Taste | Changbin

Chapter Forty-Four

"Does it hurt?" Lennon asked as she studied Changbin's face. "I could have sworn I heard your nose break last night." 

"It's not broken, I think. At least, it doesn't feel like it's broken and it's not crooked. Besides my nose, my face happens to hurt a lot. Do you think you could kiss me and make it better?" 

Lennon pursed her lips together and pretended like he didn't ask that question. Bruises were scattered all over his face. The blood had been wiped from his lips, but you could still see where the flesh was torn open. The eye socket beneath his right eye was puffed up with a bruise. 

Chan's fist had caught him beneath the chin. There were a few scratches on the side of his forehead. Even with makeup, she wasn't sure she'd be able to hide all of the damage. Last night, his face had been covered in blood. It was hard to shake the image from Lennon's head. 

She shook it off and pulled out a primer. She worked it into his skin with gentle fingertips. Every time she touched a bruise, Changbin would react. He didn't mean to, but everything was still fresh. He kept wincing and squeezing his eyes shut from the pain. 

"I'm sorry," she apologized for the fourth time. 

"Don't be, Chan was right to do this. I get that he jumped to conclusions and thought I hurt you. Even though I didn't, I still deserved a good ass beating." 

Lennon dropped her hands from his face. "Don't say that, you didn't deserve this! Nobody deserves this!" 

"I treated you like utter shit when we first met." 

"That doesn't matter!" 

"Maybe not to you, but to me it does! I hurt you so much and I had no idea. I triggered flashbacks from the worst possible time in your life. Why don't you hate me?" 

"I don't hate anyone. Of course, I dislike some people, but I don't think I'm capable of hating them. I never hated you, I was just frustrated. I didn't know what I was doing that kept making you mad. Well, besides the coffee and phone incident." 

Changbin scoffed, "you have to hate someone! What about your dad?" 

Lennon paused to consider the question. "I think I wish I could hate him, but I can't. I'm angry with him and I'm pissed at his reactions, but that wasn't my dad interacting with me. My dad had an addiction to alcohol and it changed him. That wasn't him, it was the alcohol. Do I wish things would have been different? Of course I do. I'm not really angry with him, I pity him." 

Changbin stared at her with furrowed brows. 

"What?"

"How do you constantly see the good in people even when they don't deserve it? I don't understand. You could be attacked by a shark and still speak positively of them." 

"What's wrong with sharks? It's not their fault we go into their territory and piss them off. The oceans are their homes and we should be more respectful of that." 

"There you go again," Changbin shook his head. "You're too good for this world. You're too good for me, Lennon." 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means you don't belong with someone like me! You deserve someone who's as nice as you are. I see the way you look at me like I'm a lost puppy dog." 

"That's not your decision to make! Besides, even if I wanted to date you, we're not allowed. JYP would be pissed and I don't want to get either of us fired." 

"That man can't fire me with my cult following." 

"Really, I've been thinking about it and I don't think it's a good idea. I really do like you a lot, but I don't want you to get lectured or fired. Even if you're okay with getting fired, I'm not. I've started to really like this job and all the perks it comes with." 

"Like seeing me?" A grin grew across Changbin's face. 

"Actually, I was talking about traveling. I've always wanted to travel, but I never had the funds or the chance to. This has really been life changing and I like it a lot." 

"I liked my answer better." 

"We were just enemies up until two days ago." 

"Enemies is a harsh word." 

"What do you call that then?" 

"Passionately disliking you." 

"Uh-huh," Lennon picked up a concealer. "Are you going to let me finish this or are you going to keep talking?" 

"I can keep talking if you want me to." 

"Please, shut up. This would go a lot faster and Lee Know is right. Someone was ordering catering because they knew we hadn't eaten dinner yet. I've heard they supposedly have some type of meat." 

"Why didn't you say so? I'll be quiet!" Changbin snapped his mouth shut and glanced up at Lennon. She shook her head and he gestured for her to continue applying makeup to his face. 

He was going to be the death of her.