Secrets of Attraction

Nineteen: SUZY

Joohyuk slung my bag over his shoulder and we walked up the stairs to my porch. Normally I climbed them two at a time, but I took it slow, feeling the railing under my fingertips, clinging to the last moments of our trip, because once we said goodbye, Jeju Water would in the past. A memory. I wasn't ready for that. I hadn't even given Joohyuk back his jacket. Maybe if I didn't say anything, I could keep it overnight, wear it to school, keep the weekend alive even in a small way.

The porch light was on, but the house was dark. Odd. Eomma was supposed to have finished with her RYT class by early afternoon. Her car was in the driveway. She should have been home. Not that expected a welcoming committee but I thought at least she'd want to hear how my unofficial birthday trip went. Whatever.

"I need my bag," I said. Joohyuk handed it to me and I knelt down to rummage through the side compartment for my keys. I tucked them into my pocket, rezipped the bag, and stood up. A few weeks ago when I'd dyed his hair, Joohyuk and I'd been in the same face-to-face position to say goodbye. I'd thought about kissing him then, but now I wanted to act on it. I tugged his hoodie strings.

"Come here." 

"What do you want?"

"You."

"He smiled under my kiss, then finally surrendered to my persuasive tongue. I'd spent the better part of last night tossing and turning, imagining what might have been if his aunt Lia hadn't greeted us with hot chocolate, Why not take advantage of eomma's absence?

"Wanna come in for a bit?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uhhh-"

"Or not, I just thought-"

"Yeah, sure. Kind of not ready to go home yet."

My fingers were noodles, useless after the kiss. Key in lock, Soo.

I finally turned the knob, and pushed open the door. The house was still.

"Hello?" I called, shutting the door behind us.

Silence.

I walked through the kitchen and flicked on the light. Everything was in place. Not even a note on the table. Living room the same. Then I took a breath and creaked up the stairs.

"Hello?"

I turned on the lamp at the top landing. All the doors on the second floor were open.

We were alone. For how long I wasn't sure, but I didn't care. Eomma obviously didn't either or else she would have been home.

Joohyuk stood at the foot of the stairs. Waiting. I slipped off the jacket and hung it over the banister. I raked my fingers through his hair.

"Close your eyes."

"Suzy."

"Trust me."

He relented.

"So we're walking back from the meadow and no one is awake - what would we have done?"

I brought my forehead to his, tracing his lips with the tip of my tongue. His hands found my waist, caressed the curve of my hips as he kissed me full, taking my tongue in his mouth. I threw my arms around him, closing the space between us. He staggered back and my feet left the ground. I wrapped my legs around him, but the momentum made us fall back onto the stairs. My butt at least softened the blow. His hands were on either side of me.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just kiss me." For the moment his mouth was the perfect sedative, and who cared if we were in this awkward position on the stairs - they always did this sort of thing in the movies, fade to black. The reality was different, though, and about a minute in, the pain in my back went from dull to sharp. My spine wasn't meant to follow the angles of the stairs while Joohyuk did the equivalent of a push-up - breaking the laws of our own organic architecture.