Secrets In The Sunset | KTH 18+ ✔️

Chapter Sixty-Four

5 1/2 YEARS LATER

"Madison, can you please pass me those files over there?" I ask without looking up as I enter in some information into the computer.

"These blue ones?" She inquires, walking over to me with a stack cradled into her arms.

Just the mention of that color still leaves a sting on my heart. After a year passed of Taehyung and I not being able to see each other even once and our communication dwindling down to only a couple of times a week, we both felt it was best to put our relationship on hold. But what started off as a hold turned into four and half years of no communication, no happy birthdays or random photos. And although it was for the best that we didn't, knowing that any slight attempt at reaching out would only prolong the heartbreak, it still didn't stop the fact that I have longed for him every day since.

"Stop that. You're doing it again." Madison scolds as she slams the files down onto my desk.

"Doing what?" I question as if I didn't know exactly what she was going to say.

"Thinking about him! It's been years, Ava. You've both been graduated from college for a while now. You've got to move on and quit waiting on him to ride in on some white horse wearing a suit of armor." She firmly places her hands on her hips. Her voice was stern, but her eyes were soft.

Ethan walks by speaking to a client and taking a brief pause to smile over at me before opening his office door to let the young married couple walk inside.

When Mrs. Bailey decided to move across the United States my senior year of college, it left me needing a job. Especially one that would pay enough to eventually be able to put a down payment on a lease for the art gallery I've always wanted to open up. So when Ethan gave up trying to help me fill out job application after job application, he got me a position at his firm as a paralegal. Work I'm not interested in, but it's for a good cause at least. They really do everything they can to get these kids in with good families.

"Why don't you actually take Ethan up on his offer to take you out on a date? You know he's wanted you for like ever." Madison suggests as she looks over to the closed office door and back at me.

I shake my head and continue to type away at the information I need to finish inputting by the end of the day, "No, I don't think dating is for me right now. Plus, isn't he like my boss? That'd be weird."

"No, you need to start dating again and he's not your boss. His dad is." She corrects me.

I know she's right. I can't wait around my whole life for Taehyung if he's not going to ever come back. For all I know, he's moved on himself or plans changed and he won't be moving to the states anymore. Especially since he would have been here a year and a half ago. He's probably not even thinking about me.

With Uncle Kim having moved back to South Korea two years ago, I lost contact with him as well. He'll write me occasionally to make sure I'm okay and to tell me he still loves me, but whenever I ask about Taehyung, he leaves me on read. At first I thought he was probably just feeling awkward about being stuck in the middle and still keeping in touch with his nephew's ex-girlfriend, but now I think he might be trying to spare my feelings.

"I'll think about it okay? Now, get back to work before we're both stuck here until midnight again." I shoo her away and she smiles over at me.