Yuri snarls out in anger, forcing a loud breath in frustration. She fumbles in her pocket for a phone ready to snap back at the idiot who made her wait.

The number you dial is out of reach please try your call again…

“SHUT UP!” Yuri screams at the helpless automated voice. “Damn it Shika… Where the hell are you?”

*

Flashback...

A few weeks ago…


 After weeks of tears and loneliness, Yoona never felt as excited as she is right now. She rushed home, clutching the phonecard that she bought, hoping she could surprise Yuri with a phone call.

*

Yuri and the other players were in the huddle while in the middle of their coach lecturing, her phone starts ringing, And she felt all eyes on her, some looking at her in amusement while some scoffing smugly. 

“Shut that up.”

Yuri bows down “Ummm… yes sir…”

The tanned beauty rushed out of the field, hurriedly picking up her phone.

“Why did you call?”

And if Yuri could have seen the way Yoona’s smile disappearing from her face, she would have wished she could turn the time back.

“I’m sorry, Yul. Is it a bad time?”

Yuri responded with a groan but Yoona heard it perfectly.

“I’m in a meeting with the coach…”

“Oh…”

Yoona just stares blankly at the phone card before laying it back in the table along with the other phone cards she bought that day.

“I’m sorry, Yul. I’ll call you later.”

“No. Don’t.”

And Yoona’s heart kept breaking.

“I’ll call you, okay?”

“Ok… bye…”

“Bye.”

*

But Yuri never did… It’s not that she doesn’t want to call, she always promise herself she will but she have been beat up and worn out beyond repair. That the moment she fell on her bed, she’ll drift off to sleep, dreaming of her and Yoona, cursing when the alarm clock would taunt her back to reality again.

And phone calls have become a luxury and just when Yuri found the time to call…

“Yoong… I tried calling you and you wouldn't pick up.”

“I was in clinicals…”

Missing Yoona have became so frustrating for Yuri that it starting to anger her. Unfortunately, there was no one to vent all that anger on but on Yoona.

“Yeah whatever…” Yuri hissed.

“Yul… I was in class, I couldn’t just skip class so I can talk to you.” Yoona tried to be reasonable, calming herself before she could say words that might hurt Yuri too.

“Well, I would.” Yuri snaps back.

“Yul please…”

“What?! What Yoona?!”

Yoona sighs heavily. “How was your day?”

And by the sound of patience in Yoona’s voice was enough to bury Yuri in guilt. Yoona was suffering too, yet here she is making it worse than it already is.

“I can’t… I can’t talk right now…”

“But…” Yoona reasons out

But before Yuri could explode on Yoona some more, she clicks the phone.

*

It didn’t even take Yuri a second and she quickly bolted up her bed. She starts flinging stuff out of her desk, seemingly looking for something. She almost rips out her closet door, flings more stuff as she continues to search for something.

“Damn it…”

*

She storms into the Korean store. She have been frequenting there more often than anybody that the owner didn’t need to ask what she would have wanted.

Yuri quickly empties out her pocket and lays out every dollar, quarter, dime, nickel and penny out on the counter.

“How many phone cards can I buy with that?”

“Are you sure?” The owner asks worriedly, it looks like the girl pulled out all her allowance.

“YES! Please…” Yuri grips tightly on the counter, trying to keep herself steady. “Please… I need them…”

The man takes a nod, giving Yuri all of the phone cards they have.

*

Yuri’s hand was clench around a thick stack of phonecards, her hand still trembling as she tries to call Yoona while walking back home. She recognized the silhouette of the people standing around in the corner, but paid no attention to it. She has more important things to worry about.

“Oh, you’re so great now… you won’t even say hi to us?” Bora steps up, obviously not done with Yuri especially after Yuri humiliated her.

Yuri quickly sidestepped not needing to deal with this right now, but Bora quickly flings Yuri forward.

“You look at me, when I’m talking to you.” Bora threatens hoping to scare Yuri a bit, but Yuri knows she could beat her once, and she has no problem beating her up again.

“I don’t have time for this.”

“Well, make time.”

Yuri turns off her phone and slowly stuffs the phonecards in her pocket, when she felt the wind knock out of her as she took a punch on the gut, making her kneel to the ground.

“Not so tough now, huh, Kwon?”

Bora’s minions quickly grabs on each of Yuri’s arm.

“You know what my batting average is Yuri?” Bora taunted as she pats her baseball bat on Yuri’s shoulder.

Yuri sneers and just looks away.

“Best one in the league…” Bora kneeled down so she could look Yuri straight in the eye. “And don’t you ever forget that… Or better yet let me show you…”

Yuri almost collapsed to the ground as she felt Bora swing the bat straight into her arm. She could actually hear the bones cracking as the bat collided against her. Every muscle, every nerve was begging Yuri to cry, but she didn’t and that didn’t bode well with Bora. And on Bora’s second swing, Yuri collapse to the ground and right then she cried.

*

Hyomin could hear people cursing as she stumbled at everyone who got on her way. She pushed herself inside the hospital room and saw Yuri looking so helpless as she laid down on the bed.

“HEY! What happened?” Hyomin asks worriedly as she sees the cast on Yuri’s arm. “Did that b!tch do this to you?”

“What else could I do?”

“Well, we could report her to the board, and they’ll kick her out her skinny in no time.”

Yuri just laughs in defeat and Hyomin finally calmed down.

“When did they say you’re going to heal?”

“6-8 weeks.”

“Well… did you talk to oppa about this?”

“I didn’t but he did. He said that my chances of being drafted are quite slim. But I should just still wait for the drafts because I might miraculously get drafted.” Yuri scoffs again “But c’mon! who would wanted to have a ****!ng cripple on their roster?”

“But you’re going to be one of the best damn cripple on the league.”

Yuri shivers as she exhales. “I’m tired already, Hyomin…”

“Of what? practices? We all are but this is a chance of a lifetime.”

“It’s not worth it anymore to be away from Yoona. You know back in college, after every practice I thought I was good as dead, but I come home to Yoona and I just quickly go back to life. I’m dying without her.”

“But I thought you’re doing this for her?”

“I just want to go home…” Yuri shuts her eyes to stop her tears but still they didn’t listen to her and starts flowing out. “I just want to be with Yoona…”

*

Yoona checks her phone for the hundredth time, waiting for Yuri to call her. But like yesterday and a few days before, Yuri have seem to forgotten about her. Instead of feeling pathetic for herself, Yoona just put her focus down on her notes, she tried, she did but of course it was futile. Good thing the sound of someone knocking distracted her from her loneliness.

“Hi Yoona!!!!”

“Oh… Unnie… hey…”

“Well, we heard about this new buffet that just opened up and Yuri always tells us how much you love to eat. So, we are like let’s invite Yoona out to eat.”

What was Sooyoung unnie trying to say? Yoona thought, Sooyoung’s words seem to stop after she heard Yuri’s name. It happens more often than she would wanted it to. But she just couldn’t help it, she misses Yuri too much and the only way to make it hurt less was to think of her.

When they saw how Yoona suddenly grew quiet, they couldn’t help but feel guilty. Sooyoung pats Yoona on the shoulder before reassuring her…

“Hey… it’s ok, Yoong… We missed that idiot too…”

*

Yoona haven’t laugh like this as far as she could remember. Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were making her stomach hurt with their stories, that Yoona could obviously just guess were exaggerated. But as happy as she was, it’s those split second moments of silence, when she knew that Yuri wasn’t with her is where she was at her loneliest. Wondering, does Yuri miss her the way she does?

“Yoong?”

“Oh unnie?”

“Why are you so quiet? Are you full already?”

Yoona smiles weakly. “Ummm… keke… a bit…”

“Well… just take a little bit of rest, and then we go head out to the tables again… That’s the secret to winning over the buffet…” Sooyoung shared her secret with her fellow shikshin.

“Yoong?”

The three girls turn around to sound of the husky voice calling Yoona.

“Oppa?”

After she and Yuri moved in together, she and her brother have also drifted apart. It was sad really, how she have always thought that Donghae was the only family that would be with her to support her and Yuri. But it seems like Donghae was just the same coward, like she always knew he was.

*

Yoona stir her coffee mindlessly, not knowing really what to say to her brother. Donghae just sat there not wanting to make the first move either.

Yoona finally spoke up. “So, you own this place?”

“Yes. Mr. Kwon gave me money to invest.”

Mr. Kwon would help out a complete stranger, yet let his own daughter starve and without a cent to her name.

“I have partners and I pitch the idea to Mr. Kwon and he gave me the thumbs up. So, how you been? I heard Yuri left you…”

“Just physically… we're still together.”

Donghae just rolls his eyes and heaves out a frustrated sigh “Pfft… but how long?”

Yoona cast her gaze over him with worried eyes. “What do you mean?”

“She’s probably living her life out there, playing baseball and coming home to different women in her hotel room. And here you are waiting patiently, like the idiot that you are.”

“I thought you wanted me to be with her?”

“I wanted you to be with her because I thought you’re strong enough to not let your emotions get in the way. You could have everything but look where you are now? Alone and waiting for what? You think she’s going to come back to you?”

“YES! Yuri will!!! She will… You don’t understand what we have!”

Yoona wasn't used to talking out loud, that whenever she raise her voice, it would quake making her sound more weaker even if her intention was to look more stronger. And Donghae quickly picked up on, smirking triumphantly when he knew he got his point across.

Donghae reached out to hold his sister’s trembling hands. “It kills me to see you hurting like this, Yoong… please… think of yourself too, leave her before she leaves you.”

*

“Yoong? Baby?”

“Why haven’t you been calling me Yul? Is there someone else?!”

Yuri quickly panics when she heard the endless sobs and Yoona’s frantic voice on the other line.

“What?! No… of course not, baby… I’m sorry for not calling you but I ahhh… ummm… Yoong?” Yuri could feel her heart tightening in her chest as she could hear Yoona crying on the other line. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m so scared, Yul…” Yoona breathed out in her every sob.

“Scared of what?”

“That what other people say is right, that we're not really meant to be.”

“No….no…no” Yuri’s voice was threading in both panic and pleading. “Please…” Yuri’s grips on the phone tightened, wishing it was Yoona who she could hold on to and reassure. “Remember what we said before?” Yuri pleaded… “We won’t let anybody come between us? please Yoong… please don’t…”

“I wish you could come home… I’m dying without you…”

Yuri was too…“I can’t Yoona, not now but I will… just wait for me, okay?”

“I don’t want this life. I want the one where you are beside me. Why can’t you even call me?”

Yuri remains quiet, staring down at the cast in her arm. She was afraid to tell Yoona that she have gotten herself in trouble and is now paying for it.

“I’m sorry…” Was all Yuri could say…

“Are you okay, baby?”

Yuri was so tired trying to pretend she was okay, but she just need a little bit more. “I’m okay… I just miss you a lot.”

“I do too… Can you talk right now?”

Yuri smiles… “Of course I can…”

Her broken arm felt nothing compared to how she ached last week, when she almost lost Yoona… And she swore it won’t happen again, not now and not ever.

*

“Oh this sure is headline news…”

Jessica pulls away from her crossword puzzle and turns her attention at the girl smiling mischievously at her.

“What is?”

“I can see it now… Jessica Jung, evil genius, does crossword puzzles.”

“Yup.” Jessica sneers in amusement and returns back to her crossword puzzle “That’s how I roll…”

Tiffany smiled thankfully at the waiter and the two enjoyed their coffee in a comfortable silence. Then, Tiffany’s attention got caught a few tables away at Donghae seemingly introducing or more of forcing Yoona to mingle with his friend.

“I don’t know how you do it, be in the same room as him.”

Jessica didn’t know how she does it too, but nowadays, things felt like they’re falling in the right places. “It got easier.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re letting go.”

Jessica smiles thankfully cause until now the word thank you is still foreign in her tongue.

Jessica and Tiffany saw Donghae badgering Yoona. Even from a distance it was obvious that Yoona wants nothing to do with the Donghae’s friend. But still Donghae wedges his way through.

“You can still fix things you know.” Tiffany softly says.

Jessica just sneers at Tiffany’s innocence. “Why would I? It’s not my problem…”

“But when you know that you could do something, doesn’t that want you to want to step up?”

“I learn to take a step back and watch…”

“I learn to man up and fix things. Especially the ones I try to break.”

Jessica just sighs, she doesn’t like it when people interrupt her and her crossword puzzle. “Then, you do it… go over there and help them.”

“It takes guts to admit their mistake, but it takes a whole lot of guts to fix it. And as far as I know Jung, you’re the gutsiest person I know.”

Jessica was about to retort back but Tiffany already gathered up her things.

“I have class so I’ll go ahead… You should try it sometimes…”

“Try what?”

Jessica couldn’t figure out why Tiffany’s eyesmile could both look innocent and devious at the same time.

“Go to class.”

*

Yoona have to admit that Siwon was quite good looking. And with the way he looks at Yoona, he seems quite interested with the girl. But Yoona wants nothing to do with him.

“Dude… I never thought your sister is so pretty.”

“I told you, right?” Donghae nods proudly and Yoona’s face looks baffled, confused on what was going on.

“When Donghae told me he had a sister, I was worried… cause I don’t think Donghae would make such a pretty girl…” Siwon joked and Yoona responds with a polite smile. “But now… I’m glad he told me about you…”

Yoona was able to pick up the hint from Siwon’s smile that this was more than just an introduction.

“Oppa, can I talk to you?”

*

“What’s going on?” Yoona looks at her brother ridiculously for putting her on a spot like that.

But Donghae thinks it’s Yoona who’s acting “No.. What’s going on with you? You know how many girls would kill to be in your shoes right now?”

“I’m not like most girls. “

“Oh wait… I forgot… you’re into chicks…” Donghae says mockingly…

“SHUT UP!”

“No matter how good you think it felt when Yuri touches you, I swear to God Yoong, it would feel like nothing when you’re finally with a man.”

Donghae winces as his sister landed a hard slap on his face.

“How would you know, Donghae?” Yoona lost all respect for her brother that she couldn’t even call him her oppa anymore. “You have been with a man too?”

“Why you fu-“

Yoona didn’t wait for Donghae to curse her out, she walks away, not needing to turn around, from now on, she didn't have a brother.

*

Yoona used to like being somewhere quiet, it gives her the time to think freely, when all she could hear are thoughts. But now she dreaded it, cause it filled her with nothing but thoughts of missing Yuri. And it didn’t get better. Not at all and probably not ever.

Yoona turned to the phone vibrating next to her in bed.

“Yoona-yah…”

Yoona could finally smile again as she heard Yuri’s voice.

“Hi baby…”

Yuri could finally smile again as she listens to Yoona’s voice. “Hi my baby… what are you doing?” Yuri coos…

“Nothing… I need to study though but I feel so lazy…”

“Well, it’s almost summer break and you’ll get a break.”

Yoona didn’t mind working or studying if it meant going home to Yuri, but it’s like life is drowning out of her.

“I know… but we still have clinicals… I wish…” Yoona didn’t even bother to continue…

“You’re going to be in the dean’s list again… I’m sure…”

“I don’t know it’s been a tough semester.”

And Yuri just choked up a bitter smile. Yoona probably didn’t mean it, but Yuri knew that she have everything to do with it.

"I’m so sorry, Yoona..”

“You have nothing to apologize about…I love you…”

Yuri could finally feel like she could breathe again. “I love you too… So, ummm, have you been watching fashion king? I know your bias is in there.”

“I know!” Yoona’s voice suddenly sounds like a giddy school girl “You should have seen her, Yul. It’s like her first major acting role but she totally blew me away… It’s like when I see her cry, I feel like crying too…”

Yuri thought it was ridiculous how she got jealous when Yoona continue to gush over some character from a drama.

“I don’t like her kissing scenes though.” Yoona continues and Yuri could swear she heard jealousy in Yoona’s voice.

“Why? Who should she be kissing?” Yuri asks in a deadpan tone, hoping Yoona picked up that she was jealous.

“Me? Kekekeke…”

“Hahahahahaha…” Yuri airs out a sarcastic laugh “Ok, you kiss her and I’ll kiss my girlfriend in loverain.”

Yuri tries hard not laugh as she hears Yoona growling on the other line.

“Oh your girlfriend, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Why don’t you go call her then?” Yoona says to Yuri mockingly…

“I did. but she didn’t pick up so I called you instead.” Yuri decided to tease back.

“I hate you.”

Yuri could actually imagine Yoona having that adorable pout on her face.

“Don’t worry when I was kissing her, I was like my other girlfriend Yoona kissed better than this. keke…”

“Ewwww…. So cheesy Kwon Yuri!”

“Mwah! I love you more my better kissing girlfriend…”

“Stop!” Yoona could only laugh at Yuri’s cheesiness… “you’re making me puke with your cheesiness.”

And in these moments where their laughter, their jokes and their endless I love you’s fill the air is what Yoona have been cherishing the most. But the moment the call ended, in an instant, the familiar yet still painful air of loneliness drift back again.

And Yoona was lonely again…

*

She was about to waste her time with more tears when someone starts knocking on her door. And the moment she saw Mrs. Kwon’s face, she wished she didn’t open the door.

Mrs. Kwon tried hard not to show her disapproval of the place, but she is more at awe than anything else. She never realized that her daughter could love this much.

“Did Yuri live in here?”

Yoona lowers her gaze to the ground, embarrassed that she couldn’t give Yuri a better life.

“Yes maam… For almost a year.”

Yoona looks up when she found that it was too quiet, and when she saw Mrs. Kwon’s face she swore she saw a bit of a smile adorning her face.

“You know my Yuri could be quite a spoiled brat…”

Yoona’s lips spread just a fraction, knowing that pretty well. Although Yuri loves her a lot, still Yuri acted like a little princess wanting attention from Yoona any chance she get.

“When she was younger, me and her father would send her to camps, just so she could experience it and she hated it. She called her father and said how much she hated it. He made our driver, picked her up and took her to the nearest 5 star hotel. While the rest of the girls sleep in tents, Yuri slept in a 5 star hotel.”

It was silly but the thought of her childish lover, somehow calmed Yoona a bit.

“And it doesn’t get any better, when she got older and she has to go to different places for baseball tournaments she won’t sleep in the rooms that the team would get her, so, while everyone slept in their shared rooms. Yuri would be in the penthouse suite.”

Mrs. Kwon turns her eyes away from the view outside the window. There wasn’t any view to look at anyway and she finds herself staring at the girl in front of her. Im Yoona wasn’t born with much money or luxury but she was born with something most people would kill to have. Yoona was born with the kind of beauty, most people would just read in fairytales. And Mrs. Kwon didn’t realize it until today when she was standing face to face with her.

“I should have known from the beginning that my daughter have always loved you. Ever since her 8^th birthday, she would always asks me if you could come to her birthday. And I would tell her yes and I know.”

Mrs. Kwon paused afraid that her honesty would reveal the kind of mother that she is.

“I know Yoona, how happy my daughter would be whenever I say that, and every year she would wait for you. She was surrounded by gifts, a lavish party but it didn’t matter to her, the only thing that she would wanted was to see you. And every year I could see how disappointed she would be. And every year, I tell myself, she’ll get over it. She’ll get over you…”

Mrs. Kwon’s eyes were filled with regret whenever the memories of Yuri’s pain come repeating back.

“I spend my days going to charity events and auctions, yet I can’t even…”

She paused again… unsure of how to continue…

“I can’t even help my own daughter. My husband didn’t even tell me what he did to her, I have to find out from someone else. When I confronted my husband about it, he just laughed at my face, like he didn’t care at all. He just said that I don’t need to worry, because Yuri would come running back to us like she always does when it gets difficult. And I believed him…”

“I’m sorry for putting Yuri through all this.”

“No…” Mrs. Kwon smiled “I waited for Yuri to come back, waited to hear the music blasting out of her room, waited for her to call me and asked for allowance, waited for my daughter to need me again.”

Mrs. Kwon smiled through her tears.

“But she never did. Me and her father gave her everything, but she chose to have nothing just to be with you. ” 

Yoona couldn’t answer too. Mrs. Kwon mistakes the silence for something else.

“Don’t worry I won’t take her away from you again. For once I want to make my daughter happy.”

Mrs. Kwon hands Yoona an envelope.

“What is this?”

“I heard how you have two jobs just to keep things together. I’m proud of you for doing that, but I want all your energy to be focus on your education. Just so you could be, the person you ought to be, not the person you have to be just to survive. And I want my daughter to come back home and finish school. And when Yuri comes back home to you, I want you to welcome her in a nicer apartment. Fitting of her, fitting for both of you.”

Yoona couldn’t be more thankful but she just couldn’t accept it. “I… I couldn’t…”

Mrs. Kwon silenced Yoona with an embrace…

“It’s a mother’s job to give the best things for her child. You are the best thing that happened to Yuri.”

And before Mrs. Kwon release Yoona from her embrace. She whispered thankfully.

“Thank you for loving our daughter.”

End of flashback...

*

If there is one thing that Yuri still haven’t learn is patience. She hated waiting more than anything else, and thinks that people who made other people wait, should pay a costly price. And Yuri is going to make sure that when she finally gets to see Jessica that she will make her pay.

Twenty minutes and there was still no sign of the girl.

“God damn it Shika…”

Yuri fumbles with her good arm to shot a text full of expletives and death threats at her cousin.

“What is that idiot doing? The plane has landed already! SHIKA! ARGH!”

Yuri’s brow met in frustration as she continues her text as a flood of people came out, but still no Jessica. Yuri waited, she waited some more until finally…

It was Yoona’s first time to step in America. But while other people get excited about seeing the marvel in this country, all Yoona is ever excited about is finally seeing her girl. But before she could search for Yuri among the crowd of people waiting, someone have already enveloped her in an endearing embrace.

And in Yuri’s embrace, Yoona felt her heart stop beating. Yoona have thought that the moment she sees Yuri, she’ll jump into her arms but instead she remained frozen, lingering in every second. Yoona took the time to take in Yuri. What a difference a few weeks can do? Yoona could feel it as she runs her fingers on the faint grooves of Yuri’s biceps, Yuri became leaner. But everything else was still there, those dark brown eyes, that smile and those lips that she could kiss forever.

“What happened?” Yoona asks worriedly at Yuri’s bandaged arm.

Yuri didn’t answer back and instead just nuzzled herself comfortably in Yoona’s neck. Those days felt like distant memory, uncovering them would only anger her and she didn’t need that. What she have here is enough, Yoona is more than enough.

And in Yoona's arms, Yuri finally crumbles, knowing Yoona would put her pieces back together.

“Don't cry..." Yoona wipes away Yuri's tears as she was holding back her own. "I'm here now..." Yoona kisses Yuri on the forehead, before finally letting her tears take over her. "I'm here now..."


And their lips met in a gentle kiss. And somehow at that gesture, it felt like every sleeping sense inside them have woken up. The taste of each other’s lips, the sweet scent lingering at each deepen kiss, the soft moans that they unconsciously let out at every breath they take from each other and the feel of finally kissing the one that they have dreamed of.

Airports might be the busiest place, with people rushing to be somewhere else rather than this. But both Yoona and Yuri won’t have it any other way. Because there is no place where they would rather be but here in each other’s embrace.

*

A few weeks ago…

Yoona let out a soft curse as she saw the girl sitting at the table.

“Sit down Yoona…”

“I have work…” Yoona turned away but Jessica continues.

“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure, Taeyeon won’t say anything if you come join me for some coffee.”

Yoona was a bit hesitant but eventually sat down across Jessica. It’s not like she got defeated, she just want to shut Jessica’s nagging up.

“I haven’t seen you much these days, Yoona.”

“Well… I only work here during weekends, since I have my other job and I have school.”

“Such a hard worker… no wonder Yuri’s so into you…”

Yoona decided not to respond, it felt different because it wasn’t like Jessica was taunting her at all.

“You know I’m planning to go to the States for the summer. New York or maybe California…”

Yoona gazes her eyes down, not wanting Jessica to see how jealous she was that she gets to see Yuri.

“You might see Yuri there…” Yoona spoke softly…

“I might… do you want me to send her over something from here?”

Yoona’s eyes brighten at the thought, she would have wanted to send Yuri some stuff from home. But then she remembers that she’s talking to Jessica right now. She would be foolish if she trust her.

Jessica was tired of waiting for Yoona’s answer that she just spoke up.

“You know what Yoona? Don’t bother.”

Yoona knew it, Jessica will never change.

“I have no plans to be some messenger girl.”

Yoona just exhales shakily, she would have wanted to surprise Yuri but now she couldn’t…

“But maybe you should.”

A spark of life light up in Yoona’s eyes again. “What?”

Jessica pushes an envelope towards Yoona… Yoona takes it with trembling hands and her hand continues to shiver when she sees what was inside.

“Maybe you should give it to her yourself.”

“B-but why? I thought you want to go?”

Jessica just sneers and turns toward the street outside the window. “I suddenly found a reason to stay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Jessica let out a soft chuckle and even if her sight might be on the kids playing across the street, her mind was on a certain somebody. “I need to go to class.”