The Way You'd Loved Her | winrina

Chapter 26

"Beomgyu offered you a deal." Winter's voice is calm as she repeats Karina's earlier words, but her subtly narrowed eyes and the tense line of her mouth give her suspicion away.

The hurt that stabs at her chest is inevitable, but not unexpected, just like Winter's doubt isn't. It's her word against her brother's, and they don't exactly compare. Only one of them had already betrayed Winter's trust.

She lets out a breath, nodding. "Yesterday." She spent the night staring out the window and thinking his words over. Over and over.

'Your love is destroying her.'

Winter's careful with her words when she speaks again. "I hope you understand that this -- it's a lot to take for granted."

"I know." Karina lets out another breath, this time heavier, and leans back - slouches, more like it - into the couch, taking her eyes off Winter and studying her coffee table. "I don't expect you to believe me without proof, you know," she points out, and Winter shifts next to her, almost unsurely, but she inconspicuously scoots away from her. "But I also don't want to keep anything from you." A rueful smile touches her lips, and she hears Winter sigh. "Didn't work out very well in the past."

Winter's silent for several seconds, before: "Call him. Tell him you're in." When Karina finally looks at her again with disbelief, her shoulders are tense. "I believe that would be proof enough."

Karina blinks, incredulous, but Winter's gaze on her is unwavering. She's not joking. "Winter, he'll kill me when he finds out I set him up."

"I'll handle it." There's a new kind of fire within Winter's hazel eyes, and its intensity is almost frightening. "I just need to -- I need to be sure." Of what, Winter doesn't specify, but Karina doesn't need her to.

This -- I could show her she can be sure of me. Of us. "I'll do it," falls from her lips before she even fully processes what's about to go down. "Right now."

Winter's nod is confident, but her gaze is not. "Okay."

Beomgyu picks up after the third ring. Karina wonders if he made her wait on purpose while he utters a greeting. "Well," he says, with a humorless chuckle, and Winter's jaw tightens as she listens to her unsuspecting brother on speaker phone. "That was fast."

Karina glances at her. "I'm in," she says, practically snaps, suddenly wishing for this conversation to be over. "I accept the deal, and I'll stay away from Winter when you hold up your end of it." She swallows at the dark frown on Winter's face that's deepening by the second.

"Of course," Beomgyu replies, and he doesn't even try to hide his smug grin. Maybe he doesn't know Karina can hear it in his voice. But she can, and so can Winter, and there's a bitter crease to her brow as she locks her jaw with anger. "So how much would this cost me, Miss Yu?"

Well, fuck - she didn't think of a number. When she glances at Winter, she realizes she won't be much help. "I -- I need to meet with you again," she quickly says, grimacing when Winter raises an eyebrow at her. "There are... um, several conditions I need to discuss with you, and I won't do it by phone."

"I'm not tapping it if that's what you're worried about," Beomgyu says.

"It's not. But we still need to discuss all the terms."

There's a pause. It's clear Beomgyu doesn't want to see her again, and the feeling is rather mutual, but Karina's already began to dig herself a hole. Might as well go all out. "Fine," he says in a clipped tone. "I'm available this Thursday at lunch. I trust you to make it quick, Miss Yu."

"Of course," she can't help but mock his earlier words. He either doesn't notice or pretends not to notice.

"Good. Till Thursday." He promptly hangs up afterwards, and they are left to stare at the phone. Dial tone is sharp and annoying, so Karina quickly presses the end button.