[ COMPLETED ]
" Tell me you don't love me, and I won't ever show you my face. Push me away so hard that I'd stumble to even look at you. " He leaned closer to my face. " Push me before I kiss you, before I cherish every inch of you. " His palm trace...
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VESTA'S POV
I take a deep breath, gathering my courage while approaching Dr. Kim with Miguel beside me. My heart raced a little, but I pushed through.
"Dr. Kim " I begin, my voice was steadier than I felt, "I wanted to thank you properly for everything you've done for me."
He looks at me, his eyes warm and kind, and I feel a flutter in my stomach that I quickly ignored. "You don't need to thank me, Vesta," he says softly.
"No, I do," I insist. "I owe you so much. Please, let me treat you to dinner. It's the least I can do."
Miguel, standing beside me, nods. "Yeah, Tae. " he chimes in. "We both want to thank you. Not just for saving Vesta, but well, you made me realize how much I love her. How close I came to losing her. And how I was being a jerk. " He chuckled before giving me a glance.
I feel Miguel's arm around my waist, pulling me closer. I lean into him, grateful for his support, even as a part of me is hyper-aware of Dr. Kim's presence.
He looks between us, a flicker of something.
Pain? regret? - passing over his face so quickly I'm not sure I didn't imagine it.
"That's really not necessary," he starts to say, but I cut him off.
"Please," I say, meeting his eyes. "I know I can't really repay you for what you did, but I want to do something. Let us take you out to dinner."
After a moment, he nods. "Alright," he says with a small smile. "If it means that much to you both."
"Great!" Miguel says, grinning. "I know this amazing restaurant downtown. My treat, of course."
I start to protest - I wanted this to be my thank you - but Miguel shakes his head. "Our treat," he corrects himself, squeezing my hand.
_____________
As we head out to the restaurant, I find myself in a strange position - walking between my boyfriend and his stepfather.
I steal glances at Dr. Kim as we walk, Then I look at Miguel, seeing the love and concern in his eyes, and I feel a twinge of guilt.
This dinner is supposed to be a thank you, a way to show my gratitude. But as we near towards our reserved tables , I can't shake the feeling that it's going to be so much more complicated than that.
My heart is a jumble of conflicting emotions, and I'm not sure how to untangle them.
All I know is that I'm about to sit down to dinner with two men who have both, in their own ways, saved me.
And I have no idea how I'm going to get through it without revealing the turmoil in my heart.
Crystal chandeliers hang from high ceilings, casting a warm glow over tables draped in crisp white linens. The air is filled with the soft murmur of conversation and the gentle clink of expensive cutlery.
