𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗘𝗥

𝘙𝘜𝘒𝘈💚🏳️

"I want to meet your dad."

A knot constricted in my throat as my brain registered the words Ruka spoke. We were laying side by side in bed.Both of us were exhausted but Icouldn't go to sleep without some clarity and apparently neither could Ruka .

"No."

I replied, more panicked than anything else.

"It's too soon. Besides, neither my dad nor my brother ever liked any person that showed even the slightest interest in me. Even after being married to Sunghoon for six years my dad didn't approve of him. He's definitely not going to approve of me shacking up with the woman I left my husband for."

When I saw the hurt in Ruka's eyes,
I regretted my harsh words.

"I'm sorr-..." Just as I started my apology Ruka spoke.

"He was no good for you. What you need- what you have always needed is me."

The odds were stacked against us,
I believed Ruka. I believed in us so much I leaped into the unknown and left my marriage.

Still, the thought of my father and Ruka meeting scared the hell out of me. My father was a cop and he was notorious for playing hardball whether that meant kicking Ruka's ass or twisting the law in order to put Ruka behind bars just to keep her away from me.

"It's not a good idea."

I exclaimed sheepishly staring away from her.

"This relationship has already been fast-tracked because of the circumstances. Please, Ruka, let me talk to my family alone first? You'll meet them eventually. I promise."

Ruka exhaled a big breath just as she covered her face with her hands.

"How much time do you need?"

She asked after a short while.

"What do you mean?"

"How much time do you need to get over that huge waste of time?"

I scoffed when I realized she was referring to Sunghoon.

My relationship with Sunghoon had reached its breaking point and we were divorcing but Sunghoon was my everything for a long time.

I didn't want to think of him as a waste of time or a bullet I dodged.

Up until a few hours ago, I thought of Sunghoon as the love of my life so I still felt the need to defend him.

"My marriage wasn't a waste of time. You have no idea what we had."

I countered snappily.

"Apparently it wasn't shit if you are laying here with me!"

That was a low blow. I felt the sting in my chest. My eyes widened at the force of it all.

"How much time?"

She repeatedly.

"You're asking me how much time
I need to move on from Sunghoon?"

I asked for clarification.

"Yeah I am. I'm ready for us. For twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week of you, right now. When will you be ready?"

I wish I could've given her an exact number but my heart and emotions were weaved around both Sunghoon and Ruka.

"I don't know."

"Are you worried about what you're family is going to think about us or do you need time because you feel guilty?"

"Both," I whispered. "I'm also afraid you'll hurt me."