Inheritance [M.T]

chapter eight

The room was fairly dark, the only thing that illuminated the room were the candles on a chocolate cake that had Jimin's name on it. Her eyes widened, before they were forced shut, hearing poppers go off. The loud noises brought her back to the sound of glass shattering from when her mother would rummage through her drawers for money. She kept them shut, standing back as Jimin and the boys to have their little celebration. She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. Soon enough, the loud chatter quietened down. This was a sign to her that she'd been noticed.

"Hi." A familiar voice called out to her. She looked up to see Jackson, giving her a small smile. When she'd locked them all out of her life, this included her brother. She felt that it's the least she could do, in order to save the friendship that he and Mark shared for the past few years. She didn't want to be the one who'd spoil that for them. Because she didn't think she was of that much importance to him either. They weren't biologically related. And that was okay to her. Since she'd never truly opened up her heart to him. Other than the time she cried. Or several times where she cried because of Mark.

A brief greeting escapes her lips before Jimin wraps an arm around Aerin's shoulders, making her glance over. The latter tried her best to make the interaction comfortable for both sides. Including her into their inside jokes they'd made. She wondered how it would've been like to be this close to them as individuals. She thought to herself how nice it would've been to know them as friends. And not people who she was forced to be around because of a counterfeit marriage.

After awhile of being in the dressing room, they were all brought back to the company where the celebration continued. Aerin didn't want to be rude. It was Jimin's birthday after all. She couldn't bring herself to say that she'd wanted to leave because of her past relationship with, really only Mark. The male who had yet to say anything to her. Or even look her way. Quietly, she excused herself, giving Jimin a nudge. The female nodded, giving her a smile. Brushing her hands off her pants as she got up, she took the time to analyse the environment she was in.

Happy. Carefree. She wondered if she could've been in Jimin's place, if they'd met under different circumstances. She slowly made her way out of the practice room that they were occupying, making her way to the washroom where she washed her hands, looking at her reflection in the mirror before letting out a sigh. "Get it together. It's been three months." She whispered to herself, shaking her head. Aerin made her way out of the washroom, turning to her right only to bump into someone's chest.

This scene was all so familiar. If faint rain and an umbrella, rings a bell. The day when her life changed. She furrowed her eyebrows, seeing how the person remained there, looking up for her eyes to meet a pair of darker ones, belonging to those of Mark. "They made me go after you." He quietly admitted, crossing his arms. She bit back on her words, looking back down to her feet. "You can go." She answered, turning in her footsteps towards the other direction. She began to walk, that is before her wrist was tugged again. "Just.. talk to me." He said in a plea.

Aerin furrowed her eyebrows. letting out a soft chuckle. "Talk? What is there to talk about? We were strangers, Mark. We were dumb. Too unsure of ourselves to know what we actually felt." She told him, pulling her wrist from his grip as her words cut through him like a knife slicing through a block of butter that'd been out for too long. "We know how we feel, Aerin. Stop pretending like what we said to each other was even the least bit fake." He said, letting out a soft groan as he ran a hand through his hair, adjusting to tuck it under his black cap. "You don't lie about your music, Aerin. I know you."

Her eyes snapped upward, looking him in the eye as she raised an eyebrow. "You know me? You don't know shit about me, Mark!" She hissed, shaking her head as she placed two hands against his chest, pushing him only to see minimal effect on him. "Really? Then explain the blogs. Explain the music. Explain why you've been avoiding me even after the split was announced for the public. Admit it, Aerin. You fell for me, way harder than you expected to."

Even if she wanted to refuse, she knew she couldn't. For his words were factual. 100%. "Fine." She huffed, shutting her eyes momentarily as she let out a sigh. "Maybe I am afraid." She pressed on, shrugging her shoulders the sound of the wall clock nearby driving her nuts. "A part of me wanted every scene we acted out for the press to be real. Holding hands. The nonchalant hugs. The teasing. The forehead flicks even." She continued, rambling off the list of things the pair had amounted to in their fake relationship. "But another part of me pressed on the other. Telling it that I was in this deal because I needed the money. Though my parents could've easily provided for me."

Little did she know how tears had begun to form in the ducts of her eyes as she spoke with immense passion and pain. "I felt terrible, knowing something that felt that way, gave me money that would allow me to prove myself. That I wasn't just Jackson Wang's step sister. Maybe I wanted a name for myself, Mark." She let out a sigh, shaking her head as her back slid down against the wall, allowing herself to be seated on the floor. In which Mark joins her, listening silently. "I convinced myself that a split would be good. Something public, that wouldn't tear at my guilt. Since we both knew that it was all an act. Then.. you went on to say those things that night."

Mark shifted his gaze from the flooring to Aerin, reaching his hand over to her cheek to wipe the tears that had fallen. "I was afraid of how I was feeling." The male confessed.