11*

Dara  sat on her bed after showering and changing into a pair of shorts and a tshirt. She pulled her knees up, rested her arms atop and stared blankly at the wall opposite her for a long time.

Memories of Jiyong filled her mind. She remembered the first time she had seen him while visiting her father at work. He’d been walking out of an office and laughing while talking with a female co-worker. She recalled her first reaction to him, the racing of her pulse, the incredible shyness as the two walked past her engrossed in their conversation. She’d been attracted to him from the first but he barely noticed her.

Her attraction to Jiyong grew quickly and, as always when she wanted something, she turned to her father for help in getting him. No wonder Jiyong had hated her so. Just thinking of her obsession with him back then made Dara blush with embarrassment. She understood now why Jiyong had been so shocked when she declared boldly in the hospital after her accident that she had no intention of marrying him. He must have thanked his lucky stars that day.

Dara groaned as she lay back on the bed and covered her face with her hands. Thank God she’d let him out of the engagement. What a disaster that would have been if she had carried it through and forced Jiyong to marry her. What had she been thinking to try and pull something like that? Her emotions were a mess and she wasn’t all that sure she knew how to sort through them. The old her would have run to her father and hid behind him, letting him protect her as he had always done. But Dara wasn’t the same girl she was two months earlier. She wasn’t going to run and hide. The only thing for her to do now was to carry on as she had been for the past several weeks. Amazingly she had formed a good friendship with Jiyong despite her past behavior towards him. Dara didn’t want to lose that. And the only way she knew how to maintain that friendship was to let go of her past feelings for Jiyong and move on.

*

The sound of her phone ringing woke Dara some two hours later. Groggily she sat up and grabbed at the phone. It was Lee Donghae.

“Were you sleeping?” he asked, hearing the husky tone of Dara’s voice. “I’m sorry to wake you. Bom told me what happened and I came to check on you and bring you some soup and fresh bread. Shall I leave it with your housekeeper?”

Dara stood and went to her window. She could see him standing next to his car in the driveway. “No, come inside and wait downstairs for me. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Dara got up and went to the bathroom and washed her face and fixed her hair. Afterwards she made her way downstairs. Donghae was in the living room, the housekeeper having let him in. He stood when he saw her and came to her side.

“Are you feeling better?” His voice was full of worry and Dara, still feeling raw from that morning's discoveries, found comfort in his concern.

“I’m feeling much better. The doctor said I just needed to take some rest and I’ll be good as new.”

Donghae laid out the soup and fresh bread roll he’d brought. He kept Dara company as she ate. “Join me. There’s more than enough,” Dara protested. But he shook his head. He had already eaten before he came over.

After an hour Donghae stood to leave, satisfied that she had eaten and was feeling better. Dara walked with him outside and the two stood talking on the porch a few minutes. Dara turned her head at the sound of a car approaching and thought it must be her father. Instead she saw with surprise it was Jiyong.

“I should get going,” Donghae said, and he unexpectedly leaned in and gave Dara a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

Dara nodded mutely and lifted her hand in a small wave.

Jiyong didn’t exit his car until Donghae left. And when he did Dara was surprised to see the fury in his face. Regardless her heart raced with anticipation as he approached. She noted with dread that her reaction to Donghae had been miniscule in comparison. God, how was she to move on if this was how her body was going to react whenever she saw Jiyong? Taking a deep breath to calm herself she folded her arms and waited.

“Are you receiving visitors now dressed in nothing?” Jiyong’s voice was harsh, his brown eyes angry.

Dara looked down at her shorts and t-shirt. “What’s wrong with what I have on? I’m at home and was asleep.”

“You’re practically !” he bit out.

He wanted to beat that damn Lee Donghae to a pulp when he saw him standing outside with Dara. It had taken Jiyong every ounce of control not to storm out of his car and punch that man when he’d kissed Dara’s forehead. And he was furious at Dara when she had just stood there and let him.

“Those shorts might as well be your ,” he barked, surprising Dara further. She stood blinking at him, not understanding why he was so mad. Where did he get off coming here and yelling at her like she was some idiot child? Her own temper flared and she squared off with him, her hands going to her hips and her chin lifting.

“Excuse me? Who the hell cares if I come out here in my or not? That’s none of your damn business!” She jabbed at his chest to emphasize her words before spinning on her feet, intending to storm off into the house. But clumsily her feet tangled and Dara found herself crying out as she lost her balance and went tumbling forward just before a strong hand grabbed at her.

“Dara!” Jiyong pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her. “Damn it be careful!”

Dara scrambled out of his arms with as much dignity as possible. She tossed her hair back over her shoulder and shot him a cold glance. Then she carefully turned and walked into the house with her chin up in the air. Jiyong rolled his eyes and followed her in.

“Have you eaten?” he asked, closing the door behind him.

“Donghae oppa brought me soup and bread.”

“Donghae oppa? Jiyong narrowed his eyes at her.  She had never called him oppa.

Dara raised her brow at him. “Why are you here?” she asked.

His lips pressed together, remembering why it was he had come. “I came to see if you needed help to tell your father about what happened.”

Dara frowned, “What happened? Oh you mean the fainting. He’s not home yet but he should be soon. But you don’t need to be here for that, I can tell him myself.”

“I’m not talking just about that, I also mean the other stuff.”

“Eh?” She blinked, head tilted to the side. “What other stuff?”

Jiyong breathed out and then stepped closer. He poked her head with his finger, the same spot where Donghae had kissed her. “I mean having your memories back!”

“Ow!” Dara slapped his hand away and rubbed at her forehead as she stared daggers at him. “I’m not planning on telling him that,” she muttered. “What use is there? It doesn’t make any difference in anything.”

Jiyong stared at her for several seconds. “So you’re not going to take back what you said about cancelling the engagement?” he asked.

“Why would I?” Dara asked, confused. “That’s a done deal already, it has been for several weeks.”

“I see.” Jiyong looked away, and Dara had to shake her head at what she thought was disappointment reflected in his face. But that couldn’t be. He had never wanted to marry her in the first place. “Well, I’ll be leaving then,” Jiyong said, his voice flat. He turned and walked out as Dara stood staring after him in puzzlement.