Author's Note: This isn't quite a long chapter but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for subscribing! Keep the comments coming in 'cause...I love comments ^^ If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let me know! Also, I'm sorry to have to disappoint some of you but this story is purely about the girls' friendships, as you can see from how the story is progressing. I still hope my story is good enough to keep you reading even if it's not what you're looking for. Just because...we all love the girls isn't it? :) Oh and, I realised playing Taeyeon's 'Closer' seems to bring out the emotions more when reading this chapter. You can try ^^

[Narrator's point of view]

{Date: 7 March 2018}
{Time: 23:18 KST}

It was as if time stood still as the two girls had their teary eyes fixed on each other's. The older one had a broken-hearted stare. A stare full of confusion. The younger one, on the other hand, had a glare, but an equally broken-hearted one. A glare full of protection, to protect herself from the world, and also to protect the girl right in front of her. Taeyeon wouldn't take her eyes off her best friend. It wasn't to say that she had forgotten about the last fight they had. She still remembered every single part of it, every word from her best friend that had cut her heart. But none of those mattered at that point in time. She wanted to be there for Tiffany. She wanted to be there to hold her, to tell her that she would always be there for her, even if the sky fell down. Those words, however, were stuck in , in . She couldn't even mutter a word. She was frozen by those tear-filled eyes her best friend was using to look right back at her.

It seemed like eternity, before Tiffany turned away, clenching her teeth. Yet, Taeyeon's eyes never left her. "Taeyeon. Go." The shorter girl wouldn't budge. She continued standing there. No way. No way would she even take a step away from this girl whom she wanted to protect. She wouldn't let it happen even if she pushed her away. "Taeyeon." Tiffany could see her best friend's shadow, and she gave out her last warning. "It's cold here. I don't want you to be alone." Taeyeon finally spoke. "Does it even matter?" Tiffany's coldness would not back down. "Yes." Taeyeon's one-word reply was firm, without a doubt.

"Just..." Taeyeon listened, attentively, when Tiffany's tone took a sudden change.

"Who do you think you are?" Taeyeon's eyes widened, as she took in the unexpected cold words from Tiffany. Even so, she kept still.

"All those people I loved... They left me. One by one." Taeyeon swallowed her saliva, hoping to at the same time swallow her tears down too, as she listened painfully to Tiffany's cracking voice.

"You." Taeyeon looked up and blinked a few times, hoping to keep those tears from falling, hearing the younger one pointing her out.

"Even...Tob-." Taeyeon's eyes darted to Tiffany almost immediately. She wondered if she heard wrongly. It couldn't be. Definitely not. It wasn't possible.

Her fear was confirmed, when the name finally left Tiffany's mouth. "Toby." Taeyeon was shocked stiff. Her brain couldn't work any more. She couldn't think any more.

"F-Fany ah..." Her own voice trembled, as her hand reached out to grab her best friend's arm gently, only to be slapped away by Tiffany's hand. Taeyeon bit hard on her teeth, trying to hold all her emotions in. She had no idea what to feel right at that instant.

Earlier on, in L.A.

[Toby's point of view]
{Date: 6 March 2018}
{Time: 22:43 PST}

I opened my desk drawer again, and in it sat the box. Gently, I took it out and held it in my hand. I had already started on planning the proposal a few weeks back. I knew it wasn't going to be long before I propose to the love of my life. Why did all this have to happen...? I held my head with both of hands. I was clearly at a loss.

Alright. No one is going to save my relationship for me. No one can do anything if I don't do anything. The least I can do is try to salvage things. Yes