Helen had been in a daze all week. Checking her phone for the 10th time in the past hour, she saw that there were new messages, but not from the one person she wanted to hear from. It was Saturday morning, and she hadn't heard from Jungkook all week.

Okay technically they texted every day like usual, but Jungkook's texts were uncharacteristically short and distant lately. Jungkook was usually the one sending her memes and asking her at random times if she wanted to go to this place or that with him. Helen cast her mind back to 1 week ago.

After running into Nick and Aisha again, this time with Jungkook, she could no longer deny what her heart had been telling her for the past month. However, she didn't know how to act on it. She was scared. Scared that she would just make the same mistake she made last time, with her heart suffering the loss.

She checked her phone again. The text she sent to Jungkook yesterday asking if he'd eaten sat unanswered. "I have to do something, before I make an even bigger mistake I might regret for the rest of my life," she thought.

Gathering her courage, she called him. Just before it went to voicemail, Jungkook's voice came through.

"Hello?" His voice was quiet.

"Did I wake you?" Helen asked softly.

"No."

Helen hesitated. "Um..."

"Did you need something?" Jungkook asked directly.

"I...no, but-"

"I'm sorry, but I have things to do," Jungkook said, lamely making an excuse.

Helen's heart jumped, seeing her chance slipping away. "Wait!"

The silence on the other line was the only indication that Jungkook was still listening.

"I...I want to talk to you, can I come over?"

Silence.

"Please," Helen whispered. "I need to see you."

"Okay," Jungkook said after a long pause. "See you, Helen."

He hung up.

Helen's heart squeezed painfully. "Did I push him away? Have I been selfish?" she wondered.

She walked over to her closet, distracted. His clothes were scattered among hers, a reminder that the past month had not been a dream. Face set in determination, she pulled out a simple seafoam green summer dress dotted with flowers and a pair of safety shorts, putting them on. She put on her earrings and pulled her curly hair into a half up ponytail, the rest tumbling around her shoulders. Pulling out a couple strands to frame her face, she nodded to herself in satisfaction. Before heading out, she grabbed a black purse and stuck her feet into a pair of black lace wedges.

"I'm on my way," she texted Jungkook before starting her car.

· ── ·𖥸· ── ·

Jungkook heard a knock at the door. Glancing once more at the unanswered text Helen had sent him, he furrowed his brows, slowly walking to the door. He felt conflicted. He had tried all week to put distance between them to ease his aching heart, but it rather increased his pain. Helen had no idea that he liked her, that he even found himself falling in love with her.

At first he was content to just bask in her light. But after last week, he found that her light could also burn like fire. He knew they needed to talk, but he didn't want to have that talk. If they were to end their friendship because Helen still had feelings for her ex, then he wanted to avoid it for as long as possible even if it meant childishly avoiding her.

Yet this morning when she called him, something in her voice made him agree to meet her. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew he couldn't run forever. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

Helen stood on the other side, hand raised awkwardly as if to knock again. She quickly brought her hand down. Jungkook barely looked at her before he stepped aside so she could enter. Closing the door behind them, Jungkook quietly stood at the door as she took off her shoes and slung her purse on a hook by the door. Finally slipping her feet into the slippers he had bought especially for her 3 weeks ago, she turned around to face him.

Jungkook didn't make a move or even a sound. She was beautiful, and a small part of his mind resented that she had to look so good when this could be the last time they saw each other. Mind running through all sorts of wild scenarios, he remained silent.

"Thanks for allowing me to come over," Helen began, her courage waning. She had never been this formal with him and it made her uncomfortable.

Jungkook nodded, still silent and motionless.

Helen lowered her head, looking down at her slippered feet. She thought Jungkook would indicate for them to sit down so they could have a proper talk, but his body language screamed unwillingness and impatience. She suddenly felt panicked like she was on the cusp of a cliff, and one wrong move could ruin everything between them.

"I've come this far. The worst he can do is say no and never talk to me again, but I have to try." Helen thought to herself before taking a deep breath.

"Jungkook, please look at me."

Jungkook hesitated before meeting her eyes unwillingly. Startled, he took a closer look. Helen looked scared. His brows furrowed in concern, stepping closer to her. He was about to gently touch her face when he remembered the faraway look on her face last week. He froze before looking away and putting his hand into his pocket.

Helen saw his actions, and knew that she had to say something now.

"Let's put the 'end' in 'friends'!" she blurted out.

Jungkook stared at her, puzzled. He wasn't sure what she meant. "Put an end to our friendship? Or become something more? She means ending it, right?" he thought, his face falling.

"Helen you idiot, why would you say that?" she thought to herself. "Now he's got the wrong idea!"

Jungkook looked away, his jaw set in a hard line.

"I mean...I don't want to be just friends anymore," she whispered, looking down again. "All this time I was selfish. I was afraid of getting into a rebound relationship, but I still let the lines between us blur. I found myself unable to see a life without you, and it bothered me that someday what we had would end the moment you got a girlfriend."

Jungkook looked up sharply, completely blindsided. This was not what he was expecting her to say, yet some part of him was still expecting the other shoe to drop.

"But what about last week at your place? You were quiet, I thought it was because of your ex," Jungkook asked softly, his heart in his throat.

"No, I wasn't thinking about my ex, I was thinking about you," she whispered, looking back up at Jungkook with sincere eyes. "In the ice cream shop I realized when we ran into those two that I didn't feel anything toward Nick anymore, and that it was because of you. I don't know how it happened, but I was so afraid of a rebound that would crash and burn that I refused to consider being with you despite allowing myself to grow closer to you."

"What are you saying?" Jungkook asked softly, stepping closer to her. He needed to hear it directly from her.

Helen cleared her throat awkwardly. "Does the offer you made the morning after we met still stand? The one about exploring what we could be?"

"Why?" Jungkook asked, his voice a near whisper as he took one more step toward her, his face barely inches from hers.

"Because I like you and I want to be with you. Not as friends but as your girlfriend, if you'll have me," Helen whispered, staring deeply in his warm brown eyes.

Jungkook immediately closed the gap between them, relishing the feeling of her soft lips as he kissed her fiercely. Helen immediately brought her arms up to encircle his neck. Jungkook wrapped his arms around her waist, heart beating frantically. He gripped her tightly as if to convince himself that this was not a dream, that she was really here, kissing him back with an intensity that was desperate and real.

"I've wanted this since the moment we met," he whispered between heated kisses.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long," Helen replied, her heart hurting despite knowing they were together now.

"Anything for you, Helen. I would wait as long as you needed," Jungkook said, kissing her gently below her ear.

Helen arched involuntarily against him. She knew he was bad for her heart. It felt like her heart was trying to beat out of her chest. "I'm scared, Jungkook."

He stopped kissing her and pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "Why?"

"I'm scared my heart is too far gone for you. Nick hurt my heart, but I'm scared that you'd break it. I know I shouldn't think this way but I'm scared by how much I feel for you. You make me feel things I've never felt before, Jungkook."

Jungkook studied her carefully, his eyes intent and sincere. "I don't have an answer for that, Helen. But all I know is I can't imagine being without you, and I will do everything I can to make you happy. Let me show you that I will cherish your heart, that I'll never waste this chance you took on me even to the ends of the earth."

Helen laughed softly. "Well at least I know you can wax poetic."

"I'm better with actions," Jungkook said with a smile, his hands slipping down to her bottom to pick her up, her legs straddling his waist as he carried her to the living room couch. He laid her down gently before covering her body with his. He kissed her again, softly this time.

Helen could scarcely believe this was real, that after this past week, even this past month, she was here like this. Despite having been hurt before, she was willing to take the plunge with this man who was caressing her like she was a priceless treasure.

"I love you Helen, and I will wait as long as you need for you to love me too," Jungkook said in his heart as he leaned in to kiss her again.

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