✓ SOUR SWEETHEARTS | JAKE

32 - Unanswered Prayers

If Y/N could sum up her feelings in that moment, it would be disappointment and frustration. She felt like she could break something, and she clenched her fists as she walked away from the scene. It wasn't just about Heran's intrusion; it was the fact that Jake had chosen to handle the situation by asking her to leave. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

When the taxi drove her to her apartment and she stepped inside, she locked the door with the same lock Jake had installed to keep her safe. The clicking of the lock echoed in the quiet apartment and she let out a sigh as she let her fingers run through her hair. She waited and waited, sitting in one corner of the couch while staring at the door, frustration and sadness washing over her.

Jake would come anytime. She was certain he'd seek her out to talk, but the minutes stretched into an eternity, and she was left alone with her thoughts. He would come. Eventually.

Meanwhile, back at the park, Heran's anger was still simmering. She glared at Jake, her fists clenched. "You're pushing me away for her? I don't care if she was your crush from your fucking childhood, I was the one who was there for you when your father made your life a living hell!"

"Lower your voice." He held her wrist, pulling her away from the prying eyes. And when they reached a small, quiet alley, he pushed her to a wall and let out a heavy sigh. "Just because you've been by my side when I was suffering doesn't give you the right to go around and tell everyone that you've seen my fucking scars. I'm starting to regret ever letting you in on any of this."

Heran let out a mock gasp, looking away while shaking her head. "Is this your way of telling me to shut up? Because I won't. And you know that." 

"If you think doing this will make me love you, then you're delusional. I can't and I will never love you the way you want me to. I thought you were my friend, but it seems like you're more interested in what you can get from me."

"You can't love me?" His words earned a maniacal laugh from Heran. "You're in love with a woman who's naive enough to believe your sob story, and you're telling me I'm delusional? Maybe I should just tell her the truth about you, Jake. About how your father is the one who ruined her life." Jake had never thought Heran would utter those words. The threat in her voice sent a shiver down his spine and he frowned, his voice lost and his mind racing.

"What do you even know?" The way he slowly approached her with an unreadable expression and fists that looked like they could land a blow made Heran take a step back, feeling a hint of fear for the first time in a long while. "Where did you hear that?"

Heran hesitated for a moment, looking away to not meet Jake's eyes. "I looked it up. I followed you when you went to her old house and when you sent anonymous leads to the detective holding the case. Remember when it was rumored that your father committed arson and ran away? It's all true, isn't it?"

He clenched his jaw, realizing that Heran had pieced together parts of the truth. "Should I report you for stalking? Ah, maybe I should report your father for his illegal business deals. He was my father's friend, after all. The two of them are quite the pair." His voice was heavy with resentment and Heran seemed to understand that letting her feelings blind her would only make things worse. "Don't fucking say a word, you don't want to go down this path."

And with that, he started walking away while she screamed at him. "I'm just asking you to love me, is it so much to ask? Do you have any idea how it feels to love someone who's always out of reach? You're so busy playing the hero for that woman that you can't even see the one who's right in front of you!" But her words fell on deaf ears as Jake disappeared into the night and ran to Y/N's apartment where she was still sitting on the couch, her thoughts a tangled mess. 

When a knock was heard on the door, Y/N's heart skipped a beat. She quickly got up and opened the door, just enough to see Jake through the crack. The lock's chain was still in place as Y/N cautiously peered through the partly-opened door. She had mixed emotions swirling inside her, and she couldn't be sure what to expect from Jake.

"Don't use the chain. Please, angel, not on me." He looked exhausted and defeated, almost like a different person from the one who had left earlier. There was a vulnerability in his eyes and it seemed that the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

So Y/N took a deep breath and removed the chain from the door. With a heavy heart, she allowed him to step inside, and without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. For a while, they simply stood there, his face buried in the crook of her neck where everything seemed to make sense. His voice was a mere whisper against her skin. "I'm sorry, angel. I messed up. But I need you to know that I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I know," She gently ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. "But for now, just hold me a little longer." If Jake could hear her heart, he would have known that she forgave him, not because everything was okay, but because she couldn't imagine a life without him. And that's what he wanted.

"What happened with Heran?" When the two were sitting on the couch, with the only source of light coming from a softly lit lamp in the corner of the room, Y/N finally found the courage to ask the question that had been haunting her since Jake's return. She could see the weariness in Jake's eyes as he hesitated. "You don't have to explain everything right now if you're not ready."

Jake turned to look at her, his hand reaching to rest against her cheek. "I want to tell you, Y/N, I really do. But it's a long and complicated story. I'm sorry, angel, but I don't think I want to talk about it."

Y/N nodded, her fingers gently tracing patterns on the fabric of the couch. "I trust you, Jaeyun. Just promise me that you'll keep me in the loop when you're ready. You know I want to be part of your life, the good and the bad parts."

"I know. And I promise," He said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I love you, Y/N. I want you to never doubt that." She smiled a little and kissed his knuckles, and if he could smile with his eyes, he did just that. "I'm sorry our date was interrupted," Jake continued, running his fingers through her hair. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. We'll have a perfect date soon."

Y/N rested her head on his shoulder, playing with the soft fabric of his shirt. "It doesn't matter. You being here with me right now is all I need. The rest can wait. Just promise me that you won't keep secrets for too long."

Jake held her even closer, his lips pressed against the top of her head. "I promise, Y/N. I won't keep secrets for too long, especially from you. He had prayed that whatever happened next wouldn't hurt Y/N so much she would hate him. So much she would feel betrayed by the one person she trusted most in the world. He prayed that the moment she knew the truth, she'd still choose to love him.

But there was no God above to hear his prayers that night.