My Summer in Seoul

I didn’t even answer. I just rushed over to her, pulled her into my arms, and crushed my mouth to hers.

The audience cheered as we clung to each other.

“How?” I asked.

“Rae,” was all she said, and then, “the boys, our boys, the best group of guys in the world, how else? SWT.”

I smiled against her kiss and realized for the first time in my life I could answer her question. “Ask me again.”

“Ask you what?”

“Are you happy?”

Tears filled her eyes. “Are you happy?”

I kissed her again and said against her mouth. “I am. I am so happy.”

I swung her around and laughed as Jay covered Sookie’s eyes with one hand as though he needed to in the first place, then laughed even harder when Kai covered Jay’s face in amusement.

And then there was Rae, sitting there, arms crossed, a look of respect on his face before he nodded his head, as if to say, this is how it ends, and I’m okay with that.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

That’s how you know…

Grace

Hours before the kiss…

“What do you mean you want to go to a private Q and A?” I groaned. “You haaaaate anything related to that.” I wanted to kick Kevin, but he was on the sofa and too far away. Besides, he claimed I owed him.

Kevin made a face. “First off, it’s free; second, they have champagne, so, you want to say no? I know you love cheese, especially free cheese.”

“Boooo!” I flipped him off. “This is just your way of getting me out of the house.”

“Again…” He smiled. “Cheese!”

“Fine.” I had nothing better to do than mope.

I quickly got ready and rode with him in his truck to the studio. It wasn’t a small one either. Huh, he must have really made a killing off that radio contest.

We even had to go through metal detectors to get into the studio. Fan bags were given to us, and I didn’t even look at them until I sat. And then realized I wasn’t just at any fan Q and A.

I was at the premiere Seattle one for SWT.

“Kevin.” I grabbed his hand. “Tell me this isn’t on purpose.”

“It’s not on purpose,” he said casually, pulling out a card with Lucas’s face on it. “Damn, I’d probably do him too.”

“Shhhhh!” I smacked him on the chest. “Nobody knows that!”

“What?” He rubbed the spot on his chest. “I’m just saying he’s hot.”

“So hot,” said a girl behind us. “Lucas is literally the hottest guy alive. I’d die to have him breathe on me.”

I immediately wanted to kill her dead. My hands balled into fists.

“Easy, Killer.” Kevin laughed and shook his head. “You don’t work for them anymore, right?”

“No,” I grumbled.

“So technically…” He shrugged. “Dating one of them wouldn’t be a huge deal… just like a fan dating a superstar.”

“Stop talking.”

“Okay.” He held up his hands as the guys all got on stage. I noted each of them with little pops of affection in my heart, but then my gaze settled on Lucas.

He looked thinner but other than that, still beautiful, and my heart still screamed mine.

The rest of the interview went by in a blur, and then his question.

His answer.

“Do you mean it?” I jumped up, not even realizing it was me speaking until people gasped around me. My uncle included, smiling wide.

And then it was too late for any more thoughts.

He was confessing.

We were kissing.

And I was owned.

By my very own K-pop idol.

A bully.

A lover.

A fighter.

Mine.

Applause sounded, but all I heard was his heartbeat; all I felt was his skin; all I smelled was the boy who I spent my summer with.

I went to Seoul searching for my heart—and found my destiny instead.

Chapter Forty

Torture and more

Lucas

After our live interview, it hit the news, not just that Grace and I were together but also that Rae and I were half-brothers.

I wasn’t sure what made people go more wild: the fact that I confessed my love for Grace in front of everyone on worldwide television or the fact that Rae and I were technically related.

Sexy half-bro snack was trending within an hour.

So not really all bad.

And Grace?

Well, I was somehow stuck in a car with her while Kevin drove us and the rest of the group to her house.

It was illegal—we didn’t have enough seatbelts—but I don’t think anyone really cared.

Jay was smiling down at his phone like he finally grew a pair and texted his guy back with something other than no, we can’t do this, but possibly, yeah, let’s try. Maybe he felt like he could be braver, especially after the fact that the world didn’t end when Grace and my kiss was all over the internet.

Sookie was high as a kite.

Kidding, he wasn’t high; it just made me laugh to think about it because if any member decided to break the law, weirdly enough, I imagined it would be Sookie doing it.