Chapter 9: Epiphany

                                    

                                          


                          
Jordan still felt the tension in her muscles, even after her long shower. With a fresh pair of pajamas on and a towel in her hand, she walked back into the living room, drying her hair when she heard her doorbell chime for the second time that evening.
                          
"You've got to be kidding me," she grumbled, stomping towards her door before opening it. She was surprised to see Namjoon, her gaze avoiding his as she recalled their last interaction, which wasn't quite pleasant. "What do you want Joon?" she tiredly sighed.
                          
"I just wanted to check in on you," he admitted. "Can I come in?" 
                          
Jordan doesn't say anything as she took a step back, pulling the door open a bit wider to allow him to pass through. Namjoon nervously entered the small apartment, making sure to leave his shoes by the entrance before heading towards the living room. His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed an unfamiliar jacket resting on the back of her couch, warily glancing at her as she slowly trudged behind him. 
                          
"Got a visitor?" he asked, nodding towards the jacket that was clearly too large to belong to her. 
                          
"No," she replied, glaring at the article of clothing. "My ex was here earlier and-" 
                          
"What?" Namjoon interrupted, turning towards his friend as his eyebrows raised in shock. "What the hell was he doing here?" 
                          
"He just wanted to talk," she replied, taking a seat in the small armchair as she finally met Namjoon's gaze. "He said that he tried to move on, but things didn't work out with the girl he was seeing. He said it didn't feel right, said that he realized that no relationship would ever work out because none of those girls would be me," she shared. 
                          
Namjoon let out a light scoff, shaking his head in disbelief as he started pacing around the room. Of course. "Please tell me that you're not back with that asshole," he pleaded, stopping in his tracks as his somber eyes met hers. 
                          
"I'm not," she reassured. "I told him that I didn't want to keep having the same fight over and over again. He tried to convince me that he would work on his insecurities and that we could get through this together," she paused for a fleeting moment before adding, "so I told him that I slept with Jungkook. I think after dropping that little bombshell, we both agreed that it would be best to just part ways."   
                          
Namjoon's eyes widened at her confession, but he couldn't help the relieved sigh that slipped past his lips. He settled into the couch cushions, his gaze softening as he took in his friend's appearance. Even though she looked refreshed after having taken a shower, he could still notice the slight puffiness around her eyes, a clear indication that she had been crying. 
                          
"Why are you really here Namjoon?" 
                          
"I already told you, I wanted to check in on you," he honestly replied. "I also figured you could use a friend right now," he added while she felt her eyes sting. 
                          
Jordan turned her head to the side, rapidly blinking her eyes in order to ensure that her tears didn't fall. She didn't need this right now. She knew that Namjoon probably had an idea about what happened between her and Jungkook, how she hurt him. He probably came here to get some clarity on the situation, but she was not ready to talk about it, not now. Not when she was fragile and broken, not when the pain was still tugging at her heart as she felt the faint tingling on her lips from their last kiss.  
                          
"I'm fine," she said, cursing herself at the way her voice slightly cracked as she spoke. 
                          
"No, you're not," he replied, his voice soft as he leaned forward, trying to catch her gaze. "You like him, don't you?" Namjoon asked, and she knew exactly who he was referring to.