This is the fourth story in the Undone series.
This is Jung Hoseok's time to shine.
He is taking control of a new project at Stellar Design, and he has decided it's time to take control of his love life as well. He is weary of being alone, and he...
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Izzy had returned to school Saturday night late. She loved her family, but there was only so much she could take.
She noted Olivia's car was not in her parking space. She had probably gone to the lake. She had asked Izzy to join her a couple of times and Izzy loved going. That would be a great weekend with Hobi. Maybe she would suggest it.
The thought of “ the date" as she had been referring to it, caused her to frown. She had convinced herself that it was a just a movie. She and Hobi did plenty of things just the two of them and she did not call them “dates". Liv was her best friend and she loved her like a sister, but she could be a bit dramatic!
She walked to the dorm, thinking about Hobi, deciding it was too late to call him tonight. She smiled at the thought of surprising him with breakfast in the morning. She had so much to tell him!
But when the morning came she could not get him on the phone. After several tries she went to all his regular haunts, the dance studio, the tennis courts, the café. She even searched every floor of the library.
By late afternoon she was really worried. So much so that she mustered the courage to stop one of the boys she had seen him talking to at the tennis courts.
“ Hi…I'm Isabelle. I am wondering if you've seen Jung Hoseok at the courts today?” she asked.
“ Hoseok? No, his sessions are Saturday mornings. I did see him last night at the lake with Olivia Fitzgerald. They looked pretty cozy, but I couldn’t tell. Are they together, because she is really hot!!” he said.
Isabelle felt her stomach churn. Her legs started to shake and she knew she was going to embarrass herself. She mumbled something about “ friends” hoping it was in some way coherent and made her way to the benches in the shade.
Olivia had taken Hobi to the lake. They had spent the night there together.
She thought of Livi's family lake house. It was huge! There was no reason they could not have stayed there. There were plenty of rooms. They would be back for supper and would tell her all about the weekend. And she would tell them about hers and she would laugh at the panic she was feeling now.
Except they were not back by supper, nor by bedtime.
She was acutely aware of Olivia's empty bed and the group chat barren of chatter from her 2 best friends. She cried herself to sleep, half listening for Liv's safe early morning arrival. But when her alarm rang early Monday morning there was no sign that the messy bed had been further disturbed by it's owner since Saturday.
She forced herself to go to class, hoping against hope that they would appear, separately, for World Civ and everything would work out. But they were both absent.
She half heartedly listened to the lecture while her notes were furiously filled with doodles. That was becoming a habit when she was stressed and today was a prime example
The rest of the day crawled. She went about her tasks with a weight pressing against her chest.
She told herself repeatedly she would be ok if she could see them. If she could see them and know they were ok she would be perfectly fine.
Except that is not what happened at all.
Her stomach reminded her she had not eaten all day and she decided she deserved a double cheese super greasy pizza.
She pulled into the lot of her favorite pizza place and waited for the text her order was ready.
She had to look twice, but no, her eyes were not deceiving her. There walking hand in hand were Liv and Hobi. Her stomach began rolling again and her appetite disappeared entirely.
She watched as he led her with his hand at the small of her back, laughing down at her and then stealing a kiss.
One kiss turned to many and she felt trapped. A panic attack was creeping up on her. She pulled out of the parking lot and made it to a park down the street before she pulled over and threw up.
It was years before she ate pizza again.
She stayed at park until well after dark, went to the library until it closed and staked out a dark corner of the café until they kicked her out. She crept into her room, relieved that the lights were off and the lump in the other bed seemed asleep.
She silently undressed and climbed in her bed. As she was leveling out her breath she heard the rustling in the other bed.
“ Izzy? Did you have a good weekend?” Olivia mumbled.
“ mm..mmm" she said in reply, praying Olivia was still asleep.
“ mmmm….me too,” Liv sighed before drifting back to dreams.
This time Izzy was too numb even to cry.
She was up and out of the dorm before Olivia was awake. She sent a message to the group chat she would be late at the library working on a group project.
Once again she slipped in late and got out early. But today was Wednesday. They would all be in class and she had spent the night preparing herself.
It was just as awful as she feared when they walked into class holding hands, Liv laughing and flirting with him. They made a stunning couple.
Her heart ached and then he looked at her and his eyes lit with happiness. There was no disguising the joy he felt as he saw her. He came around Olivia and gave her a hug.
”Iz!!!Where have you been!! You disappeared! Don’t do that again!” he scolded.
She looked at him and basked in the warmth of him. Then and there she decided she wanted, she needed him in her life.
He was a fantastic friend and he cared for her and he wanted her close. She would find a way to best the best friend he would ever have.
Hobi was watching Izabelle closely, seeing the struggle of her emotions. He was unsure what she was thinking.
Once again he felt a pang of guilt about his new relationship. But Izzy would understand, she had her own lover. As long as they could continue the closeness they had found they would be ok. He needed her in his life.
A shaky smile, a deep breath and an unspoken promise and they started new.
Soon they found a way to dance around the complications of being three.
