Standing at Hong Gi's door was nerve-wracking. Steph would be alone with him for the first time. To be honest, it would be her first time alone with any man that she liked, not that there had been many to show up on her radar.
While she had faith this night meant nothing to him—he meant only to offer friendship—it felt like a long-overdue milestone for Steph. A milestone she had harbored, hoping against all hope that it might be Hong Gi to share this moment. Even though she knew the odds were against her. Even though she knew she meant nothing to him—just the stepkid of a friend.
She supposed it would always be that way, but it didn't matter. She would take what she could get while he was here. Soon enough, BEXT would call him back. He would leave her alone. Maybe forever. And maybe, in time, she would forget him enough to move on.
