Don'ts Of An Arranged Marriage

18. Don't Deny it

SHIN

"Lee- since when did you turn into an escape room enthusiast?" Edmund enquired as we stood outside the Hollywood studious. The large font illuminated the purpose we were here for. Lee steals his gaze away from Edmund as Fischer clamps his finger by the necktie, stretching it loose with a moist face. "You never came with us to a common one, let alone the one with the haunted theme"

With a combined effort I keep my eyes trained on the door ahead. I haven't been to one because I haven't had a chance, but Lee has voluntarily passed such opportunities because-

"The last time I remember, this kind of activity freaks you out" Edmund's voice was a blend of amusement and excitement. A visual errand to notice the hesitative texture of Lee and Fischer was enough to tell the tale, they weren't cut out for this. But Lee had it schemed, the aquarium was just an en route. 

Lee makes a disagreeing sound with a hand to his waist.

"People change buddy. I am not the eighteen-year-old boy you used to know"

Edmund irons his creases into a deeper stage of understanding.

"A year ago you supported my debut as a paranormal movie director, you made me stay online because you couldn't fall asleep after you watched th-

"It was a sick movie"

"-trailer Lee. You didn't watch the movie. It was trailer"

Lee closed his eyes, as if he stood in solitary with his rupturing pride. His wounded self-esteem was hilarious to me. So when I got scolded, my smile only grew in size.

"Why is it funny you?" he cocks his head, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek "It was based on a true story and our family house had a history of a supernatural presence, I was making sure to live through a night"

That provoked me into maintaining the stance in order to infuriate him.

Edmunds was first to enter the swiveling gate, then a grunting Fischer stomps off- vanishing into the Raven-black overcast. Lee stood by me with a hand out for me to hold, a prolific determination shadowed him.

"Stay here if it's not your scene" the suggestion was met with a profound frown, I replayed what I had said to make sure it wasn't as ridiculous as what Lee was trying to make of it.

"You believe Edmund?" he snorts as it was my turn to scowl "I pretended to be scared so Edmund could have a reassuring review before the release of his film. He was constantly irrational about it since it was his debut, but my dramatics saved him from the baseless anxiety"

A series of sensations erupts by the pit of my stomach, it wasn't fair for a man to be so perfect when I battled with a fate that kept dragging me ten-step away the moment I took one towards him. It freaking hurt to fight the truth.

"But- but you also avoided such activities-

"Most of them were related to calculations, it was to preserve my dignity" he winks at me, snaking his arm by my shoulder he stared ahead "You do the smart work. I'll protect you from zombies or whatever the hell that's inside" he says with a skeptic twitch of his lips.

He wasn't lying, because once in- he guarded me from the jump scares with his tactics. He wasn't as immune to them as he implied, but neither did he lose his cool like Fischer and Edmund. The corridors and room we walked through had bloodied walls, props that were disgusting to look at with chopped dummies, and some real actors in prosthetics. They flung themselves at us when we expected the least. From the fireplace as we looked for the clue, behind the couch, from above the ceiling? They were everywhere.