Her hair was an inch or two shorter. His had grown far too long. It wasn't summer anymore, and they'd spent so much time apart that the feel of Jiyeon’s hand in his was something new and novel. And yet, it felt just the same. Like a puzzle piece slotted into place, like a habit so ingrained that he couldn't remember forming it. Every thought slid right out of his head. Eunjae flipped the light switch. Then he kissed her the way he couldn't, with everyone else watching earlier — flush against the door, her fingers curled in the collar of his shirt.
“When you said we can't keep doing this,” she murmured, breathless, “is that what you meant?”
Right, his life was actually in mortal danger. “Ah, no.”
“Okay. ‘Cause there's a door like this at my place, too.”
Something had to be off with the central heating. Eunjae reflected on the number of occasions when this particular room had felt like the warmest one in the apartment. Right now, for instance.
Forcing himself to get a grip, he recounted the conversation with Ezra. Jiyeon listened without interrupting, but she was furious long before he finished. “Why would Leila sign off on this? He’s so young.” She answered her own question a beat later. “Well, I guess that’s never stopped her before.”
“She’s punishing me. I know she is. It’s not about Ezra at all.”
Her fingertips grazed his jaw. “Hey,” Jiyeon said, gently. “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens, Ezra’s not doing this alone. He has you.”
“Yeah,” he replied, “for all the good that’ll do him.”
“Don’t say that. He couldn’t find a better brother if he tried. You’re like a professional brother, and you sing a little. We could get you business cards.”
She said it so confidently. Eunjae found himself laughing in spite of everything that seemed to be going wrong. “Might be a bad idea. Turns out I know how to be everyone else’s brother, but I don’t know how to be his.”
Jiyeon tipped her head sideways, considering. Her earrings caught the light: tiny red flowers with rubies for petals, peeking through strands of wavy hair. “That’s okay,” she answered. “You can learn.”
He could learn. A simple, indisputable truth. She had such a gift for changing how he saw himself, for illuminating the path ahead with just three small words.
“What about your mom, though? Is she really coming back with him?”
Eunjae managed a miserable nod. “That’s what he told me.”
“Then I need to be there with you,” said Jiyeon. “They offered me a spot on the production team. I’ll tell my agent to accept.”
13
Jiyeontookanothersipof coffee and watched her boyfriend sign autographs in a grocery store parking lot. This was an odd way to start her day, but the next two months were bound to be odd all around. Maybe she’d look back later and see nothing unusual about this morning. Maybe she’d start to see it as normal.
“Ryan justhadto get out and take pictures,” Jeannie huffed, slouching in the back seat with the grocery bags and a hunted expression. “He justreallyneeded to do it, like he's never seen pumpkins before.”
“He's seen pumpkins before, but probably not this many.”
Like most American grocery store chains, Lowell’s transformed into a pumpkin wonderland as soon as the calendar flipped from August to September. Pumpkins spilled out of wooden crates and galvanized metal tubs. They formed a maze leading up to the entrance, arranged in a jumble of sizes, representing every gradation of orange. Some were yellow orwhite, or even green. This year, they had a whole row of towering sunflowers marching along the back wall. Herbs and potted plants were nestled into every space between.
“Does he know it’s even worse inside the store? Pumpkin pie, pumpkin scones, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin spice popcorn…”
Jiyeon shook her head. “Nope. Didn’t wanna risk it.”
“Until now. The call of the pumpkins was just too strong.” Jeannie sipped at her own drink, a fizzy concoction flavored with yuzu and lavender. “Hope it was worth it. Like, I’d better see Ryan’s crazy good pumpkin photography inNational Geographicor something.”
“I’m honestly not sure if he ever made it up there.”
They’d agreed that Jeannie would be the one to run in for the last minute groceries, but Jiyeon hadn’t been around to see when the ambush happened. She’d embarked on a mission of her own: investigating the waffle place that opened in this shopping center last month. By the time she got back, Eunjae was on the grassy median between two parking spots, mask dangling from one ear. He still had the book he'd planned to read in the car, an old paperback from theMolly Merriweatherseries. Autographs signed, he made polite conversation with a pair of moms pushing shopping carts. The mom on the right gazed at him tearfully, hands clasped to her chest. The baby in the lefthand cart might have seen Jiyeon’s desperate dive into the driver's seat. She hoped he was the only witness.
This ended their streak of going undetected. Of course it would happen on their last morning in Lemon Grove, running one more errand for the shop before they made the drive to Monroe. It was supposed to be a quick stop, in and out, then back to Wanna Waffle with blueberries and powdered sugar. If she approached him now, explanations would be in order. Betterfor the fans to think he’d come here on his own. Better for Prism to be under that impression, too.
“And he just left the car unlocked?” Jeannie groused. “That’s a major security flop.”
“He locked it. Eunjae has my spare set of keys, remember? You know he’s been borrowing the car to practice driving with Denny.”
“Still!”
