Serendipity

Chapter 9 - Part 2

I walk in, heading straight to the couch. Sitting down in the corner, I kick my flats off and curl into myself, pulling my knees up to rest my forehead on as I close my eyes. Taking deep breaths to slow down my rapidly beating heart, I don't realize there are tears falling as I focus on my body's response to everything.

A hand skims lightly over my hair, bringing me back to the present. I slowly raise my head to see my love standing in front of me, worry etched on his face.

He sits down on the short table situated in the center of the sitting area, and he wipes the tears from my cheeks as more fall. He turns my head to the right, looking at the cut, his facial features turning angry at that.

"Who told you?" I whisper, my voice breaking as the tears fall harder.

"Bang PD-nim," his face softens at the heartbreak he hears in my voice.

"I asked him not to say anything until after the concert...I didn't want you to have to worry when you have more important things to focus on."

I see tears fill his own eyes as he searches mine. "My love, do you not understand? Nothing is more important to me than you. If something happens to you, I want, no, I need to know about it."

"I thought...I thought I..." I hiccup on my tears, the thoughts distressing me again.

"You do know I wasn't with her, right?"

I nod furiously, the tears streaming down my face harder.

"I thought I had...k*lled...oh my god, Jimin!" I'm weeping uncontrollably now, and he moves to the couch, lifting me easily to his lap, wrapping me tightly in his embrace.

"Shhhh, shhhh...I know, my sweet Nae, I know. Shhh, it didn't happen, shhhh," he croons as he strokes my hair. I've curled into him, the fabric of his shirt in a death grip as I cry my heart out.

I hiccup again once the tears are spent. Even the involuntary shaking has calmed down. He kisses my head several times, still comforting me as I sigh deeply.

Several moments pass as I try to compose myself.

In a tiny voice, I ask, "Why do I attract people like that? Why do they focus on me?"

He leans so he can look me in the face. Wrapping me up in his arms again, he rests his chin on my head before speaking.

"People are attracted to shining spirits, Nae, both good and bad people find them. And you have the brightest soul that I've seen in a long time. Even with everything you've been through, you still shine. I hope you never lose it either."

"How do I make sense of it? My brain just keeps replaying what she said over and over, I can't get it out. That's all I hear."

"What did she say to you?" he asks into my hair softly.

"She said...she said that I took you. I took you from her and I didn't deserve you. Then she attacked me, and I defended myself. She then screamed that I k*lled her baby...k*lled your baby...and there was so much blood. I can't get that scream out of my head...that I k*lled her baby...an innocent baby no matter who the parents were...all because I defended myself..."

"And you know that she wasn't pregnant, right?"

I nod my head against his shoulder. "I know. My head knows that..." I sit up to look at him face to face, dropping my hands in my lap. "But my heart hurts anyway..."

He lifts his hand and places it gently, palm down, over my heart.

"You have a beautiful heart, NaeYeong, so full of compassion. You worry about an innocent life instead of the rest of the situation, when your own life was in potential danger from a crazy person. You are focusing on that possible little life. And it's another reason I've fallen in love with you. You are going to be such a wonderful mother someday, my love."