In Between

Chapter 17

Valerie Pov.

I headed inside and saw my husband standing at the balcony, taking in the night air with a wine glass in his right hand. This was unusual for him. As I approached him, I wondered why he wasn't heading to bed, given that he typically slept at this time.

"Why are you still awake?" I asked once I reached him, standing next to him. He gave me a brief glance before returning his gaze to the dark sky.

"Your son again." he said in a low, stern tone. I placed a weak smile on my face, realizing that I was right about the reason for his behavior.

"William, can't you stop being like this towards our son?" I asked, my voice gentle but laced with a hint of concern.

"I saw them, and again, your son is being like that, Valerie." he said, his tone stern.

"They're just classmates" I replied, trying to balance the situation, as I didn't see anything wrong with Vivian and Red's interaction. Moreover, even if they were more than just classmates, I would claim to support and prioritize my son's happiness, something I had been cowardly about in the past.

"Didn't you notice your son, Valerie? They were just classmates before, but what happened?" he asked, his voice firm, making me sigh in frustration, feeling like we were going back to the same old arguments.

"He's our son, William, no matter what happens, we should support him." I replied, looking at him with determination. He turned his head, facing me with his usual expression, a mix of concern and skepticism.

"We made a mistake before, William, and I don't want Red to drift further away from us," I said, staring straight into his eyes, hoping to make him realize it was time to let their son be himself. I hadn't been able to do it for Red before, but now I felt determined to support him, to make him happy, and to bring our family back together. For us to be with him again, I thought to myself.

"Valerie, I'm just doing the best for him as his father." William said, walking away from me and heading back inside their room. I followed him with my gaze, watching as he vanished from sight. The question lingered in my mind: How can I stand up for what I believe in and make my family whole again, just like it was before?

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Red Pov

Seeing her emerge from the bathroom, drying her hair with the towel in her hand, and walking toward the sofa, as I continued watching TV from the bed. I was surprised that after dinner, she had offered to wash the plates, considering she was our guest and wasn't obligated to help. Nevertheless, I was pleased to see her take initiative. As I got to know her better, I realized she was truly a decent and kind woman. It's not that I wasn't see her that kind before, but slowly know her, I could seen her good sides.

I had intentionally helped her with the chores to make things easier for her, knowing she was tired from our interview gathering.

"Are you going to sleep now with your hair wet?" I asked, not looking at her as I kept my attention on the screen, though I had noticed her glance at me earlier when she was fixing the blanket and pillows.

"Ah, n-no, just fixing this—"

"You can take my bed." I said, interrupting her as I stood up and walked over to the study table. I could feel her gaze following me, and I knew she was wondering about the arrangement. Soon, I heard her voice in a low tone.

"Y-you... w-where do you sleep?"

"Don't worry, we're not going to sleep in the same bed." I replied, typing on my laptop without glancing at her.

"Y-you don't need to do this, Red...I'm fin—" she started to say, but I continued without pause.

"Just go there, and I'll take your place."

"But you're uncomfortable here?"

"And, so are you?" I said, glancing at her briefly before returning to what I was doing. I really insisted on this, especially since it was her last night with us. I didn't think she'd want to be uncomfortable on her last day, and yet she kept questioning me.

When I received no response, I let out a sigh, thinking she was being choosy. Fine, I wouldn't plead with her.

"If you don't want, that's fine. Take it or leave it, then." I said seriously. Soon, I heard her footsteps approaching the bed, and she stood hesitantly before composing herself to reply.

"Uhm, if you really insist. Thanks." she said, then sat down on the corner of the bed, glancing at me before looking away from the TV screen.

And so, she'd agreed now?

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Theo Pov

"Why are you dragging your feet?" My coach blurted out after finishing reading the letter I had handed him earlier.

"Our lessons in law are now three times more complicated than I imagined, coach, and I don't think I can fulfill my duties to practice and win the competition soon." I said jokingly, with a soft laugh that made him shake his head in amusement. Yes, I obeyed him, again.

"Are you sick or something, Theo? You're not like this." he said, looking at me with concern. "Coach, there are so many talented swimmers out there who are better than me. I'm sure they can win more, just like I do." I replied.

"Well, if I don't change your mind, you can go, but you can always come back to the team anytime. The door is always open for you, Theo," he said, offering me a smile. I cracked a soft chuckle at his words. I wished my father saw my worth the way my coach did.

"Then I'll take my leave now, coach. See you around. Goodbye." I said, turning my head to bow slightly before taking myself out of his office. As I headed out, I began roaming around the campus, feeling a pang of loneliness.

I missed Vivian... I needed her now, someone to rely on in this moment. My little buddy, who would become my best friend in a few months, I knew she was willing to comfort me. She gave me the energy I needed, and when I was with her, I forgot everything and whoever I am. Lost in my thoughts of her, I took out my phone, feeling an urge to text her since she hadn't messaged me since yesterday, and I was starting to worry about her.

Wait, was she awake at this time? Well, it was the weekend, so maybe she was still asleep. Either way, I didn't care,I wanted to text her and check in on her.

9:28am

Theo

Wassup! how are you Vian? when are you going home here? well... it disgusts me to admit but I'd already missed you pabo, so come home now!

9:28am

Theo

I need to talk to you, your not texting me since yesterday and my weekend now is so boring because you're not asking me to join you there!

9:28am

Anyway just be safe, and could you please texting me if you're heading back here okay? Goodbye Vian!

I cracked a chuckle to myself while typing my message to her, knowing she'd get annoyed when she read my sweet words and saw that I'd called her "pabo," which means fool. As soon as I was done texting her, I put my phone back in my pocket and continued on my way, heading somewhere without a particular destination in mind.

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Vivian Pov

I woke up to the sudden sound of mockingbirds and the shed of sunlight that streamed through the window, touching my skin and filling me with the freshness and calm of a Sunday morning. It was our last day in Daegu, and I decided to visit my family first before heading back to Busan, since he allowed me, I saw no reason not to.

I shifted my body, stretching my arms to fully wake myself up and start the morning. Rubbing my eyes softly, I sat up in bed. I was still a bit puzzled about the events of the previous night, when he had offered me his bed, which was out of character for him. I remembered that on our first day here, he hadn't offered me his place, so why did he do it on our last night? Was there a reason behind his sudden kindness? If his mother had done something similar, I would have understood, given her warm demeanor towards me, but him? It didn't seem like him.

I still remembered his words on our first night here in his room, when he suggested I occupy the same room, which made me feel that he was totally a cold guy and a snob.

"You can take the sofa," he said. "S-sofa?" I looked at him incredulously, and he stared back, his face expressionless as usual.

"Yes, what do you expect? We're going to sleep in the same bed?"

"N-no...no, I...I mean y-yes, fine. I'll go to the sofa." I said, trying to control my stuttering, though it was still evident. I looked away, avoiding his cold gaze that sent shivers down my spine, and quickly made my way to the sofa, disappearing from his sight.

Imagine that? He said those words and had me take the sofa, which wasn't very comfortable, but I had no choice. It was his room, and I was an outsider, so I couldn't complain. Initially, I felt disappointed, but it was probably for the best since sleeping in the same bed wasn't an option anyway.

The thing that struck me, though, was how different he was last night. He wasn't kind to me at first, but last night, he was. It was weird, and his mood swings were really getting to me, making me question his actions.

After spacing out for a while that morning, I headed to the bathroom to freshen up, as my morning look was horribly disheveled. I wasn't beautiful, I admitted that, but I took pride in being neat. As I made my way out, I unintentionally glanced in his direction, specifically at the sofa where he was sleeping. The sunlight streaming in highlighted him, and I caught a glimpse of him, looking freshly awake in the morning light.

Without realizing it, I found myself almost staring at him, my attention fixed on his face, now fully visible to me. I observed him, noticing that he looked uncomfortable because his legs hung off the end of the sofa, which was clearly too small for him.

You look kind when you're sleeping... That thought unintentionally formed a small, bright smile on my face as I continued staring at his angelic appearance while he was asleep. I hadn't imagined he could look so calm in his sleep, far removed from his demeanor when awake.

"How long have you been staring at me?" he blurted out, his voice jolting me back to reality. I realized he was finally awake, and as I glanced over, I saw him barely open one eye, his gaze fixed on me. I felt a surge of panic, unsure where to focus my eyes, and quickly looked away, directing my gaze elsewhere as he sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Do you dare to stare at me that long? What for?" he said again, making me frown as I wondered if he was really asking or just teasing me. But aside from that, I was struck by the deep tone of his voice, which I hadn't expected, especially in the morning. His gaze lingered on me, feeling heavy as he made no effort to avert his eyes. I felt my heart racing, the rapid pulse making me nervous. "W-what do you mean?" I stuttered.

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To be continued......