LOVER

Character 10

I woke up to the sound of someone banging on my door. For a while it felt like it was happening somewhere else but the person was persistent. I opened my eyes and there was a hand laying over my waist and a hard body behind me. Memories of last night flooded my mind and brought a smile to my face. Until the banging started again, this time even my phone was ringing somewhere in the apartment.

I gently untangle myself from Ghu He Zhou's hold and put on my gown. I followed the sound of my ringing phone till it stopped and then started again. I grabbed it out of my bag and my mothers name was flashing on the screen. The banging on the door had stopped for a bit.

"Tae. Open this door." I heard my mother screaming from the other side of the door. My survival instincts have never been the best, that's why I opened the door without even thinking. My mother rushed in and threw her arms around me. "Oh my baby." She said. I wasn't sure what was going on so I hugged her back and waited for her to calm down.

She pulled back and looked at me up and down. "What did he do to you? Did he hurt you?" She asked.

"Who?"

"That stupid police officer who held you hostage. He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me." I told her. She sighed and pulled me in for another hug.

"I was so scared when.........." Her words trailed off and she got off me slowly. I followed her gaze and realized Zhou was behind me.

"Annyeong haseyo." He said, for once he sounded nervous. I could feel my heart beating at a hundred beats per second. My mother ignored his greeting and turned to me.

"What's going on here? Who is he?" She asked me.

"He is a friend." I replied. She crossed her arms on her chest and looked at him from top to bottom. My mother was not usually a rude person but this, this was beyond being rude.

"A friend? Who sleeps in the same bed as you?" She asked. Her eyes were still glued on Zhou. There was no point even denying it. The other room did not have a bed let alone any place for anyone to sleep. She squinted her eyes and stared at him longer. I tried to pull her to the lounge but she wouldn't budge.

"Mum, lets sit down. I will make you something to eat." I offered hoping to create some small space for him to leave, but my mother was not moved.

"I don't want anything. Do I know you?" He fired her question at Zhou. "No man, your face looks familiar, where do I know you from?" She insisted. I knew it was a matter of time before she remembered the sketch. I needed to get Zhou out of the apartment before she goes on a tirade.

"Mother, you don't know him. How did you know about me being held hostage anyway?" I asked hoping to distract her from the situation we were in.

"Your brother told me." She replied.

"Okay, let's sit down." I tried to lead her to the lounge but she stopped halfway there and turned around to look at Zwelethu again. I could see the wheels turning in her head.

"The serial killer. That's who he is." She tried to whisper but we both heard her. I looked at Zhou and he had his jaws clenched. I guess that will be something he will never shake no matter what.

"He is not mother and that's a rude thing to say to someone." I said. She gave me a side eye before turning to Zhou again.

"I may be old but I'm not stupid. I can never forget his face. I know who he is. What I don't know is what he is doing in your apartment?" She questioned. As soon as her mind gave her the answer she turned to me and I could see raging flames in her eyes.

"You naughty mannered child! What is this?" She whimpered as if someone had punched her in the stomach.

"I'll explain......"

"How about now? Explain to me why you're colluding with known criminals? Are you trying to ruin your reputation and lose your license? Is that what you want?" She screamed.

"Its not like that."

"I think I should leave." Zhou offered.

"Yes, leave. And don't ever set foot here ever again. And if I ever see you anywhere near my daughter I will personally put a bullet through your head. You hear me?" She screamed some more. Trying to control her was proving to be difficult.

"Yebo ma." Zhou said before walking out the door.

I took a step ready to go after him but my mother pulled me back so quick I almost fell on my butt.

"Don't you dare." She hissed. She pulled the burglar bar and locked it before slamming the door. "What was that Taegyeom?" She asked.

"That was you being rude to my guest. This is my apartment, you don't get to throw people anyway you want." I told her. I was beyond being embarrassed about being found with a boy, I was angry. Zhou was no saint but she didnt have to yell and scream at him like he is some useless thing.

"Taegyeom, are you listening to yourself? Better yet, are you not aware who I am to you?"

"I know who you are mama, but I know him too. And for you to treat him like a criminal was uncalled for. He offered to stay with me last night because some lunatic decided to hold me hostage. That's all he was doing, trying to keep me safe." I screamed at her. I'd never been rude or spoke some type of way to my parents, especially my mother but her actions were uncalled for.

She took a few deep breaths before she spoke.

"You know what, I can see you need to come back down to earth before I bring you back with a hot slap. Make me some tea." She demanded before throwing herself on the couch. I looked at her, trying to put myself in her shoes and failed. What do I know about protecting anyone. I dont have a child.

"You can make yourself tea." I replied before marching to my room and slamming the door.

I got my phone out of my gown pocket. I needed to call Zhou to apologise. And then I remembered I don't have his number. And he doesn't have mine either since I changed my sim. I sighed and threw myself on the bed. I needed to find a way to get in touch with him. I decided to clean my room while my mother was probably calling every single person in our family to tell them that I am colluding with criminals.

I finished making the bed and dreaded going to the kitchen to get the broom. I may have overreacted by the things I said to her but my stupid ego and pride would not let me admit it. I sat on the bed, going through my phone, somehow hoping that I may find his number. I never even saved it so it was a waste of time really.

"TAEGYEOM. OPEN THIS DOOR. RIGHT NOW." I heard my fathers voice bellowing through the door. I knew my mother would do this. I got off the bed and opened the door. My father was angry. His nostrils were flared and I could see his ears had turned red. The disadvantages of being light skinned. "Follow me." He ordered. I followed him to the lounge and I found my brother and my uncle as well. My mother sat on the couch with her hands crossed on her chest and her feet tapping on the floor. "Sit down." My dad said pointing to a chair. I sat down and kept my eyes on the ground.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" My uncle started. "Speak Taegyeom." He half yelled.

"I don't know what you want me to say." I answered.

"Tell them how you shouted at me because I reprimanded you for having a serial killer in your house. Tell them that." My mother shouted. I was sure I was going to get a noise fine by the end of the day.

"I dont understand, which serial killer are you talking about?" Lwandle asked her. "I left her here with two guys whose brother is my colleague." He told them.

"The guy who has been on the papers for a while now." Mum clarified. Felix pulled out his phone and showed her something. "Yes, that's the one."

"He is not a serial killer ma?" Felix told her.

"So you know this boy? You left him here with your sister on purpose?" My dad asked. All of a sudden I was invisible and they were having a conversation amongst themselves.

"Are you in a relationship with this boy?" My dad asked.

"She can never be in a relationship with him." My mum answered first. "This is the same person who was on every newspaper for being a killer. Unless she wants to throw her career down the drain then she can go ahead and continue, until people find out she is busy with a known criminal then her face will be plastered on every newspaper for being the stupid girl who threw away her career for a man. This is not a Bonnie and Clyde movie. This is real life." My mother was on a war path and nothing I said would make things better.

The impromptu meeting took longer than I needed it to. The conclusion was simple, I had to stay away from Zhou. My parents and uncle left after making sure I understand their decision. Felix left soon after citing exhaustion. As soon as he left I took a bath and got dressed then drove to the house Zhou had called me to. Good thing I still remembered the address. I parked outside the gate and hit the intercom. It was hard to tell if anyone was home. There was no car in the driveway and the curtains were closed. I hit the intercom for ten more minutes before I gave up. Maybe they were not home.

I drove to work and found a small white box on top of my desk with a bouquet of flowers next to it. I smelled the flowers before opening the box. Inside was a gold chain necklace with a round pendant. I pulled it out of the box and it was beautiful. I opened the pendant and there was a bullet inside. The same bullet I had pulled out of Zhou he first time I met him. On the other side was a date. The date we met.

I pulled out the card from the flowers.

"Hi Dr Taegyeom. I hope this finds you well.

Last night I told you I loved you. And I meant it. I do love you.

More than I thought I could love someone. Last night I was

certain my life would go a certain way. But like everything else in life, when the sun rises, things always become clearer.

Yes I love you, but I love you enough to let you go.

I am not an angel, I've done things in my life I could never take back. Not that I want to. Having my face plastered all over the place for the past few years, was a means to an end. An end that I have reached. Your mother was right. You've worked way too hard for your career to just let it burn because of me. I love you way too much to let you do that so it's best I stay away from you. Maybe if we had met under different circumstances things would work. One thing I know for sure though is that you will always hold my heart no matter where I go.

The bullet. I've kept it with me for all these years because it was a reminder of how you saved my life. Never once judging me, you saw me. Saw beyond the coldness in me and reminded me to live. And I hope it will also serve as a reminder for you to live. Live your life and fulfill every dream you've ever had.

I love you Tae, I hope one day I can be worthy of your love. And if not in this lifetime then maybe the next.

Love

Ghu He Zhou

By the time I had finished tears were streaming down my face. A part of me was touched at his 'selfless' gesture but another part of me was angry that he didn't fight for us. I was ready to go toe to toe with my own family for him and he just gave up. What kind of a person just gives up like that. Maybe he was right, as much as we loved each other, we could never be.

ZHOU

"I never figured you to be a coward." Xin Xi said for the hundredth time. The two were seated in a lounge at the airport waiting for their flight. Their job was done. They had got justice for their mother. Maybe not directly, but her killer was certainly going to spend the rest of his life behind bars, that's all they wanted.

Zhou rolled his eyes and continued paging though his magazine.

"So you're going to disappear like a thief in the night? You're not even going to talk to her personally? What kind of breakup is that?" Xin Xi continued.

"Can you please let it go."

"No. I don't get you. Her mother screams at you and you go running with your tail between your legs. Brother, you're better than that." Xin Xi urged. Zhou sighed.

"Look I know that. But Taegyeom deserves better."

"If you say so."

"I do. Now please let it go." Zhou begged his brother. Xin Xi was quiet for a second.

"Okay, one more question. What exactly are you afraid of? That she would choose her family over you? Are you afraid of rejection?" He asked.

"No. I don't want to put her in a position where she even has to choose. I'd rather take myself out of the equation completely." Zhou said.

"At her expense?" Their flight number was called out.

"She will be fine. She is stronger than you think." Zhou said. At this point it was hard to tell who he was trying to convince between him and his brother. What he did know though was that someday, maybe not today or anytime soon, maybe he will find the courage to come back and fight for what is his.

THE END