If This Isn't Love

68: JUNE 2023: Sorry

As Seokjin turned the corner of the hallway leading to the restrooms, he nearly collided with Selina.

He stood frozen, suddenly aware of Selina cradling Luisa, who was silently weeping into her friend's shoulder.

"Lu," he said gently, his voice barely above a whisper. "I—can we talk for a moment?"

Luisa stiffened at the sound of his voice. She raised her hand to her face, her back still turned to him. "I don't know. Maybe I should just leave."

"Please don't go," he pleaded. "Just give me a chance to explain." His gaze shifted to Selina, silently requesting her support.

With a resigned sigh, Selina patted Luisa's shoulder. "Lulu, are you okay? I think it's important for you two to have a conversation. Can you do that?"

After a long, tense pause, Luisa finally murmured, "Yes."

Relief washed over Seokjin as he exhaled deeply, realizing how close he had come to losing her—and his sanity.

Selina shot him a warning glare, as if to say there would be serious consequences if he messed this up again.

Swallowing hard, he averted his gaze from her intensity, waiting for her to step away.

Once Selina left, an awkward silence enveloped them, neither willing to break the tension that hung heavily in the air.

Finally, Seokjin released a heavy sigh. "Lu, I want to start by saying how truly sorry I am—not just for tonight, but for everything that's happened since we've been apart. It was utterly cowardly of me to walk out on you; that's not how a husband should treat his wife. These past few months, I haven't felt like a man at all—more like a mindless shell."

Luisa took a deep breath and met his gaze.

"I regret how I acted," he continued, his voice filled with remorse. "Instead of facing our problems, I ran away. I'll never forgive myself for leaving you alone to deal with everything. I was selfish." He paused to collect his thoughts. "And I want you to know that I'm not seeing anyone. I just ran into Lydia a little while ago, but we're not together. I hadn't seen her in years until this very moment—I didn't even have a chance to tell her I'm married. Please don't think I could ever move on so easily from the love of my life."

She nodded, her expression softening. "Thank you for explaining. But now it's my turn to apologize," she said, biting her trembling lip. "I was wrong to keep things from you. I should have told you about the possibility of Charlie being the father, even though it was so hard for me to accept. I felt foolish and angry with myself for allowing this to happen." She let out a deep sigh, the weight of her admission hanging in the air. "All I can do is keep apologizing for my mistakes, Jin. I'm so sorry."

"Looks like we're both sorry," Seokjin said, his voice tinged with solemnity, before a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "We really are a sorry pair, aren't we? It's like we keep sabotaging ourselves at every turn." He took a step closer to her, the space between them charged with unspoken feelings. "I don't want to do that anymore, Lu. I love you, and I want us to be together."

She met his gaze, her heart racing. "I want that too. I love you, Jin. I've been miserable without you. And tonight, when I thought you had moved on..." Her bottom lip quivered, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

He instinctively reached out, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Shhh. Don't cry anymore. I can't stand to see you in pain because of me. I never want to make you cry, except out of extreme happiness." He tightened his hold on her. "Please come back to me. I can't bear the thought of us being apart for another moment."

She melted into his embrace, her heart swelling with joy as the familiar sensation of his touch and scent enveloped her. In that moment, all she wanted was to forget their troubles and simply revel in their love.

"Can we get out of here?" she whispered, her voice laced with urgency. "I just want to be alone with you and talk. I've missed you so much."

He paused, his gaze searching hers, before leaning in to press his lips against hers. A spark of electricity coursed through him, igniting the hunger he always felt for her. When he finally pulled away, a smile played across his face.

"Yes. I definitely want to be alone with you," he replied, his voice low and husky.

"Where should we...?" Luisa's question trailed off, lost in the moment.

He grinned, his eyes bright with anticipation. "I've been fixing up our apartment a bit. I've been waiting for you to come home. Let's go there. We can get your things tomorrow. I just want to be with my wife."

Luisa nodded, a surge of hope bubbling within her. "Okay." Her hand found his, and together they stepped away from the hallway. She managed a quick wave to Selina before allowing Seokjin to guide her out of the ballroom, her heart lighter with every step they took.