TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

07

"An explanation for starters" I snapped. "Where are you?"

"Where are you?" Chae mimicked me in a high pitched muppet voice that I'd always hated. I heard a prolonged exhale.

"Are you smoking in my car?!"

"Looks like it's my car now."

"You know what. Forget the car. We have bigger things to discuss. You have a daughter! A daughter you abandoned in a motel room!"

"Got shit to do. Can't have a kid holding me back for the next while. Got something big in the works. Why do you think I named her Mimi? Figured she could hang out with her Aunt Goody Two shoes till I get back."

I was so mad I could only sputter.

Seungcheol snatched the phone from my ear. "You listen and you listen good, Chae. You've got exactly 30 minutes to get back here, or I'm calling the cops."

I watched as his face got harder, his jaw tighter, showing off little hollows under his cheekbones. His eyes went so cold I shivered.

"As always you're a real fucking idiot." He said. "Just remember, next time you get picked up by the cops, you'll have warrants. That means your stupid ass will be sitting behind bars, and I don't see anyone rushing to bail you out."

He paused for a moment and then said, "yeah yeah fuck you too." He lowered his phone.

"How exactly do you and my sister know  each other?" I wondered out loud.

"Chae's been a pain in everyone's ass since she blew into town a year ago. Always looking for an easy buck. Tried a couple of slip and fall schemes on some of the local businesses, including your pal Joshua. Everytime she gets a little money in her pocket she's rip roaring drunk and wreaking havoc all over town. Pretty shit. Vandalism."

Yeah that sounded like my sister.

"What did she say?"

"Said she doesn't give two shits if we call the cops. She is not coming back."

"Did..she say that?"

"Said she'd be back when she felt like it." He replied.

"What are you doing??" I asked Seungcheol as he brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Last thing I ever wanted to." He drawled.

"Buying tickets to the ballet?" I hypothesised.

He didn't answer but just strode into the parking lot. I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but I heard a few fuck yous and kiss my asses.

He returned back looking even angrier. Ignoring me, he produced a wallet and fished out a few notes then fed them into the soda machine.

"What do you want?" He muttered.

"What? So rude.." I replied.

He stared at me blankly before sighing a deep breath.

"From the fucking machine dumbass."

"Oh- uh water please" I nervously smiled.

He shoved the water at me before heading back into the room. I debated for about thirty seconds whether or not I should just start walking until I found a new reality that was less terrible. But it was just a mental exercise. There was no way I could walk away. I had a new responsibility. And with that responsibility would come sense of purpose. Probably.

I returned to my room and found Seungcheol examining the lock on the door. "No finesse" He complained.

"Told her she should've picked it." Mimi said cracking open her soda.