Too Good at Goodbyes pt. 2
A/N: It’s definitely been a while… Thank you to all who were extremely supportive of the first part - I appreciate your patience in waiting for the second segment! I also apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar errors. I will correct them as I see them.
For those of you who haven’t read part 1 (or need to re-read it lol it’s been a while).
As usual, let me know your thoughts!
INFO: Bold - emphasis, italicized - personal thoughts, bold/italicized - past conversations
Red. That was the color you saw as the man who had been both your savior and the bane of your existence asked you to take him back. As if he could reverse those months you spent doubting your decision to walk out that door.
Ridiculous, you thought. He’s too late. But the slight tingle up your spine at the thought of him missing you did not go unnoticed.
Desperate to not give him the satisfaction of knowing, no, thinking, he was still under your skin, you once again called upon your mask of indifference.
But you underestimated just how well he knew you. Your words were colored with skepticism, and he knew. His slight smirk indicated he hadn’t missed the underlay of hope you tried so desperately to hide, but he kept his features neutral to avoid provoking you further. Your eyes narrowed.
“Don’t worry, it’s not what you think. I know you’d rather amputate your own leg than get back together with me, and I wouldn’t even be asking, ” his eyes flashed downwards then back up to meet yours, clear and determined. The only sign of nervousness was the minute tapping of his right hand against his thigh.
Old habits die hard, you mused. Boy did you know.
“…but I need a favor. A date to my father’s charity gala next week.”
“Please.” he added after reading your expression. Just who did he think you were? As if your world still revolved around him. To even show his face around you was already pushing it, let alone ask you for a favor.
“You must’ve not gotten the message. I. Can’t. Stand. You.” you reiterated, in case he hadn’t gotten the hint from your multiple attempts to avoid him both at school and outside. The only exception being the diner, but that was non-negotiable. “Besides, it’s not like you have a shortage of girls. Just walk back inside the diner. Or you can find the nearest bathroom stall. I’m sure a willing girl will fall magically out of the sky.” You didn’t attempt to hide your snideness this time. To Jaehyun’s credit, he visibly flinched as if you had reached out to slap him.
“Please, y/n. You don’t understand. This is the BIGGEST event of the year, possibly of my dad’s career. There’s gonna be ten billion people there, and I need to stand out and make a lasting impression. If you won’t do it for me, at least for my dad.” Jaehyun’s own mask was beginning to crack, the pitch of his voice rising to emphasize the gravity of the situation.
“And the other girls just can’t do it like you do. You were always the charming one. You made me the best version of myself.” He mumbled the last sentence, the tips of his ears tinging pink with embarrassment. Or maybe it was the December weather. “I - no - we need this.”
“It’s not fair of you to use Mr. Jung. You know I have a soft spot for him” you grumbled. He had always kept an eye out for you, in all his gruffness, and made you feel cared for. You made lifted your eyes to meet Jaehyun, surprised to see him gazing intensely into your own.
“He always asks where you are, you know. How you’re doing. When you’ll be back.” The soft sincerity of his confession caught you off guard.
Unsure how to respond, you quickly looked away. You knew Jaehyun’s parents cared for you, but you hadn’t realized you would be missed. You always saw yourself as replaceable. Or worse yet - a placeholder. A tense, awkward silence filled with hidden meaning and unspoken emotions ensued before Jaehyun cleared his throat and nonchalantly added, “I’d thought they get the hint by now, with the nine girls I brought home after you. And to sweeten the deal, I promise to not bring girls to this diner ever again.”
Boy did that sting. You knew he constantly had different arm candy every day, but you hadn’t thought he would bring them to meet his parents. Memories of your first meeting involuntarily seized your mind - a nervous, jittery you who worried about using the wrong dessert fork and a laughing Jaehyun who found your desire to please adorable. Trust me, they’ll love you, he had said with a laugh on the drive to their house. How do you know for sure? You had questioned skeptically, poking at his shoulder, to which he solemnly looked at you and said, because I do, as if it were the only answer worth contemplating. How greatly your feelings could change in such short time.
The second sentence caught your attention though, and you immediately began weighing the pros and cons. He was right - you were good at social events and you didn’t particularly mind them either. Besides, a Jaehyun-free diner would be the one place you could truly seek sanctuary in. Going as Jaehyun’s date and pretending to still be enamored with him would prove to be annoying, but it was only one night, right?
“I…accept. But on the terms that neither you nor your girls come to the diner. I want this to be my sanctuary.” you revised the terms, looking at his expectantly. He looked taken aback, and appeared to consider your proposal before tentatively nodding. “Yeah, sure. No problem” he agreed. As satisfied as you were, you couldn’t help but feel a tiny shrivel of disappointment at his seeming apathy towards the place stained with your memories as a couple. Of course it wouldn’t mean anything to him now, you chided yourself. It doesn’t mean anything to you either. You just like the pancakes, and would prefer to eat them without the porn show going on in front of you. Periodt. You always were good at lying. Especially to yourself.
Extending your hand to shake with Jaehyun’s, you felt your previous confidence falter. How many times before had you imagined holding his hand like this? You had to remind yourself just who he was and what he did, god forbid you make the same mistake twice. Shackle-free, shackle-free.
Beaming, Jaehyun let out a laugh of relief and shoved his fingers through his hair. Damn. The boy just glows doesn’t he. You felt your heart pick up in speed.
“So you know the drill. Black-tie, dress to impress. I’ll pick you up at 7 this Saturday so we can get there early and mingle before the event officially starts. Oh, and wear that sleeveless black dress you have, the one with the star-like gems,” he listed off before heading towards the parking lot. “And maybe brush up on your gala etiquette, it’s been a while.”
You rolled your eyes, shooing him off with the wave of your hand. “I’ll be sure to bring you a cone collar too. I’ll even dot it with gems to match my dress.”
You heard his booming laugh from behind you then the rev of a motorcycle. “Need a ride?” he shouted over the sound of the motor. He looked around the parking lot. “I don’t see your car here. Did you walk?”
Yes. “No.” you continued to wave him off. “My sister is coming to pick me up.”
Jaehyun let out another chuckle, shoving his artfully messy hair into his helmet. “Still scared of motorcycles, I see. Some things never change.”
With two more loud revs, he shot off into the streets. I guess some things never do, you agreed.
Now to go find that black dress. Your stash of post-break up swedish fish really did a number on you.
stormborns
vaporwave
turnnoffyourmind
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izzy806
germansingergirl
