Lay It All On Me • Chanrosé

6

Chaeyoung was freaking out inside her mind. Where had that even come from?

She hadn't wanted him to leave, his presence was addicting and before she knew it, the words spilled out of her lips and into her kitchen where he had been standing. She felt dizzy asking him to stay and have a drink with her but the minute he smiled and nodded, it turned into butterflies. His handsome smile had amazing affects on her. Even though she practically word-vomited a second ago, all she had said was true.

It was impossible ignore the feeling between them. It was already bad enough that they got along so well, especially in such a short amount of time. It may not be the most ideal situation but there was something in her heart that told Chaeyoung to at least try. The same feeling was nagging her throughout the entire night, and was even stronger now when she put Minjee to bed and came into the living room to find Chanyeol smiling like an idiot at her pictures like he had earlier.

Jisoo was going to freak out when Chaeyoung told her.

"White wine or scotch?"

He looked from the photos for only a second, "Scotch." Chanyeol responded, his attention right back onto the wall of frames.

Chaeyoung poured herself a glass of wine and him a glass of scotch, carrying both over. "You seem very enthralled by these pictures."

He shook his dark head softly, correctly her as he leaned in for a closer look of a photo. One of her and Minjee feeding a giraffe. "I'm enthralled by you two." Her breathing hitched and her heart tightened.

He seemed to know exactly how to make her breathless and speechless at the same time.

"Why?" She breathed softly, looking at the same picture as he was. It didn't make sense to her how practically a stranger could be so interested in them. Chanyeol had been and was looking at them like they were the most rare items on earth.

"That's what I've been asking myself since the day we met. But then, I saw how radiant Minjee is." He confessed, drifting his sight down to her. "And then there's you. You're absolutely mesmerizing, and strong and—" Chanyeol trailed off, catching himself in his monologue and biting his lip to stop himself before he could continue.

A calming silence accompanied their unbreakable sight on each other. She didn't see one ounce of dishonesty in his eyes, or throughout his entire body.

"It's hard to find someone who understands Minjee and I and our situation." Chaeyoung started, too nervous to truly comment on his confession.

She could tell by the big drink of scotch he took that he felt like maybe he had said too much but it had been one of the sweetest things she had even heard. Chaeyoung moved from her spot and settled in a chair of the small dining room table, Chanyeol joining her.

She settled her eyes on the wine in her glass and spun it around, placing her thoughts in order. "There is such a stigma around single mothers. The look on people's faces when they find out that I built this life for us with my bare hands is priceless, like they didn't expect it."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for my comments to—"

"No no," Chaeyoung eyes snapped to his widened ones, "that's the thing. You don't make me feel like that. You look at me like... I don't even know how to describe it. It's like you see me for me, not surprised or intimidated by the fact that I can carry myself." His eye shape was beautiful, she couldn't look away and it didn't seem like he could either.

The whirlwind of emotions she felt in the moment couldn't be explained. Getting lost and intertwined in this man didn't seem like a choice anymore, it was happening but Chaeyoung didn't want it to stop.