"She should be here any minute,"Sehun said, glancing at his watch restlessly. I grinned and shook my head at my stepbrother's anxiety. My parents and I had found out that my stepbrother was engaged only a few days ago. He had really just sort of sprung it on us without warning. Of course, I couldn't help but be happy for him; he had sounded over the moon when he told us.

My parents had wanted to meet the "poor, unsuspecting girl" as soon as possible, and Sehun had arranged a lunch meeting for today. I sipped my water, glancing out of the large glass window and watching the traffic stream by. Sehun followed my gaze, brightening when he saw a taxi pull up by the curb across the street. I looked away as someone in the kitchen dropped a dish loudly, my attention having been grabbed by the noise.

"She's here!" Sehun exclaimed, bounding out of his seat and hurrying out of the restaurant to greet his fiancée. I laughed, sharing a look with my mother. She smiled at me and took my step dad's hand, beginning to chat with him in hushed tones. I, on the other hand, turned my attention on the other customers in the small dining area. A cute blonde girl was sitting alone at the bar, and I checked her out quickly, winking at her when she met my gaze. She blushed and looked down at her sandwich. Mom poked me, frowning at me when I directed my gaze at her.

"Kang Seulgi, stop eyeing the girls. You'll make people uncomfortable."

I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, I'm frickin' twenty-two years old. I think I can sneak a peek when I want to." Before Mom could respond, the door chimed and we all looked up to see who had entered. Sure enough, it was Sehun leading in his bride-to-be. I straightened in my chair a little before the big reveal, not wanting to look like a complete slob of my future sister-in-law and embarrass Sehun.

Sehun as per his usual dorky personality, kept the. girl shielded behind himself, grinning nervously when he approached our table. "Mom, Dad, Liz… This is Irene."

Then he stepped away, exposing an all too familiar face. I felt all the color drain out of my face as Mom, Dad, and I gazed upon Sehun's fiancée. This had to be a nightmare… Sehun couldn't be marrying her!

I first met Irene three years ago at my first job after high school. I'd finally landed a job as a barista at The Daily Grind, a coffee shop in the heart of the city. Irene had already been employed there, a spunky, fun girl that was the wittiest girl I'd ever met. She started talking to me and practically didn't shut up the entire first day. We became fast friends. The day I told her I was gay, we were the only ones there, waiting around during the slow period of the day. She'd looked a little surprised, then asked me if I 'liked' anyone. Feeling like I'd laid it all out on the table already, I told her how much I cared about her, right there in the middle of the empty coffee shop. She'd taken one look at me, then pulled me down behind the counter where no one could see and kissed me.

We'd been pretty much inseparable for the next month and a half, and I fell head over heels in love with her. We'd shared everything from our innermost secrets to our most embarrassing moments. And one single time, we'd slept together. It had been the most amazing night I'd ever had. The next morning, though, when I got to work, I was greeted with the sounds of shouting, and before I could even get behind the counter, a furious, crying Irene had rushed out of the shop. Our boss had told me a few minutes afterward that Irene had just been let go. I had bolted out of the shop and after Irene, but I couldn't find her. She'd completely disappeared. By the time my boss had let me leave work and I'd driven across town to her apartment, it was vacant. She was gone. I'd quit my job at the coffee shop and looked for her constantly for the next three months, but after finding no trace of her, I gave up. I managed to get my act together and quit wallowing in my self-pity after another few months, and had applied and been accepted to the community college on the north side of town. Everything had been going considerably fine, until just now… Irene was wearing a nervous smile as she murmured a greeting, but that smile faltered when she noticed me.

Sehun, being a gentleman, offered Irene a chair, and she sat, trying to watch me without being obvious. Sehun took a seat beside her, grinning proudly at Mom and  Dad as he took Irene's hand and kissed her knuckles gently.

I felt sick to my stomach.

"Excuse me,"

I said, getting up and heading for the bathroom.

I could feel Mom's disapproving stare on the back of my head, but I didn't care, turning down the hallway that led to the restrooms. I pushed open the restroom door and headed for a sink, tears burning in my eyes. I was suddenly woozy, and gripped the sides of the sink for support, closing my eyes and trying to breathe deeply.

I stood there for I don't know how long, but it must have been more than just a few minutes, because the door creaked open and someone called my name softly. I flinched at the sound of her voice, though just hearing it again brought back so many memories…

Irene stepped into the restroom and let the door fall shut behind her.

"Seul," she tried again, sounding uncertain. I opened my eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror, tears burning in my eyes. We stared at each other for a moment, then I shook my head and broke the eye contact.

"Why?" I breathed, gripping the sink a little tighter.

"Why does he have to be marrying you, of all people?" "I don't know," she responded softly. I moaned, hating every second of the fresh agony in my chest.

"I had no idea," Irene said after a moment.

"I mean, you and Hun look nothing alike, so I just thought the last name was a coincidence."

I cringed inwardly at her pet name for my brother. "We're steps," I answered tightly. "Oh." Another silence came between us, and she stepped closer to me uncertainly.

"… Do you have any idea how long I looked for you?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"I dropped everything and tried to find you, but you just disappeared…"

"Oh, Seulgi," Irene breathed, sounding remorseful and sorrowful. She closed the distance between us and tried to wrap her arms around me. Against my better judgment, I shrugged them off, stepping away from her.

"No," I told her, shaking my head firmly.

"We can't. You're marrying Sehun, and I… well, I'm obviously not what you want." You left me before, so why would you want me now? I added silently.

"But-"

"No, Irene." I said, interrupting her. I avoided looking at her, knowing that there were tears in her eyes.

"Go out there and be my brother's fiancée. Do what you chose to do."

"Seul"

"It's Seulgi," I corrected her, hating the sharpness in my tone. Two and a half years of heartbreak had come rushing back all of a sudden, though, so I reasoned I was allowed to act a little harsh.

"…All right," she acquiesced, turning and walking toward the door. I heard her start to open it, but she hesitated. "What?" I asked after a moment. "What do you want me to tell your family?" she responded.

"Nothing. I don't wanna mess this up for Sehun." I bit back a strangled sob, miserable with the situation. Irene let out a strange, half smothered laugh.

"I meant about you holing yourself up in here." I cringed, mentally berating myself for not seeing what she'd meant. "I don't care. Something believable."

She nodded, slipping out of the restroom. I glanced at my pathetic reflection, staring myself down before turning on the cold water and splashing some on my face. I shook my hands off, reaching for a paper towel to dry myself with. Just as I finished crumpling the now-wet towel up and throwing it into the trashcan, the door opened again. I looked up into the mirror and saw a very distressed Irene.

My heart, despite all of the pain that it was feeling, immediately ached for her, and I turned to look at her. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Irene met my gaze and shook her head. "No, I can't. I just... can't."

"Can't what?" I asked, trying to keep all the bitterness out of my voice.

"I can't go out there… I can't do this. Not with you here." She was trembling a little, and I waited for her to gain the courage to speak. I wasn't sure I knew where she was going, and I didn't know if I wanted to find out.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked after a moment, wincing when I heard the sharpness of my tone. I took a step toward the door, trying to show her that I was serious. I didn't know why it made sense for me to leave, but I just wanted an escape from the situation.

"No!" She sounded almost desperate. "I-That's not what I mean!" Irene stepped between me and the door, trying to stop me from leaving.

"Wait, just… just hear me out. Please." I crossed my arms over my chest, raising my eyebrows to show her that I was waiting.

"I was an . A . Call me whatever you want, I totally deserve it. I should never has disappeared on you." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes.

"I was so heartbroken after I left, and I tried to bl