The Bridesmaid

Chapter Ten

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"Is everything okay?" Jae asked as I opened the door for him.

"Yea," I looked up at him and sighed. "Actually, no." I said as I brought him to the couch. "I know I'm not the only one who's been noticing something off between us." I emphasised and he brought his hand to his face where he massaged his forehead.

"Areum," He says in a tone that catches me off guard. "I have a test in the morning, can't this wait?" Jae groaned and I instantly frown.

"Wait?" I repeat as I stared at him with an incredulous look, "how long? It's been a week since you've spoken to me. And why? because you had one bad day." Anger started to build up in the pit of my stomach.

I notice his stance go hostile.

"Honestly, if you called me here to nag about this then what's the point?" He got up, dusting off his clothes as he reached for his coat.

"Jae!" I yelled before he could leave and he turned around, anger burning through his eyes.

I couldn't understand why he was so upset.

"W-what's going on?" I feel myself grow weaker, anger getting replaced with hurt the moment I catch him look at me with a cold glare. "All I want is for us to be okay." I said and he clenched his jaw, looking to the ground.

"Like I said, Areum. I don't have time for this." He let out, stripped from every emotion. I feel a dull pain linger at the back of my throat as I swallowed down a lump.

"Time for your own girlfriend? How long has it been, huh? Since you've touched me, since you've even held me?" I feel myself break a little, a stray tear escaping my eye, dripping down my chin onto the ground.

He remained quiet, looking to the ground as he held his coat firmly in his hands. He doesn't seem the least bit affected by my words which breaks me further. "Fine," I let out with a shaky breath. "Go." I said and without hesitating, he turns on his heel and leaves.

I stared at the door as it slammed shut, causing me to flinch. I fall to the ground, where I sat for a few minutes trying to calm the raging storm in my mind.

No more crying, I told myself but the tears that spilled out of me seemed endless. I don't know why I let myself be put in this position. There was a part of me that still hoped for Jae to change. For him to hear me out and listen.

My mind knew that it would never happen, but my heart had a different story.

I sat there, a little lost as I whimpered quietly to myself.

Was I that hard to love?

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"So, what's up?" Nani asked, stuffing a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

"What do you mean?" I asked, eyes focused on the screen.

"Areum doesn't come over with two tubs of ice cream and the Notebook to just hang." She said as she looked me in the eye. "So what's going on?" She asked, pausing the movie.

I sighed as I turned to her. "I can't tell you." I said and she gets taken aback, hand flying over her chest as she got insulted.

"No, not because I don't trust you. But because it involves Aera and I just don't want you in the middle of that." I say, looking into the tub of ice cream as I attacked it with my spoon.

"Areum, I met you first. You'll always mean more to me." She said and my eyes shoot up to meet hers, "please don't tell Aera I said that." She said and I giggled.

"I won't." I smiled. "And it's about Jae and Taehyung." I said and she instantly squeals.

"Don't tell me you cheated." She gasped, jaw dropping.

"No! God, no." I respond almost instantly and she sighed in relief. "It's just, Jae is being super difficult. We had a major fight last night and we haven't spoken since." I groaned, pushing myself further into the couch, hoping it would swallow me up.

"And what does Taehyung have to do with it?" She asked and I inhaled deeply.

"At first, I thought Taehyung was just trying to be nice, you know like how Aera's close to Jae. I thought he'd want the same thing with me." I said, mixing around the ice cream in the tub as it melted.

"But?" Nani asked, getting impatient.

"But, I think there's a part of him that wants to be with me instead?" I trailed off as I scrunched my face, awaiting a scolding but she remained silent.

"I wouldn't be surprised honestly." She said, taking another bite of her ice cream and it left me dumbfounded.

"Wait, really?" I leaned towards her and she nodded. "No, you're supposed to tell me I'm imagining stuff and that I should go and sleep or something." I said and she shook her head.

"No wait, hear me out." She placed the tub of ice cream on the table, "Aera has been lying to Taehyung since the beginning of their relationship. She pretended to be someone she wasn't. She pretended to be you. Maybe he's realising that." Nani spoke and I stopped her.

"Wait, what?" My brows furrowed. "She pretended to be me?"

"C'mon, don't tell me you don't see it." She looks at me with disbelief. I simply shook my head.

"She's obviously threatened. When you left the cafe yesterday, she wouldn't stop going on about how much Taehyung talked about the time he spent with you." She continued and I stared at her. "I don't know, but I feel like Taehyung's finally realising that Aera isn't the girl for him."

Nani picked up the tub of ice cream, taking another bite.

"Okay, it explains the insults she constantly throws at me, but I still don't get it." I looked at her with doubt.

"What?"

"If he feels this way, why is he still with her?" I asked and she shrugged.

"Maybe he's trying to make it work?" She reached for the remote as she resumed the movie.

I frowned to myself, thinking about Taehyung and if it was possible that he did feel that way.