rate.u | pjm ✔

twenty-seven.

sinai laid her head back on the blanket, patting her stomach. it wasn't even that she had eaten that much, but for some reason, she felt full. maybe it also had something to do with the butterflies that jimin constantly made flutter in her stomach.

"why sinai?" jimin lifted his eyebrow. it seemed like the more he got to know the girl, the more he wanted to know as well. she was addictive, in a good way.

sinai showed him a half smile. telling this story always made her think back to when things weren't as complicated as they were now. to when her family was perfect, to when they cared about each other. "my parents met when they were eighteen; they were both traveling through egypt, you know?" she began.

"they were both backpacking through the country and the both of them decided to visit mount sinai on the same day, which still sounds crazy to me, given that they were from the same country and practically the same area," she shrugged, looking up at him. "they fell in love during that trip, and they named me, their first and only child, after the place that brought them together."

jimin's eyes widened slightly. he knew that a girl like her would need to have some sort of amazing backstory. she had to be something brought by fate or destiny if those things even existed. "that's... amazing, what a love story."

sinai let out a sigh. "all love stories come to an end, and i truly don't believe in happy ever after now."

her words worried jimin. he had paid attention the night she had told him she had been to her parents' house and things hadn't gone that well. he was aware that not everything was okay in her family, but looking into her chocolate irises, he could tell that it was deeper than that. "do you want to talk about it?"

the girl shook her head. "why bring sad stories into something as nice as this?"

sensing how uneasy the topic left her, jimin offered her a smile. "so you enjoyed it, then?"

"yes," she responded without thinking twice. "how did you manage to pull all of this off, anyway?"

"i know people who know people," he lifted his shoulders and his hands, chuckling. the mere sound of his laugh made sinai smile and sit back up. "plus, i wanted to show you a bit of my world, so that you'll finally stop saying i'm some creep."

"so, is this like, your place?" she emphasized the word, pointing to him as she chuckled at his words. "you know, the kind of place you go to when you don't want to be anywhere else."

"it used to be," jimin looked around, pulling his knees to his chest. "now it's ours."

he had the strange ability to switch the mood between the two in a matter of seconds. before sinai had been amused, perhaps a bit amazed, and now it was all back to being flustered and nervous. yes, he made her nervous, even though she hated admitting to it.

"stop," she spoke, turning her head so she wouldn't look at him. jimin wouldn't give it up, though.

reaching his hand out, he touched the tip of her chin and slowly turned her face so he could look at it. he admired the way a faint blush crept up to her cheeks, the way her pink lips parted ever so slightly as she let a breath come out. "you're beautiful."

reading those things and hearing those things were two completely different situations. sinai could pretend to be strong over text, but when he was standing right there, in front of her, with those doe eyes staring right into hers, it was hard not to melt right into his arms.

it would be easy to fall into jimin's spell. it would be easy to lean in and let herself care about him more, want him more, and kiss him like she hadn't ever done before. but what would be hard, would be to get out if she wanted to. she knew jimin would be the kind of guy she wouldn't get over, considering the piece of crap her ex was who still made her have a really hard time over him.

her eyes were pleading for more, jimin knew it. but at the same time, he knew she wasn't ready for it. so, he simply removed his hand and cleared his throat, standing up and offering her his hand.

"i have somewhere else i want to take you."

"where?" she asked, knowing fully well that he wouldn't reply to her that easily.

"you'll see. i just hope you still enjoy your hide and seek games," he winked at her.

sinai took his hand and stood up. as she did so, she slightly tripped over her own feet, ending up pressing her body right against his. she didn't mean to, but her hands laid on his stomach, and she could feel the tight muscles clenching underneath his shirt. she could feel his breathing quickening just like hers as her face stood inches away from his.

she wanted him, and he wanted her, and it was as clear as the night sky that day. the tension was killing the both of them, because they knew it was also not the right time for it. not yet.

"c'mon alice," he wrapped his arm around hers, immediately missing the warmth of her body pressing against his. "it's time i take you to my wonderland."

***

author's note:

i'm so sorry for the lack of an update yesterday and sunday! i'm currently extremely busy with exams, and i have next to zero time to write. this was such a lame and short chapter, i apologize for it!

i don't know when i'll be able to update again, possibly during the weekend, but i'll be very busy until the third week of june (bleh) so my updates will be very sporadic until then. sorry again!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING THIS TO 1.4K READS AND OVER 250 VOTES! ILYSM!