✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

15 - Jealousy, Jealousy

When Y/N realized what had just happened, she pulled away abruptly, her face flushed and her chest heaving. Both of them were left speechless; Jake's eyes were wide, his breathing uneven, and Y/N's mind was racing, trying to process what just happened and what it might mean. 

"I..." Y/N stammered, her voice shaky, "I don't know why I did that."

"You kissed me." Jake's expression slowly shifted from surprise and confusion to something she couldn't quite decipher. "And it didn't feel like a mistake. 

"I... I need to go," she managed to say, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and practically fled from the spot, making Jake run after her.

"Wait-" He held her wrist but she stopped and yanked his hand away, her heart racing while she panted. 

"Leave me alone." She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her voice still quivered. "This whole situation is just... overwhelming. I'm supposed to be mad at you. Stop confusing me even more."

Jake stared at her for a moment before he took a step back, giving her the space she so clearly needed. All Y/N did was spare him one last glance before she walked away, leaving him standing there, watching her retreating figure. "Fuck." He had so many questions himself, so many feelings he didn't fully understand. But he knew that pushing her right now would only make things worse.

"What an idiot." On the other side of the beach, Y/N muttered to herself as she walked along the shoreline, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She kicked at the sand, frustrated at the fact Jake could get under her skin like this. At least he found her heels for her and she didn't have to worry about looking for them for hours under the burning sun. "But why does he have to be so damn... irresistible? Ugh, this is supposed to be a vacation to clear my mind, not make it even more complicated."

Y/N clenched her fists, her heart pounding as the memory of their kiss played over and over in her mind. She let out a heavy sigh while walking back to the guest house, not able to stop recalling the way his lips had felt against hers – soft yet demanding, filled with a longing she didn't know existed. 

She pushed open the door to her guest house room and collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in her hands while Areum watched her from the bed. "Well, hello to you too. What the hell is going on?" Her foot was still perched on the pillows as she leaned against the headboard, waiting for Y/N to speak while her laptop balanced precariously on her stomach.

"I don't even know where to start," Y/N lifted her head, her cheeks flushed and her brows furrowed as she tried to articulate her feelings. She sighed deeply while raking her fingers through her hair. "I kissed Jake."

"Y/N, it's still morning, I'm sure you're just having a weird dream or something," When Y/N groaned and flopped back onto the bed, Areum's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you're serious? You actually kissed Jake?"

"Yeah, it's insane. I was so angry at him, and then things just... escalated, and we kissed." Areum let out a low whistle at her words and sat up, her curiosity piqued. "But it's not even the kiss itself that's driving me crazy. It's the fact that it felt so right, and I'm questioning everything now. Why would I kiss him when I'm supposed to be mad at him? And why does he have to be so damn charming? I mean, he's annoying and infuriating so why do I feel this way?"

"Y/N, you literally write enemies-to-lover books and it's your favorite trope." Areum's amused voice cut through Y/N's exasperation, causing her to look up and roll her eyes. 

"Writing about it and actually living it are two very different things. My characters aren't annoying, they're just misunderstood. Jake is a real person with all his flaws and real life doesn't come with a script. These feelings are way more complicated than the stories I write."

"Real life is messier and more unpredictable. But that's also what makes it exciting, right? You never know where it might lead." Y/N leaned back against the bed, crossing her arms while she listened. "Did he kiss you back?"

He did more than that. Y/N wanted to say but found herself blushing and looking away, unable to admit it. She could still feel his hands on her waist, the way he had pulled her closer during the kiss. It was hard to put into words just how much it had affected her. "He did." She hesitantly muttered, making Areum throw her hands in the air out of excitement.

"I told you he's interested in you, Y/N. I can practically see- wait, you found your heels?" She exclaimed with a smile widening across her face while Y/N shrugged. 

"Well, he was the one who found them. He said he was just passing by and magically found them in the sand." She scoffed and rolled her eyes at the memory. "Yeah, right."

"He looked for it." Areum paused, recalling the way Jake excused himself and stepped out when Y/N told them she had forgotten her heels at the beach. "Damn, Y/N, he might be a bit infuriating, but he's also being... sweet?"

"I know, that's what's driving me crazy. One moment, he's driving me up the wall, and the next, he's doing something unexpectedly thoughtful. But I know he's just messing with my head because that's what he does." She let out a frustrated sigh, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the edge of the blanket.

"You're a writer, Y/N. You know better than anyone that sometimes characters surprise you. Maybe he's not just a one-dimensional jerk." Y/N would like to think what Areum was saying had some merit, but it was hard to overlook all the times he had intentionally pushed her buttons and seemed to take pleasure in getting a rise out of her. "Think about it this way – the fact that he can get under your skin means he's already made an impact on you, right? People don't usually provoke such strong reactions unless there's something more going on. And isn't that the first thing that sparks the tension and chemistry in all those romance novels you write?"

"Shut up, Areum." It's not like she wanted anything to do with him, she just couldn't help feeling conflicted about the whole situation. Her heart seemed to be at odds with her mind, and it was frustrating. "I'm just going to-" Someone knocked on her door and she sighed, standing up from her bed to answer it. 

She swung the door open, revealing Seojin leaning casually against the doorframe, a crooked smile on his face. "Good morning, sister." His arm snaked around her shoulders in a manner that was both familiar and unexpected, and he took a casual peek into the room, no doubt searching for Areum. "How's her ankle doing?"

"It's fine," She replied, her voice slightly faltering. "She's resting right now. What's up?"

"Just checking up on her and making sure she's okay. Thought I'd drop by and say hi to my future wife." Y/N rolled her eyes at his teasing tone, but she couldn't deny the fact that she always wanted Seojin and Areum to get along. "Now that your best friend is out of commission, what are you planning to do with all this free time?"

Y/N sighed, leaning against the doorframe, Seojin's arm still around her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe catch up on some writing or go hiking or something."

"These two are my least favorite things in the world. But I guess I could tolerate them for a change. We can go with your other friends. Sunghoon and the other couple. I don't know their names." At his words, Y/N scoffed and elbowed him. "What?"

"Jake and Heran are not a couple." She crossed her arms over her chest and shot Seojin a pointed look. "And even if they were, which they're not, it's not any of my business."

Seojin raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Really? I mean, from what I've seen, they seem pretty cozy. I saw them earlier and he was hugging her so I thought maybe there was something going on." Y/N's cheeks flushed as she processed what Seojin had just said, but she tried not to show how much it frustrated her. 

It was jealousy, she knew, and that's when she realized that maybe her feelings for Jake ran deeper than she had initially thought.