record 21...AUGUST 9

6:32 PM

THERE IS A KNIFE pointed at Seonghwa's throat. He swallows nervously, lowering the hand that just knocked on the door as the shaky hand gripping the hilt slowly lowers the blade.

Recognition flashes through Levi's eyes, her shoulders sagging with a relieved sigh. "Seonghwa? What are you doing here?"

His heart skips a beat at the sound of his name rolling off of her lips. He thought she would have forgotten while she was drunk.

"Amit called. He told me what happened," he explains softly, noticing the way her eyes keep shifting around the road behind him. Then his gaze drops down to her mouth, an angry red scratch running through her lower lip. "Woah. What the hell happened?"

She peeks over her shoulder at Cam napping on the couch, buried underneath a blanket. Officer Evans left him in her care, something she found surprising considering the way she lost her temper at the police department. 

Tensions between him and his wife must have reached a peak because Carla spends almost all of her time away from home, tucked away in the corners of her flower shop. She hasn't even responded to Levi's texts asking when she would come pick up her son. Levi is starting to suspect that she might end up keeping the boy overnight.

Levi looks back at Seonghwa, holding a single finger to her lips as she steps out of the way. "Shh. Come in."

He follows behind her as she leads him to her bedroom, gently closing the door behind the two of them. She doesn't want to disturb Cam if she doesn't have to. The little boy hasn't been getting enough sleep as is. He told her, eyes teary, that his parents have been shouting back and forth at each other during the rare times that they are both home.

"Sit," she says, pointing at her desk chair as she seats herself on the edge of her bed. She brings her knees to her chin. "The letter is on the desk too if you want to look at it."

He does as she requests, his tall frame almost looking too big for the small chair. It squeaks loudly as he sits down and reaches for the crumpled piece of paper. She watches his expression shift from calculative to disturbed as he reads each line. As he bites his lip, she thinks he feels it too.

Fear. Uncertainty. Unease.

He pulls out an old piece of paper, a tiny square, and sets it next to the letter. She recognizes it from the Paradise Motel, the note they found hidden behind the bed. His eyes dart between the two rapidly.

"The handwriting matches. It's the same messy, cursive pen strokes," he announces somberly, checking Levi to see her reaction. Her eyes seem fogged over, nails digging into her palms. She is not taking it well.

"I thought so, but I couldn't be too sure." Her voice is weak and betrays her inner turmoil despite her attempt to keep her face from crumbling apart. She picks at the end of her shorts.

"I'm sorry. I really thought we had him."

"It's fine." It definitely is not fine, but she moves on like it is anyway even as her words come out thinner. "So, what we know so far is that he acts under aliases, communicating with the chosen victims beforehand. Nick West. Robert. But what about the dentist then? Do you think he was just a red herring? A fake?"

Seonghwa had already thought about that on the long drive back to Cape Freewell. "No. He admitted to all wrongdoing in the murder of Casey Jules. He also matched your description of the person following after Nancy perfectly."

"So what you're saying is that there's more than one of these guys?"

He grimaces, knowing that she won't like his answer. "It's likely."

"Shit," she swears, tucking her head into her knees. Her voice wavers. "I think this is karma finally coming for me."

When she lifts her head again, Seonghwa is standing in front of her. His sudden proximity shocks her but she brushes it off.

"Can I sit next to you?"

"Sure," she replies, scooting backwards and resting her back against the wall. He does the same, their shoulders brushing just barely. They say nothing for a moment as they adjust until Levi speaks again. "You know, you could've just stayed in Newhurst. Spent some time with your friend."

He frowns, somehow displeased and unsettled by the idea. "And leave you here with a murderer after you?" She doesn't respond, heart clenching at the thought of it. He stares at her for a moment longer. "Speaking of, what the hell happened while I was away?"

His fingers gently trace over her jawline, eyes lingering on the gash on her lip. He drops his hand back to his side, tilting his head as he patiently waits for an answer.

She runs a hair through her locks, growing frustrated as she remembers the storm of events that occurred over the last few days. "Jarrod came over and...I don't really want to talk about it."

"Who?" he questions, trying to put a face to the name. "What's his address?"

"My ex. He lives on the other side of town by the docks–" she pauses, noticing the scowl on his face a moment too late. "Wait, why do you ask?"

He looks at the closed closet doors instead of her puzzled expression. "I just want to pay him a visit." Judging by his low tone, the visit would be anything but friendly.

This makes her release an airy chuckle. "Oh shit. I think maybe I'm corrupting you."

He shrugs. "Maybe. Are you going to tell me though?"

She shakes her head. "I've been thinking lately, I don't think I have the energy anymore. He's not even worth the time. I'm just so...tired."

He bites his lip nervously, unsure what he can do to make her feel better the way she did for him. Eventually, he gets an idea.

"Hey, let me show you something." He pulls out his phone from his pocket, connecting the earphones and offering her one of them. She stares at him quizzically for a second before she reluctantly takes it, placing it in her ear as he puts the other in his. "This is what I used to do when I was upset. Not as cool as a tent, but it works. I promise."

He stares at a playlist on the screen before pressing play on a song. A soft, gentle tune is carried to their ears.

"I never pegged you as a classical kind of guy."

"It's the instrumental for a ballad," he corrects as if it should be an obvious fact. "Hongjoong made it. He wanted to be a musician before we became detectives. Was really good at it too, but his parents never fully approved of it."

She raises a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. "Okay then, I never pegged you as a ballad kind of guy. But your friend is talented."

"I know." He sounds proud, a small smile on his face for a brief moment. "Now close your eyes."

She takes in a deep inhale, fixing him with a skeptical look before shutting her eyes. "Okay. And now?"

"Picture your happy place."

"That's cliche," she protests.

"Just do it."

Releasing a final childish huff, she lets the music run through her mind. Images construct themselves, flashing like lightning behind her eyelids. The pier. The thrum of music. Maya. And for once, she doesn't feel the numbing pang of guilt in her chest when she sees her in that yellow sundress.

When the song ends on a resounding piano note, Seonghwa asks in a quiet voice, "Where did you go?"

Her misty eyes open slowly, falling on his curious expression. She looks him in the eye as she prepares a response.

"The top of a ferris wheel," she begins calmly. "I fell off the edge of it."

He looks horrified, maybe even a little paler.

She offers a teasing smile as an apology. "Just kidding."

She swallows the knot in her throat, preparing to tell the truth. "Actually, I was on the pier during one of the seasonal festivals with my sister–the fourth of July. The sea is usually so loud but I couldn't even hear it over the sound of music and chatter. We were eating funnel cake and she was complaining about getting her dress dirty. It was mine, she stole it that day. I think–" She goes back to picking the fabric of her shorts, words seeming to die on her tongue with the realization. Her voice breaks and she hates the sound of it, shaking her head. "I think that was the last time I saw her smile."

There is something strange lurking in his eyes. Sadness. Understanding. It takes her breath away for a moment as it dawns on her.

"You know about her," she realizes, voice low like the distant thunder of an approaching storm. When he fails to deny her accusation, she knows she guessed correctly. She had hoped to tell him on her own time.  "Was it Evans? That fucking gossip."

Levi is usually a closed book but even Seonghwa can spot the warning sign written all over her cover. He shifts uncomfortably. "Sorry. I didn't pry on purpose. It was Amit."

"No," she says, holding up a hand to stop him from apologizing. "It's alright. We have the same last name and she is all anyone talks about. You're a smarty pants. You would've figured it out anyway."

Something hangs in the air, her face straight and free of her usual humor. Her walls are up. He stares at her like he is trying to figure her out and before he can stop it, he blurts, "Just when are you going to let your guard down, Levi?"

She blinks at him, stunned by the sudden question. Then her confusion turns into an incredulous, bitter laugh. "And if I never do? What are you gonna do? Handcuff me?" She scoffs, tucking her chin into her knees before mumbling, "Actually, nevermind. You look like the type."

He runs a hand through his hair, a confused frown pinching his face. "What is that even supposed to mean?" His voice gets softer until it is just a murmur. "What are you so scared of?"

The question hangs in the air for a lengthy few seconds, Levi not answering. Eventually, begrudgingly, he takes the hint, changing the subject.

"Thank you again. For the tent," he starts. "You don't deserve all of this mess. You're a good person, Levi McKinney."

Right. The tent. The kiss. Heat rushes to her cheeks just thinking about it again. Suddenly his presence next to her seems to hold a lot more weight and she swears she can feel the warmth of his skin on her arm.

"No I'm not," she firmly states, squinting at him sideways. She spent the last few years running wild through town, robbing the same neighbors she smiles at every morning blind. She pushed her friends away, insulting them only to be belittled in the same way by Jarrod later. She deserves this. Had it coming.

She nudges his arm with her elbow, words made thick by the rawness of her throat. "Did you know that Levi is an anagram for evil?"

He doesn't react and she almost pouts the way a child would when not given enough attention. Seonghwa is starting to become more immune to her distracting tactics.

Even his gaze seems to look straight through her until he is staring at the Levi behind the mask. The one that is a frightened, unforgiving mess. What is scarier to her is that despite him seeing her, a grieving thief with a knack for pushing his buttons, he doesn't run.

He stays. People never stay. How long does she have until he vanishes too? Just like Patrice, Tyra, or Maya. Hell, even Jarrod. She's never been enough for anyone. Not even herself.

Apprehension bubbles in her gut. She focuses on a crack in the white paint of her walls, his stare too sensitive and full of emotion for her to process.

When he speaks, he is determined, voice fierce. Trying to make her see what he does. "A bad person wouldn't buy anyone a cute keychain, cry over a sad story, or build a sheet fortress to cheer someone up." Seonghwa's hand hovers over her arm hesitantly before eventually grabbing her hand. She bites her lips, cheeks flushed. "Don't worry about stupid superstitions like karma. I'll fight this battle too. With you. I don't want to lose you."

He came to the realization the moment he got a frantic call from Amit. All he could see was Levi washed up on the beach, void of her usual life and laughter. A shell of potential taken from the world too soon by a faceless monster dancing in the dark.

Finally, she peeks at him, voice similar to the near silent rustle of leaves outside of her window. She knows she will regret it but the words flow like a rogue current before she can think better of it. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you like me. Like...like like me."

His grasp on her hand tightens, their fingers intertwining. She detects the shift before it happens, their roles switched. Suddenly Seonghwa is the confident, brash one and she is left scrambling to catch up. "And if I do, is that a problem?"

"You-" she sputters, heart kicking up a traitorous storm in her chest. It snatches up her words. He only smiles, such a patient and elegant smile. The kind you don't forget for as long as you live. The kind that you end up missing before you even realize how much it means to you. "You don't know that for sure. It could just be the circumstances. You know, like pity."

His mouth curves downward, seeming slightly offended. He turns his upper body to face her even as she keeps her head down, wanting to hide the way her feelings are painted all over her face in a bright red pigment.

Her breath catches in her throat, trapped as his hands cup her face, easing her gaze to him. His thumbs trace circles into her skin. His dark eyes leave a trail of fire that spreads over her cheeks, eyes, nose, and stops on her lips. It burns, stoking the flame building up in her heart.

He tilts his head and leans forward until she can feel his breath caressing her lips and chin. "Does this look like pity to you?"

When his lips brush against hers, she feels like she has been electrocuted. The feel of it causes her to close her eyes like it is the most natural thing in the world. Her breath hitches, hands clutching at his broad shoulders as though he will fade away. They stay there for a moment, the languid movement of their lips communicating the things they never could express with words. 

Just as quickly as it started, it is over. In a blur, his weight lifts from her mattress and she feels her heart drop. She lowers her head again, trying to regain her senses, struggling to catch her breath before it can escape her. It takes a moment, but it settles on her that she is disappointed it didn't last longer and she misses his gentle touch.  

"What the hell was that?" she rasps, forcing herself to look at him.

He stares at her for a moment before casually saying, "A kiss."

"Seonghwa, I-" Dumbfounded, she touches her lips with her fingers. "I'll be honest with you. I don't think I know how to like someone. Not the way you deserve."

Her ex talked down to her, cheated on her, and generally treated her existence as if it was on the same level of importance as an ant under his shoes. If that is what a relationship is, she wants nothing to do with it.

He shakes his head, not wanting her to go down the self-deprecating path she is walking. "Stop. It's okay to take your time figuring things out, Levi. Like I said, I'm here for you either way."

She is rendered silent, an odd sight to see.

He jerks his chin toward the door. "I think I should go. I still have all of my luggage in the car. I came straight here."

"So soon?" she frowns, suddenly not wanting to be left alone. It feels like something is going to jump out at her at any moment.

"I would stay but I don't think you want me to meet your aunt just yet. If you need anything though, at any time, my phone will be on."

"Right," she stands. "I'll walk you out." And then she remembers as she takes a slow step forward. "Oh, wait."

He turns to her, clearly confused as she rustles about in her pocket. The golden chain and ring catches sunlight through the window as she hands it over to him.

His face returns to its usual stoic state, thinking, as she drapes it over his outstretched palm. His eyes linger on it for a moment before jumping up to Levi.

She wipes her sweaty palms onto her shorts, dreading this moment ever since she saw Jarrod attempt to steal Seonghwa's chain. "This is yours. I forgot that I had it. Well...stole it. I'm so sorry."

His features contort into a disappointed scowl full of hurt and she wishes life had a rewind button. She would just take it back, be selfish. Or maybe she would have taken the opportunity to kiss him longer, pull him back when he stood up. 

"I can't believe you," he mutters heatedly.

"What?"

The chain swings as he holds it in front of her face. "How do you manage to just forget that you took someone else's belongings? Come on, Levi. I've been driving myself crazy looking for this."

His tone strikes a nerve and she doesn't like it. "Well forgive me if I was more concerned with the fact that I had a fucking gun aimed at my head, Seonghwa."

He throws his hands up exasperatedly. "And who's fault was that? You were a stranger robbing me."

"I already apologized!" she practically shouts, wanting him to see her true intentions. The way she has been changing herself for the better over the last few months. The way she no longer immediately wants to vomit from the guilt when she sees herself in the mirror. 

Taking a ragged breath, she quiets down so as not to disturb Cam. "I told you. I'm not into theft anymore. Why can't you just believe me? It is just a cheap ring on a necklace anyway."

Her answer is far from satisfactory, only serving to anger him more for reasons she doesn't understand. "It's not some random cheap ring. That is one of the last pieces I have of Hongjoong! He's like family to me and he's dying."

"Right," she drawls derisively, the reminder of her fractured family feeling like a knife to the chest. "I forgot. I wouldn't know shit about family. Mine is so shitty and fucked up."

"That's not what I said."

She feels dizzy, hands shaking and breath coming too fast. "To answer your question, officer." She spits it out, the word stinging like acid. "This is exactly what I was afraid of." If her walls were up before, now there is an entire fortress guarding her heart, but her emotions still seep through the cracks. And she feels so fucking stupid for thinking that anyone would ever see the good in her. Let alone a cop that never wanted to be here to begin with. "Get out."

Her insecurities shine through about her being trailer trash, destined to be stuck in Cape Freewell forever, either ending up in a cold prison cell like her mother or buried six feet under like her sister.

He seems to realize the turn everything just took. "Levi, I-"

"Get the fuck out! Now." She is teary-eyed, her watery gaze full of fire as she points at the door with trembling fingers.

When he listens, turning on his heel and marching out of the trailer, it feels like her heart has been yanked out of her chest, squeezed relentlessly, and stomped on. And when the engine of the car rumbles and fades into the distance, she finally breaks, knees giving out as a sob explodes from somewhere deep in her chest.

All alone, surrounded by the threat of death. Again.

God, how she wishes these pathetic tears were for Maya, or Jodi, or Casey because she knows well that she does not deserve to feel sorry for herself.

Cam peeks his head around the now open door to her bedroom, doe-like eyes wide and afraid. "Vi Vi, why are you crying?" She can't answer, hiccuping when she tries to talk. "Please stop. Daddy's been crying a lot lately too."

"I'm sorry," she manages weakly, knowing the apology is meant for more than just Cam, but the people she wants to hear it most are nowhere to be found.

///

So, uh...that was an emotional rollercoaster.

Thoughts? Predictions?