Keys to Happiness

21. Key

I stared at the floor in silence with my mind totally blank, the meaning behind everything that had just happened too fuzzy for me to even begin comprehending. I had gone numb inside and my foot was tapping out an uneven rhythm on the floor in anxiety. We'd just had a hot and heavy make out session on the couch while the whole time she'd a fiancé? What was going on?

"Ok, I'm ready," Aliah said brightly as she walked back into the room, her footsteps light and happy. I looked up at her, somewhat dismayed to find out that she had changed into a nice cream silky gown, her hair loose and her feet bare. Her long legs peeked out from the gown's slit that was only parted to one side and I sucked in an irritated breath.

The way she looked now would've sent me over the edge and deep into lust if I hadn't just taken that phone call; and even with the phone call I was still struggling now. But this wasn't something I could just avoid; I wasn't a cheater and I wouldn't be a party to it either if she was.

"Aliah, some man was just on your phone," I said in a cold voice, one that I didn't know I could use. She stopped on her way over to me, her eyes wide at the tone of my voice.

"Who was it?" she asked and I could tell from her tone she was confused, or at least acting the part.

"He said he was your fiancé. Is it true?" I questioned quickly, not beating around the bush. I was so mad it was hard for me to get the words out.

"No!" she said on a gasp. "KiBum you can't think that I-"

"Then who is he?" I cut her off. "Why the hell is he calling your phone?" I let my anger bleed through and Aliah's face froze, her eyes narrowing.

"He's an ex, KiBum. And I don't know how he got my number, I didn't give it to him." I snorted in disbelief.

"Let me ask again. Who is he?" I looked at her hard, my mind unable to understand. If they weren't engaged, then why would he say so?

"His name is Marcus and we were engaged just a year ago," she said bluntly. I felt shock hit me like a punch and I sucked in a harsh curse, but she kept going, her eyes angry as she looked at me.

"Marcus and I met in my freshman year of college. He was good-looking, a gentleman and he was going places. Not many guys were in my town and on top of that he was charming. He was perfect and made it seem effortless and everyone around him fell for it, even me."

Aliah was speaking in a normal voice, but she stood away from me, her arms hugging herself tightly. I could feel the unhappiness coming off of her in waves and I knew she wasn't comfortable explaining to me. These weren't good memories and all of a sudden I wondered if I really wanted to know, but she was continuing anyway.

"He was our college's golden boy; I didn't want popularity, but it came when I dated Marcus. He always had to be the center of attention. The endless parties, the football games, and all the track meets... I did everything I could to support him, to be the prefect girlfriend."

"At the time he and I never fought, he never pushed me to do anything I didn't want, just made me feel as if he really loved me. I stayed with him all throughout our college years. When he proposed to me at the end of our graduation ceremony, I was so ecstatic. I thought I was getting my fairytale. It wasn't until a few weeks before our wedding that I realized how wrong I was." She let out a cold laugh, one that didn't suit her and it had chills going up my spine.

"We had an engagement party and invited a whole bunch of our friends. We didn't want to do the whole separate bachelor and bachelorette party thing before the wedding so everyone was together. Almost everybody was downstairs, but it had been hours since I'd last seen Marcus so I went looking for him upstairs... and I found him naked in our bed with another woman." Aliah ran her hands through her hair in a gesture that spoke of pain. Her eye narrowed even further, like she could see the scene in front of her and I almost told her to stop; I didn't want her to relive it if it was hurting her, but it was like she wasn't seeing me anymore.

"When I walked in, he jumped out of the bed so fast that he got all tangled up in the sheets and fell on to the floor. At the time, I couldn't help but think about how ridiculous he looked, and how ridiculous he always seemed to look when he was trying so hard to be perfect. I felt nothing but pity as I watched him trying to stand up and telling me it was all a mistake while pulling on his pants.

It was like I had turned cold, almost like I had expected it. I broke our engagement that night and moved out three days later. A few months after that, I started looking around at the different teaching jobs available. I had been teaching at the college we had attended together and I didn't want to stay around so many memories. And just like that, I heard about teaching overseas. I was gone a few months later and I never spoke to Marcus after that day."

I was quiet for a long time after she finished talking. My chest hurt like I wanted to cry, but no tears would form. We hadn't been together long, but I had been so angry by the phone call that I'd wanted to scream. I'd never felt that way before, never had feelings so intense, a jealousy so strong. And even now, I could still barely think past the rage her story had incited in me. How could anyone dare treat Aliah like that; didn't he know what he had with her?

"So how did he get your number?" I finally asked, my voice soft.

"I'm not sure but I didn't give it to him. I never wanted to talk to him again after what he did." She was stiff and still had her arms around her waist. Her eyes were rimmed in red and all of a sudden I felt ashamed.

"I'm glad you told me, and I'm sorry if I was too harsh with you. It just surprised me, and I didn't know what think," I lamely apologized and I reached out my hand to her but she didn't come.

"I know, but you should have trusted me. I wouldn't do that to you." Now it was her turn to sound cold and all I could do was take it. I should have trusted her, but I hadn't been able to think past the word fiancé long enough to get myself together. I had been scared that this, that us, had all been one great big lie. I rose up from the couch and went to Aliah, putting my arms around her and apologized again and again until she softened against me.

"Don't do that again Kim KiBum. Either we have trust or we don't, there can't be an in-between with me. After what happened, I need that from you," She told me firmly even while she buried her face in my neck.

I kissed her hair and reassured her she had it. My whole body was trembling and I felt as if I had just barely been able to keep what was between us together. I didn't like the feeling of loss that I'd had before, the sense of numbness that had gone over me when I'd ended that damn call.
Aliah had a bigger piece of me than I had ever admitted to myself and now the knowledge of it had just kicked me in the face. I wouldn't be able to forget that moment for a long time and I held her close, wanting to fight off the residual terror from earlier. I was in love with Aliah Thomas, and now I was faced with a new kind of fear, one that whispered how broken I would be if I ever lost her.

A/N: OK so I swear the chapters get longer, don't worry! Also if you guys can't wait, the full story unedited is down below. Enjoy!

https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/994949/keys-to-happiness-editing-key-kimkibum-romance-shinee-ambw-interacial-keyxoc-interacialcouple-blackwomen