one in our FOREVERMORE

Chapter Seven Torren

This woman is driving me crazy. There she is, taking a walk at 3 fucking am. Why is she doing this kind of stuff? After Lori's late-night call, I just rush straight to her neighborhood without a second thought, trailing her discreetly until she was safely back home.

Barely catching 30 minutes of sleep, Lori's voice sounds in my ear once more, mentioning her arrival at the dance academy. Without a moment's hesitation, I find myself behind the wheel, the phone's ring cutting through the silence as I put it on speaker.

"What?"

"And good morning to you, favorite brother."

I roll my eyes. "I'm your only brother."

"Exactly why you're my favorite."

Cutting to the chase, I ask. "What is it?"

"Where are you off to so early?"

"I have a meeting," I reply quickly.

"What meeting?" Jae-suk probes further, skepticism creeping into his voice.

"A meeting. Have to go. Bye."

"Wait-" Before he can utter another question, I end the call abruptly, because I arrived. Well, and because I don't want him to know what I'm doing.

Stepping into the academy, I'm met by a perspiring woman whose raised eyebrows mirror my inner questioning about what the fuck I'm doing in a dance studio.

She greets me with a polite smile, an air of intimidation overshadowing her demeanor. "Good morning, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the tango or swing dance class."

"Oh, the tango class has just started. You are welcome to watch, and if you're interested, you can sign up afterwards," she explains, leading me towards the room.

She gestures towards a glass wall, and I can already see her among the students. She has swapped her usual high heels for chic black pumps, clad in a sleek black bodysuit and grey sweatpants. Her hair is pulled back in a bun and it's the first time I see her without make up. She truly is a natural beauty – flawless skin, sexy nose, full lips devoid of any lipstick, and those eyes... those radiant eyes that shine without mascara or anything like that. God. Help. Me.

"Here we are. You can go in," the woman gestures towards the entrance of the dance room and I walk, without taking my eyes off her.

"Now that everyone has found their partners, let's begin," the instructor announces.

She has a pathetic little kid as a partner. I can't believe she's really doing something like this with a fucker in his early twenties. They step towards each other, drawing closer as he places his fucking hand on her waist. Hell no. He looks at her like he has never seen a woman before. The music swirls around the room as the teacher shouts something, though I don't know what. I only see him touching her as they start taking little dance steps. I can't watch this.

"She already got a partner." I didn't realize I was walking to her until now. I impulsively push the guy away and turn to her. Tired. Her tired eyes meet mine.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Her eyes widen in disbelief.

Seeking to justify my actions, I can't help but voice my frustration. "Didn't you see how he was looking at you? Like he was fucking undressing you with his fucking gaze."

"He's working here, I could have learned so much from him. Why are you doing this?"

"Now to the left," the instructor says.