Can't Let You Go

Chapter 14

Liam is with me this time, even though I didn't let him come on Friday.

"Will you hold my hand?" I look over at him and put my hand palm up in the air in front of him.

He nods and takes it in his.

"Thank you, Liam. For everything. I don't know how I can repay you."

"There's nothing to repay. I hired you to work for me and anything else is nothing less than I would do for any friend."

"I can hardly believe that's true, but thank you for saying so."

We get to the station a little before two and wait until we are called to sit in plastic chairs across the desk from the officer who has been our contact this week. She hands me a folder.
"You need to sign these papers."

I open it and inside, along with several sheets of paper, is my passport. "You're giving this back?"

She nods.

"Does that mean you're not pressing charges? I'm free to go?"

"You're free to go." She smiles at me for the first time.

Turning to Liam with hands over my mouth and nose, tears stream from my eyes.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about." He kisses me on the forehead and on each cheek next to my hands. The look of excitement and relief on his face mirrors mine.

The officer clears her throat and we return our attention to reading and signing the papers she's given me.

"I didn't actually go to jail, but I feel like I should eat some tofu," I say as we're leaving the station. "When in Korea, do as Koreans do."

"As you wish." Liam picks me up and twirls me around. We get some odd looks from passersby, but I don't really care.

When we get home from our early dinner, I video call Zayan. It's the middle of the night back in Alaris, so he doesn't answer. When it's later in the morning for Z, I try again and we both squeal in delight when I share my news and wave my passport in front of the camera.

"How long until you can come home?"

"I'll have enough money for a regular ticket in about ten days. But flights ten days from now are at a premium price. I have to look at least six weeks out."

"Actually, Honey," Suddenly his happy expression turns into one with a wrinkled forehead and mouth pulled tight. "Now that I'm thinking about it, are you sure you should come back?"

"What else would I do? Alaris is my home."

"But Bethany... Her resources will be practically unlimited on her home turf."

"I don't really have a choice. I can't pay for college here and if I'm not a student, I have a limited amount of time I can legally stay. Plus, I won't be able to get proper housing on my own and I don't know if I'd have permission to work. Even if I did, could I do all of it on my own? I can't continue to live off Liam's goodwill. It's not fair to him."

"Who says it's not fair to me?"

I look up to see Liam leaning against my door frame. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Is that your oppa?" Zayan's voice raises an octave and I can hear him shifting, but I ignore him for now.

"I was in the kitchen, your door was open, and you weren't exactly speaking quietly." He walks over and sits on the bed by my feet.

"I want to see Oppa," Zayan whines from his end.

I scoot over so that Liam can sit next to me with our backs to the headboard.

"Ooo, you're handsome Oppa. Honey neglected to mention that."

Liam and I shoot fleeting glances at each other.

"Tell her it's not such a hot idea for her to come back to Alaris yet." Zayan instructs Liam.

"I do agree, but Tally has a point."

"Tally?" Zayan raises his eyebrows in question.

"Short for Tallulah and don't you dare repeat it. I only let Liam call me that because he refuses to call me Honey like everyone else has since the day I was born." I give them both meaningful looks in turn.

"Okay, okay," Zayan concedes. "But see? You've already started a new life. Stay and be Tally in Korea."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can," Liam countered.

"How?"

"International students have permission to get part time jobs."

"Grind myself to dust for a part-time job that probably won't cover my expenses?" I wrinkle my nose. "Even if I did, it's a moot point. The school has already notified me that my enrollment is going to be cancelled due to the tuition being rescinded."

"But you just found out about that, right? Has the deadline to pay passed?"

"No, but it's Wednesday. The savings I have isn't enough to cover what's due. I can't get the money in time."

"But I can," Liam says this as casually as if he's volunteering to pick up dinner on the way home from work.

"Oppa, I think I love you!" Zayan shouts.

"No, I can't let you do that."

Liam just makes a face and nods his head to tell me that I can.

"I... I need a minute to think about this." I shove the phone into Liam's hand and go to the bathroom to think.

***LIAM***

Tally hands me her phone, leaving Zayan and I to ourselves.

"So, you're the famous Zayan?"

"And you're the famous Oppa."

I laugh, "Tally doesn't call me that and you shouldn't either."

"Why not? I hear it all the time in the K-dramas."

"Yeah, from the girls. If anything you should call me Hyung. It's for 'older brother' between men. But since neither of us is Korean, you should just call me Liam."

"Eh, Oppa, Hyung, Liam. I'll call you whatever strikes my mood at the moment. Okay?" He covers his mouth as he giggles. It's infectious.

We chat for a little while longer until Tally returns. She climbs back into her bed next to me.

"Did you make a decision?" Zayan prods.

"Liam, I can't afford to stay here. If I'm working and paying for accommodations and paying back a school loan to you... it's just too much. I think we should stick to the original agreement that I stay just until I can afford to go back home."

Hearing her say that weighs on me. In a non-characteristic move, I pull my lips inward and bite them.

"Then you'll just have to keep on living with me. You can work for me like you have been, modified to allow for school. We'll worry about loan repayment after you're done and have a real job."

She searches my face until I notice that tears are welling up along her lower lids. Leaning forward suddenly, she hugs me around my neck. In the short time I've known her, I've learned the slight quivering of her form means she's crying, but trying not to. Just as on the phone call I overheard between them that night after the police station, she's hiding her tears from Zayan.

"I think that's a 'yes'," Zayan says.