Chapter 307: Meeting the past [2]
Jiyeon blinked in confusion, and her lips parted as she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. "Kael? What... what are you doing here?"
Brandon’s eyes trembled the instant he heard her words.
Without giving himself a second thought, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
The sudden embrace shocked Jiyeon and her whole body stiffened as his arms locked around her, pressing her close without warning.
She instinctively glanced at him, "Kael... what... why are you here? What happened?" she stammered in half fear and concern.
She moved quickly, closing the door behind them with a soft click.
As soon as the door closed, Brandon’s arms pulled her tighter, "Yeon."
For a brief moment, Jiyeon froze, and then, slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, not quite as tightly, but enough to answer his desperate hug.
She closed her eyes, and for a fleeting second, the walls she had built crumbled.
They stayed like that with their bodies pressed together for a while before Brandon pulled back.
His gaze sharpened, and he yelled in frustration "You idiot! Are you out of your mind?!"
"W-What?!" Jiyeon was dumbfounded, as she couldn’t understand why he was suddenly scolding her.
But without waiting for her to respond, Brandon again hugged her.
"Dumbass..." he muttered against her hair, his lips barely brushing her ear, "You broke up with me because my sister forced you to?!"
Jiyeon’s eyes widened in disbelief, "K-Kael... how... how did you...?" she whispered and quickly raised her hands, cupping his face.
He grasped her hand and looked at her.
She shook her head quickly, almost desperately, "How... how did you know that?" she whispered. "Y-You shouldn’t be here..."
Her eyes darted toward the door, then back to his face "Kael... you need to leave... right now... your sister... she’s a monster."
She clutched his face tighter for a brief second and then suddenly loosened her grip, "If she knew... if she even found out I talked to you again..." her eyes filled with tears, brimming and trembling on the edge of spilling.
"She would... she would kill me... and my family..."
The fear in her eyes made Brandon freeze for a moment.
"She threatened you... like that?" he asked quietly and his hand tightened around hers without him realizing it.
Jiyeon’s eyes overflowed, and a tear slid down her cheek.
She bit her lip hard, as if trying to stop more from falling, but the tears came anyway "Kael... you need to leave... quickly... please."
"I’m... I’m scared... I don’t want anything to happen to you... she will... do something..."
Her whole body shook with fear, but beneath it all was a desperate, pleading love she couldn’t hide.
Even as she urged him away, her eyes clung to him, as if letting him go was tearing her apart.
He shook his head and hugged her "No, Yeon... It’s all right now... it’s over, she won’t do anything anymore."
"NO!" she cried, shaking her head violently.
Her eyes flashed with panic, and she pulled back, gripping his shoulders with trembling hands "Listen to me, Kael... listen! She is dangerous..."
She swallowed hard before forcing herself to speak again, as she remembered that day "Last time... last time she almost beat me... to death..."
"I-" she choked on the words, her throat tightening. "I thought I... I thought I would die... and she... she will... do something to you too if she knew you came back..."
The tears in her eyes finally spilled over, tracing down her cheeks.
Brandon’s grip loosened, but he didn’t let go entirely.
He let out a shaky breath, holding her hands gently now, "I... I’m here," he whispered, "I’m not going anywhere. I will protect you, I swear."
But even as he said it, he could see the fear wasn’t going away so easily.
Seems like she is deeply traumatized by Charlotte.
Without hesitation, Brandon pulled her tighter against him.
He bent his head and whispered softly, "Trust me... nothing’s going to happen from now on."
She buried her face into the hollow of his neck and her sobs came out as if they’d been held in for months and finally had somewhere to fall.
Brandon’s arms tightened instinctively, pulling her closer, trying to steady her.
He patted her head and his gaze condensed slightly ’The other personality of Charlotte, I need to do something to keep her in check...’
’She tried to kill Eira and has beaten Yeon and made her breakup with me and even threatened to kill her and family.’
Still clinging to him, Jiyeon lifted her tear-streaked face slightly and looked at him through swollen lashes "I-Is it really... okay?"
The raw fear in her eyes and seeing how fragile she had become and how scared she was, his own heart broke.
His gaze softened and he cupped her face briefly "Yeah, don’t worry... everything’s alright."
"I just came to know that you were forced to break up with me, so I rushed here to meet you."
He gently slid his thumb along her cheek, brushing away the tears.
Without thinking, he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips.
Jiyeon’s eyelashes fluttered before she closed her eyes and reciprocated the kiss.
Brandon’s lips moved against hers and he gently sucked on her lower lip, tasting the sweetness he had longed for, before letting it go.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned onto him and closed her eyes "I missed this... kissing you like this and cuddling with you."
"I missed you so much."
He smiled and kissed her cheek "Yeon... I thought I lost you."
"I’m... so scared, Kael..." she whispered against his shoulder, trembling with all the things she hadn’t been able to say before.
"I didn’t know if I would ever... see you again."
Her breath hitched, and she pressed herself closer to him, as if trying to bury the ache of all the lonely nights, all the days filled with worry and dread.
"Every day... I kept thinking about you... about what might happen... and I couldn’t... I couldn’t be brave."
Brandon’s heart ached hearing her confession.
He lifted his chin slightly and looked down at her and he brushed a strand of hair away from her face, letting his fingers linger at her temple before trailing down her cheek.
"I’m sorry... I should’ve come sooner... I should’ve protected you... I-"
"No," she cut him off gently, shaking her head. "It’s not your fault."
She opened her eyes "It’s just... I didn’t know how to fight back... and I missed you so much..."
He cupped her face again, his thumb brushing the dampness at the edge of her lashes.
"I’ll never leave you again. No matter what... I’ll be here. I’ll protect you. I promise."