This story is dedicated to you if you have ever been abused by someone bigger, stronger, and seemingly more powerful than you. You are not alone. You are infinitely precious. And the trauma you endured is not your fault. Know that you are so loved. And whatever trauma you have been through – it does NOT define you. You are a beautiful rose, a lovely lily, a most precious gem.
Rated M for Mature. This story deals with some difficult topics and involves some graphic situations.
“Yoongi, eat,” she prodded gently.
He blinked, picked up his chopsticks, and attacked his galbi. He finally took a bite.
“If I can eat, you can eat.” She smiled. “Besides, no caramel slices if you don’t eat your lunch first!” She twinkled at him. “And I promise you: they are worth it!!” She grinned before taking another bite of her bulgogi.
He simply stared at her. Amazed. Flabbergasted at her resilience. She had suffered a horrible trauma a little over a week ago, yet she was sitting here with him, a huge smile on her face as she tried to coax him into eating. How was she not hiding in a cave right now? Terrified of him and the whole rest of the world. How was she not convinced that everyone and everything was bent? Instead, she was looking forward to teaching him how to make caramel slices.
Was she just pushing the trauma down deep where it couldn’t hurt her so much? Or perhaps she was just fighting to think of something besides the invasion of her person. Was she simply full of relief because she’d found out she wasn’t carrying the extra weight of pregnancy today? Perhaps that mercy had lent a light to her smile. No matter the true cause of it, he had discovered one thing as his eyes took in her bright countenance.
I think I love you.
The force of it had welled up in his heart. A free-flowing emotion that sought to overwhelm him. But he couldn’t say it yet. He wasn’t about to break this girl’s heart. He would tread carefully. Slowly. With this one.
She’d been through so much. Too much. He wasn’t going to damage her any further. But his determination didn’t change how he felt about her. It seemed to him that his feelings for her were growing with every bite she took of her bulgogi.
He turned his attention to his galbi. And tried to push his newfound feelings down. He couldn’t give vent to them for a while. He needed to give her a lot of space to heal. She required time. Whether or not she recognized it.
The road ahead of her might be a long one. If Eun chose to fight the charges against him, their court case could drag out for months. Yoongi wasn’t looking forward to her having to relive the trauma that man had put her through. Yoongi didn’t want to add to the pressure she was having to endure.
He suddenly remembered her fear the other evening when she’d told him that she wasn’t willing to fight for herself. What had changed? Had she found courage simply because he had chosen to stand behind her? Or had the female police officer given her enough reasons to fight for herself? He didn’t really understand it. He wasn’t even sure that it was possible for a man in his position to understand what a woman in hers was going through. But he was glad that she had decided to pursue justice. He didn’t want her to be a victim anymore.
