Ari

Chapter 34

His parents headed home the day after the engagement dinner and my parents left two days after.

My parents loved the visit but they missed their house, their friends, and weekly recreational activities at the church. Mom couldn't wait to get home to brag to the married women's ministry about the engagement party and her soon-to-be son-in-law. When we first broke the news to her she told me the next Sunday she couldn't stop telling everyone, eating up their jealous faces.

Dad was ready to get back to his deck. The summer was in full swing and he didn't want to miss out on anymore grilling opportunities; although he couldn't stop going to BBQ restaurants while here.

Jayla was sticking around for a vacation and she wanted to go to a noraebang while she was in town so we invited Nari and Dae-Hyun to come along. After a night of BBQ and soju, we were ready to sing our hearts out.

We could barely get Jayla into the room with the amount of soju in her system, but she kept up with Nari. Jun, Dae-Hyun and I watching them belt out ballad after ballad. After a couple more shots Dae-Hyun joined the fray, leaving Jun and I to watch with delightful horror.

Things seemed to cool off since that night. We always moved around each other tastefully in the house with our families, but alone in our bedroom, we weren't as sensual with each other as before.

Jun held me in his arms as he slept, making no advance to touch me in the dark as he used to. We'd take a shower or bath together, and Jun made no attempt to take it further. I watched him with desire but something made me not reach out for him as easily. I hesitated. It had been this way for days.

Sitting in this dark noraebang, the disco lights flashing and the alcohol running through our bodies; I sat on Jun's lap with his arms around me and looked in his eyes hoping he would give me that subtle green light he always did.

"Ari, are you ok?" he chuckled looking back at me, a confused grin on his lips.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine. Maybe a little too tipsy," I scoffed bringing a hand to my forehead.

He touched my forehead and then cheeks with the back of his hand, switching his face to concern. "You're a little warm. Are you ready to go home?"

I shook my head not wanting to spoil any fun or go to bed knowing he wouldn't touch me. "I'm ok. I'll just drink some water."

Jun grabbed me a glass from the table and handed to me. Watching me take the entire fill, a little missing my mouth to slide out the corner on my neck. A flash of something glinted in his eyes the way mine once did in that situation, then disappeared immediately. So he did feel something and was holding back again. But why?

I wiped away the water and Jayla pulled me to stand for another song she didn't know the lyrics to. This one upbeat for us to just dance. Nari and Dae-Hyun covered the vocals while Jayla and I goofily moved about the room.

I didn't have to see Jun watching me to know that he was. The intense burn of his eyes on my body, I took it to my advantage. The moves getting more playful and even a tad sexy. My sister being my greatest hype woman, I couldn't stop. Riding the wave of the beat while in my mind I wished it was Jun.

Our time was finally up and the lights came on signaling us to go home. It was three in the morning.

Way past anyone's bedtime as we quietly walked into the house. Jayla careful not to trip over any shoes at the front door, tripped on the half step into the rest of the house with a thud followed by hushed giggles from she and I. She swayed her way to her bedroom on one side of the house while Jun and I walked the opposite direction to ours.