Page 120 of When Worlds Collide
Invisible.
I reached for a tea towel, drying my hands methodically, using the action to put a measure of distance between us that suddenly felt necessary for me to be able to breathe.
“Ky?” His question followed me, and I waved a hand over my shoulder.
“I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Did you watch the show? I thought I saw you in the back.”
He leaned his hip against the counter, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Yes.” I didn’t turn around as I answered. “I was by the sound booth.”
There was a beat of silence, and I hated how I felt the awkwardness grow. It made the air feel thick between us.
“Did you enjoy it?”
I tossed the towel down on the counter and turned to face him. I pulled a smile up onto my face.
“It was awesome,” I said truthfully. “You guys did a great job.”
He nodded, like he’d expected that answer.
“Then why are you sad?”
The question took me by surprise, and the automatic response was past my lips before I’d even consciously thought to respond. “I’m not sad.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat. “Maybe not sad, but you are something.”
He pushed off the counter and crossed the short distance between us, placing his hands on either side of me. I was surrounded by him, physically and metaphorically.
I sighed, allowing my head to drop in the space between us.
“It’s stupid,” I mumbled.
“Tell me anyway.”
I tried to structure my thoughts into something that didn’t sound so needy. Something that a rational person might say.
“I was at the press conference too,” I said, not raising my head.
“Okay…”
“I guess–” I sighed again. “I guess I just didn’t like hearing the way you had to deny my existence.
“I mean, I get it,” I hurried on, before he could object. “We always agreed you’d deny it…” Actually, ‘agreed’ wasn’t quite what we’d done on the subject, I couldn’t help thinking.
“I just didn’t expect to be there when you said it. And–”
Jihoon brought his hands to my face, gently tipping it up to so I had to meet his eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“I–” I faltered. “You know… the bit about, ‘It’s not realistic...’”
Jihoon frowned. “Where did you get that translation?”
His question surprised me. “My colleague. She speaks Korean and English. She translated it during the conference.”
