by Siren Allen
“Hey.”
“What do you want?”
“We just had that conversation. I’m here to keep you company during the storm.”
“I didn’t ask for your company.”
“I know. Still, I’m offering it.” Something brushed past his leg. “What was that? Do you guys have a cat?”
Willow smiled as she watched the cat dart into the house then disappear behind the couch. “That’s Mr. Cat. I guess you can say he has adopted us.”
“Uh, okay.”
“You can go, Kang. I’m not as scared of bad weather as I used to...”
Lightning clapped, lighting up the sky. Willow screamed and rushed into Kang’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her.
“What were you saying about not being as scared of bad weather as you used to be?”
“Shut up.”
Willow tried to pull away. Kang wouldn’t let her. Instead, he stepped into the house and closed the door with his foot.
“Can I stay until the storm passes?”
Willow sighed. “You can stay in the living room. I’ll be in my bedroom. Let me go, Kang.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
“Then you can leave.”
He reluctantly released her.
“Lock the door. I’ll go grab you some towels. I would give you something to change into, but we don’t have any clothes here that you could fit. Sorry.”
“Do you have a dryer?”
Willow gave him a suspicious glare. “Yeah, why?”
“I can put my clothes in the dryer to dry.”
“And what will you wear until they’re ready?”
“A towel.”
“Not here.”
“Why not? You’ll be in your bedroom. You won’t even have to see me.”
Willow put her hands on her hips. She looked adorable in her pink pajamas. “I hope you’re really here to keep me company during the storm and not for anything else.”
“What else would I be here for?”
“You tell me.”
“I have no ulterior motives. I heard about the bad weather, so I rushed over because I didn’t want you to be scared. That’s it. I promise. But, I don’t want to catch a cold. Who knows how long it’ll be before the storm passes. You can’t expect me to stay in these wet clothes until then.”
“Ugh. Okay. Go into the laundry room. But don’t get undressed until I bring you some towels. Okay?”
Kang saluted her. She grumbled under her breath as she headed to get the towels. Kang couldn’t keep the smile off his face. This was fate. It had to be. Storms were coming. Willow was home alone and needed protection.
He was in town and able to be her protector. This was definitely fate. And he wasn’t going to let this rare opportunity to be alone with Willow go to waste.
“I told you to go to the laundry room. You’re dripping on my floor.”
“Sorry. Which way is the laundry room?”
“Follow me.”
Anytime.
Kang followed her to the laundry room. It was a small space. Just big enough to fit a washer and dryer.
“Here are your towels. One to dry off with. One to wrap around you. You know how to use the dryer. I’ll be in my room. You can stay in the living room. The remote is by the television. Bye.”
“Wait.”
Back now to him, she said, “What?”
“Thanks, for not leaving me out in the rain.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. Those eyes. He could stare into those eyes forever. He wanted to stare into those eyes forever.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered. “And... thanks for coming over. I was kind of scared. Just a little bit.”
Kang smiled. “I’ll protect you from the storms.”
She nodded then turned and left the room. He stared after her. He would definitely protect her from the storms, tonight, tomorrow and every day from here on out. Tonight, Kang was going to make sure Willow admitted to her feelings for him.
***
KANG WAS IN HER LIVING room.
And he was wearing nothing but a towel. Willow wanted to peek out her bedroom door and have a look. But, she didn’t want to get caught. Pacing in her bedroom, she touched her hand to her chest.
Her heart was racing, again. If she didn’t get it together, she’d have a heart attack soon. Willow continued pacing. She wondered if she’d be able to see his dick print through the towel.
Ugh. Don’t think about that, Willow. Think amount the rain.
There’s a storm coming. She should be scared. Before he came, she was terrified, hiding underneath her covers with her ear plugs in so she wouldn’t hear the thunder and lightning.
Now that he was there, all she could think about was him. He was really in her apartment. Alone with her. Was this fate? Was this because of the magical phallus? The Chronical Oracle had said that the blue dick would free up her creativity and help her in her love life.
And now her new proposal had gotten approved and Kang was sitting in her living room, wearing nothing but a towel. If this wasn’t the power of the phallus at work, she didn’t know what it was.
Willow glanced at her bedroom door. Should she let this opportunity go to waste? Or should she go out there and face her fears? Should she go out there and tell Kang the real reason why she couldn’t be with him and hope he would remain her friend afterward.
“Ugh.”
Willow clutched at her hair. She couldn’t do it. She wasn’t brave enough. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at her door. She froze.
“Uh, who is it?”
“Who else would it be?”
That deep voice could make a girl’s panties wet. Wait, she wasn’t wearing any panties. Damn it. She’d been naked when she’d woken up to lightning. Then she’d gotten up and threw on her pajamas but failed to put on panties.
Perhaps this was fate also. Perhaps fate was telling her that she didn’t need panties tonight. Ugh, what was she thinking? Fate wouldn’t tell her that. Would it? Of course not. Fate wasn’t a freak. Another round of knocking ensued.
“Wait a minute, damn,” Willow groaned.
She pulled open the bedroom door. Her mouth dropped open. Abs for days. Let’s count them. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. And there goes the towel. And there goes the dick print. Her mouth immediately went dry.
“Willow.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “Uh, huh?” It was still big. Just like it was in college. It hadn’t shrunk. Wait, could dicks do that? Probably.
“What channel is the weather channel?” He asked.
If she could see the shape of his dick, that meant he was on hard. Why was he on hard? Was he just going to leave it like? Wouldn’t it start to hurt if he didn’t do something about it? Her gaze dropped lower. Yep, it seemed to be on hard. He needed to take care of that. ASAP.
“Hey.” Kang snapped his fingers in her face.
“Oh. Uh. Hey. What do you need?”
“My face is up here. What were you just staring at?”
“Huh?” Willow scratched her head. “Nothing. I can’t even see that good. I don’t have my contacts in.”
“It looked like you were staring at my...”
“I was not staring at your dick,” Willow blurted out.
“Towel. I was about to say, it looked like you were staring at my towel.”
Where was an earthquake when you needed one? Right now, she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Embarrassed, she tried to laugh the matter off. Chuckling, she punched his shoulder.
“That’s what I said. Towel.”
“You said dick.”
“What dick? I don’t see any dicks.”
He gripped the edge of his towel.
“Whoa. Stop. Don’t you dare.”
He gifted her with a devilish grin. “I thought you said you wanted to see a dick.”
“I dick not. I mean, I did not.” Damn it, now she was flustered.
“Hey, why do you have that picture on your nightstand, next to your bed?”
What picture? She looked over her shoulder. Oh, that picture. Anytime now earthquake. Come and swallow me up. “Uh....”
“That’s a picture of you and I at the beach.”
Still staring at the picture, Willow nodded. “Yep. That’s what that is.”
“Why do you have it by your bed?”
“Well...” Willow scratched her head.
“Could it be that you’ve been thinking about me all these years, just like I’ve been thinking about you?”
Red flags popped up in her mind. Warning. Dangerous territory. Retreat. Retreat. Bitch, didn’t you hear me say retreat. Her mind was trying to get her to safety. But her body wasn’t willing to move. She felt Kang stepped closer to her. She refused to turn around to meet his gaze.
“Have you been thinking about me Willow? Over the years, have you thought about me at all?”
All the time. Willow swallowed.
“Tell me. Please.”
Damn him. “Whether I have or not, it doesn’t matter. Every time we see each other, you treat me like I’m your enemy.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s too late for sorry.”
“As long as we’re both alive, it’s never too late for sorry. I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
He stepped even closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck. Shut up pussy, she told her body. Don’t let his words arouse you. He hasn’t even said anything sexy. All he’s done is apologize. If apologies solved problems, there would be no need for police.
“There’s some things I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time,” Kang said.
Willow closed her eyes.
Was she ready to hear this, whatever this was?
Chapter Eleven
Willow refused to look at him.
“Willow, I should’ve handled things differently back then. It was weak of me to push you away after you rejected me. In doing so, I lost one of the most important people in my life. And I’ve spent every day since then regretting it. You’ll never know how many times I reached for my phone, intent on calling you, only to remember that you and I weren’t friends anymore.”
A tear dripped from her eyes. She’d done the same thing. Every time something good or bad happened, she’d reach for her phone to call Kang. It took her a long time to break that habit.
“Willow...” Kang sighed. “Willow, if you truly don’t like me, I’ll stop trying to be with you. I’ll also work hard to remain in your life as your friend.”
Really? Willow turned around to stare into his eyes. “For real?”
Kang nodded. “If you don’t want me, I’ll accept that. I’ll stop being an ass about it. I’m a grown ass man. Rejection is part of life. I’ll just have to learn to let you go.”
Why did those words make her heart hurt?”
“But Willow, if you do like me, if there’s even a small part of you that wants me, please give me a chance.”
Willow took a step back.
“I won’t push the issue,” Kang told her. “I just.... I need to know. Do you want me at all?”
A tear dripped down her cheek. Kang stepped forward and wiped the tear away.
“I’m sorry for making you cry,” he whispered. “Now... and in the past.”
Willow took a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I made you cry in the past,” she told him. “I’m sorry for hurting you back then.”
Kang swallowed. “Why did you do it? Can you tell me why you turned me down?”
Willow stared down at her feet. Was now the time to tell him? Her reason felt so small now. Yet, back then, it had felt enormous.
“I just...” Kang rubbed his hand through his hair. “Not knowing has kept me awake a lot of nights,” he confessed. “I know that sounds weak...”
“It doesn’t,” Willow whispered. “And I’m sorry for being the reason you couldn’t sleep.” Now was the time to tell him. “Kang, I.... I told you no back then, because I didn’t want to lose you.”
His eyes widened in confusion. “You rejected me, because you didn’t want to lose me?”
“I know it sounds confusing. In my head it made complete sense. You and your mother were there for me and my mother after my dad left my mom for another woman. You saw how badly we struggled. You guys helped us so much. Truthfully, if it wasn’t for your family, I don’t know how me and my mom would’ve made it.”
Willow wiped her eyes. “I used to stay up late and listen to my mom cry. I’d listen to her pray for a way to make it out of her problems. I’d also listen to her pray that God would send her husband back to her.”
Willow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My mom actually prayed for that cheating bastard to come back. Even though he hurt her and even though he left us, she still wanted him back.”
“Willow....” Kang reached for her.
She shrugged out of his grasp. “Please, let me finish. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the courage to do this again.”
Kang nodded, but he too had tears in his eyes now.
“My mother was weak back then. She needed a man. She didn’t think she could handle life on her own. But, over time, I watched her grow strong. I watched the tears slowly dry up. I watched her make it. I watched her survive. I watched her thrive. Slowly, her prayers began to change. Instead of praying for a man, she prayed for strength to endure. Instead of wishing my father would come back, she wished for that next promotion. She prayed for me to make it to the track team. She prayed for you when you had competitions. She prayed for your mom and her business. It was a long journey for my mom to go from being the woman who needed a man to the woman who could handle it all on her own. I learned a lot from watching her. One of those things I learned was, that it was better not to fall in love.”
“Willow...”
“My dad was a great dad. Even now, he tries to contact me. But I refuse to talk to him. But I remember how things were when I was small. My dad was always smiling. He was so good to my mom and me. I never saw them argue. It wasn’t until I grew older and overheard your mom and my mom talking that I realized that my dad changed over the years. He became abusive. He became someone my mom barely knew. That’s when I realized that happily ever after doesn’t always last forever. Fairytales aren’t real. The hero may come in and sweep you off your feet. But that same hero will leave you all alone and move on to the next princess without a backward glance. But me and you, we weren’t like that Kang. You were my best friend. My big brother. Big brothers never leave their little sisters behind. Big brothers always stay. So, I felt safe in our relationship. I felt like I would always have someone who had my back. And then, I started to grow up and my feelings for you begin to change. I hated myself for thinking of you as anything other than a big brother, because I knew anything else would lead to heartache. But I couldn’t help it. I fell in love. But, I thought, if I just keep these feelings to myself, it will be okay. We would be okay. We would stay together forever, as friends. And you’d never leave me. But then you confessed and ruined everything.”
Willow wiped a tear from Kang’s cheek. “Why did you have to go and ruin everything? Why did you have to go and fall in love with me too?”
“Willow, I’ve always loved you. You were never a littles sister to me. You were always the one. The one I wanted to be with. The one I wanted to cherish.”
“But love like that... like this, doesn’t last. It’s fleeting. There one minute and gone the next.”
“For some people. But not for us. I don’t believe our love is fleeting.”
“You don’t know that for sure.”
“I do. I know it because I’ve spent all these years without you, but I’ve never stopped loving you. No other woman has ever interested me. No other woman has ever been in my heart. There’s no room for anyone else. Only you. You own it. It’s yours. And it always will be. Whether you accept me tonight or not, I won’t stop loving you
. I’ve tried. It’s impossible. Even when I try to hate you, I still love you.”
“Same here. And that’s what makes this even more horrible. Because all these years were wasted, because I wasn’t brave enough to let love in. We probably could’ve been happy, but I wasn’t strong enough to give you a chance, to give us a chance.”
“What about now? Are you brave enough now?”
Was she? Willow stared up into the eyes of the man she loved. Was she brave enough to let love in this time?
“If you’re not ready, I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you. I’ll always wait for you.”
More tears slid down her cheeks. “I’m ready, Kang.”
Shock registered on his face. “What did you say?”
“I said, I’m ready.”
A huge grin took shape on his face. “Say it again.”
“I’m ready.”
“I can’t hear you.”
Laughing, Willow yelled, “I’m ready Kang.”
“Fuck yeah!”
Willow squealed when he picked her up and swung her around. “Don’t drop me,” she yelled, still laughing.
“I’d never drop you. You’re too precious to drop.”
“Kang, stop spinning, you’re going to make me dizzy.”
“I’m happy. This is what I do when I’m happy.”
“I remember.”
She pushed her hair out of her face when he finally returned her to her feet. “You still haven’t changed, Kang Kyung-Jun.”
“And I won’t change in the future, Willow Nicole Thompson. My love for you will grow stronger. It won’t wither. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that promise,” Willow told him, right before she glanced down. Her mouth dropped open.
Kang grabbed her hand. “Willow, what’s wrong?”
Dick. That’s what was wrong. And not fake dick this time. Real dick. And lots of it.
“Your...uh.... The towel...” She couldn’t even string a sentence together.
Kang glanced down. “Shit.” He bent to reach for the towel.
Willow grabbed his hand, stopping him. He looked up at her.
“You don’t need it,” she told him.