A/N: Sorry for the late post!  Had graduation last night for our students so I worked from 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM!  Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Y/N POV:

"Are you sure you don't want to come with? Sandy, Jinyoung, and Carlos are coming with us too." I turned at the question to see Chase, one of the guys I worked with on the design floor. "We're going to this really nice café. The food there is amazing and you can ever ride with me."

I shook my head. "Thanks. I appreciate it, but I'm just going to grab something quick. There's some work I want to get ahead of and I'll be able to do that while it's quiet." Even though I hated lying to Chase, I also didn't want to tell him the truth. I would like to be friends with you, but the last coworkers I made friends with were a gay couple. One of the them clearly thought I was trying to steal the other away and now I'm worried about becoming close with anyone else. No matter how I said it in my mind, it still sounded ridiculous.

Chase sighed then nodded. "Do you want us to bring you something back?"

"No, but thank you anyway." I could tell Chase and the other designer on the floor, Cassidy, really wanted to get to know me, but after what had happened with Taehyung, I was too nervous to really let anyone in. Too nervous to make the same mistake again. I didn't want yet another person to think I was too friendly. I made sure to keep my conversations and interactions with everyone in the company polite and respectful, but slowly, like Jimin, Chase was trying to break through my defenses. Each time I thought about Jimin and Taehyung, what we used to have, the pain would crash over me like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me in longing, in grief, in sorrow.

"Okay. We'll be back in about an hour then."

I nodded in response, turning back to my computer to save my work before leaving to go get lunch myself. Although Alex's company was nice, it didn't have the cafeteria like JJK Enterprises did, just a handful of vending machines stocked with Cheetos, Snickers, and a whole bunch of delicious snacks that were just as tempting as they were unhealthy. I had gained almost two pounds my first month here, simply from the damn vending machine. I had realized it quickly and started bringing lunch, convincing myself to stay away from the cursed machine. Unfortunately today was one of the few days I forgot my lunch, my nice container of leftovers still sitting on the table by the door, right where I had set it when I put my shoes on before leaving the apartment.

Grabbing my bag, I stuck my phone in my pocket and headed out of the office. There was a nice little café a short five-minute walk from the company and they had a good selection of salads and wraps and I knew that it had some things I enjoyed.

As I took the elevator downstairs, I replayed the conversation with Jin in my head over and over again. I hadn't seen Jimin and Taehyung since the day at the coffee shop, but they were constantly on my mind and in my heart. I wanted so badly to forgive them, but I don't think the friendship between us would ever be the same. Taehyung had hurt me in the worst way possible and it was something that made me feel like I needed to change myself, change the basic parts of my personality. It made me question every word, every action I had around other people and it was a feeling I fucking hated.

After saying goodbye to Sandy, the sweet receptionist at the front desk, I stepped out in the chilly November air and almost walked directly into the person whose face controlled a third of my dreams and thoughts. "J-Jimin? W-what... what are you doing here?"

Jimin looked down at his feet, shifting back and forth from one to the other as though he was nervous, afraid I would yell at him. "I... I know you said you need time, but I needed to see you. I needed... I can't do this anymore. I need you in my life." Jimin's already puffy, bloodshot eyes welled up and the tears slipped down his cheeks. "Please. Please talk to me."

The absolute heartbreak in Jimin's eyes devastated me and I felt a little of the stonewall I had built around my heart begin to crack. There was something about the sincerity in his voice that made me realize that he really did care about me and miss me, but was I ready to let him in? The idea of Taehyung speaking to me the way he did again terrified me and I was worried that it would end badly again. Perhaps even worse this time.

Hesitating, I studied Jimin's face for a moment. He had his full bottom lip pulled between his teeth, the pale pink flesh turning a deep crimson from the grip he had on it. His pretty eyes were searching my face, as though he was begging for answers. "I... um... I'm going to the café down the street... down the street from here. If... if you want to join me, you can."

Jimin's eyes widened as though he expected me to disappear, but when I just stood there, quietly waiting for an answer, he suddenly nodded his head. He reached out a hand for me, his small fingers stretching out for mine. I looked at his hand for a moment, so badly wanting to reach out and take it, but Taehyung's words crept back into my mind and I stuck my hand in my pocket.

I didn't miss the hurt that flashed across Jimin's face, but I pushed the guilty feeling aside. "Um... yeah. I would like that." Jimin's words were hesitant and his sweet voice was soft.

I nodded then gestured in the direction of the café. Jimin walked along at my side and I could occasionally see him watching me from the corner of my eye. After a moment we arrived at the café and Jimin pulled the door open for me. I gave him a tentative smile as I walked in. He followed me to a booth and slid in on one side, moving far enough down for me to sit next to him, but I sad down across from him instead, not wanting there to be any closeness. As much as I missed Jimin and his easy affection, Taehyung seeing me close to him again was not something I was willing to risk.

Jimin POV:

I couldn't help but feel the little twinge of hurt when Y/N chose to sit across from me. It was the same feeling I had when I reached out to take her hand and she avoided my touch. Was she still that angry with Taehyung and me? Did she hate me so much that she couldn't bear the thought of me touching her? The idea of that caused my already breaking heart to shatter even further, like a champagne glass falling onto the marble flooring, like a metal candlestick to a mirror, like part of my world crumbling down at my feet.

There were so many things I wanted to say to her, but I didn't even know where to begin. The server came and took our drink orders and I couldn't help the tiny smile when Y/N asked for an ice tea with a lemon. It was the same thing she got all the time and it made me a little happy to see that not everything changes. As I looked up at Y/N twisting her fingers as she studied the simple plastic coated menu, I could see right away that nothing had changed as far as my feelings for her. The stunning woman in front of me still held me in the palm of her tiny hand, the hand that was even smaller than mine.

I waited until the server came and took our orders, smiling again when she ordered the same chicken strips and seasoned waffle fries that she always ordered. After the server left, I reached out for her hand that was on the table, frowning a bit when she pulled it back, out of my reach. "Um... th-thanks for talking to me."

Y/N nodded, but said nothing, her fingers shredding the paper napkin on the table, something I recognized as a nervous act and I couldn't imagine why she would be nervous around me. "How... how did you know where I work?"

Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, my eyes focused on the table in front of me. "Um... Kookie let it slip the other day that you... that you had started working for Alex. I didn't know if you would be willing to see me, but I had to at least try." I took a deep breath and looked up at her face, wanting to see that pretty gazed directed at me. "I miss you. So fucking much. I... I feel like I lost my best friend, my other soulmate."

"Look Jimin. I don't know what you want from me. I really don't."

"I want us to go back to how we were." I want you to dump Jin and be with us. To love us like we love you. To let us hold you, kiss you, touch you.

Y/N sighed. "I... I don't think that's going to happen. Things... things are different between us now. It's not... it's not the same as it was before and it's not going to be."

I grabbed her hand, holding tight when she tried to pull it away. "Please. Please don't say that. We need you in our lives and I miss what we had. I miss you joining us for movies and dinner, cuddling you on the sofa, the teasing, the... the hugs. I miss it all." My voice dropped to a whisper as I spoke. "You don't understand how special you are to us, how special you are to me."

"Then why?"

I looked out at the hand I was holding, sensing the tension in her fingers, knowing as soon as I loosened my grip, she would pull it out of my reach. "I... I don't know how to explain it to you. I really don't. I don't know what I can say to make this all better."

Y/N relaxed her hand in mine and it caused a tiny flame of hope to burst to life within me, giving me faith that things were going to be okay. However, that flame was whisked away when she tugged on her hand, pulling it away from mine. "I believe you when you say you're sorry. I really do, but the things he said about me? It's not something I can forget so easily. I trusted you, both of you, and I felt like everything I knew about you both was a lie." Y/N ran her fingers down her glass, drenching her fingertips in the icy condensation on the sides. "But I guess part of that is my fault as well. I should never have allowed myself to get so close to you, to Taehyung."

No. No. No. This was not going how I wanted it to go. Not at all. I hate the distance she was putting between us and I didn't know how to fix it. When I said I wanted to talk to her, fix everything, I meant I wanted her to come back into our lives like she was before, to be close to us again. From the look on her face and the way she rejected my touch, it showed me that it wasn't likely to happen. We had lost the closeness with her and I don't know how we were going to get it back, if we even could get it back.

I took a deep breath, trying to fight the panic I could feel filling me up. It was something that had been happening more often lately and I knew it had everything to do with what was happening with Y/N. Having her out of my life left a hole in me, took away a part of me that I hadn't even realized I had given to her. The level of pain I was feeling was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The pain in my chest increased and I tried to calm myself, but it wasn't working. The panic was only getting worse and I couldn't find a way to stop it from taking over me.

"Jimin? Jimin?" The voice next to me was soft and the hand on my shoulder was gentle, pulling me out of the haze I had been drawn into. "Jimin? Are... are you all right? Do you need me to call someone?"

When my mind cleared and my heart settled, I turned to see Y/N sitting next to me. She had left a space between us, a space I fucking hated, but I tried to concentrate on her voice, on her eyes that were filled with concern, and her face that was creased with worry. After a moment, I found my voice again. "I'm... I'm okay now." I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it fell flat. "I really am okay now. I promise." Y/N studied me for a moment then nodded and move back to the other side. I wanted to protest and drag her back to me, pull her into my arms, but I held back and let her put the distance between us that I fucking hated.

"I... I don't know if I can ever forget what happened, but I do... I do miss you." Y/N's words were soft, almost a whisper and for a moment, I thought I imagined it. "If you... if you really want to be friends again then I would like... would like that."

I jumped out of my seat and hurried over to the other side, sliding in next to her and wrapping her in a hug. "Oh lovely. Do you... do you really mean it? Does that mean you'll come to movie night again? Come to dinner? Let me cuddle you again?" In my excitement, the terrified look in her eyes didn't even register and when I finally saw it, my stomach clenched in pain. "L-lovely?" I slowly moved my arms from around her and scooted back, not missing the way her body instantly relaxed once I was no longer touching her. What the hell was that about? Why did you freak out so much when I hugged you?

Slowly I stood up and moved back to my seat, my earlier excitement dissipating. Even though Y/N said we could be friends, I could instantly tell it wasn't going to be the same as it was before and it fucking hurt.