We still had an entire round of treatment to go before the wedding, Valentine's Day falling on the second weekend of the third cycle. Seokjin provided me with his invitation so that I had every detail and could adhere to the dress code. I turned to Faye for dress options and she didn't disappoint, sending me an entire vision board with attached links.

Leading up to the day I was struck with a sense of excitement. I hadn't been to many weddings but loved them. Seeing two people profess their love for each other almost always made me cry and my dad was right, I did need a social outing beyond my weekly interactions with the service workers at the businesses on our block.

On the day of I checked in on my dad first thing, giggling as he swatted my hand away from his forehead. "I feel fine. No way you're getting out of this one."

"Okay, but our agreement still stands. Call or text if you need me to come back for any reason." I urged him, moving to the kitchen and cracking two eggs into a bowl to scramble.

He grunted as he rose from the recliner that he spent most of his time in, reaching into the refrigerator for the jug of orange juice that he drank directly from. "Let me make breakfast. You should be getting ready." He left the carton on the counter, taking the spatula I used and turning the pan handle so that he had more access.

"I'm not leaving until three so I've got plenty of time." I moved on to making toast since he'd taken over the eggs.

He scoffed. "You and your mom spent years kicking me out of the bathroom to get ready. I know what I'm talking about." Metal scraped together as he emptied the pan's contents onto a plate.

The morning news played in the background while we ate and he made small comments about reported crimes between chewing, sitting back in his seat with a pat to his stomach until I finished.

"So how are you feeling about today?" He asked casually, pressing his fingertips together in question.

"It's just a wedding dad. It'll probably be a little awkward since I don't know anyone there. I'm doing this so his mom will stop worrying about him dating." I was direct. I wiped my hands on a napkin and discarded it in my empty plate, standing to collect our dishes.

He lowered the volume on the TV, turning around to face me while we talked. "And you want me to stop worrying about you dating." He added. "Dating him."

"I would like that." I admitted.

"Fine," he ran a hand through his thinning hair, "I'll let it go if you agree to go all in just for today."

I turned around, raising my eyebrows at him. "All in?"

"All in. No pushing down the way you feel, accept whatever the day has for you." He negotiated.

It was a hard ask. I thought about the possibilities for a few minutes before nodding my head in agreement. Seokjin would likely be busy keeping guests entertained and celebrating with his friends. I imagined that I'd sit alone at the back of the crowd during the ceremony, make small talk with whoever was assigned to my table at the reception, and watch everyone else party with old friends. I could come out of the night and move on, accepting everything the day had for me without having to give much at all.

My dad beamed, rubbing his hands together and reclaiming his seat in the living room. "Good, I feel love in the air." He boasted.

"That's because it's Valentine's Day." I called down the short hallway, unable to stop myself from giggling at his enthusiasm.

I wouldn't admit it to my dad, but it did take up until the very last minute for me to get ready. I hadn't shaved my legs since I arrived in Rochester since it was winter and no one was touching them, taking my time to wash my hair, exfoliate and moisturize every inch of my skin.

I hummed over the blast of the blow dryer, devoting another hour to straightening my hair and pulling it into a low bun so secure that no amount of wind could create flyaways. I almost gave up on getting my eyeliner even, settling for blending the edges out with a dark shadow to hide any imperfections.

The zipper of the solid black strapless dress I picked from Faye's collection sat flush against my side, the split that ran from the ankle length hem to my thigh making the nude stockings I wore a necessity to fair against the cold. I'd gone out the previous morning to scuff the bottoms of the crystal-bowed black pumps I'd wear as soon as the package had arrived, breaking them in by wearing them around the house through the day.

The floor creaked as my dad stepped through the small crack in my door fifteen minutes before Jin's driver was set to pick me up. He tapped against the plywood with his knuckles, coming up behind me from where I stood in front of a floor length mirror.

A short, diamond necklace draped across his fingers. I recognized it from the moment my mom pulled it from a black velvet lined box on their tenth wedding anniversary, the glint in her eyes brighter than the stones.

"I thought you might want to wear something of hers." He looked into our reflection, pulling the chain around my neck. While he secured the clasp I touched the diamonds with my fingertips, feeling the weight of each against my collar.

I couldn't mess up my makeup, blinking away the tears that pooled in my eyes as I looked at myself in the mirror. I walked back to my closet, reaching in for a simple clutch to hold my phone and pulling on the long, black gloves that were the final touch and securing them on my arms with body tape.

On the way out I pressed a kiss to my dad's cheek and grabbed a long coat from the rack, snickering at his call of luck just as the door closed.

Seokjin's driver, Rob, held the door open for me with the same polite nod he typically wore. I rode quietly, light music playing in the background while I fiddled with my nails. I was nervous, having to remind myself that there would be a happy couple to steal everyone's attention and keep curious eyes off of the stranger in the room.

A gold sign displaying the couple's name was placed at the entrance to the hotel where the wedding was being held, providing the nicest indoor event space in the city. Two men, dressed completely in black stood on either side of the double doors, pushing them open for me to enter.

The inside of the building was beautiful, my eyes instantly drawn to the line of people dressed in black following a path of mixed flower petals.

I found a place at the back and let my coat drop to my elbows, another host appearing to retrieve it and leaving me with a small card to turn in after the reception.

My phone buzzed in my bag, a number that I hadn't saved but was familiar with on the screen. I stepped out of line to answer, in case the social rules were stricter among the guests ahead of me who oozed of lavish wealth.

"You're here." Seokjin spoke, the loud click of a hotel room door behind him dulling the sound of men's voices in the background. "I'll be down there in just a minute."

He hung up before I could reply, talking in that rushed way he and my dad sometimes did when they were doing their daily check on each other or calling with a joke, often skipping pleasantries or greetings.

I leaned against a column by the reception desk, listening for the ting of the elevator's arrival before turning my head.

The lobby was mostly empty, the arrival of wedding guests perfectly timed so that others weren't busy checking in or out of the hotel. He spotted me as soon as the gold plated doors drew out in front of him.

I moved to meet him halfway, taking a long breath before we were in front of each other. I recalled joking to Faye that my next soulmate could be the most handsome guy in the world and he'd still be out of luck with me. The universe had an apparent sense of humor that I chuckled at, standing in front of the man who may have been just that.

His hair was a little less unruly than usual, brushed neatly so that it fell just below his ears. He'd left his jacket upstairs, the black vest of his suit fitted perfectly over the white button up underneath. The bow tie around his collar was undone, the pieces crossed over one another like he ran out in the middle of it being tied.

He took me by surprise, reaching out so that his arms wrapped around my waist and pulling me to him in a long hug.

It was the closest I'd ever been to him, leaving me with no choice but to breathe him in and take notice of the way every nerve ending where we touched was struck with need. "My mom's best friend is in line. She's already got her nosy eyes on us so I thought it'd be weird not to hug my pretend girlfriend." He talked lowly by my ear, letting his hand graze down my arm so that our fingers were intertwined as he pulled away.

"You're sweating. Are you feeling okay?" I wondered, taking note of the flushed sheen of his cheeks and forehead.

He reached for a tissue on the small table next to us, wiping at the tip of his nose. "Yeah, the guys have been toasting to everything. I haven't drank this much in a while." He confessed.

I brushed away some of the hair that hung over his forehead, watching him closely as he blotted the edge of his hairline. "Just stay sober enough to walk a straight line down the aisle." I teased.

He took the opportunity to prove himself, taking a few steps backwards. He held his hands out to his sides as if he were balancing on a tightrope, walking back to me heel to toe while I laughed.

I realized that I was too loud, covering my mouth with a hand and glancing around at the curious eyes that watched our interaction.

Seokjin seemed satisfied and though I knew we were technically soulmates, his parting words made me wonder if his actions were all just for show. "Okay, I think we've satisfied the masses enough for now. They'll have your name to escort you to your seat and we'll proceed with the plan at the reception." He nodded.

I'd just been reminding my dad that I was here with the sole purpose of pretending to date and before the event could even start I was already having to remind myself. I took to the line again while he headed toward the elevator, keeping a mantra that everything I'd been told to welcome today was part of a ruse that would help keep me in my head and protect my heart.