Tangled Roots

Chapter Six: The Calm After the Storm

Jinae's POV

I couldn't believe how much had changed in the past few weeks. Everything had happened so quickly-it was like a whirlwind. But it felt like the world had slowed down ever since that night in the hospital. After Dave had asked me to be his girlfriend, everything seemed different. He was mine now, and I was his. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was still so much about him I didn't know.

I'd never really been in a relationship like this. Dave wasn't just some regular guy. He had a life, a past, a whole side to him that I was only just beginning to scratch the surface of. He was still recovering from his gunshot wound, still figuring out how to move through the pain, but in the moments when we were together, it felt like none of that mattered.

When I wasn't with him, my thoughts often drifted to the same question: How much of his world should I know?

The more time I spent with him, the more I felt like I was becoming a part of his life. It wasn't just the little things-like cooking him dinner or spending hours on the couch, talking about music, his daughter, and my food blog. It was the bigger stuff, too-the way he looked at me when no one else was around, the way he made me feel like I was the only person who mattered.

But what about his life outside of this? The dangerous life. The world I knew nothing about. Was I ready to dive into that? Was I ready to understand all the pieces of him that weren't *just* about us?

Dave and I hadn't talked much about the things that had happened-about the people that had shot him or the enemies he had. He kept those conversations at a distance, and I didn't push him. But I knew he had a side to him that could be... dark.

Still, I couldn't ignore how I felt about him. He was everything to me, and the feelings I had for him were growing deeper with every day.

I looked out my apartment window, watching the orange streetlights flicker as cars passed below. It was quiet, but the kind of quiet that felt unsettling, like something was about to happen.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door.

Dave's POV

The drive over to Jinae's place that night was oddly calming. The streetlights and the low hum of my Range Rover's engine were the only sounds breaking the silence. I could feel the weight of everything-the shooting, the aftermath, the people I had to answer to-but when I was with Jinae, everything felt... lighter.

Her place was small, but it was hers. There was a warmth to it, the kind that money couldn't buy. I had to admit, I didn't care about the big houses, the shiny cars, the jewelry. When I was with her, none of that mattered. It was just the two of us, sitting on her couch, laughing over stupid things or talking about life.

Tonight, I had to do something that had been eating at me. Something important.

I pulled up in front of her building and got out, already thinking about how I was going to approach this. I had wanted to do something special, but at the end of the day, it wasn't about gifts. It was about showing her that I wasn't going anywhere.

Jinae had already opened the door when I knocked, wearing that same cozy sweater and leggings that made her look so effortlessly beautiful. I smiled at her, my heart beating faster than it should've been.

"You're looking good tonight," I said, stepping inside, still taking in the smell of whatever she had been cooking.

"You too," she replied softly, giving me a shy smile. She moved aside, letting me in. "I made dinner. It's just something simple."

"Simple?" I teased. "You and I both know there's nothing simple about your cooking."

She laughed as she led me into the living room. I dropped down on the couch, and she sat next to me, a small plate of food in her hands.

We ate, talking about the usual things. Her food blog. Kaiari. Music. But there was a shift in the air-something unspoken that hung between us, a quiet understanding. After everything that had happened, after the gunshots, after the hospital, we hadn't had the chance to just... be together. To breathe.

After dinner, Jinae looked over at me, her eyes meeting mine. There was a question there, one she wasn't sure how to ask. I could see it.

"Dave," she started, her voice soft. "What happens now?"

I smiled, leaning back against the couch. "What do you mean, 'what happens now'?"

"You know what I mean," she said, her voice hesitant. "After everything that happened... I just... I don't know if I'm prepared for all of it. For who you are... what you do. I don't know how I fit into all of that."

My heart clenched in my chest. She didn't understand yet. She didn't know the full story. And I didn't want to push her away by overwhelming her.

"You fit into all of this more than you think," I said softly. I reached out, brushing her hair behind her ear. "But I need you to know something. I'm not perfect, Jinae. I've got a past, and I've got enemies. And you... you don't know any of that yet."

She nodded, her gaze never leaving mine. "But you trust me enough to tell me one day, right?"

I met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words. "One day. When you're ready."