-Early December-

Triggers/Spoilers: hurt, heartache (a lot of feels)

Warnings: a BRIEF description of sexual assault (look for ***)

I don't think I have ever cried as much as I did on that first day. There was a tightness in my chest like I was trying to breathe underwater. My ribs felt cracked from the numerous attempts of taking in a full breath. My lungs weren't getting enough oxygen, the sobbing made it hard to. When my mouth would open, at first I thought it was to absorb the colorless gas my body needed to survive but instead, it was to let out sounds I had never heard myself make. It was a siren-type wail. I felt like La Llorona, searching for the person I cared most for but couldn't find. Couldn't find him because the monster inside me had caused him to leave. I had caused the destruction. I had murdered what I treasured most. I was the reason for my own pain.

I wanted nothing more than to call him. I would grovel and beg—whatever he wanted, I would do. Whatever demands he had, I would obediently follow. I would do it all just to have him back. To have him close.

I didn't care how pathetic I sounded. Didn't care how wrecked I looked.

I just wanted to breathe again. And he was the source of it.

It was in those first hours of crying out in agony that I realized the truth of what Namjoon had become for me. He had become the most vital chemical element to keep my body alive: oxygen. The little air I was able to inhale felt so wrong, almost poisonous. Rather than healing me, it was slowly killing me.

Fuck, I was so pitiful.

I was in pieces for a guy who didn't feel the same for me as I did for him. Didn't see a proper woman he wanted to be with. Didn't recognize me as a person to respect.

"You've given it up easy before."

Fresh, boiling tears made their way down my overheated face as the words echoed over and over and over. The siren came back out.

My stomach began to cramp from the shaking. My body automatically curled up, trying to ease the pain.

I think that's how my tia found me.

At first, I didn't recognize the voice. It sounded too high, too screechy. Tia Jia was normally so calm and sweet sounding. Had it not been for the familiar smell of orange blossom, I wouldn't have known it was her.

I'm not sure where she found me, but I was certain it wasn't in my room. I don't know how I managed to drive myself home that night, but I remember parking. I recall entering my house. I think I might have sat on the couch? The living room was the last thing I remembered physically seeing. Everything after was a blur—literally. The tears made it difficult to see anything.

The next time I recognized my surroundings, I was in my bed.

My head felt like it was splitting into pieces, but I was aware of my aunt holding me. Her scent and embrace sent a bit of warmth through me. When I realized she was there, I only cried harder. It was like I was a toddler and the only way I would feel better was through her touch and words. That's what moms are for, right? To erase all the pain and make everything better?

I clutched her desperately. Praying she would be able to eradicate the ache.

But after what seemed an eternity, it was still there. The fucking pain was still present. It was the first time in my memory that my tia Jia couldn't make it better. And this made my chest shatter. The siren in me wailed until my vocals gave.

"Sweetheart, you have to eat."

My tia Jia was sitting next to me in my bed, a tray on her lap.

The motherly strokes on my hair were comforting, but still not enough. It had been a while since my body exhausted itself. Tears were still coming out and my stomach, chest, and head still felt like they had gone through a car crash, but at least the wailing and shaking stopped. I could take normal breaths now, even though it still felt wrong.

"Sweetheart?" Tia Jia's voice sounded strained, like in pain. I was alert enough to detect it.

There was another kick to the stomach. I felt guilty for my state. It must be tough on her. I could at least answer her. "No, thank you," I let out. It hurt to speak.

My aunt heard the scratchiness in my voice. "At least have some water. Please."

She sounded so desperate. I couldn't say no. I lifted my hand, motioning for the water.

She quickly handed me the flask, which thankfully had a straw attached to it. I wouldn't have to sit up to drink from it. Bringing the straw to my lips, I took a sip. My throat and dehydrated skin welcomed it. I was about to put it back down, but my logical mind forced my mouth to take at least one more long sip.

Closing the straw, I set down the flask next to me.

There was silence for a while again. The only thing I could feel was my tia's touch on my hair and face.

Finally, she spoke up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Warm, new tears flowed down my cheeks.

"Did something happen with Namjoon?" she asked, gently.

I sniffed. "He broke it off."

She let out a pained sigh. "Why?"

"I can't do this, Maya. I can't be in a relationship where it's just about sex. I want more."

New sobs began to make their way through my chest and traveled up my throat and down my eyes. "I'm not what he wants."

It felt like a knife cut into my chest again. My old wounds still had not healed, so they quickly reopened.

Many years ago I developed a crush on Namjoon. I was quick to recognize it. However, for many reasons, I suppressed those emotions. One of those reasons had been that I knew I wasn't his type. Physically or emotionally. Sure, he had eventually found me attractive and he started to develop a crush on me back. But he had realized last night I wasn't built to be someone he could have a relationship with.

Namjoon was someone who loved to talk about philosophy and the human condition. We shared plenty of deep conversations, but I had never been able to fully let him in. There would always be a wall that prevented him from fully entering. And I just couldn't take it down.

I explained little bits to my tia Jia about what Namjoon had said. I mentioned how my mother had called about the fucker. I admitted that I was still unable to talk to Namjoon about the incident and I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to tell him about it. It was because of all my issues that made Namjoon not want me.

I curled into a ball as I finished my story to my tia. My stomach aches were starting again and my heart was racing pretty fast.

My tia applied some pressure on my chest. "Breathe, sweetheart. Breathe."

I followed her instructions. It took a few minutes but I had settled down again.

When my aunt felt safe to speak again, she did. "Sweetheart…what is keeping you from being fully transparent with Namjoon?"

I gave a pathetic shrug and didn't answer. I knew it was a childish response.

"Well, I think it would be a good thing to figure out, don't you think so?" she lightly pressed.

"Even if I did open up, I'm not what he wants, tia," I mumbled.

"Now what would make you say that?" There was a bit of chiding in her tone.

"Because he's known me for how long and I just now started catching his eye? He only became interested in me because I was the only girl around him who was available. After his bad break up, he's been looking for a rebound." I was finally voicing fleeting thoughts I had had in the starting part of my relationship with Namjoon. These thoughts had never lingered for too long, but in a state of complete low, my self-pity was scrapping for any negativity it could find.

My aunt wasn't about to let me swim in that self-pity, though. "That breakup happened two years ago. His rebound was that girl he dated briefly earlier in the year. You are not his rebound."

There was silence again.

My brain internally battled with my broken heart. Logically, I believed my tia Jia's words, but the ache in my chest was marinading in the words that had shattered me.

"You've given it up easily before, whatever. I'm not that way."

"The fact that…you did that with me…. I just don't know how to feel about that."

"We started this wrong. But like a fucking horndog, I gave in."

"I can't even say we can go back to being friends because I can't. I can't and won't go back to that. I respect myself too much."

"He still doesn't want to be with me," I said as my throat tightened. "It doesn't matter if I tell him what he wants to hear. At the end of the day, my self-respect apparently doesn't align with his. I'll always be the girl who took it up the ass."

"What?" Tia Jia asked, thrown off.

I hadn't shared this piece of information with my aunt. The detail was a little too intimate for me to have shared with her. But I had spilled the beans; she couldn't unhear it and I couldn't unsay it.

"We had sex before the fight—before my mother called. It was anal." I felt a flush of embarrassment hit my cheeks and neck, but I continued speaking. "During the fight, he brought up how he valued the act we had committed and I didn't. I'm just a slut in his eyes."

"He did not call you that," my tia said with conviction. But then a beat later, she doubted herself. "Did he?"

"He might as well have," I said in a small voice.

"Oh, sweetheart," she said simply. She didn't say anything else, though. This time, she let me cry and wallow in my self-pity.

I honestly couldn't remember how that night went. I mostly stayed in my room. My tia stayed the night with me. I caught her a couple of times on my phone. I was sure she was taking care of things for me, not that I had a lot of meetings. I might have had one, but I honestly couldn't care less about it.

I was grateful she was there to handle it.

I had never felt this vulnerable before. Never been so pathetic. The last time I felt this low had been many years ago when my cousin died. But that had been a different kind of heartache. I dealt with the death mostly in anger. This time, there was no one but me to be angry at.

And as much as I wanted to bathe in self-anger, I couldn't. Sorrow was all I could feel.

My tia eventually had to leave. "Your Uncle John has an appointment, sweetheart. If you want, I can come right after."

I shook my head at her. "I'm good."

She stared at the food next to me on the bed. "At least eat the vegetables, please. You didn't eat dinner last night and this morning, you only had a few grapes. Lunch was left completely untouched. The least you can do is eat the vegetables."

I reached out to my plate and grabbed a celery, taking a bite without a word.

"Thank you," she said genuinely. She began to gather her things. "If you need anything, just go downstairs. Someone's here to keep an eye on you."

I wanted to argue with her and tell her I didn't need looking after. I was positive she had called Jenny, her daughter and my best friend from childhood, to come look after me. However, I knew my tia well enough to know it would do no good.

She came around and gave me a soft kiss. "I'm only a phone call away. Do you want your cell with you?" she asked as she motioned towards my night table.

I shook my head. It was getting close to it being 48 hours since I touched that thing. I wanted to stay away from it for as long as possible.

"Love you," she said as she disappeared into the hall.

I rolled over and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would come fast.

It did manage to come for several hours but my body had had enough of it. When I woke up, the stars had replaced the sun in the sky. There was a sudden sharp pain in my head. My body was angry at me for neglecting it. I pushed off the bed and felt an immediate cold.

I put on some pajama bottoms and put on thick socks. I think I had showered sometime yesterday because I surprisingly didn't feel crusty. I touched my hair, feeling it damp. It was the confirmation I needed that I had, in fact showered sometime in the last 24 hours. Sometimes, I tended to put my hair up in a bun right after showering. This only prolonged my thick hair from fully drying.

After applying more layers of clothes and being grateful for not smelling, I took the plate of food that was still on my bed and took my water flask. Maybe I could microwave the food.

As I made my way down the hall, I adjusted the thermostat to warm up the house and went to get my food reheated.

Coming closer to the kitchen, I noticed the lights were on. After entering, I quickly saw the refrigerator open and a person standing behind it. Jenny must be up for a late-night snack.

"Don't eat the cake; it's gone bad," I warned.

"I'm not craving sweets anyway," came a deep and husky voice.

My heart stopped, panicking. I didn't recognize the voice right away, so I acted on instinct. I placed down my food and took hold of the nearest, heavy object.

Before I could demand who was in my house, Yoongi's head popped out from the other side of the fridge.

I let out a heavy and relieved sigh. "Son of a bitch, Yoongi. You scared the shit out of me." I set down the heavy object, which turned out to be a rather pricey jar. Thank god I hadn't used it. That would have been an expensive mistake.

He frowned. "I thought eomeonim told you I was here."

I had completely forgotten I had invited Yoongi and his team to stay at my house. I had mentioned it to my Tia Jia after Yoongi agreed to stay over. The day we decided on Yoongi coming over, I was set to have a meeting. Tia Jia was going to be here to let Yoongi and the two guys in. That must have been last night. Or this morning. Shit, what day were we on?

I rubbed my head, feeling the sharp pain in my head again.

"Hungry?" Yoongi asked, a small hint of concern in his voice.

I nodded. "I was going to heat this up," I said, motioning to the food.

He stared at the plate for a moment, no emotion given. Then reached over, took it, and placed it away from me. "Want a sandwich?" he asked as he turned around to the refrigerator again.

"It's fine. I can just heat up the plate."

"It's gone bad."

"Since when are you picky?" I asked, feeling irritated all of a sudden. "I've eaten pizza that's been sitting out for 2 days."

"Bet your stomach didn't feel proud about that," he muttered, taking out ingredients.

"I'm alive still, aren't I?" I shot back.

He turned to me and did a once-over on me. He shook his head in disbelief. "Have you looked in the mirror? You look like death."

I flipped him off.

That made him crack a smile. He reached for my water flask and filled it up.

I gladly took it, drinking a long sip.

We were quiet for a while as he put together a sandwich for me. Yoongi and I had eaten together plenty of times, not to mention cooked alongside one another. He knew my preferences.

After a long moment, he finally spoke up. "How you feeling?"

I took a breath, starting to feel my stomach get queasy. "Like shit," I said genuinely.

I felt his eyes on me. He went still for a long moment, probably assessing what he could and should say.

There was a yearning in me that wanted to ask Yoongi about Namjoon. Fuck, just thinking of his name squeezed at my chest. An image of his beautiful dimples crossed my mind. The cluster of freckles across his nose and eyes would turn into a constellation whenever he smiled a certain way. But then the red eyes that were so full of hurt that night replaced the image, breaking my heart all over again.

The sound of a plate being placed down made me snap to the present. In front of me was a very good-looking sandwich. I knew Yoongi's skills enough to know it was delicious. Yet, I had little interest in eating it. I knew my body needed to eat, so I took a few bites. I tasted the flavors of the ingredients and knew they were a perfect fusion, but I still felt zero enthusiasm for it. I managed to eat half of it, my stomach somewhat satisfied. After a few more sips of water, I felt the headache start to wear off.

When Yoongi noticed I was done eating, he finally spoke up. "Want to talk about it?"

It was strange because I did and I didn't. I didn't want to relive that night. But I also knew I needed to let out my emotions.

I took a breath and tried to control the tears that started to form in my eyes. "I can't give him what he wants." Saying the truth out loud hurt a lot more than just thinking about it.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke. "And what does he want?"

The warm tears made their way down. "Not me."

There was silence for a long moment. The truth lingered in the air and pressed down on me.

After a long moment, Yoongi finally spoke. "Namjoon very rarely goes after something he is not sure about."

There was almost a somber look on his face. He wasn't looking at me, but in so many ways, it certainly felt like he was looking right into my eyes.

"He wants you, Maya."

Conflicting emotions ran through me at hearing this. I knew Yoongi well enough to know that he was always honest. He would never say something he didn't mean just to spare my feelings or make me feel better. But then Namjoon's words the other night echoed in my head, telling me that I wasn't what Namjoon wanted. It was so hard to think clearly.

"You don't think he does." Yoongi's voice was soft and certain.

I gave a short nod, not trusting myself to speak without becoming a sobbing mess.

Yoongi let out a heavy sigh. "Sad."

I was confused about what he meant by that. But, again, I was too scared to use words at the moment.

He stayed in the kitchen with me as I picked through my food. Eventually, we made our way over to the backyard where he drank his whisky into the night and I curled on the outside couch and looked up into the dark sky. I searched through the constellations, trying to find the freckles that would hopefully give me some solace.

The next couple of days passed slowly. My tia called several times, checking on me. I didn't stay long with her on the phone, finding my throat too sore to speak for too long.

She didn't push it. For a brief moment, I was a little confused why she wasn't calling more often or insisting I stay on the phone with her longer. However, I noticed how closely Yoongi observed me. He usually was in the room with me or in the next room. I caught him texting a lot.

He used his phone for researching random facts, watching movies, documentaries, and playing odd mobile games. He had plenty of friends he messaged. Yes, he was usually glued to his phone, but I still noticed he was on it more than usual. I was certain he was keeping Tia Jia up to date about me.

Had his staff been around, I would have felt embarrassed about being treated like some fragile kid, but thankfully, Yoongi had sent them away insisting they explore the city on their own. A part of me wondered if they had heard about my walk of shame. Did they hear about how I had left Namjoon's hotel room looking like some cheap whore?

The sting lingered throughout my chest, cracking my ribs.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Yoongi asked, pulling me away from my heartache.

It was night and I lived in a secluded area. Even if we came across other people, they wouldn't be able to see us clearly. They wouldn't notice Yoongi. I thought for a moment, debating with myself. I hadn't left my house in days; hadn't seen other faces. I had been bathing in my self-pity for many nights. Maybe it was time I snapped out of it. A walk would be good.

After nodding, we got ourselves ready and headed toward the beach.

We walked along the sand for a long while, and no words were said.

Eventually, Yoongi spoke. "How you feeling?"

Since the first night he had arrived, he asked me this towards the end of the day.

I gave a shrug. "A little better."

He gave a nod. "Have you gone through your messages yet?" he asked carefully.

I had confessed to him yesterday morning I hadn't looked through my messages since that night. I was scared to see Namjoon's name on it—I couldn't deal with reading through his words. Would they cut deeper? Bury me lower than I already was?

But what if he hadn't written me? Somehow, his sending me nothing would be much worse.

Looking through my messages right now wouldn't do me any good. I shook my head.

Yoongi let out a heavy sigh, similar to the one he had given the other night.

The scene replayed in my head and I remembered my unspoken question. I couldn't ask it that night, but I could tonight. "What did you mean when you said 'sad' the other night?"

Yoongi was quiet for a moment. It was like he was thinking about his words carefully before speaking to them out loud. "I find it sad that you're not allowing someone to truly see you."

I was too stunned by his words to give a vocal response. My head turned to him, wondering if he was going to further elaborate.

He did. Keeping his eyes ahead, he continued his walk and I kept up. "As a friend of yours, I've seen parts of you—some of them aren't great qualities—and still, I love you."

Tears came to my eyes. It was rare to hear Yoongi tell me he loved me. Any time he did, it would move me because I knew it wasn't easy for him.

"You've been around Namjoon during some of his bad moments; moments that would paint him negatively. Do you feel differently about him—knowing and witnessing his bad qualities?"

Shaking I said softly but strongly, "No."

"How do you feel after seeing him make mistakes and show his flaws?"

Moments of bad decisions Namjoon had made in his past crossed my mind. Yoongi's question lingered throughout the memories. And all I could feel was my heart grow warm and expand.

I could feel Yoongi's eyes on me. I hadn't said a thing but seemed to be hearing my thoughts. "That's what it means to care about someone—to accept the good and the bad. Whatever shit you're afraid of in your past, fuck it. Don't let it keep you from allowing someone amazing like Namjoon in."

Suddenly, the face of the fucker entered my mind.

******His hands on me. I sat frozen, feeling my body lit up in flames.*******

Was the fucker the reason why I had this goddamn wall up? I thought I had moved on from him. Had he crept back into my subconscious and made me vulnerable again? Was he the reason why a wall existed that prevented me from allowing Namjoon in?

These last few days I thought it was just the way I was built. I could never be what Namjoon needed. I wasn't made to let someone fully in. Having gone through therapy years ago I thought that I had grown as much as I could have.

I felt the arms around me before the tears. It wasn't until Yoongi was hugging me that I noticed I had been crying. My face was wet, my nose was runny.

"It's not just Namjoon that would like to break down that wall," Yoongi said softly as he held me. "We all notice it. Some of us understand on a more personal level than others, unfortunately."

We shared a knowing look. He was meaning himself. Yoongi also had his wall.

"You feel it's easier to keep people at a distance," he said, holding eye contact. "The guys taught me differently."

I looked away, feeling a bit of shame for having my faults.

Yoongi kept talking. "The guys and I normally never push—Namjoon especially. He respects boundaries. He allows everyone to open up at their own pace. But it's different with you. He needs more. And I believe you need more, too."

Suddenly, my heartache grew. It was no longer just about a breakup. It was about learning that I was broken.

I needed fixing.

I picked up my phone. My finger hovered over my KakaoTalk app. Dozens of notifications were still unread. Were any of them from Namjoon?

As much as I wanted to look through them, I knew deep down I shouldn't click on them.

Not yet.

My finger moved over to Contacts, selecting and calling the person I was needing the most.

My eyes were focused on the assistant's desk. Since walking through the door, the feeling of déjà vu had been lingering through the air.

The lobby had remained the same. The portraits on the walls hadn't changed. The couch I was sitting on was the same one as years ago.

I clutched my phone, this time having no one on the other end that was cheering me on for being where I was.

The urge to turn my phone on and go directly to my messages was strong. But like I had the other million times, I ignored it.

In my deluded, damaged mind I saw him sitting next to me. His dimples were deep and beautiful. That proud look was written all over his face.

"Hi, Maya. Come on in," Dr. Rob said gently with a kind smile.

I returned the smile and got to my feet. As I made my way into his office, I could clearly hear Namjoon's deep, timber voice behind me.

"hwaiting!"

As pathetic as it appeared, it worked. I felt a sudden burst of courage.