Lines Crossed - Volume 1 Chapter 39 Unmemorable
I sighed as I watched Hyeri intertwine her fingers with Joon’s cheerfully. The two lovebirds walked slightly ahead, almost forgetting my existence as we strolled through the large mall. This was supposed to be an outing to cheer me up. To take my mind off my secrets. It was a kind gesture but I couldn’t help but tumble inside my own thoughts as they sauntered around having fun how can I be carefree like that when I am stuck in the revolving door of how I got here and how I could get home.
‘Secrets never disappear, not until we resolve them. And as so many people know most we can never resolve secrets, that’s why they become a secret. Because we could never sort through something important that happened to us, so instead we carry it with us. Scared to free the past and receive closure.
My name, my origin, my choices that led to death, murder and misfortune why I was alone.
Hyeri’s charming laughter floated down the large hall. Her arm linked to Joon’s people carefully walked around the happy couple, few of the older people smiling fondly as they remembered their own days like that.
They are so happy
So excited to greet the day.
It warmed my heart despite how I had been left.
Hyeri turned looking around for something. Then she turned her head back and her eyes lit on me.
“What are you doing back there?”
“Oh, sure, now you two remember I exist.” I teased playfully pretending to be upset.
“I suppose someone has too.” She teased back.
“Yah, Hyeri if this weren’t all fa” I started saying when the feeling of warm fingers wrapping around my wrist.
‘Huh? What?’
“I Found You!” A slightly familiar male voice started from behind me.
I paused with my mouth open mid sentence. Hyeri’s eyes widened and she stared unabashedly.
I turned around, the whole world suspended in time as the one person I wanted not to think about appeared.
My eyes lit on him and my sneaking gut suspicion confirmed.
‘Mark.. Why How did I end up running into him here? This… this mall is huge.’ This was my first time seeing him since I left him at dinner that night.
He looked stunning in dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved red and white striped sweater that hung open at the sides with red snap buttons running all along the edge.
“Where have you been? I was so worried about you. You weren’t at your house.”
“I was staying with my friend Hyeri.” I said gently.
‘Worried about me? Why?’
His face softened.
“I thought something had Nevermind. I have been looking for you everywhere.”
I stared. ‘Looking for me?’
‘Everywhere?…’
‘Wait, how would he have done that? Did he use my name and look for me?’
My eyes worried as I realized what that could mean for me. ‘… Does he know?’
‘If he did, did he call the police? Was this some sort of operation to catch me? Was I going to rot in some jail forever? But I haven’t even figured out how to get back home yet.’
I watched him carefully, but he didn’t show any signs of confusion or mistrust.
I schooled my face trying to hide the worry and fear I hoped didn’t show.
“Well, I should really go. It was nice seeing you again.” I nodded then tried to pull away but his hand remained firm and all I ended up doing was pulling my skin.
“Ahhh.” I hissed a little from the strength. I waited and realized his grip was lessening. I looked up to the realization on his face that he had hurt me a little bit.
“Ah, sorry.” He started when Hyeri stormed in and wrapped her hand around his wrist.
Mark and I turned to look at her.
“She doesn’t want to go with you.” Hyeri said firmly, her eyes flashing daring him to refute my wishes and ready to fight him over it.
I opened my mouth but before I could say anything. I heard the most embarrassing words smack into my body like a bullet to my brain.
“But I just want to talk to her about why she came with me to my hotel room, agreed to stay and then left me and ran away.”
Hyeri turned to me slowly, eyes wide. She sucked in her bottom lip and I could tell by the way the corners of her mouth twitched that she was struggling not to squeal.
“Hyeri, it’s well, it’s not what it sounds like.” I commented.
“You didn’t tell me you guys had become so close.”
“Well actually, the truth is.” I went to explain, but looked up and froze. Mark was giving me the dirtiest glare, one that not only said I need to talk to you right now but also said that there was no chance of escape.
“Lover’s spat” Hyeri said.
“Yes, it’s like that.” Mark confirmed before I could speak.
Hyeri’s hand dropped from ours and she smiled sweetly.
“Joon and I have them all the time. Take as much time as you want. Joon and I will just be enjoying our freedom. I felt like there might be something else going on when you repeatedly refused to leave my house.”
I gaped. “Hey, I didn’t refuse!” I snapped, then realizing people were looking at the five of us standing there, I flushed a little.
“I just didn’t want to be alone” I started.
“Well now, you don’t have to be. Sort out your stuff. I will assume you are not coming back then.” She said cheerfully.
“Hey, I meant I didn’t want to be alone without you.” I whisper, yelled at her.
She leaned in close.
“Yes, well, I am a newlywed. How about you spend some time getting to know each other better so there won’t be these misunderstandings in the future? Hmm.”
“But I dunno what to do”
“Oh, well” She paused thinking about it. “That sounds like a you problem.”
Hyeri let go of my hand and smiled then she waved at Mark gently and headed back towards Joon, who waited off to the side with Jaemin.
“Hyeri! Hyeri get back here You traitor.” I yelled after her my voice getting increasingly louder from my angry whisper yelling.
Her and Joon chatted away bliss covering their faces as they ignored my screaming from behind them.
I wished with all my might that I could just erase their stupid little selves from the comic, but I had no power here. Instead, I stomped at the ground miffed.
“I shoulda wrote you as a lonely old lady with a hundred cats!” I snapped.
A voice cleared behind me and I yelped.
‘Right Mark.’ I sucked in a lip.
“You wrote her into your story? I don’t remember that.”
I turned around placing my hands crossed delicately against my lap in front of me.
“It’s a different story, wasn’t good enough to publish.” I said carefully.
“Huh, your friends normally let you write about them in your stories? Do you do that a lot?”
“Sometimes.” I started walking hoping to get away from him creating some distance, but he matched my pace easily.
“Isn’t that like cheating?” He inquired.
I stopped and turned to glare at him icily.
“Writers like to write what they live. It helps for things to feel more relatable and more real. All the great writers write in that style.”
“All the greats? Including you?”
I flashed my eyes at him angrily.
“Yes, including me, you should thank me for writing so well, without it you…”
“Me?” he interrupted.
“I what?” he stared with interest at me waiting for me to finish the sentence he had so rudely butted in on in the first place.
“Without it you wouldn’t have anything to read.” I finished lamely.
He snorted. “Oh, sorry to burst your ego, there, but I read so many important things in a day I can’t remember anything from any pleasurable writings, besides what makes you think I read your book?”
I swivelled turning on him.
“You can’t remember anything? You didn’t even read my book.. And you are judging the prose from my book as unmemorable!” I snapped.
“My years and years of hard work Unmemorable!”
“Hey, don’t take it personally. I don’t remember anything but what’s important to my business.”
I snorted.
“Yes, I suppose it is hard to have enough room for prose when you have to have all that room in there to count your money.”
“Hey, what is that supposed to mean?” he snapped.
I smirked. “Oh please, everyone knows you are just a figurehead. You don’t actually show up to work most days. You are too busy following a lousy story that isn’t even real to care what everyone else around you is doing.”
He froze and his head snapped towards me, his eyes flashing with anger and he charged me.