Ace of Hearts

Nonexistent

Excuses passed his mind but his mouth constricted unable to get the words through. Sehun ended up tossing his head back. "Forget it! Come out when you're ready. We're going to the manor."

Stalking out of her room he headed down the stairs without waiting for her. She could keep the flowers or throw them away. He could care less.

When Namjoo finally came down he couldn't helping shooting a frown at her. Saying nothing he pulled the door open and went outside.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Namjoo asked.

"I'm not doing anything." He grumbled.

"Yes, you are."

"I said I'm not." He retorted halting and turning to her.

Namjoo bumped into him. Complaining, she pinpointed, "See, that." She pointed a finger toward the space between his brows, "You keep frowning at me."

Huffing he pivoted away and continued striding toward the manor ignoring her.

"Geez," Namjoo mumbled following close by. "Did you have a bad day at work or something?"

He couldn't believe her. After her tantrum that morning she was acting like she hadn't thrown him off. She couldn't even be thankful for the flowers she was going to throw away.

He was never going to get her anything again.

"We were about to come get you," his father grinned from the dining table. "Come sit down. The food just got here."

The old man made sure to push the tastiest dishes closer toward Namjoo. Most of them meat which made him recall the incident yesterday when he'd stolen the plate Hwayi had given her. Quick as that irritation fired up his nerves again.

"Sehun, what's wrong?" his mother asked sitting down.

"Nothing." He stiffly murmured. Even Namjoo was cluelessly looking at him like she'd done nothing.

"It's so nice having a meal as a whole family," his mother happily stated. "It would be wonderful if we did this for a long time. Being grateful and happy that we're alive and together."

Why did he feel like she was calling him out for his grumpy farce?

"Your mother's right," his father chimed in. "There's a daughter-in-law and a baby on the way. These are times we should all cherish."

At this Namjoo awkwardly smiled and shifted in her chair uncomfortably.

"So, we were thinking, your dad and I," his mother started, "let's have the wedding soon. We should start preparing soon. It's best to have Namjoo legally in the family before the baby arrives. That way it'll be beneficial for the baby to be included in the family tree."

He coughed into his hand, "What?"

"Your aunt has made some good points yesterday." His father agreed. "To have the wedding ceremony as soon as possible. We can have a small one and hold a bigger event when the baby arrives to celebrate his birth."

"Isn't this too soon?" Sehun questioned.

"What's too soon when you already brought her home?" his father asked.

"Well, we," he hesitated in order to find a reasonable excuse, "it's inconvenient."

"Nothing is inconvenient about a wedding," his mother pointed out. "Don't say anymore. Your father and I will handle everything. You just continue taking good care of our soon to be daughter-in-law."

She smiled lovingly at Namjoo who suddenly couldn't swallow her food.

ꞜꞜꞜꞜꞜ

"I can't do this," Namjoo paced her room like a dog chasing its tail. Whirling around on him, she adamantly refused, "I'm not marrying you."