Every Rose Has its Thorn

Chapter 12

Every Rose Has its Thorn

Thank you:

"So you want me to throw this into the fire?" Jiyong looked at the t-shirt that Victoria was trying to hand to him. It was her old university shirt that had her school colors and logo. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at the idea then look around at everyone else was throwing old mementos into the growing bonfire. "The fire is so big already." 

"The bigger the better!" Victoria laughed like a little dork which he loved. She always laughed like that when she was drunk. "Tonight is about letting go of something that contains old memories. Throw it into the fire and move on from them! It's like starting completely new!"

Victoria tossed her university shirt into the bonfire, others throwing in their own mementos. He thought for a moment and new what he wanted to burn. He and Victoria had to change into dry clothes after being in the pool earlier when they got tossed in. His shirt was an expensive designer brand that was flashy and glittery. He immediately pulled it over his head leaving him shirtless. Victoria's eyes grew wide when he went to go throw that expensive piece of clothing into the fire.

"What are you doing?" She found herself asking in surprise.

"Letting go." He smiled sweetly in such a charming way that it made her want to swoon, but his eyes were so sincere. "Look at it this way. I've always thought the flashier the better. My image is all that matters and what makes me important. But it's not. There's so much more than just some image that always causes me stress, isn't there?"

"Well in that case, toss away!" Victoria grabbed a portion of the expensive designer shirt and assisted him in throwing it into the fire. The flames suddenly grew bigger making them jump in surprise then hysterically laugh since they were both pretty drunk now. She wrapped her arms around his now bare shoulders and he spun her around a little before stopping to cutely rub his nose against hers.

Isaac was on the other side of the fire but he could see everything clearly. It wasn't fair. He had let her go so she could go pursue her dreams and this is what he gets for being the good guy? He thought over and over again for a while about following her to Korea so they could be together and so he could be there for her. Instead he stupidly said he would be here waiting in case something were to not work out, and she would have to come back home. He also stupidly slept with Natalie that one time a month or so after she was gone just because. He still couldn't figure out the real reason for that.

"Oh get over it." He suddenly heard Natalie next to him. She saw the depressed and jealous look on his face as he stared in deep thought at Victoria and Jiyong together. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

"Shut up." He rolled his eyes, breaking his stare casually so he could act like he wasn't looking at them at all.

"What? It's not like I'm wrong." Natalie pouted her lip. "You can either stand here feeling jealous and sorry for yourself, or you can build a pretty little bridge and get over it."

"It's not that. Look at her. Look how happy she is."

"I'm looking." Natalie crossed her arms over her chest, frowning as she too looked at Victoria and Jiyong. "And this is significant because?"

"Because I can see what she can't." Isaac explained to her. "She's happy in some fantasy land with him right now, but it won't stay that way."

"What do you mean by that?"

"They're not really dating, Nat." Isaac turned to her for a moment before continuing. "But she has feelings for him. I know. I know because when we were together, she would smile at me like that."