Julieta missed Tae’s text. It didn’t come through until the middle of the night. As she awoke the next morning, it was the first thing she saw as she picked up her phone. So when she realized that it was already a quarter till nine, she ran out to the kitchen to see if Tia was up yet. She wasn’t sitting in the little room eating breakfast. Julieta headed for Tia’s bedroom, but it too was empty, her bed neatly made. Julieta searched the entire house to no avail. Her sister was gone.
Julieta texted Tae.
—
His phone beeped as he walked towards the park. Julieta had missed his text last night. And she didn’t know where Tia was. She’d left the house before Julieta could talk to her. He sighed. Oh, well. Yeontan needed a walk, anyway. They might as well continue on to the park.
He walked briskly through the chill morning air, Yeontan dancing at his heels. The park was oddly quiet this morning. Was everyone at home sleeping off their Christmas cheer? He and Yeontan circled the park. As Tae was about to head for home, he heard the scuffle of shoes on the pavement behind him. He turned to see who else was braving the cold this morning instead of snuggling deep under their warm covers to eek out another hour of sleep.
And he stopped cold. He simply stared at her. She had chosen that very second to glance off to the right, steadfastly gazing at something for several moments. That’s why she didn’t see him. He watched her – as if in slow motion – approach him. He was so captivated, his heart racing so fast, that he didn’t react until it was too late. His arms came up around her as she walked straight into him.
—
Tia was suddenly bumping into a solid chest, two strong arms wrapping themselves around her. Involuntarily, she yelled in his ear. She was so startled, her heart flying into her mouth, that she shoved her hands against that solid chest before her eyes even connected with the face above her. But Tae was the stronger one. His arms didn’t give way even as she screamed at him, her voice cutting through the still air of that frigid morning. He simply held her tight as he spoke reassuringly in an attempt to calm the flustered girl.
“Tia. It’s me.”
Instantly, she stilled herself. The most beloved voice in the entire world had just purred into her ear. Deep, low, melodious. A rough whisper that sang along every nerve in her body, sending shocks all the way down to her toes. She closed her eyes, tears instantly springing from them.
Not again! How was she to face him two days in a row? She took a deep breath then opened her eyes. But she studiously avoided his gaze as she shoved against his chest with both her hands.
“Kindly release me, please!” she rebuked him.
Instantly, he let go of her. And just as suddenly, he regretted it. She spun on her heel and headed for home without another word.
No! Not again! She was leaving him again. When would she stop getting revenge for his abandonment of her after Paris?
He stepped forward, and the words in his heart flowed out of his lips before she could take another step away from him.
