'CHANYEOL, I'M SO SORRY. I PROMISE I'LL BE better.'

My eyes blinked open, only moments after they'd finally shut. I remained still, listening. 

'Please, don't leave me,' her words were broken with emotion. Footsteps creaked down the stairs. Cries filtered through my door. I didn't dare move, fearing they'd know I could hear them. 

'I won't leave,' he stated from the bottom of the stairs. His voice sounded consoling but defeated. 'I need to clear my head, okay? But I'll come back tonight and we'll talk about it.'

'You promise?' she asked in an elevated voice that sounded desperate. His answer wasn't verbal because the next thing I heard was the door shutting, followed by gasping sobs at the top of the stairs.

It was difficult to listen to her. My insides ached, wanting to take away the hurt - but I didn't. I curled into a ball and waited. Waited for her to find her breath and put herself back together. Her whimpers only quieted with the click of her door. 

I crawled out of my bed and dressed in running pants and a long-sleeved running shirt, pulling a fleece over it. I needed to get out of the house, away from the comsuming emotions. I tied my sneakers and slipped on gloves, hiding my hair under a baseball cap. The brisk air filled my lungs as I stepped out the door. 

The sun was out, and the temperature was above freezing, melting away the icy edges along the shovelled sidewalk. I eased into a jog and breathed deep, releasing the tension in my shoulders as I followed the concrete squares beneath my feet. I'd forgotten my iPod, which would have been ideal to distract me from playing the previous night over and over in my head. Instead, the racing thoughts remained trapped. 

I explored the intertwining neighbouhood, finding a park a few streets away. It was filled with kids in snowsuits jumping off whatever they could into the thick mounds of snow. Their laughter and squeals were a welcome sound in contrast to the cries that echoed in my head.

As I rounded the corner of the park, my jogging slowed at the sight of the blue pick-up truck. When I saw Chanyeol sitting on a bench staring at nothing, I stopped. I considered turning around and running in a different direction, pretending I hadn't seen him. But then he spotted me, and I wasn't going anywhere.

I walked towards him, tucking my hands in my fleece pockets. 

'Hey,' I said, standing in front of him. 'It's not bad out today.'

Chanyeol nodded lightly. His eyes remained troubled. I sat down next to him on the wooden bench. Neither of us said anything for at least a minute.

I was contemplating getting up to continue my run when he spontaneously conf