“That’s it?” I shout, far louder than I mean to be, but I can’t believe it was that easy. “Seriously? That’s all?”
Kija laughs. “I know. I guess she realized it doesn’t matter now. She got what she wanted, and the pictures were already gone, so she was over it. Time to move on.”
“Wow. Okay.” I settle back down, still amazed. But I have questions. About where we go from here, about us. “Now what?”
“We’re together. The same, but better. We’re in love. We still have to be careful, but we’ll always have to be careful. You’ll stay here whenever you can get away, and we’ll figure it out,” he tells me. “I know it won’t be easy, but I also know you’re worth it.”
“Kija,” I whine because sometimes he just makes me want to cry with how sweet he is. I shift, so I can look up at him and make eye contact because I need him to know something. Before we get too comfortable, I have to make sure I say what I need to. “I know you did everything with her because of me, to protect me. And I don’t think anyone has ever loved me like that before. The fans love me, and the members love me, but this is more than that. And I promise I’ll do everything I can to show you that same kind of love.”
“You already do.” He smiles, presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’d do it all again if I had to. I’d do anything I had to for you or to keep you from getting hurt somehow.”
“I never really worried about it,” I confess. “Even if the pictures would have gotten out. I’m not ashamed of who I am. And I’m proud of being with you. If I weren’t part of RYSING, I’d be out and loud as fuck. But for now, I have tokeep it all to myself.”
Kija is quiet, but I can tell he’s listening intently, like he always does when I’m speaking. So I continue. “Nikko and I have talked about it before, how different our lives would look if we hadn’t become idols. He says he’s content to stay on the down low with Jase, even if he wasn’t famous. I wouldn’t want that, though. I want to get married. I want to have kids. Maybe by the time RYSING is finished, it will be more of a possibility.” I draw doodles and lines across his pec, up to his collarbone and back down. “What about you? Do you want any of those things?”
He chuckles a little. “My mom has always wanted all of that for me. But I never even really thought about it. I figured if anything was supposed to happen, it would. Or maybe I just wasn’t that guy.” Reaching to cup my face, his thumb sweeps over my cheek. “But now? With you? Yes, I want those things. All of them. Very much.”
Rearranging myself again so I can straddle his waist, I lean over to kiss him, hoping I can somehow express everything I feel in this moment with my lips on his. I’m so happy I could cry, do cartwheels, and kick my feet. His hand slips around to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, holding me steady as he returns every bit of the passion simmering in my veins.
I have everything I have ever hoped for, in this moment.
This could be it, for the rest of my life.
Our life.
TWENTY-ONE
KIJA
“You already kept me up all night, andnowyou’re making me wear a blindfold? Seems like these activities could have happened at the same time,” Sun grumbles, still cranky from being up earlier than he’d prefer.
“Just trying to keep things spicy,” I tell him, my hands on his shoulders as I gently guide him into the passenger side of the car. My goal was to wear him out enough that he’d sleep for the entire ride and wake up just in time to be surprised when he saw where we were.
“I don’t think we’ve been together long enough to worry about getting bored,” he comments, once we’re both situated and pulling our seat belts on.
I lean over to press a kiss to his cheek. “I can’t imagine that I’d ever be bored with you.”
“Good answer.” He gives me a pleased sort of smile, then sighs. “It’s really weird to sit here and not see anything.”
“Seems like a good opportunity for a nap,” I suggest, starting the car and carefully backing out. “Catch up on all that beauty rest you missed out on last night. Although, I do recall that I definitely did not hear you complaining at the time.”
Sun makes an indignant noise. “Are you saying Ineedbeautyrest?”
“Absolutely not,” I assure him, as I pull out into traffic. “But I see you’re choosing to ignore the rest of that statement in regards to your enthusiastic participation in what was keeping you awake.”
“Hmph.” Sun huffs and squirms around in the seat until he’s comfortable, his head positioned just right so he can attempt to get some sleep. “Wake me up when we get… wherever.”
Reaching over to give his thigh a squeeze, I promise that I will, then turn up the radio a little as I steer into the lane that will take us toward the expressway. According to my navigation, it should take just about four hours to arrive at our destination, which gives me plenty of time to wonder if this might actually be a terrible idea.
??
“Sachi…psst…” I brush my fingers over Sun’s shoulder and down his arm, trying to coax him awake again.
He’d conked out almost immediately as we were leaving Seoul, his breathing deep and slow for over an hour, until he’d woken up long enough to ask how much further. When I said I guessed we had about two-and-a-half hours left, he’d folded himself up again and gone right back to sleep.
“Huh?” He stirs, his head nearly hitting the window as he comes around. “What? Are we here?”
“Almost,” I tell him. “You can take the blindfold off now.”
