Once we’re at cruising altitude, we’re quickly served a round of drinks. I take mine on autopilot, not really wanting to sip on anything bubbly-sweet right now, but not wanting to refuse, either.
Once we’re alone again, I turn back to Kira and raise my eyebrows at her meaningfully. While her uncle is distracted, Imake a face at her that I hope conveys my ‘just get it over with’ sentiment mixed with a dash of ‘are you alright?’ and ‘sorry for almost killing someone at your fancy party’.
She bites her lip, and looks away.
Hm.Something isn’t right. This is more than just her thinking I’m a freak, or being afraid of me, or feeling nervous that her uncle wants her to go through a pretend break up with me. This is something else. But what?
“Tommy.” Young-gi’s voice makes me jump. He’s looking at me over his phone, putting his task on pause so he can stare. “Where are you staying in the city, currently?”
The question is so unexpected and random that I draw a blank. I stare at him, speechless, for several long, long seconds, before I manage to stutter out the cover story Kira and I came up with. “An apartment in Manhattan, not far from Kira’s. That’s how we met.”
“I see.” Young-gi looks back down at his phone and types some more. “Makes things easier.”
“Um… what do you mean?” I make wide, ‘help me’ eyes at Kira, hoping she doesn’t hate me so much now that she’ll leave me floundering. But instead of hate, all I see is anxiety as she hunches over, hugging herself, her eyes glistening with tears. Her breathing gets shallow. She’s about to panic.
I slide onto my knees in front of her, taking her hands in mine. Quickly, quietly, I try to comfort her with a soothing tone of voice, spewing out whatever I think might make her feel better. “Kira, it’s alright, hey, it’s okay, it’s going to be okay. I’m sorry, okay? I’m really fucking sorry about Brian. I didn’t mean to scare you. I really didn’t want to scare you, that’s the last thing I wanted. I’d never hurt you, alright? I wouldneverhurt you, and I’m really sorry, Kira.”
“Tommy–” She bites her lower lip. “I-I’m…”
I stare at her, and the moment stretches.
Here it comes, she’s about to break up with me.
“It’s okay, Kira,” I whisper to her, all too aware of the fact that her uncle is watching us, and I can’t say too much without giving away our lie. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, I’ll understand.”
She swallows hard, and glances at Young-gi. “B- Brian’s family will be angry with you.”
Huh?I blink at her, but she doesn’t say anything else, so I manage a confused “Okay.”
“They’ll come after you, Tommy.”
“Okay.”
“Tommy,” she gets a little frustrated. “They’re powerful people, okay? They won’t stop until they feel like you’ve paid for what you did. You aren’t safe on your own.”
“Well, I’m not on my own,” I say slowly, trying to play along, wondering where she’s going with this. Wondering how much of this her uncle told her to say, and why. “I’ll go stay with my family, alright? My brother Jeremy. Okay? I’ll be fine. Nothing to worry about.”
I hope Jeremy is the name we chose for my fake brother, it might have been Jude but I doubt Young-gi cares anyway.
“No, you don’t understand–” She shakes her head. Her hands tremble in mine. “Uncle Young-gi says, um, he said we, that you’d be safer if you were– And, I think, but… well…”
It’spainfullistening to her try and break up with me. I can’t figure out why she’s so torn up about it. Maybe she really is worried that Brian’s family will come after me. She’s too sweet. Maybe she just needs a little help getting it out.
“Darling, it’s okay. I understand,” I tell her. “I get it. I’ll go stay with my family. There’s no need to worry about me. I’ve hurt you, betrayed your trust, so I understand that I don’t deserve to be with you anymore. You need someone better, someone safer than me, someone more level headed–”
“No.”
I flinch when Young-gi interrupts my Oscar-worthy performance, keeping me from helping Kira break up with me. Checking the urge to scowl at him in annoyance, I settle for a look of confusion instead.
“Mr. Sokolov?” I ask uncertainly.
“Tommy–” Kira whispers, then bites her lip again.
Young-gi looks up from his furious typing and grips my fucking heart right through my eyes. He says some words, and it takes about three business days for my brain to understand what he just told me.
Wait…
I stutter, cough, and ask, “I’m sorry, what?”
