She swallowed. “No.”
“Tell me the truth. I won’t be mad.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t,” she said faintly. Hyukjoon picked her up and gently laid her on the bed. Then he sat next to her, placing his palm flat against her forehead. A purple wine stain marred the white sheets.
“Well.” He glanced at the mess. “Maybe we both drank a little too much tonight.”
He moved away from the spilled wine and settled in next to her, his lips nuzzling her cheek and neck. His hand lingered on her waist, but she was in no mood to mess around after the scare in the bathroom. Thankfully, Hyukjoon tried only halfheartedly to seduce her before giving up. For a while, they lay there with the lights on, not speaking.
She must have dozed off because a short while later, she jolted awake to find the room completely dark. The space next to her was empty.
“Oppa?”
She heard a soft rustle and felt her throat tighten. The eyes. The thing in the vent. It had snatched Hyukjoon, had gotten ahold of him, and—
“I was about to wake you. I have to go.”
She found Hyukjoon sitting on the couch, the glow from his phone’s screen illuminating the center of his face, and immediately felt a sense of relief. He looked up at her, and she noticed he was angry. Removing his glasses, he pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Go?” She looked around at the room. “Go where?”
“Home. My father is furious with me. He’s threatening to freeze my cards. I need to get back and fix this before he does something drastic.”
She sat up, her brow crinkling with concern. “He’s furious? Why?”
“It’s … complicated. Family business. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
Hyukjoon let out an exasperated sigh. “Listen, the room is paid for, and they have my credit card on file. Just stay. You can sleep in and get some breakfast in the morning before heading to work. Order whatever. On me.”
He began walking toward the door, and Dahye scrambled to get to her feet. Her thoughts were foggy, but she knew something was terribly wrong. He had never left her like this. An unbearable thought seized her: that once he left the room, he would be lost to her forever. The only thing that mattered now was that she had to stop him from leaving. She grabbed his arm and yanked him back.
“Stop it!” He jerked his arm out of her grasp.
The words tumbled out of her mouth. “Please don’t go.”
“Come on, Dahye. Don’t do this right now.”
She followed him out the door and to the elevator, blubbering. Begging. It was late, and there were only a few people lingering in the lobby, mostly tourists. Seeing their curious stares, Hyukjoon pulled Dahye aside, his eyes alight with fury. “You’re causing a scene,” he hissed. “Go back inside. Get some sleep. You’re acting crazy.”
“I can’t. I have a bad feeling that if you go, it’ll be over between us for good,” she said. She hoped he would deny it, but he said nothing and walked out to the driveway where his BMW was waiting. Dahye trailed after him, tears rolling down her cheeks. He stopped. Reached into his pocket and removed a handful of bills.
“If you’re not going to stay, then take a taxi home,” he said brusquely. He shoved the wad into her hand. Her fingers were limp; the money fluttered to the ground. Without hesitating, the valet began to chase after the notes. Hyukjoon covered his face with his hand. His voice was muffled. “Can’t you just listen to me for once?”
Dahye touched his shoulder. “Tell me what’s wrong,” she said softly.
Leaning against the car, he took out a cigarette and fumbled with his lighter, his fingers shaking. “I fucked up, Dahye.” He sounded exhausted. His hair was a mess, but he still looked impossibly handsome. Behind him, the valet stood, the cash balled up in his outstretched fist. “Keep it,” Hyukjoon muttered. The man looked at them questioningly. It was a lot of money. “I said keep it!” he said again, louder this time. The valet bowed, then slipped away.
“Talk to me,” Dahye said. “Please. You know you can tell me anything.”
“Alright. Since you want to know so badly … There’s something you need to see.” Hyukjoon pulled his phone from hispocket and shoved it into her hands. Dahye looked at the screen and was confused to see a couple lying naked in a bed, their bodies entwined. The man was thrusting into the woman as she threw her head back in pleasure, her mouth a small ‘o.’
She shrank away, flooded with embarrassment. Porn. He was showing her porn. She could sense the valet watching them curiously and swallowed hard, trying to push Hyukjoon away.
“What the hell is this? Why are you showing me this?”
“Look at it.”