If This Isn't Love

14: FEBRUARY 2017 Maybe

Seokjin sat back watching his friend Yoongi cuddle and laugh with Selina. After more than a year, his friend had mustered the nerve to ask her out. Well, good for him. Yoongi had always been the most hesitant around women between the three of them. He was a cool guy, but he was quite the introvert. Hoseok was pretty confident around women due to his cheerful personality, but he always deferred to Seokjin, believing him to be the ultimate ladies' man.

Seokjin smiled. He was not at all the person his friends thought he was. Sure, he'd been out with quite a few women, but it was never something that came easily to him. He still felt the nervousness that other guys felt when asking a woman out. He just knew how to hide it better. That façade gave rise to his reputation as an ice-cold seducer. That and his face—which women claimed was handsome beyond description. But he inwardly laughed at the idea. Sure, he was handsome, but romance was never as easy as people thought. Even now, his current love life was a bit tricky.

Emily had not taken his transfer as well as he'd hoped. She wanted to know why he insisted on moving back to DFW when he'd been doing so well in Houston. Worse yet, she didn't seem to believe it was only because of his male friends. She'd brought up Luisa's name once or twice since the Christmas party, but he'd put all his effort into keeping his voice neutral on the subject. Still, he'd caught her studying him intently every time the move came up.

Now he was here, and Emily had chosen to stay in Houston. She didn't say it, but he felt it might be the beginning of the end for them. He also knew that he should be feeling something other than relief.

"Jin?"

He looked up and saw Yoongi staring intently at him. "Yeah?"

"How's the apartment hunting going? Any prospects?"

"Uh, I saw one good one two days ago, but it's over what I hoped to pay. I really don't need to live close to downtown. I can just drive."

Selina sat up straighter. "Well, if you don't mind the drive, the complex where Luisa lives has several units available. It's a really nice part of town, and the apartments are spacious. You saw hers."

Seokjin pressed his lips together, the refusal sitting on the edge of his tongue.

Yoongi smiled. "That would be great, wouldn't it? Hobi doesn't live too far from here, and we're always hanging out at his place. It would be great for you to be nearby."

"Maybe, I guess."

Selina shook her head. "No maybes. I think you should go as soon as you can."

"Trying to get rid of me?" Seokjin asked with a smirk. He'd been camping out on Yoongi's sofa for the past week. He was probably getting in their way by now.

Selina's eyes widened. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that." She glanced at Yoongi.

Seokjin laughed. "Kidding! Okay. I'll call tomorrow for an appointment."

"And Luisa will be glad to see you," Yoongi said. "You can keep creeps and assholes away from her. We should've let you kick that guy's ass at the party."

Selina nodded. "Thank goodness that jerk finally stopped calling her."

Seokjin blinked rapidly. "What the hell? He was still calling her?" His fists involuntarily clenched. "Fucking bastard."

"Yeah," the girl continued. "Meg and I stayed with her for a few days just to make sure he wouldn't try to see her. I almost wish he had shown up. Meg was ready to castrate him on sight. You know her. He would've regretted it the rest of his life. Thankfully, he never showed his stupid face. I'm glad Meg didn't end up in prison. Anyway, I'm sure Luisa will be happy to have another friend nearby."

Seokjin nodded with a tight smile. "I'm sure she will." In his mind, he wondered how he'd feel being near to her. Of course, he'd want to keep idiots away from her. He wondered if she'd even want him nearby, judging by the fact that they hardly ever spoke. But Selina and Yoongi kept pushing the idea.

When Selina excused herself and left the room, Yoongi leaned over to Seokjin and slapped him on the knee.

"Hey, Luisa is going to be happy to see you. Really."

Seokjin exhaled loudly. "We'll see about that." He knew if she really wanted to see him, she'd at least have returned any of his numerous calls or texts from weeks back. He shouldn't give himself any delusions.

"No, seriously," the slighter man continued. "Why do you make such a big deal about talking to her?"

"I don't make such a big deal," the handsome man replied. "We talk. Sometimes. I mean, we're friends."

"Yeah," Yoongi said, his tone skeptical.

"Why do you make such a big deal about it?" Seokjin asked.

"I thought the night you spent together was amazing," Yoongi began.

"I never said—"

"You never had to," the slighter man interrupted. "We've been friends for a long time, Jin. The way you looked after that night told the whole story. You were hooked like a fish on the line."

"What bull!" Seokjin exclaimed. "Yeah, we had an incredible time, but...well, she wants us to be friends."

"Friends with benefits?"

"No, no," Seokjin shook his head. "I think she just wants us to have a regular friendship. No side action." He shook his head, ashamed with his comments about Luisa as if she were not important. "I mean, she's not that type of girl. We're friends."

"Yeah." Yoongi looked over his shoulder before continuing in a softer voice. "Well, your friend talks about you all the time, about how you saved her from a bad mistake and how she's so embarrassed that you had to see how that asshole treated her. She's been wanting to talk to you for a while, but Sel tells me that she's still very embarrassed and thinks you were just feeling sorry for her." He paused and checked again to see if Selina was coming back.

"Now that you're single again, I should tell you," he continued. "Just between you and me, she's always had a thing for you. I hear that she keeps you at arm's length because she really wants you but is too embarrassed to admit it."

"Shit," Seokjin exhaled. "I...I, well, I'm not really single. You see, Emily and I didn't break up. She just didn't want to move here with me. I'm still technically with her, so..." He let his voice trail away.

Yoongi fidgeted. "Oh. Fuck. Fuck! Well. Uh, forget I said anything. And don't say anything around Sel."

Seokjin leaned back against the couch pillows. Damn.

Delusions back on.