Going ice skating had been a wonderful idea, and I was so glad JongHyun had pushed me to do it. While I had been gliding along that ice, I’d felt freer than I had in ages. It had been a perfect day, full of laughter and fun, the kind of date that I had always dreamed about. And the glances he’d sent my way when he thought I wasn’t looking? Those hungry stares that said he wanted to capture me and hold me hostage made me feel warm despite the cold. And a big part of me was more than willing to let him have his way. With JongHyun distracting me like he’d done, I hadn't noticed any stares, any side glances from passerby as we walked arm in arm through the city of Brooklyn. As a northerner, I should've known better anyway; no one ever gave a damn what people did here, providing there were no gunshots. But my relationship with David had awakened me to the realities of life and to be honest, I was scared. People could be cowardly, so ready to betray each other because of what someone else might say. And now that I knew the flaws of love and the world around me, I knew with more certainty than ever that life wasn't some romance novel.

In retrospect, I should have anticipated that David would put aside his feelings for me to appease his mother. The fact that he was so family oriented was something that I had genuinely liked about him in the beginning. But I had been thinking along the lines of having our own family, and that his loyalty would transfer in large part to us and the life we’d create together. His unfaithfulness to me and to what we had been, had cut me to the point that I hadn't wanted to love again, sure that I would be hurt.

But JongHyun threatened me more than David ever had; I had never felt passion like I had when JongHyun had touched me in my living room; his simple caress had set my body on fire. I would’ve been a fool not to admit how gorgeous he was or that my body reacted to him when he did the simplest of movements. JongHyun was sensuality incarnate, his smiles promising unimaginable pleasures. And I very badly wanted a taste of all he was willing to give me. I was playing a dangerous game with him and I felt that there was a good bet I would lose. Everything he did made me want to come closer and maybe it was intuition or just an already wounded heart, but something was telling me that I should be careful. That voice was small though and so tiny that I didn’t listen to it, no matter how many times I felt warning pangs fill my chest.

“A woman can mean infinite possibility,” JongHyun said quietly as he stared at the screen of his laptop, the soft clicks of his fingers on the keys lulling me into something like a stupor.

“That's a compliment if I've ever heard one,” I said with a smile as I walked languidly around JongHyun’s work room, the large space putting me in mind of an actual recording studio. A huge sound board took up a whole wall, the all black contraption filled with hundreds of switches and buttons, all designed to make music. A computer setup was in another corner, the large flat screen Mac depicting some complicated software program that JongHyun used to write his lyrics and melodies. But what struck me most were the candles that gave the room an easy atmosphere. And the candles weren’t just in his workspace, they were littered all throughout the house. JongHyun had confided that the small fragrances were his hobby, something that calmed him and that he enjoyed buying.

When JongHyun had invited me to his house, I wasn’t sure what I had expected; whatever I’d thought I’d find had been the complete opposite. Instead of heavy furniture and dark colors, JongHyun’s living space was modern and simplistic, most of his rooms done in pastels and white. The candles had been an even bigger shock, but a part of me wasn’t surprised; it seemed like in every way it mattered JongHyun was different. He was more than I expected, more than I realized I’d wanted. The thought unsettled me and made me anticipate in equal parts. What else would I learn about him, what would he let me know?

“It's the truth,” he insisted, not looking up from his screen. “How many things have been created because of women? Not just life but songs, poetry and art. Women can inspire and create. It's something beyond just beauty; there’s meaning there too.”

“You honestly mean that, don't you?” I stop my pacing to watch as JongHyun gets up and moves slowly towards me. I take a moment to appreciate his appearance, noting the blond strands of his hair pushed back from his face, the sides of it freshly dyed and the long bangs pulled back with gel. Dressed in all black, he wears bunny slippers on his feet, somehow making them look y. And his smile? It’s so gorgeous I almost forget to breathe.

“Since I've met you, it's something I believe in deeply.”

I give him my best smile as he comes ever closer, the happiness on my face a tell-tale sign of the fluttering that’s going on in my stomach.

“Now I know you're complementing me. But what's your goal?” His lips move to form something sultry and mischievous, the overall visual making me lightheaded enough to swoon. His close presence makes my heart thump and when his hand caresses my face gently, I lean into his touch.

“I don't want anything. Just a kiss from an angel…”

I see his face coming towards mine but I can’t move, almost as if his words have frozen me in place. I can feel the light warmth of his breath as his mouth comes ever closer to mine, the spiciness of cinnamon and something deeper fills all my senses. My eyes close of their own accord and suddenly I can’t hear anything in the room but my own heartbeat and what sounds suspiciously like JongHyun’s own.

Our lips meet briefly the first time, just the fleeting brush of skin against skin. An electric tingle causes me to gasp without warning, the sound seemingly coming from someone else. I open my eyes to see JongHyun looking closely at me, gaging my reaction to him. Finding what he needs to see, he puts his arms around me and pulls me in closer. I anticipate his next kiss but the full meeting of his lips against mine sends me reeling, the world suddenly becoming hazy while the point of our contact is amazing in its clarity. The air around us sizzles as he moves his mouth over mine, the slight touch of his tongue making me open my mouth to his seeking. He tasted like he smelled, all spice and heat that makes my toes squirm in happiness.

As we broke apart to breathe, I could barely meet his eyes. What did he do to me, that made everything so wonderful and new again? Could it be the promise of a new relationship making me feel this way? Or was it all JongHyun who had brought me back to life, filling my emptiness so that all that was left was him. He placed his hands to my face once more, kissing me quickly before stepping away and back to his computer. He typed furiously at the keys, and I stood there watching him, half in shock and so blissed out that it wouldn’t have mattered where I was, I needed to stare at him. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying my best to hold myself together. I was so far gone, I wondered if there could be any escape from what JongHyun had done to me.

After weeks of special treatment by JongHyun, I had successfully managed to piss off my best friend. The bad part was that I hadn't realized it until I picked up the phone almost a whole week after my visit to JongHyun’s house. Michael Jackson's Human Nature rang loudly through my quiet apartment, the ringtone making me jump up from the book I was reading. The enticing tale of a Scottish hero and his reluctant English bride was long forgotten as a brisk voice spoke loudly over the receiver, making me pull it away from my ear in a knee jerk reaction.

“Noelle! Noelle!”

“Katy, how are you?” I asked her in my sweetest voice as I cringed at her yelling. No matter how many times I told her, Katy was sure no one could hear over cell phones. The fact that someone who had a degree in biology couldn't understand how a phone worked still managed to surprise me but I ignored it, warned by her tone that she wouldn't take kindly to my usual teasing.

“Where have you been?!” She questioned me, her Bulgarian accent turning her ‘have’ into 'haff', the indignity of having to call me first clearly agitating her enough so that she dropped her usually cultured American tone, slipping into the one she had been raised with. Katya Ronislav had been my friend since sophomore year of college and we had battled together to get through our biology classes. She had seen me through the aftermath of my parent's deaths, offering me support when I'd had no one else. She was more like a sister than a friend and I felt bad that it had been so long since I'd made time for her.

‘I'm sorry Katy, I've been busy. But I have so much to tell you-"

“No, I will talk to you in person like civilized people. Come to the shop and we will speak at length about what you've been up to. Goodbye.”

Curt and to the point as usual, I smiled as the line disconnected, shaking my head at her bossy tone. But her brief anger didn't matter as much as letting Katy know about JongHyun and myself, about what we were becoming. Feeling happy in anticipation of girl time, I threw my hair into a high ponytail, huffed and puffed my way into a thick sweater and hoodie, and left my apartment. It was cold outside, but not enough that I needed a thick coat; the sun shone brightly overhead and I hummed along to Eric Nam’s In To You, the lyrics perfectly matching my mood. It didn’t take long to reach my destination and I stashed my headphones in my hoodie pocket, taking in the large brick building in front of me.

The shop was a bakery owned by Katy's parents and the rich smells of the foreign pastries they served made my mouth water as I entered. Unlike my own mother who could never even boil water without burning it, Katy's mom was famous in Little Italy, the food and breads so good that despite their location next to the best Italian restaurants in the area, they still managed to have a steady stream of clientele.

Katy was waiting for me at a back table when I walked in, a cold gust of air following me through the door. Katy's dad stood at the counter, nodding his head at me as I passed. Mr. Ronislav was a quiet man and based on the numeral designed tattoos on his fingers, I had a strong suspicion that he might have once been a part of some gang. But he was always nice to me and as I greeted Katy with a hug, he brought over my favorite sweet rolls. Smiling my thanks, I dug in while Katy analyzed me, her eyes narrowed in contemplation.

“So? What happened to you?” she asked me in a soft voice, her words sounding lyrical in her usual accent.

“Katy,” I breathed out, my words gushing warmth, “I met someone.”

“Uh huh... who is he?”

“His name is JongHyun Kim and he's from Korea.” I smiled as I gaged her reaction, waiting for her to get as excited as I was. “You'll never believe how we met!”

As I told her of our interactions, I watched her face go from open interest to a small frown. Eventually I stopped talking, and we lapsed into silence.

“What’s wrong,” I asked her cautiously. “You're not happy for me?”

“Whether I'm happy or not is irrelevant. I just feel like you should be careful.” Not surprised to hear caution from her, I quickly made my case.

“We’re so similar though Katy, he’s like me. There’s something hurt about him; I want to kill the sadness inside him more than I want anything else in the world. I want him to come to me and let out his pain so that I can heal him.” Katy rolled her eyes with a sigh, and began to tap her fingers on our table.

“You’re making it sound like you want him to be your dream man, a tortured soul and all that. Are you sure that's what you want? I mean this could be the worst type of obsession.”

“I'm not obsessed Katy, but shouldn't love be something like an obsession? Shouldn't I want him with me, want him to want me? Shouldn't he occupy my thoughts?”

“You keep saying you don't want to go through another heartache like with David. And I get it; he treated you badly. But I think you may be putting this new guy on a pedestal.”

“Everything that I have with him is different Katy. I'm just feeling hopeful.” I look at her, almost pleading with her to understand, but all she does is sigh again.

“Honestly, I'm happy for you. After the way David treated you, I thought you might give up on having a relationship. But you have to realize that this JongHyun is a man and as long as he’s a man he’ll make mistakes. I just don't want you getting hurt.”

“I'm worried too. But this is indescribable, girl. This is the first time I’m feeling like this.”

“You do realize that most people don't love like that, right? That kind of thing is only in romance novels and movies. There is a gap between reality and what we imagine, Noelle. I’m not sure you’re seeing this clearly.” Her words manage to prick something in me, maybe those old hurt feelings that David caused me to experience. But unlike before when I would hold myself back, I spoke to her concerns.

“People always say that: ‘Things like that don't happen in real-life.’ But why the hell not? If I work for it, shouldn't I be able to have everything that I want? And if I love someone and find someone who loves me, can't we have long lasting romance? Why is it that everything that's beautiful and amazing can only be found in books; who says you can't find the real thing Katy? And with JongHyun I feel like I have that, even if it is a fantasy. If we live like that, if we love each other like that, then nothing else matters.”

Katy just shook her head at me; she was used to my rants about romance and what love should be like. And I didn’t blame her, not really. My relationship with JongHyun was intense, I had to admit that. The feelings between us had grown exponentially fast, to the point where I wasn't sure how it had happened. Somehow being around him, spending time with him, liking him, fed my soul like nothing else ever had. JongHyun was beautiful to me, his faults just adding to the depth of who he was. No matter what, I knew that we were something completely different from what I’d had with David. Then my feelings had been one sided, he hadn't cared about me like he’d claimed. But JongHyun was different, so much more, and I felt myself falling into his passion, the descent an incandescent spiral that took away all reason.

A/N: Hello, guys! I'm not too late I hope. This chapter was hella long and I ended up breaking it into two parts when I realized I had 14 pages and still two more scenes to write. Tell me what you liked about this chapter, tell me what you hated! I hope you enjoy and look forward to part two, probably sometime this week; maybe today if I have nothing to do lol. Please Comment, Upvote and Subscribe for more content, I love hearing from you. P.S., I know Jjong is brown haired in this but isn't he adorable!!!Love <3