Strong Hold (Pt. 2)

"Your father and I were wondering when you would be down." She said with a smile on her face and patted his hand.

"I was troubled by shirts. I didn't know which would look better on me." He tried to flex his muscles and show his mother just how tight they were in his shirt. "I think this one makes me look more handsome." He winked at her, and she hit his arm.

"Don't. You are handsome, no matter." She rubbed his face and looked down at the party as they slowly arrived at the stairs. "Your father just wants to brag about his doctor for a son." She pulled his chin to kiss the side of his cheek.

"Mom, I'm not even done yet." He rolled his eyes at her, and she hit his hand softly.

"You will be soon." She lifts her head high as they descend down the stairs in front of the guests, who are amazed at the two. "You're on your way, and we can't be more proud." He let out a scoff, turning it into a cough. 

"Dad just wants to use me." He lowered his voice to a whisper, and she nudged him a bit.

"Shh, you know your father doesn't think that." The moment his eyes flickered to hers, she was staring straight ahead.

They slowly approached the man as he held out his arm to reach for his wife. He waved in the direction of the food as she unhooked her arm from Kai. His parents walked into the dining area, moving about the room dramatically. Kai walked slightly behind his parents before standing behind the chair across from his mother. To his surprise, a girl with a small frame stood sheepishly behind the chair next to him. He tried not to notice how many eyes were on him as both parents were watching the children as they stood next to each other. The fathers stood at the end of the table, the mothers on the right side, and both children on the left. They, one by one, began to sit at the table before food began being served. As the plates settled onto the table, conversations began. He silently began to eat, trying not to make eye contact before his father began to fill the silence between him and her. 

"Kai will be graduating this summer. We're excited to see him begin his next steps." He chuckled proudly as he began to cut into the food.

"Really? We are feeling the same. Our Krystal is finishing school and plans to take her bar exam soon." Her father proudly chuckled as the two men looked at their children.

Kai knew what was going on, and this had to be the most frustrating thing his parents forced him to do. For the past two years, they've been consistently trying to marry the two for their own selfish gain. He had been playing the game of avoiding the obvious because as long as they didn't bring it up, he could pretend to be unaware. He silently ate, ignoring the mothers beginning their talks, boasting them as they both sat awkwardly. They had already held conversations about their lack of interest in each other. She had already met someone, and he was just very much not interested in this stressful life. The night had progressed with Kai not uttering one word, moving on to dessert and games. Kai's phone vibrated in his pocket, prompting him to pull it out and hide it underneath the table. He noticed his father's attention being preoccupied as he unlocked the screen, flashing the message.

'Yes.' He attempted to smile subtly before typing his response.

Let's-'

"Is there something the matter?" The serious tone of his father caught his attention and his phone slid into his pocket.

"I'm the leader of my study group. We're just working on a lab on Saturday." He tried to shrug everything off before trying to eat the fruit salad in front of him.

This was just one more thing for his father to brag about now. He diligently finished the dessert before looking at his parents, more his mother, who continued to disregard his apparent looks. He was ready to escape. After being forced into useless games and hearing constant nags about how lovely the two looked together, Kai decided to excuse himself to his room. He went on the basis of studying, trying to escape with his sanity. He would only make it to the stairs successfully before Krystal was invited to tag along. Kai stared at the man, who smiled at him, gesturing for the two to go. He tried to hide the small sigh escaping his lips before she hastily followed behind him. They made it up the stairs, welcoming her inside before he closed the door behind them. She settled on the bed and laughed as she shook her head.

"Still not out of your rebellious phase?" She joked, crossing her legs as she watched him.

"I'm over this. Why can't you tell your dad you are not interested in me?" He asked, looking annoyed at the thought of them arranging a marriage.

"But I am interested in you." She toyed, making him scoff.

"Be serious." He walked over to his desk sitting down to face her.

"I am." She shrugged and then lay on the bed. She laid on her stomach to prop her legs in the air. "Your cute, annoying attitude, but I could tame you." She winked, flashing a smile in his direction, causing him to swat at the space in front of him.

"Whatever." She smiled and sat up.

"You're just being childish about it. Let's just marry." She said with a drug, moving closer to him. 

"Only problem is I don't like conceited girls." He spoke slowly, giving her a wink before he stood up. He walked to the door, opened it, and gestured for her exit. "Tell them you're ready to go home. I need to study." She scoffed before approaching him. 

"See you next week." She left the room, giving a sly side-eye. Even though the closing door should have finished the night, there was still more to come.

-

The ice pack was not helping the swelling at all. In fact, it probably felt worse with the ice. Kai continued his walk back to his apartment. He walked by the gate he remembered from the last time he had been walking from his parent's house. He hoped she wouldn't be outside like previously, but it didn't seem like anyone was home. Even though he realized he could not be seen, he wanted to keep going. Hands in his pocket, he held on to the thought of just getting home. That was his main focus. The thoughts continued to pass by in his mind, the moment he knew there was no escaping. He tossed the ice pack towards an empty trash can, trying to think straight with the pain at the back of his head.

As the walk took minutes, it gave him the opportunity to reflect on the night. The thoughts that raced through his mind were difficult, but there was one thing that helped. He wanted to see her for some reason. When he had seen her last time, she might not have noticed, but he could not be sure this time. He thought about the frustrating moment he harbored and the moment she looked at him. Her eyes toyed with him and tricked him, luring him into false security before, but now, maybe it could be different. The thought of her eyes and them looking at him at this moment might not be good. He debated silently to himself as he longed to just rewind to earlier this afternoon. He soon passed the restaurant, noticing it was almost closing time. His hand instinctively went to his pocket, pulling it out to see the text he had not responded to yet. His heart dialed, and his mind cooperated.

"Come out for a second." He tried to sound hopeful, hearing her abrupt silence and her breathing lowering.

"Where are you?" Her response made him smile.

"Well, my heart is with you, and I'm outside." He could hear her small laugh. "Come on out." He got a small okay before ending the call completely. He was seconds from her place, getting to the gate before leaning against the brick as he waited. He could hear the soft footsteps emerge from the house and clatter on the concrete outside. She walked out of the fence, looking for him before he grabbed her arm, pulling her into a deep hug. He held on to her, and it was a hug they both desperately needed, but she just melted, not noticing. He held on to her, taking a deep breath as his nose filled with her scent. It was like time stopped for a minute, but Jennie held on for only so long before her trance was gone. She pulled back and rested in his arms, searching his face before noticing a small cut next to his lip.

"What happened?" Her hand shot up with concern, touching his lip. He winced a little, making her look even more worried. "I'm sorry, why don't you come in?" He smiled softly, shaking his head.