Chapter 15

Evening Sun

They drove back in silence. It was the day they both would have stretched to forever, but like most dreams it had to give way to reality. It was already morning but she doesn't really care, it would probably be their last day together.

She gave him a full hug before stepping out to a fully guarded lawn. She turned to look at him once...just once and was ushered immediately to her room…this time there was no protest... no loud arguments...no drama. She had cried enough.

The minutes rolled into hours.. two hours...three... she just sat by the window.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Seungri said

"What?" she said still staring out, looking at nothing in particular.

"That doesn't qualify as anything, and you know that."

"I've got nothing to say."

"Not even to me?"

" I'm doing my best to keep my side of the bargain. Can't you at least cut me some slack?"

" I'm not the enemy here."

" Neither am I. But why I am still treated like one."

"Everyone was just worried."

"You mean Jiyong."

Seungri smiled. "Just in case you haven't noticed, he's on the possessive side as well. After what happened last night, he has all the right to be."

"That much I have deduced. He can have me, but what I have with Youngbae is mine. They might as well let him go"

"It's not that easy."

"You don't have to convince me."

"Noona.."

"They wouldn't want the alternative, believe me." She took a step away from the window and went straight to the door. It was locked.

"I'm sorry." Seungri shook his head "You can't leave this room."

"You can't make me stay." She said ominously.

There were just too many things on her mind. She wasn’t thinking straight.  She wasn’t feeling right. They wouldn’t let her drive but she insisted to be let out, it was a Sunday and it meant Angela gets to see her friends at the orphanage.  She gets to talk to the nuns and she gets to see Youngbae again.  Seungri suspected that much but then just like she said, nobody wants her running away. They would rather move the fence with her still in it. He smiled at her, Dara look exhausted.  She has her arms around Angela; the child has been squealing for hours and her presence somehow calm the child. She obviously needed help and he brought the perfect man for the job.

“Do you need help with her?”  It was Jiyong and Seungri was just behind him looking like an idiot.

“What are you doing here?” she squawked. It was so strained, it made her flinch.

“I think it is about time I meet Angela, don’t you think?” He pulled the child off her arms and settled her in his.  The child just shifted and rested her head on his shoulder. “Heavy.” He whispered.

Dara smiled. It was content, peaceful. “Kids grow up so fast.” She said looking around.  She hasn’t seen Youngbae since Sr. Martha called him. She felt a little uneasy.

Jiyong sensed her discomfort. “Youngbae and I have settled our differences.” He said.

“I didn’t know you had a disagreement.” She turned to look at him.

“Just a little misunderstanding.” He reached out to touch her face where a soft blush crept starting from the base of her neck and swept beautifully all over her face.  He glided his thumb over her lips. “I missed you.”

He moved his arm to engulf her in an embrace with Angela safely tuck between them. “You’ve been hiding from me.” He said as he nuzzled her neck.

“ I …” It was the best she could manage. She couldn’t deny it, of course she was hiding, but she couldn’t deny the fact that she liked being there either…in his arms. She felt safe. She closed her eyes and hugged back.

“You are tired, try to get some rest jagiya.” He breathes deeply filling his lungs with her scent, burrowing into Dara and feeling her every sinew. She felt soft like cotton and fragrant like gardenia after the rain. He will fight to keep her.  He will.

“We can be a family jagiya. You, me, Angela.  We can have as many children a you want.” He whispered. “Stay with me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I do." Will probably be the most difficult words she will ever say. It was a promise she vowed to keep more than

always and longer than forever.

"Do it." Her mind screams. There is still hope she tried to remind herself...one..two... all she have to do is hitch her dress and run. Run... she clenched her fist and took a deep breath; this is going to be a long one.

 "Thr... what?!" She was suddenly aware of his hand as he reached for hers and held it, tight. The gesture totally caught her off guard; his dark brown eyes were willing her to look at him. She tried

to look away, but to no avail. He raise her hands to his chest... his heartbeat was as steady as the ticking of the clock, a sharp contrast to the manic pounding of her own.

"Nervous?" he had asked her earlier over the phone.

"Yes." She wanted now to reply "Very..." It only lasted for a moment, a millisecond perhaps but enough to make her realize that they could be friends...a friend she could never abandon, not in front of everyone, not like this.

"Dara..." she heard it again.

"Do you.."

She took a deep breath. All the air the world can possibly offer her at this time and exhaled. She looked up, "I do." she nodded.

It was a celebration of happiness, an observer might say, happiness that seem to radiate from the people surrounding the couple, happiness emanating from the air, the sun, the water, from every bird that hops from tree to tree, butterflies from flower to flower. The air has a heady scent of the sea, of lilac, of tea and of love. Ahh love!

Some things just can't be denied…can never be denied.

A/N : This I will admit.  I am torn between the promised and the definite.  I want Dara to be happy with not just anyone but hopefully the right one.  The characters seems to be battling with me. I may take a different trajectory so please do be patient.  Sending you all some love.  And please do not forget to comment. :)