𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐃𝐨

【24】

Every night, Lia wonders where they would be if everything went the way it was supposed to. Where in the world would they be, seven and a half months into their marriage? Still traveling the world? Back home and working?

Didn't matter. Wherever they would be, they would be waking up together, playing with Onyx in the backyard, going on dates, and doing all the things that they loved doing. And they'd be happy.

Leaving her car in the round-a-bout driveway for her personal valet to take into her garage, she entered her home. Thanking the door man as he opened the door for her and took her coat as well. Then she slipped her shoes off, put them away and put her slippers on.

"Hello, baby! Oh, look at you! So big now!" she babied Onyx when the giant black dog came up to her, excited to see her home.

She fed Onyx before heading upstairs to change out of her work attire. It was a day full of business meetings for her, she didn't even get to see Yeji. She did get to send flowers though, but she sends flowers every week.

She wonders if one of these weeks she'll send flowers that won't die before Yeji gets to see them. She sends her favorite assortment every time. Their wedding was showered with this assortment at every table, and it was even Lia's bouquet.

Heading up to their bedroom, admiring the mountain view from the floor-to-ceiling windows as she walked up the stairs, she didn't see it as colorful as before. Nothing seemed to have color anymore, not even the radiant mountains of Colorado.

Initially, they moved her to be closer to wedding planning and then they planned on moving after their honeymoon. Seems like they're stuck here now. Not like Colorado was horrible, it's just nothing like New York State.

Entering the bedroom, Lia used to stare at the bed and Yeji's side of the closet. But now she just ignores her, it hurt her heart too much to look at every time. She changed into comfortable evening clothes and walked right past the bed to leave the room and eat whatever her chef is preparing her for dinner. But on her way out, she paused.

Spinning around slowly, she stared at the bed that she hasn't slept in since the accident. Like she refuses to sleep in it alone. She used to just lay on Yeji's side, cuddling her teddy bears and cry, but she has a life unfortunately. She can't just lay all day in the same place; she can't just daydream either.

Letting at the shuttered breath, Lia's eyes watered up again, 'a month from now, I may have to force myself to sleep in that bed alone. A month from now, I may be planning a funeral with the rest of her family.'

"Don't make me, Yeji. Please." She fell to her knees, sitting on her heels and grabbing the wooden floor. "Please don't make me do this." She sobbed.

Onyx came in, sitting with her and beginning to pout, sensing Lia's fear and pain. A kind of fear and pain that he, as a guard dog, cannot protect her from. He walked over to Yeji's side of the bed, knowing he's not allowed on the bed, he just rested his chin on her side. Remembering Yeji's scent and her mannerisms, wondering where she went and why she hasn't come home in so long. Not knowing that she may never come home.

Lia almost got hope that life was like a movie for today when her phone went off in her sweatpants pocket, she hoped it was the hospital to tell her that Yeji has woken up and it's a miracle.

But her whole demeanor dragged itself down when she saw that it was Chaeryeong calling her. She answered and didn't say anything.

"Lia! Hey, I'm back in town and I was wondering if I could drop by for dinner? I know you're busy n' all, but I thought you could use an old friend? Colorado Springs isn't too far away from where I'm staying."