74

“Here, it’s hot. Drink slowly.” Jyeon hands me the warm mug of coffee carefully and moves the tissue box from my lap. Now I no longer need it and seem reasonably sane. He’s sitting on the coffee table opposite me now that I’m calm again, and yet his eyes are glued to my face while I stare at my milky brown beverage. It feels like it’s been hours since she left, although the reality is it’s been less than thirty minutes.

“You should go downstairs and show face. The employees will notice your absence and wonder why. They saw us in the building, and word spreads fast.” I remind him softly, needing the breathing space now I’ve stopped acting like an emotional wreck. I’m embarrassed by how easily I fall apart around this man nowadays. I am exhausted and tired of how coming back here has been nothing but one tear fest after another and messes me up. Opening wounds I never wanted re-opened, and yet here we are, pullin