Sincerely, Vantae

100 dollars

I couldn't breathe.

I was pretty sure I was going to pass out in the middle of this awkward dinner if Euwnoo didn't lean over and resuscitate me soon.

Four of us—Wooshik, Eunwoo, Vantae and I were sitting at a table in the back, and with the exception of vantae, we were all getting along. We were going over the menu—pointing all of the best things that he had to try, and vantae was glaring at me. Not saying a word.

I couldn't deny that when I'd first seen him earlier today that my heart had nearly jumped out of my chest in excitement, had almost screamed, "You still love him!" but I'd kept my face stiff and as emotionless as possible.

Even though one touch of his hand had sent my body into a familiar state of overdrive, I was still hurt. Besides, my heart was a fucking idiot.

eunwoo met all of my spreadsheet specifications perfectly: Smart, witty, subtly stylish, and one hell of a kisser. True, we hadn't had sex and the thought of doing so had yet to even cross my mind, but I was waiting for my heart to lose all hope of vantae before plowing ahead one hundred percent.

Get your shit together, Heart...The man sitting across from me broke you...Remember that...

"So..." eunwoo looked confused. "This place only serves breakfast food and dessert?"

"Yeah," wooshik said. "It's amazing. You can't go wrong with whatever you try."

"I'm not much of a breakfast guy..." He flipped the menu. "Not that big a fan of dessert, either."

"Then why the fuck are you a chef?" vantae muttered under his breath.

eunwoo didn't hear it, but wooshik threw him a pointed look.

"You have to try this," I said, clasping his hand. "Trust me, your life will never be the same."

"Well, when you put it that way..." He leaned over and kissed me. "I'll get this week's specialty waffle plate."

The waitress stepped over at that moment, unknowingly giving us a much needed breather. "Alright, my favorite people...wooshik, what are you having?"

"I'm going to try the caramel waffle with peanut butter chips. I'll also have strawberry syrup with it, unless you all have finally taken my suggestion about creating some that's weed flavored?""

She hit his head with her notepad and laughed. Then she pointed her pen at eunwoo. "What about you?"

"I'll have the specialty waffle plate."

"What type of syrup?"

"Regular maple will be great."

"Okay, then." She folded her pad and tucked it into her apron. "I'll bring out some more orange juice and some more napkins. Your orders should be ready pretty soon."

"Wait a minute." eunwoo cleared his throat. "You only took two orders. You didn't get Lili's or vantae's."

She gave him a blank stare, furrowing her eyebrow. "Good one. I like your sense of humor." She walked away.

"Okay..." He looked at me, confused. "Is only taking half of the orders per table a local quirk I'm not understanding?"

"No, um..." I smiled. "I used to come here a whole lot with—"

"Me," vantae said, interrupting. "And since we always order the same thing, there's no need to ask for our order."

Not catching the rudeness in vantae's tone, eunwoo smiled at me.

"So, eunwoo..." wooshik tried to salvage the night. "Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?"

I tuned him out and sipped my water, meeting vantae's gaze.

I didn't want to admit it, but he looked even sexier now than he did before I left. His jet black hair was cut a little shorter, his lips—even though they were currently pressed together in an angry line, were making butterflies fly around in my chest at the thought of them reconnecting with mine.

I noticed a new tattoo on his forearm, tucked underneath one of his cypress branches, but I didn't dare ask what it was. I wasn't going to ask him anything right now.

Our waitress stepped over to the table again, handing out our orders, and as if she could tell something was wrong with vantae, she didn't bother smiling in his direction. "Let me know if you all need anything. I'll be around..."

"Can you all excuse me for a minute?" eunwoo stood up, phone in hand. "This is my mother. I forgot to tell her I landed, so I need to take this." He planted a swift kiss on my lips and walked outside.

"So, wooshik..." I cut into my waffle. "Are you enjoying—"

"Can you please excuse the two of us for a few seconds, wooshik?" vantae glared at me, setting down his knife.

"Gladly." wooshik immediately walked away, leaving us alone.

"vantae," I said, beating him to it. "Look—"

"You honestly think I don't love you, lili?"

"What?"

"You heard me." He raised his voice. "Do you honestly think that I don't fucking love you?"

"That's what you said to me before I left, isn't it? Why wouldn't I believe it?"

"Because deep down I know you're smarter than that..." He hissed. "I also know you did not fly all the way here to blow me off and act like you don't know me."

"I came to visit and introduce you to eunwoo."

"Fuck him." He growled. "Even if I could buy that you liked him—which, you don't by the way, you wouldn't dare introduce him to me so quickly. That's not your style."

"People change."

"We don't," he said. "I still know you like the back of my hand. The only thing that's changed about you since you left is your goddamn hair."

"In your case, your vocabulary has definitely changed," I said, crossing my arms. "You've never cursed at me like this before."

"You've never caught me off guard like this before." He took a deep breath and sighed. "Look, we need to talk whenever you get a chance and have a free hour or two that you can get away from your classmate."

"My boyfriend."

"Yeah, whatever." He stood up and pulled out his wallet. "Find the time and text me when you have a moment. Preferably before this weekend."

"Will you not be sleeping at your house? Won't I see you and be able to tell you a time in person?"

"No," he said flatly. "I got a room at Beach Front Hotel down the street."

"What?" I swallowed. "Why?"

"Because first of all, I can't bear the thought of another guy sleeping with you. Second of all, having you in my house and not being able to touch you...I'm not going to be able to handle that." He placed a hundred-dollar bill on the table. "Call me when you're ready to talk. Alone."

He left the diner and eunwoo returned moments later.

wooshik didn't, though.

"What happened to your friends?" eunwoo asked.

"Something important came up so they both had to go."

He shrugged and started to eat his food, and I did my best to smile and act like the conversation with vantae had never happened.