~Chapter 29

 

Amy threaded her fingers with Tao’s as he was still holding onto her in the middle of the airport terminal. She didn’t know how she would have managed to stay sane if he hadn’t been there to support her in that moment. Her best friend had just walked away broken even though she had smiled. Amy was not going ‘home’ and was about to deal with a very upset manager. However, her anger took priority over any other emotion. The hold on Tao’s hand for reassurance quickly became a grasp of restraint. She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do, but her gaze focused on one individual that had truly ruined everything.

“Babe, come on,” Tao whispered to her.

“Huh?” Amy replied, realizing that her thoughts were keeping her from paying attention.

“We are leaving. We are going back to the dorm,” Tao explained, putting pressure on her to moving her towards the exit.

Amy looked around to realize that they were indeed heading for the door. Suho was only steps behind being quietly talked to by their manager. The man was harshly telling Suho to take responsibility until the rest of Exo and their management would arrive.

Amy let Tao drag her out of the airport. Two cars were waiting for them outside. Kai, Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Chen climbed into the first car, leaving first. Luhan waited by the other car door for Tao and Amy to climb in. Then he, and finally Suho, joined them. The ride was silent leaving Amy’s confusion and anger to fester. She simply didn’t understand why Paige couldn’t have stayed or why no one else but her had even seemed to want her to.

Amy was shaken from her thoughts when the car pulled up to the dorm. She walked in silence up to the front door. Inside, she bypassed removing her shoes as the others were doing. It wasn’t right or fair. Paige could be breaking apart for all she knew. Amy felt completely horrible for letting her best friend board that plane, but as her gaze swept the room, her eyes landed on the one person who she truly blamed. He wasn’t looking at her; in fact he was looking as if he had been put out over the whole ordeal. Amy felt anger radiating through her entire being. She locked her glare onto his face and took the necessary steps with purpose.

Kai’s gaze lifted and locked with Amy’s glare. He should have reacted, retreated, or even said something. When her right arm rose with slow purpose, all he could do was flinch.

SLAP

The sound echoed through the room. Kai placed his own hand on his cheek to try to ease the tingling pain that was radiating after the initial impact. He’d never been slapped, quite like that, nor from so much fury. It hurt.

Amy dropped her arm and shook. Her eyes began to water as a flood of words rushed to her lips, ready to unleash the hefty lecture to Kai who was perfectly silent and stunned.

As she opened two strong arms wrapped around her torso. She was lifted and brought back a couple of feet from where she had wanted to stand her ground.

“Let me go! It is entirely his fault! ‘Some girl,’ huh? She was just ‘some girl’? How dare you!” Amy screamed at the top of her lungs.

Kai returned her murderous glare while still holding his cheek. “I didn’t mean it about her specifically! Do you see this chaos? This is why I kept trying to take a step back!” Kai stated while advancing on Amy. Tao was still securely holding her back and Kai was too angry to care.

“Woah, woah! Stop!” Luhan interrupted, placing himself in Kai’s way.

“What is wrong with all of you?! They aren’t important enough to ruin everything we’ve been through!”

Luhan grabbed the collar of Kai’s shirt and held him back at arms length.

“Kai, watch it,” Tao seethed.

“It would be a good idea if you didn’t say anything else,” Luhan stated.

Kai fixed his glare on Luhan. He felt betrayed and confused as to why everyone was okay with the chaos. It wasn’t as if Kai had promised anything to Paige. Tao and Amy could do what they wanted, no matter how stupid it was. Why had he been expected to follow suit? He sought the room for someone else who would take his side. His eyes landed on Suho, pleading for the sensible leader to come to his aid.

“Management is going to rip Tao a new one for this! Why do all of you expect me to have done the same?” Kai asked, entirely frustrated.

“It has nothing to do with your choice, it’s the way you said it in front of Paige at the airport,” Luhan explained.

“I never promised her anything after their vacation was over.”

“But you basically stated that she wasn’t worth it, that she was nothing!” Amy yelled.

“Enough,” Tao said to Amy, effectively quieting her down. Keeping his arms around her, he dragged her out of the room and away from Kai and the entire confrontation. If they were going to reasonably talk to management when the rest of Exo returned, she would need to calm down.

Back in the main room, Luhan still hadn’t let go of Kai.

“Luhan, let him go,” Suho stated.

Luhan dropped his arm letting Kai adjust his shirt. The tension between them was almost thick enough to see. They continued to glare at each other, neither making up their minds on what to say to one another.

“You’ll regret it,” Luhan whispered.

Kai’s jaw clenched, tired of how he was being treated. “I only regret allowing myself to become distracted.”

“Then I’m glad she didn’t stay for you,” Luhan retorted.

“Then why are you so pissed off? You were as glued to her as I was! Why isn’t anyone blaming you?”

“I was trying to be a good friend to you, Kai. I wasn’t going to overstep a line when it was obvious she liked you,” Luhan reasoned.

“You were trying to save face. Keeping yourself at that distance kept you from being put in my position.”

“Did you really want the competition?”

“Competition? You wouldn’t have committed to her either,” Kai scoffed.

He knew he should have held back in that moment. The responsible side of him was quickly shoved to the side as his fist made impact with the side of Kai’s jaw. It wasn’t until he saw Kai rub the side of his face that he realize what he’d just done. “I wouldn’t have led her on,” Luhan growled.

“Okay, okay!” Chanyeol walked in between them and grabbed Kai’s wrist and hauled him towards the kitchen. “You, ice pack!” Then he whirled around towards Luhan, “and you need to drop it! Management will be coming back and it’s going to be hard enough to deal with the entire Amy situation without adding fighting on to our list of worries.”

Luhan debated on storming out of the room. Instead, he dropped into a chair in the corner of the main room. Thankfully, everyone left him alone to cool off. Regret filled him in so many ways. Regret that he had hit his band mate. Regret that Paige was gone. Most of all, regret that he had wasted the last 3 weeks to responsible justifications.

 

---

 

Paige walked through the Los Angeles terminal barely registering the other passengers walking around her. 15 hours later and she had arrived in LAX on the same day and still early in the day. The flight completely messed with her internal clock. She remembered that she was supposed to call Amy, but she honestly didn’t want to. Not yet, anyway. She barely remembered that they had left a car parked in the long term parking garage. She tried to remember where it had been parked and after several minutes, found the vehicle and began her drive home.

The music on the stereo felt foreign. She’d been listening to Exo for the past few weeks with little variation. Nothing else seemed right, and yet, she was glad that Exo wasn’t available to play in the car. Her chest felt tight and her brain was a muddy mess of emotions. The worst part of all was that she was alone.

Paige pushed the apartment key into the lock on the door. As she turned the knob, she suddenly wished she could go anywhere else. Upon opening the door, the smell was familiar and again, so foreign. She had gotten used to the smell of the dorm and this was nothing like it. Had she been of the right mind, she’d have laughed at that thought. Paige walked through the door and placed her purse on the table near the kitchen. She took a deep breath.

Pulling out her cell phone, she sent a quick message: home.

Within seconds, her phone began to vibrate with the incoming call that she was expecting. Paige silenced the call and waited another moment before turning the device off.

She walked through the apartment until she reached her bed. It welcomed and hugged her weight as she sat at the foot of the bed. She leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before finally curling into a ball. Yes, it was still too early in the day, but she had jet lag and her emotions had prevented her from getting much sleep on the plane. Paige saw nothing but the water logged impressions of the walls of the bedroom. She closed her eyes tight, feeling but not caring about the tears soaking into the pillowcase. She allowed her irregular breathing to lull her to sleep.

 

---

 

Hello! You’ve reached my voicemail! Please leave a message….

“Answer your phone!” Amy said while redialing. Sure, it was about 3 am, but she hadn’t cared what time it was for her. She wanted to make sure her friend was okay.

Amy exited the call feature on her phone and opened her text messages.

She is home, but she won’t take my call!

Minutes passed and Amy was furious for not being able to get a hold of anyone she had wanted to. She knew that Tao’s phone was probably off or he was already asleep, but honestly, who else could she try to get a hold of?

Fifteen minutes and Amy was still stewing. She’d left her best friend messages on every social media account and a few more on her cell phone. Then, her phone vibrated in her hand.

Babe, sleep!

I can’t! I’m too worried!

She’s home safe. You know that much, and when she needs you she’ll pick up the phone and call you.

“Amy?” Tao muttered when he answered the phone. Amy didn’t want to text, she wanted to talk, now.

“I can’t sleep.”

“You’re not trying,” Tao yawned.

            “Get off the phone!” Chen whined.

“Amy, you need sleep. The band needs sleep and Paige probably just needs a little bit of peace.”

Amy pouted.

“Don’t do that,” Tao whispered.

“What?” Amy asked.

“Don’t pout at me over the phone. I can hear it.”

“You can’t hear a pout! That’s ridiculous,” Amy replied.

“Did you pout?”

“No.”

“You did.”

“You still can’t hear it,” Amy stated.

“Go to sleep. There’s nothing to be done if she isn’t going to answer the phone. If you’re worried, keep the phone next to you,” Tao recommended.

“I guess.”

“Goodnight, baby.”

“Tao?”

“Hmm?”

“Goodnight…”

“I love you,” Tao stated.

Amy’s face lit up. It was the second time he’d said it and while she was still afraid it was all happening too fast, she couldn’t help but be swept up into it. “I love you, too,” she whispered.

“Say it again, in the morning. After you’ve slept,” he laughed.

“Promise.”

 

---

 

“It’s been three days!”

Paige winced as the voice sounded terrifying even through the speakers on her computer. She knew that Amy would be furious. “I know. I needed a little bit of time. Plus, I did have to go back to work and whatnot,” Paige replied.

“You could have called,” Amy replied, sounding dejected.

“I’m sorry. I told you when I got home and then I felt so stupid for crying myself to sleep. I went back to work the day after. My boss still seems impatiently mad at me for extending the vacation…”

“The hell with him! It’s just a job,” Amy reasoned. Paige nodded.

“How have things worked out for you?” Paige asked.

“It’s been a mess, but mostly just trying get a handle on all the hype. I’m at a hotel right now, obviously…” Amy said while moving out of the way so Paige could see her surroundings. “I think I’ll be in a small place soon though.”

“I’m glad you’re doing okay,” Paige muttered. She meant it, but she couldn’t hide her emotions.

“You are not okay though,” Amy stated.

“I’ll be fine. It’s like coming off of a vacation high. It’ll just take a few days.”

“It’s been a few days,” Amy pointed out.

“A few more.”

“I slapped Kai,” Amy blurted. She almost laughed looking at Paige’s reaction.

“Slapped? Actually slapped?” Paige shrieked.

“Mhmm. Luhan punched him, but I didn’t get to see that part.”

“Why?”

“Tao wouldn’t let me be anywhere near him so I was pulled from the room before Luhan did it.”

“No, why did Luhan punch him?”

“Why do you think? The guy was a jackass at the airport. He continued it when we got back to the dorm too.”

“Oh.”

“What?” Amy asked, knowing there was some meaning layered in that response.

“Amy, I know that things are good for you and Tao, but it was really unrealistic for me to expect anything similar. Kai didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you ting me?”

“No. It’s not fair to expect him to act the same way as Tao when he didn’t the entire time I was there.”

“You aren’t mad, disappointed, or anything?”

“At Kai? No. I’m a little upset at myself. Plus, my best friend is gone, now. And I miss those boys,” Paige answered while winking, trying to fake the happy gesture.

“Well, I’m still mad at him!” Amy retorted, obviously upset that Paige was being forgiving.

“I’ve packed a few boxes for you, but since you’re moving what address should I send them to?” Paige asked, trying to change topics.

“Mmm. Probably to the dorm…” Amy thought out loud.

“Is that okay?”

“It’s the best place. Until I am settled, everything should just go there. At least I can trust them to hold it for me.”

“True. Okay, I will ship these out as I get them packed,” Paige replied.

“Thank you, so much. I really should be there to take care of my own stuff.”

“It isn’t a big deal. It’s not like either of us has much stuff. It’s just your belongings.”

“Still, thank you!”

“Of course,” Paige smiled.

“I’m keeping you up late and you have class in the morning!” Amy suddenly realized.

“It’s okay. I promise not to ignore you anymore though. I really did just need a bit of time,” Paige explained, while smiling.

“Yeah yeah. Do it again and I’ll come after you!”

“From all the way in Korea?”

“All the more of a shock it will be, right?!” Amy laughed.

“Goodnight!” Paige laughed before ending the call.

 

---

 

“We found a place for you,” the manager stated. It had been hard for several staff to be more welcoming. Most of them were rather blunt and straightforward when it came to Amy. She didn’t blame them. She knew she’d been the cause of a lot of headaches and was more than content to do whatever she needed to in order to help the situation. Unfortunately, it meant that the apartment she would be in would probably not be near the dorm. Amy nodded her head and listened as the manager spilled out the location and specifics that she would need to know.

They weren’t paying for a place for her, no, that would have been crazy. But, they had respectfully agreed to at least find a place that would be suitable as a favor to someone who still wasn’t extremely familiar with the foreign country as well as to avoid the inevitable tirade that Tao would unleash should they make things more difficult.

Tao had felt the need to make up for the upheaval Amy had gone through from the first day they’d arrived in Korea until the day she’d decided to stay. Amy had told him that he didn’t have to and that she was content with her decision. However, Tao was firm in his resolve to make sure that she wouldn’t regret the choice to stay.

The boys were busy that afternoon and so Amy left to check out the new place on her own. It was definitely out of the vicinity of the dorm, but the area seemed just fine. Amy took a deep breath in after walking through her new front door. For now, this was home. A smile graced her lips. Amy pulled out her cell phone, snapped a picture of herself inside the apartment and forwarded it to both Paige and Tao.

The next week would be entirely devoted to getting herself set up in the new place. After that, she would start work. She had been extremely lucky in that regard. To make sure she could at least take care of things on her own, and right away, she was given a position at Chanyeol’s mom’s restaurant.

Amy picked up her cell to find that no one had replied to her, yet. Tao was busy. She knew that. Paige was probably asleep. It was the middle of the afternoon, which meant the middle of the night for Paige. Amy sighed and tucked her cellphone into her pocket. She would have to make a point to try to contact Paige earlier. It has been almost a week since their last Skype conversation.

 

---

 

It was raining. It was the exact winter weather that Paige was used to in California. It didn’t snow here. Nor did it ever truly feel like winter. Outside was grey, damp, and downright gloomy. She quickly exited her car and made a sprint for the front door of the apartment. She was usually prepared, as the news of rain was often surprising and big news on the otherwise sunny and even-weathered coastline, but she hadn’t brought an umbrella. In fact, the smallest things had been slipping her mind lately while other thoughts wouldn’t leave her alone.

She came to a stop once she could see her front door. A decent size box was sitting outside. Thankfully, it was under protection from the roof and was barely wet. Paige opened the door and hauled the box into the living area. She stared at it for a very long minute.

Paige knew what was in there. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen to grab something to cut the packing tape. Quickly, she sliced open the top of the box and peered at the objects inside. Her suitcase ate up the majority of it, while some extra small bags filled in the box around the luggage. The bags, no doubt, held all the extra things she had acquired while living in the dorms. The extra clothing and souvenirs probably filled those bags. Tentatively, she reached in and pulled them out. Then she tipped the box and took out the suitcase.

Once the bags were spread out on the floor, she sat among them and stared. She debated on going through them. She wasn’t sure she could handle going through the contents, but she knew she should just so she could put everything away. She brought one of the small store bags towards her and opened it. She pulled out a familiar t-shirt and brought it into her lap.

She stared at the shirt and rubbed the fabric between her thumb and fingertip.

Luhan

She had tried to keep her thoughts at bay about all of Exo. She missed being in the tv room with the whole group. She missed watching them come and go from frantic schedules. She missed the way they were so enthusiastic to make her and Amy recapture their vacation. She missed the way she had been taken care of.

Luhan

Yes, she missed her second best friend. Can I still call him that? Her hand grasped the shirt as if it was going to be torn from her hand. Slowly, and almost without being conscious of the action, she pulled the shirt over her head and pulled it down until it fit comfortably as a second layer. It was almost like a small hug. Snaking both arms around her own waist, she let the idea of a hug sink in. She missed Luhan.

Her phone’s ringer pierced the silence from inside her purse. Paige jumped up from the floor. Grabbing the purse, she fished inside until she had a hold of the phone and brought it up to the side of her face. At contact, she felt moisture against her cheek and quickly wiped away the evidence of her emotions.

“Hello?” Paige asked, barely paying attention to the name on the screen of the phone.

“Hey! You’re up! Wanna vid chat?” Amy’s excited voice asked over the phone.

“Oh, sure! Um, give me a minute. I just got home not too long ago. I’ll turn on my laptop and be right on!”

“Okay!”

Paige hung up the phone, opened her laptop and finished wiping away the traitor tears that had fallen without any warning. She waited for the WiFi to establish a connection, opened the program, and waited for Amy to connect with her.

“Hey!” Amy’s voice matched with her vibrant smile on the screen.

“Where are you?” Paige asked.

“Oh! My apartment. I sent you that picture before.”

“I guess I didn’t recognize it. How are you liking it?”

“It’s perfectly fine! Oh! I’ve finally been receiving the boxes you packed for me. It gives Tao and excuse to visit when he brings them over,” Amy giggled.

“That’s good. You may still have one coming,” Paige grinned.

“Okay. I see you got your things too.”

“Huh?” Paige asked while looking over her shoulder. Amy couldn’t see the box from where her laptop was.

“The shirt, dummy. You’re wearing Luhan’s shirt.”

“Oh! Yeah.” Paige looked down, forgetting and wishing she hadn’t thrown it on. “It was delivered today. I haven’t finished going through everything yet.”

“Are you going to tonight?”

“I should, so I can put it all away.” Paige watched as Amy nodded at her in agreement. She couldn’t help the next question that slipped past her lips. It resulted in a whisper. “How’s Luhan?”

“Luhan? Moping a little, actually. You should talk to him too.”

“I don’t have his information.”

“Here,” Amy started. She picked up her cellphone and after a moment a message popped up on Paige’s phone screen. “Text him, call him, do something.”

“I don’t know if I should.”

“Why?” Amy asked, confused.

“I… I’m not sure.”

“Okay, that’s dumb. He misses you.”

Paige’s heart skipped a beat. “How do you know?”

“Like I said, he’s been moping. He thinks you’d rather not talk to him.”

“But, I didn’t have his info! And, I don’t really know what to say.”

“He’s still your friend, you know. You can say whatever you want to him. I think he’d just be happy knowing you want to still talk to him.”

“Maybe.”

“Message him.”

“Alright, later.”

Paige laughed as Amy rolled her eyes. They wound up chatting for almost an hour. It wasn’t until Paige yawned several times in a row that Amy told her goodbye and cut the call in favor of Paige getting sleep.

 

---

 

Paige had left the items strewn across the living room when she had ended the call with Amy last night. She had waved it off, promising to get to it first thing in the morning. It was her day off from work and not only did she need to clean, but there was one last box to be sent to Amy and she was determined to see it all finished.

After a quick breakfast, she settled down on the floor in the middle of the living room and opened the suitcase. Wrinkled and worn clothes filled the bulk of it. Paige mentally added laundry to the list to get done that afternoon. She stood and put all of the clothing in the basket in her bedroom. She then returned to the suitcase, made sure it was cleaned out and then tucked it away in the closet.

Next were the extra bags. A few more items of clothing were tossed into the basket as well. Small trinkets tumbled out of one of the bags as she tipped it upside down. A small notebook was among the items. Some things looked crumpled, as if tossed together with no care. Paige unraveled a few of the papers to find some of the hints that they had found during their last few days as tourists in Seoul. Paige smoothed them out and placed them to the side and in a stack.

She grabbed the notebook. After studying the outside of the cover for a few moments, her hand grazed the edges before she finally flipped it open. At the first signature, her heart squeezed. It wasn’t the same euphoric realization that a celebrity had touched something that you owned. No, this was like seeing something that belonged to a member of your family that you hadn’t seen in a long time. She flipped past Kris’ autograph and then D.O’s.

Kai

Sudden flashes of memory burst into her mind. She had only meant to ask for a picture of Sehun and her, but Chanyeol and XiuMin had been in the frame and the picture had come out really well.

“The picure! The pictures!” Paige nearly shrieked and scrambled off the floor and into her room to retrieve her cell phone. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about the countless snapshots from in the dorm. Opening the camera roll on her phone, she quickly scrolled to the one that had started it all. Sure enough, she was leaning over the table towards Sehun while Chanyeol and Xiumin had weaseled their way into the frame. Paige smiled and then brushed her thumb across the screen for the next shot.

Luhan

His perfect smiling face filled the upper half of the frame with hers in front and almost just below his chin. Paige had the sudden urge to touch the picture, as if it would somehow connect him to her. She had his number now. She should really take Amy’s suggestion. Suddenly, her heart rate quickened and she felt a twinge of panic. What on earth had she been doing all of this time? Luhan has been the very first person to make an impact on her when she had still been in the hospital. He’d cared for her, protected her, helped her, encouraged her, and in the end she had mindlessly chased someone who had spent the few weeks around her being standoffish and confusing.

Paige continued to scroll through the photos without really paying attention. Her mind was too absorbed at her catastrophe of a mistake.

            You don’t have a problem making friends, Paige.

…I just meant that you’ve been such a good friend and I don’t want you to be upset over anything.

            I’m not upset.

            I’m sorry.

            Why don’t you find Kai and hide with him?

            I don’t understand.

            You and Kai. Aren’t you just a bit closer to him than me?

            No, I…

Paige threw her hand over as if she could prevent more of the conversation from happening. It was so blatant and practically yelling at her. She had honestly thought of him as the most wonderful friend, but she had hurt him. But, he’d acted okay later on, at the barbeque.

Paige’s thumb slid over the screen of the smart phone until she was out of the camera roll app and into the music player. She scrolled through her list of songs until she settled on a very specific track. Hitting play, just thirteen seconds passed before Luhan’s voice sang the first line of ExoM’s Don’t Go.

She knew what the song meant. He’d sung it to her. The salty tears felt too warm to be allowed to spill down her cheeks. She felt awful.

Luhan.

What?

Don’t tell anyone, okay?

About what?

I want to go home.

 

We aren’t saying our goodbyes right now.

…I can still talk to you right?

As long as you want to talk to me, I’ll be there.

“Oh, God!” Paige’s entire abdomen clenched. She felt stupid and blind. She clawed through memories until she was standing in the airport. She couldn’t remember Luhan’s face. She had been waiting and staring, but only at Kai for moments while Tao and Amy had taken most of her attention. She knew where Luhan had been standing, but she hadn’t registered the look on his face.

Paige’s thumb, once again, flew over the apps in her phone. She pulled open the clock and looked at the time in Seoul. It was barely two in the morning. She would have to wait. Paige cleaned her face and picked up the laundry basket. The chores would be finished by mid afternoon, and then she would concentrate on Luhan.

 

---

 

Hello stranger.

Luhan and Tao were bringing two smaller boxes up the stairs of Amy’s apartment building when the cellphone in Luhan’s pocket vibrated. He balanced the box in one hand as he fished for the phone and opened the display to see the two-word message. He frowned for a moment and debated on a reply.

“Who is it?” Tao asked. Luhan shrugged. He typed a question back in Chinese and stuffed the phone back in his pocket.

At Amy’s floor, the two of them walked down the hallway, stopping just shy of Amy’s door when Luhan’s phone vibrated again.

That’s not fair. You know I don’t know Chinese. ~ Paige

“It’s Paige!” Luhan almost dropped the box from excitement.

Tao smirked. “I told you that she would talk to you when she was ready. Amy said she was just taking time to settle.”

Luhan’s facial expression went from elation to confusion.

“What?” Tao asked.

Luhan looked up at Tao, “I don’t know what to say.”

Tao rolled his eyes, leaving Luhan with his conundrum in favor for knocking on Amy’s door.

A moment later, Amy answered the door and opened it up for the two boys. Tao walked in, setting down the box while Luhan stayed standing still.

“Luhan!” Amy shouted, trying to break Luhan’s concentration.

“Huh? Oh. Sorry,” Luhan mumbled. He walked in and set the box down before continuing his staring game with the phone.

“What is his deal?” Amy asked Tao.

“Paige sent a text,” Tao answered.

“Two, two texts!” Luhan suddenly stated.

“Yes, two,” Tao laughed.

“FINALLY!” Amy shouted scaring Tao and pulling Luhan from his concentration.

            How are you? Luhan finally returned the text, shaking his head over his lack of creativity.

“What did she say?” Amy asked, trying to peek around Luhan’s frame.

“Nothing yet. I just replied.”

            Alright.

Amy leaned over to read the message. “Alright? That’s it? No ‘I miss you dreadfully’?”

“She wouldn’t respond with that anyway,” Tao stated.

“She should have!” Amy argued.

“I’m just glad she’s talking to me,” Luhan murmured.

Amy rolled her eyes. This is going to take some effort.

“We left one more bigger box downstairs. I’ll go get it,” offered Tao. He left the apartment after sparing a quick peck on Amy’s forehead and a look that was supposed to deter her from meddling too much. Amy didn’t even register the look.

“What are you going to say?” she asked Luhan, who was still staring at his phone.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled.

“Try, ‘I miss you.’ Somebody needs to say it.”

“I don’t want to upset her. She would probably rather hear that from somebody else,” he reasoned.

“Luhan,” Amy started, sternly. “Whether you miss her like I do, or miss her like you ACTUALLY do makes no difference. She should hear it from someone besides me.”

Luhan timidly typed in the three words and after a moment of debate, hit send.

“I know you want to hear it from her, Luhan, but she was lucky that you were here for her,” Amy said after the silence had stretched for a moment too long.

Luhan’s gaze refused to lift from the phone.

“She’s really stubborn too,” Amy continued.

“Yes, I’ve noticed,” he confirms.

I miss you too.

“But, just as a friend,” Luhan mumbled to his phone.

“No! No! Not just as a friend! I’m telling you, she’s miserable and it has nothing to do with Kai!” Amy argued.

“Then why?” he asked, not quite breaking his gaze with the phone.

“She can finally see what she should have the whole time,” Amy responded somewhat cryptically.

“I don’t understand,” he said, finally looking up and making eye contact with Amy.

Amy huffed in exasperation and walked to her laptop. She pulled open her folder of pictures and double clicked on an image. She pointed at the screen, beckoning Luhan to take a closer look.

“This,” she pointed, “is Paige during a Skype conversation yesterday. When our calls first connected, I was confused, but I noticed your shirt and so I snapped the capture. She was crying. You can see it right?”

To his surprise, it really was Paige in the first image of her that he’d seen since she left the airport. She looked even more tired than she had while she had been staying with them. Her hair was pulled back, revealing slightly smudged makeup. Her eyes were just pink enough to indicate possible crying. She was indeed wearing his shirt. She looked almost embarrassed or guilty.

“She misses you,” Amy paused watching Luhan take in his fill of the picture. “In the way you want her to.”

“What should I do?” he whispered.

“Do you still like her?” Amy asked. Luhan nodded. “Enough to bring her back?” Amy prodded.

“She wanted to go home. She told me so.”

“Did she tell you why?” Amy asked, confused.

“She said she missed what was familiar to her,” Luhan stated as he recalled her words.

“That’s only because she was being alienated by Kai,” Amy stated, her tone layered with the anger she still felt towards the other Exo member.

I am sorry for not messaging you sooner. Are you angry with me?

Luhan frowned. He quickly typed his reply.

            I could never be angry with you.

            Good. I can’t lose you Luhan.

Luhan’s eyes snapped up to Amy’s. She could see the light bulb go off in his head.

“I’ve got to go,” he stated. He took a few long strides to the entry of Amy’s apartment and opened the door. Tao was just outside, about to put down the box to open the door. However, when Luhan ran past him and let the door slam closed, Tao had to put the box down regardless.

“Hey!” he yelled at Luhan’s disappearing frame.

Amy opened the door at the sound of Tao’s voice.

“What did you do now?” Tao asked Amy as he brought the box inside.

“I am a genius!” she proclaimed.

“What happened?” Tao asked, again.

“Nothing. Just wait. Everything will be perfect!”

 

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A/N

Sorry for that hiatus, but none of you seemed to pester about it, so thanks for being patient. There is 1 more chapter and an epilogue planned for this story. :D Stay Tuned.