we go to sit back down.
Only, he scoots closer than before until we're touching thighs.
I don't miss a look passing between Yeon and Kyung before I start to play again.
This time, though, the man next to me sings with me, and I swear that I fall even more in love than I already have.
Hours later, I hold true to my promise, following Seong Su to his room.
He puts his guitar back on its stand, flinging the pick on his desk before closing the short distance between us.
The only warning I get is the devious expression on his face before he locks my face between his hands and smashes his mouth against mine.
He wants complete and total control, and I let him have it.
Then when I feel like I can't take it anymore, my hands start wandering until we turn into a frenzy of kisses and clothes dropping to the floor.
Somehow on our way to the bed, we get turned around and he reaches it first. I push him slightly, forcing him to lie back.
Only, he doesn't let me have that small amount of power.
He sits up as I straddle him and flips us so that I'm underneath him instead.
My competitiveness wants to push back to see who would actually win, because Seong Su surprisingly has a sleeper build with some good-sized muscles. But I'm not going to this time.
I grin up at him, arching off the bed to claim his mouth again while wrapping my legs around his waist. He groans before breaking away to reach down under the bed.
I press my lips against every spare inch of skin I can reach while he's distracted.
Coming back up flustered and victorious, he slips a condom on.
Lining himself up, he grabs both my wrists and smashes them against the bed above my head as he slides into me.
There's no teasing or playing. Exactly what I'd expect from a man who needs control and always makes the best use of his time.
He sets a pace that has my back arching off the bed as I chase what he's trying to give me.
My hips arch against his, making every stroke that much more intense.
He locks our fingers together above my head as his bed starts hitting the wall.
Any other time, and I'd find a way to make it quieter since there are seven other men in this house who can probably hear it right now.
But, I can't. I can't find it in me to care, because I'm so close to the edge Seong Su is taking me over that when it finally does hit, he slams his mouth down on mine to swallow my loud cry.
A few seconds later, he follows me right over that edge.
Letting our fingers slip apart as he pulls out, he rests his head on my chest. We lie like that for a while, trying to catch our breath as my fingers find his hair to run through it. Eventually, we get comfortable side by side, him hugging me tight against him as we fall asleep together.
What feels like only a few hours later, the soft sound of music wakes me up to find myself alone in bed. I turn over to see Seong Su sitting at his keyboard in nothing but his boxer briefs, playing the keys. I listen to him play for a few minutes, enjoying the sound and the view.
Sitting up, I pull the flat sheet off his bed and wrap it around me before getting up and walking over to him. I kiss the side of his neck, letting my hair drag across his skin. He shivers but doesn't stop playing. When the song finally ends, he turns on the chair to face me.
"Couldn't sleep?" I ask as he takes my hands and kisses both palms.
"Just woke up with a melody in my head," he admits. "Wanted to record it before I forgot."
"Mmm," I say, rubbing a hand down his cheek before stepping back and dropping the sheet. "Want to come back to bed now?"
He rubs a thumb across his lips as he slowly takes me in from head to toe before slowly getting up to follow.
Instead of waking up alone the next morning, it's to Seong Su watching me through half-closed lids as he rubs my back softly.
We get up and shower together before heading toward the kitchen for breakfast. It doesn't dawn on me to be self-conscious at all until one of them teases Seong Su quietly, making me pretend to be looking for the juice a little longer than necessary.
Kyung doesn't act any differently as he walks in, dropping a kiss against the side of my head. "Good morning, sunshine."
"Morning," I tell him.
I'm the last one to get my breakfast of peanut butter, bananas, blueberries, and toast together. Just as I walk to the side of the counter to stand while we're eating, Jae-un grabs my phone off the charger where it always sits against the wall and pushes it toward me.
"You might want to check that," he says. "It's been going off all morning."
I take a bite of my toast, expecting emails of some sort like what always spams my phone.
The first notification makes me gasp, choking on my bite of bread.
Seong Su is closest at the end of the counter.
He jumps off his chair and races over to pat my back.
I take a couple drinks of my juice to get the rest of the toast down.
"Thank you," I tell him hoarsely.
He nods, going to sit back down. Kyung and Yeon both take their seats again, too. I open my texts right before my phone starts ringing with a video call.
"I have to take this," I tell them, getting ready to walk out of the room.
"You can do it here, if you want," Seong Su offers.
I cringe. "It might get kind of loud."
He smiles and nods.
Okay, then. Can't say I didn't warn him. I answer at the last possible second and a familiar face pops up on the screen.
"Oh my god, Lizabeth!" One of my favorite people in the world calls out with a grin. "I have been waiting for forever for you to read my messages. I forgot that your time zone over there is an exact opposite of mine."
I laugh, still trying to catch my breath before replying in English. "I just saw your messages and choked on my toast."
"Serves you right," she teases, bringing up her hand with a quick flash of the rock on it.
"Oh my god, Hannah," I all but squeal in excitement. Her text about her engagement caught me off guard, but seeing the ring on her finger is so surreal. "Congratulations!"
She does actually let out a squeal. "I know, I know, right? It still doesn't feel real."
"I didn't even know that you guys were that serious," I tell her.
Covering her face, she admits, "It's been two years, but I honestly didn't see it coming either."
"Let me see it," I tell her as I lean into the camera. The grin hasn’t left my face since the call started.
Holding her hand out towards the camera, she keeps it still so I can see the massive diamond on her ring finger. I let out a short whistle. "Girl, you better not go swimming in that thing or you're going to sink straight to the bottom."
She giggles, pulling her hand back. "I know, right? Happy dance?"
We both start wiggling our bodies in a weird little dance like we used to all the while I'm trying to ignore the quiet chuckles and grins around me.
Laughing again, she asks, "Want to see the video?"
"Is that even a real question?" I ask, taking another drink of my juice.
She taps her phone a few times before mine dings.
I close her face temporarily and open my texts to watch the video.
It's absolutely gorgeous. They're on a body of water somewhere, I'm assuming a lake or river since there's grass and no sand, and I can see the land on the other side.
Her now-fiancé, Edward, is down on one knee before Bear walks into the frame with the tiny jewelry box tied to his harness.
Tears roll down my face before he even pops the question.