✓ BETS & BROKEN HEARTS | JAY

43 - Cousins

Jay kept on staring at his phone screen with furrowed eyebrows and a look of confusion. He closed his eyes and sighed, letting out a deep breath.

Why did Yejoon want to meet him?

Y/N was looking at him, her eyes filled with worry. The name 'Yejoon' sent chills down her spine and made her anxiety take the best of her as the flashbacks rushed through her mind. 

She walked to Jay's side before she looked at him, her eyebrows furrowed. 

"Y-Yejoon...?" She said and hated herself for stuttering. After all these years, his name still managed to make her clench her fists and breath heavily.

Jay sighed before he grabbed her wrist and dragged her with him outside. Finally out of everyone's sight, he let go of her and grabbed her shoulders, looking right into her eyes.

"What's wrong...?" 

"Everything is okay, it's just that..." He slightly shook his head before looking back at her. "Yejoon called. He said that he wants us to meet and that he has something to say."

"Don't go," Y/N said as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Yejoon would do anything to hurt you so please... don't go."

"I should go, Y/N..." Jay smiled sadly as he wiped the tear that rolled down her cheek. "I don't know what he wants but... it seems like it's something important."

"Jay..." She muttered, closing her eyes as she softly grabbed his hand that was placed on her cheek.

"Don't tell anyone. I'll be okay, I promise." With that, he pulled his hand away and smiled at her one last time before he walked away.

Leaving Y/N with eyes full of tears and a heart beating faster than ever.

Yejoon said he was waiting for him at the beach and Jay took his car and drove there. It was seven in the afternoon and the sun was soon to set. 

Getting out of the car, he walked on the beach, trying to find his cousin. It wasn't hard for Jay to spot his cousin since there weren't many people, only two persons walking hand in hand and some teenagers playing together while Yejoon stood there, staring at the sea.

Jay walked to him before he stood by his side, making him turn and look at him. "You're here," Yejoon muttered and Jay slightly nodded.

"What do you want?" Jay said and sighed, staring at the calm sea and at the sun that was slowly setting.

Yejoon looked away and clenched his fists. "The thing is-"

"You've been stalking Y/N, right?" 

"What?" 

Jay turned to look at him as he clenched his jaw in anger. "What's your problem? Why are you even in Busan? To stalk Y/N and make her life a living hell once again? You did enough." He paused and let out a heavy sigh.

"You hurt us enough." 

Yejoon felt guilt rush all over him as he let his head down and got on his knees. "I'm here to apologize." He said, making Jay stare at him with wide-open eyes. 

"I don't know what you're talking about but I'm not stalking anyone. I know you won't believe me because I did a lot of bad things to you but... I was a fool."

Jay furrowed his eyebrows as his cousin smiled weakly and shook his head. 

"All this time, I hated you so much. I thought you were lying and I even wanted to hurt you so badly if I had the chance to... however, now, I realized that everything I did was wrong and foolish." 

"What-"

"Jiwoo..." Yejoon started and Jay's eyes widened at the mention of her name. "I loved her so much that I refused to believe she cheated on me with you... but it turned out she really did." 

Eyes red, Jay stared at him without uttering a single word. 

"I don't blame you though, you didn't know she was my girlfriend. But she knew you were my cousin and still did that. And then she lied, saying you raped her." He stopped and looked up at Jay.

"I couldn't believe her because I know you, and you wouldn't do that. But when she committed suicide, I couldn't help but start doubting you, and later on I wanted to do anything to make you unhappy and miserable." 

"And you did," Jay said as he looked away.

Yejoon sighed before he continued. "One of her friends contacted me lately and told me all the truth. It turns out that she ended her life because... she was... too guilty." He chuckled lowly and shook his head in disbelief.

"Should I just end my life too...?" He asked, making Jay turn to him.

"No." He said and Yejoon raised his head, looking right into his eyes. "Don't be a coward and instead apologize for your mistakes. I get you were blinded by your love and her lies but you ended up hurting not only me but all of us." He stopped and looked back at the sea.

"You ended up hurting yourself too."

Yejoon lowered his head as he felt his eyes brim with tears. What Jay said sank deep down his heart and weight it down. 

"If only this didn't happen... maybe we'd still be a happy family. Maybe you and I wouldn't have ended this way, don't you think?" 

A tear rolled down Jay's cheek as he kept staring at the sea, the cold breeze making him shiver slightly.

"Maybe Y/N and I wouldn't have parted ways for five freaking years... and we would have been happily together instead of me seeing her now with another man and a four years old daughter." 

Yejoon widened his eyes and looked down, too guilty of what he did and the heartbreaks he caused. 

"I'm sorry." He said, not able to meet Jay's eyes.

"I want to be alone." He said and weakly smiled at Yejoon who slowly nodded, standing up and ready to leave.

"But..." Jay stared at his cousin whose head was still down low. 

"I'm glad you don't hate me anymore."