Short stories

Fake love

You clear your throat and look in the mirror one last time. Thinking about a million and one different ways that this blind date could go wrong.
He could be totally different from his picture. He could be a killer. He could be an asshole. He could just not show up.
You were siking yourself out. You finally shake your head and throw your purse over your shoulder. There was no turning back now. You walk out the door, making sure to check the lock before making your way down the hallway of your apartment building and into the elevator. You plug in your headphones and stick them in your ears. Maybe music would help calm your nerves.
Singing along with the music quietly, you watch as the numbers indicating which floor you were passing slowly decrease. Finally reaching the bottom floor, you step out of the elevator and begin to walk. With your head down and eyes focused on the floor, you run head first into a body.
"Oh shit, sorry," you mumble, regaining your composure. You feel hands holding onto your arms, keeping you in place.
"It's okay. Just watch where you're walking. Chin up." the strangers' voice was mesmerizing as he spoke to you. You feel a finger tap under your chin, lifting it up and towards the person. You are forced to make eye contact with the person as your chin is raised. You leave out an audible gasp, looking into the strangers' eyes, realizing he wasn't a stranger at all. You gape up at the man, at a total loss for words.
A smile creeps across his features and he takes a step back.
"Y/N, is that you?" he questions. You are still speechless as he stares down at you. You finally snap back into reality. You nod your head, addressing the man in front of you.
"It's been a long time, Kim Namjoon." you lift your chin, trying to seem confident in his presence.
He only chuckles, nodding his head in agreement. You feel your heart shake as his dimples come into view. God, how you'd forgotten just how much you'd missed him. But you aren't allowed to. So instead you nod your head and begin to walk. But he wasn't going to let you go that easily. You feel him fall into step beside you.
"Where are you headed?" he asks you, his voice still soft and velvety, just like it was nearly a year ago.
"I'm headed to the cafe. What about you?" You ask, trying to be polite. Though what you really want to do was turn to him and slap his beautiful face. You want to yell and scream and punch his perfectly sculpted chest, you didn't. But most of all you want to hug him. Instead of doing any of those things, you smile politely and continue to walk, hoping that the man beside you can't see your hands shaking and your lip trembling. All you can do is hope.
"I'm just out for a walk. I got back in town last night and I wanted to get a chance to see what's changed," he says, his pace still matching yours. You nod and continue to walk. A calming silence settles between the two of you. Something that was a normal occurrence before. Something you used to be use to. But now, now it feels foreign and out of place.
"You look very nice." he finally spoke, his words shocking you. You stop, your feet were frozen to the sidewalk.
'W-what?" you choke out the word seeming to stick in you throat. He turns to you and you see the sadness in his eyes. Something that looks like regret, longing almost. But then it was gone, replaced by a smile.
"I said you look very nice," he repeats himself. Even hearing it again, your body stays frozen. Your mind seems to skip back in time, leaving you in a moment that was okay to feel what you felt at the moment. But it wasn't then. At the moment you two share right now, it was not okay to feel anything other than pain.
"Don't say that. You don't have the right to say that." you speak quietly, tears threatening you. You have to keep yourself together. Especially in front of this man. You could not fall apart in front of him. The sadness in his eyes was quite distinct at your request, seeming to cut into him as you two stood there.
"Why not?" he asks. You want to run. You both knew the answer. You both felt this pulse between the two of you. The remains of emotions that were supposed to be buried years ago.
"Y-you know the answer to that question, Namjoon. We both do." you lower your head and begin to walk again. A tear rolls its way down your cheek as you step farther away from him. His hand reaches out, grabbing hold of your smaller empty one. Yours breathe hitches as he pulls you back towards him.
"Y/N, please " he begs, holding onto you as if you were a lifeline. He pulls at your arm, hoping you would come falling back into him. But you couldn't. You pull your hand out of his grasp and turn back in the direction of your apartment. Your emotions spin out of control as your feet carry you towards the safe haven of your building. You reach the elevator so absorbed in your break down that you hadn't realized that Namjoon has entered the elevator behind you.
"Y/N," the sound of his voice makes you jump. You lose your balance, leaning into him. At that movement, the elevator stops and the lights flicker. Your hands grasp at his shirt, trying to steady yourself. His hands hold onto your waist as the elevator settles.
The lights turn off, being replaced by a flashing red warning light. You try to hold back your tears as memories of similar events flood your mind.
"Shhh, Y/n. It's okay," he reassures you as you shake in his arms.
"I-i c-can't bre-eath." you stutter, the air around you seems nonexistent. You are surrounded by darkness, holding onto Namjoon.
"Okay, it's okay." he pulls you closer to him. His chest feels warm as your head begins to spin.
"Y/n, y/n? Breath. Okay, what day is it?" he asks, trying to keep your mind off what was happening.
"I-it's f-fri-d-day." You stutter through the words, still struggling to breathe.
"Okay, okay. What month is it?" he continues, still holding onto you.
"I-its s-September." you could feel yourself breathing a bit steadier. You loosen your grip on his shirt, your racing heart settling ever so slowly.
"Okay, good. What was the first thing you thought about when you woke up this morning?" you freeze, knowing the answer right away.
You. I thought about you.
You want to say. You know it was the truth. He's been the first thing you'd think about waking up and the last thing you'd think about before going to sleep for the past year and a half. But you couldn't tell him that. Not when he probably already had a wife and had a son.
"Y/n?" he questions, his voice sounding worried.
"You" the words slipped out before you had a chance to catch them. They shattered in the air between the two of you. Leaving the space toxic and dangerous. He was silent, still as you stand there in his arms.
"Namjoon?" you speak, no longer feeling panicked. The lights around you still flash and the elevator stays in place. But none of that matters at the moment. You just need to hear his voice. To know what he was thinking.
"Shit, Y/n" he finally spoke, his voice cracking like glass under pressure. "I'm so sorry I left you." he breaks down, tears streaming down his face. "I thought about you every day. I wanted to call, hell I tried to call. But you'd changed your number. And I didn't have the money for a ticket back." he rambles on, with each word, your heart grows weaker and weaker.
"But, but what about Roselaya? And the baby?" you whisper, trying to pull away from him.
"I never loved her. And it was all a lie. There was never any baby." he spoke. With those words, you fall apart, a crying mess in his arms. You break down and he holds you up, keeping you together. He never loved her. He'd tried to come back to you. Hell, he'd came back to you. Looking up at him, you smile. He smiles back. And everything is okay. The elevator starts back up and begins to move. You both get out on your floor and head to your room. Where a cup of tea and a long, long talk awaits.