Bound By Blood

Chapter | 23

You sighed, wiping away your tears as you locked the door to the roof behind you. You thought about how Sunwoo pleaded and the emotion that seemed so raw spilling from his lips. He didn't love you. Maybe he had at one point but not now. Not for a long while. Not since he declared his love for you.

Not then and not now.

You made your way downstairs back to the first floor where you had left your blanket. You just hoped Chanhee wasn't still there.

You stopped by the kitchen, splashing water on your face and attempting to get yourself together, hoping your eyes weren't too puffy from crying.

You turned, stopping as your eyes met Chanhee's widening ones as he stared at you. You quickly looked away, turning to leave before his hand caught your arm, turning you to face him again.

"(Y/N), I'm so sorry for what happened I-"

"This isn't your fault," you said quietly as Chanhee's hand dropped to yours as he sat at the bottom of the stairwell, pulling you with him.

"What happened?" He asked softly, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

You took a breath before you spoke, "it's Sunwoo," you said, biting your lip, "I just... I don't know where to start..." you trailed off. Chanhee's grip on your hand tightened, his lips turning up into a comforting smile.

"Just start throwing out words, I'll piece them together. It doesn't have to make sense."

"I don't know what to do," you started, "I feel so... trapped. Almost everything I've ever known about Sunwoo has been a lie and now I'm dying. I miss my old life and I miss my parents and I hate that they left me alone and how so many people lied to me over and over," you quickly wiped a tear from your eye before it fell, pulling your hair back from your face.

"Your parent's left you?" Chanhee asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"They died," you started, "when I was young."

"I'm so sorry... What happened to them?" He asked.

"They were reckless and went and got themselves murdered," you said with a light laugh, "isn't that something?" You said, turning to Chanhee's worried face, "sorry, I don't usually talk about this stuff."

Chanhee shook his head, "it's okay," he said.

"When they died, my aunt took me in but she definitely wasn't a mother. She really wasn't much of anything to be if I'm being honest, and I doubt I was anything more than a nuisance to her. She always told me how it was my fault she was stuck with me, if I hadn't been her sister's child her life wouldn't be burdened with me. The night of my eighteenth birthday she threw me out, and I've been on my own ever since."

Chanhee stared at you, his face filled with shock as his eyes met with yours, "I-I'm so sorry, (Y/N)..."

"It's okay, Chanhee, don't be sorry." You said with a smile, "that was around the time I met Sunwoo, actually. I wish I hadn't," you sighed, "I wish I never walked into that cafe, never said yes to the job, to him taking my blood, to him becoming my boyfriend..." you trailed off, "you know, I should really stop saying 'yes,'" you said with a laugh, "look where that's gotten me."

"I'm glad you're here, (Y/N)," he said, "I know you don't know us very well but I promise you we won't do anything you're uncomfortable with. If you want to go home... we can take you home."

You shook your head, "I should be thanking you," you said, "you've done plenty of things I should be thankful for. You helped me get away, gave me a place to stay, a welcoming atmosphere, and safety... you saved me, Chanhee. Thank you."