Second Chance Serenade - JK FF ✔

1 Day

"Who?" Jungkook asked, looking very concerned.

"Ben's mom." I said, my eyes still glued to the text message she sent me.

"Oh, what does she want?" He asked.

"She wants me to call her." I put my phone back in my pocket and started pacing around my apartment.

"Do you guys have a good relationship?" He asked and I could hear the hesitation in his voice.

"Great one actually, but the last time I spoke with her was the day Minho and I left the states so...over a year ago." I loved Malissa! Her and I always got along and she was one of the few people who encouraged me to pursue music, more than my own parents. When Ben died, she tried to comfort me more than grieve herself. I remember asking her why she was so worried about me and she responded with, "He was my son, but he was going to be your husband." Those words caused a knot in my stomach as all the memories of family dinners and summer vacations came flooding back. I turned back to Jungkook. "I have to call her." He stood up and nodded.

"I'll go take a walk. Just text me." He said as he grabbed his bag and headed out the door.

I grabbed my phone and opened up the message she just sent me, my finger hovering over the small icon of a phone. I hit the call button and brought the phone to my ear as I started to pace around my living room.

"Riley dear..." The voice was so warm and soft and she sounded happy.

"Hi Marissa." I said with a smile on my face.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you at all?" She asked.

"Of course not."

There was a strange silence between us and I didn't know what to say to her. She had no idea about my life after I left with Minho and how much I had fallen.

"I was just thinking about you today and wanted to see how you were doing."

"I ummm I'm ok. How are you and Rick?" Rick was Ben's dad and they looked so much alike.

"Doing fine. We were just thinking of something to do to celebrate Ben's birthday today, but everything just seems too sad." She let out a soft giggle and I felt my stomach drop. Ben's birthday was today? I had completely forgotten! All because I decided to get addicted and numb the pain again...I tried to hold back a soft sob as I covered my mouth. Marissa was always someone I felt that I could run to and hearing her voice brought back so many memories of having dinner at their house, announcing the engagement, the funeral.

"How are you, really?" She asked and I couldn't do it anymore. I completely broke down and started to sob. I could hear her trying to calm me down on the other line as I just cried.

"I haven't been good at all. I have done terrible things and I feel like I can just never be happy. I hurt those around me and I miss him so much." I managed to say through my cries.

"My dear,I bet you the things you did were not terrible." She said.

I started to tell her what happened when Minho and I left the states and I couldn't stop. I told her about Jay, about drinking and then rehab. I told her about my new job and thought everything was better as I met some great friends, but then Jay was back and everything went down from there. I even told her that I relapsed and was detoxing currently. I was ready for the lecture, but it didn't come.

"I've heard your song Riley and it's beautiful."

"My song?"

"We do have social media dear, even though we are old. Minho had told us where you both were working and I have seen the posts online." I was reminded of all the things that were being said about me as well as the drunk video of me that surfaced. "Do not listen to all the negative things that are being said about you. They are people hiding behind a screen and they don't know you. It seems as though this boy band group has your back anyway and so does Minho."