Chapter 28 DIDN'T CARE
THANE
“What the hell, Thane?” Wendy shouted behind me, like she had any right to be mad after the stunt she just pulled.
I didn’t care if she did it because Rachel was watching. I wasn’t letting her get away with it. But neither am I gonna give her that attention she craves so badly.
“Fucking shut up, Wen,” I snapped, turning to glare at her. “Whatever you think we had. it’s over. Since a long time. So don’t ever pull that shit with me again. Got it?”
“You can’t be serious right now,” she let out a bitter laugh, her voice cracking like she was forcing herself not to cry.
“Try me,” I said coldly, not waiting to hear anything else.
I didn’t give a damn.
I turned and rushed toward the stairs, but I barely made it three steps before Jae appeared, blocking my path.
If Wendy was a problem I could ignore, Jae was one hell I couldn’t.
I tried to push past him, but he stepped in my way again.
“Move,” I said, my voice dropping lower. More colder than when Wendy provoked me. Even I could hear the edge in it.
“Don’t do this, Thane,” Jae said calmly. “I don’t think she wants to see you right now. Just… leave her alone.”
Of course. Of all times.
Now that I needed Rachel to see that I wasn’t the guy she thought I was… he had to be standing right here.
My blood boiled under my skin, and my veins were pulsing so hard, but I didn’t move.
My jaw tightened as I stared at him down. “I’m taking her home,” I said, each word controlled. “And I don’t need you getting in my way.”
“I guess you didn’t know this, but her mom already…”
“You’re gonna make me do something I’m trying really damn hard not to do, J,” I cut in, my voice rougher now.
My fists dug into my palms now. The way he just stood there, like he was daring me—made it ten times harder to stay still.
But I knew that’s exactly what he wanted. He’d always been like that.
“What are you gonna do?” he asked calmly. “Hit me?”
“I don’t care if that’s…”
“No one is hitting anyone, okay?”
Wendy stepped in behind me. We didn’t break eye contact, so she had to physically move between us.
Jae might’ve been testing my shit, but I was holding on with everything in me. But I definitely knew one more word from him, and I wasn’t sure my fist wouldn’t land across his face.
“Jae, please just let him in,” Wendy begged. “Rachel is his…”
“You know what? Just shut the hell up, Wen. This has nothing to do with—” He stopped, dragging a hand roughly through his hair. Then his eyes snapped back to me. “Look, Thane. I don’t want to fight you. But she’s not a kid. If she wants to go with you, she will. But, you forcing it? I’m not letting that happen.”
I exhaled sharply. This was pointless. And if it kept going, I knew I’d lose whatever control I had left. So I turned and started down the stairs.
Then…. He started saying something else. Something I knew won't end well.
“You’ve really changed, man.”
I stopped on the last stairs.
“That Thane I knew would’ve torn this whole place apart by now.”
My pulse spiked ten times higher than before.
“That’s enough, Jae,” Wendy warned him, her voice tight. Almost like she was pleading with him to stop.
But he didn’t stop.
“I wish Ciara got to see this version of you too.”
“Han Jae Hyun!”
Wendy’s voice rang out… but it was damn too late. I snapped.
I turned sharply, my legs flying over two steps… then my fist slammed straight into his jaw.
The impact cracked through the air. I grabbed his collar, with that same anger, yanking him forward, my grip tightening around his throat until his face turned red, like he might die right there.
Then I hit him again. His lip split open instantly.
“I dare you,” I growled, my voice was low but shook with fury. “Say that fucking name again.”
“Get off him, Thane!”
Wendy screamed, trying to pull me away, but I barely felt her grip.
“You still don’t get it, do you?” Jae coughed, his voice strained. “You think I was trying to provoke you?”
“Looks like you really want to die,” I growled louder, tightening my grip around his throat again.
He choked slightly before forcing the words out.
“I knew you hadn’t changed… not really. I just wanted you to see it for yourself.” He sucked in a breath. “Just leave Rachel out of it, okay? You’re going to hurt her… like you always do to…”
I pulled my fist back to hit him again…
“Oh my God, Thane!”
Rachel’s voice cut through everything. I froze mid-swing.
She rushed down the stairs, breathless, eyes wide as she reached us.
“What the hell did you do?!”
I let go of Jae. But… The way Rachel rushed straight to him… The look on her face when she saw his bruised lips.
Hell! It made something inside me twist.
“Are you okay?” she asked, helping him steady himself.
“I’m fine,” Jae replied, his eyes flicking to mine for a second.
“I don’t think you are. You’re bleeding.”
She didn’t even look at me. She didn’t care if I was bleeding too or even hurting.
Her entire focus stayed on him. And just like that, everything became so damn clear to me.
I was mad. But I stayed calm.
“I swear, it’s nothing—”
“Please, just let me help you…”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. I turned and walked away before I completely lost it. I didn’t care if she noticed. Didn’t care if she was surprised.
I just needed to get out. Wendy said something behind me. I didn’t catch it, but I knew she followed.
She didn’t try to stop me.
By the time I stepped outside, the rain had stopped. The sky was darker now. The chill hit me instantly.
“There’s no way you’re thinking of leaving this late,” Wendy said as she came up beside me.
I bit my lower lip. She was right. I didn’t even have my car. But I didn’t respond.
“You shouldn’t have reacted like that. You know that, right?”
I turned to face her. “Can you just get out of my sight….”
“You need to let her go.”
I knew she was talking about Ciara but that was the last thing I wanted to hear.
“Fucking stop it!” I snapped.
Tears were already slipping down her face. But I held mine in. The last time I cried was when I lost Ciara.
And I swore the next time…
“Thane. We need to talk.”
Rachel’s voice cut in, firm. I turned. She was already walking toward us.
Her eyes moved from me to Wendy, but only for a second.
Wendy didn’t stay. She just wiped her tears, turned and walked off.
Rachel watched her leave until the door shut behind her, then she looked back at me.
“Why are you acting like this?” she demanded. “Because no matter how much I think about it, I don’t get it.” Her voice tightened. “Why are you doing all of this… especially to people who care about me?”
She took a step closer. “Just answer me.”