-touch || bang chan-

chapter : 9

Y/N

grace poured herself another glass of beer and tapped her fingers impatiently on the table while i shook my leg nervously underneath it. the sun already set behind the mountains and the whole sky painted inky and stars shining across it.

i'd informed grace that i want to talk to her the moment i step foot in the office this morning and it's been fifteen minutes we walked into a small chinese stall after work and already sat in complete silence.

"y/n, what's wrong? tell me." the blonde before me puts down the chopsticks on the chopsticks rest.

i took a sip of beer. "grace," i call. "i wanna talk to you."

"i know you told me this morning the same thing. don't make me more worried please. just say it, i am here." she tries to comfort.

christopher at my first glance seemed very practical and having a 'T' in his mbti but it was wrong. he was a 'F' and hence when i told him about grace and my friendship and how i wasn't able to open up thinking she would judge me or leave me as well —but obviously i skipped talking about my accident and ethan—

christopher's words were - "to be honest you both didn't seem new friends infact the way you were happy that day for her and her hugging you in relief was enough evidence that she won't think of you low let alone leave you. just go for it because trust is the base of any kind of relationship."

which followed by me asking him - "do you teach literature?" and he laughed saying no and that he would tell me what he teaches the next time me meet.

so— i might meet christopher again despite treating him his pending drink. he said he want an update and as we still considered each other strangers, there were no phone number exchange event between us.

for this moment i will forget about our handshake when we left for home which sent me another wave of electricity through my body and which felt like ethan again. i am still blaming it on alcohol because the sane and pure me won't take christopher's touch as ethan's.

"i am good." i say but the unsettling feeling on my face didn't go unnoticed by grace as she rubs her palm on my hand.

"we are friends, y/n." her tone even softer now and the tension in the air kept her sober, "what is it..?"

i breathed in. all the speech i'd prepared since last two days— christopher and i met and he made me gather confidence— left my brain and i could only remember : the cliff, ethan's car, black out, bones cracking, blood, darkness, sirens, hospital, mom, dad and lastly ethan's grave.

i breathe out and see grace's blue worried eyes. i was safe yet the feelings and memories of past seven months lingered on my skin which has now became pale. i drank rest of my beer feeling a boost of confidence flooding my brain and heart.

"grace-" i stutter calling her out. i bring my hands at my neck and seek the ring on my chain out. "you asked me about this, no?"

"y/n, there's no rush. you can tell me once you are ready, it's okay."

i shook my head because this made me surpass my feeling and i dont know whether i will be able to do if i don't tell her now. "it's from ethan." i finally say his name aloud in front of someone in this new city.

"ethan?"

"my ex-fiancé."

she was ready to murder ethan when she heard - ex-fiancé thinking he cheated on me, but that didn't last for the next second when i start telling her how much he loved me. it was a roller-coaster ride of emotions for grace as her expressions went from being angry then soft as i tell her about my first kiss, surprise when i spoke about the proposal, giggles and smiles for our sweet little moments and finally her smile fades.