8 months later:

Ray POV:

"I don't understand why you just wont call him," Ray's mom insisted for the 500th time since she picked her distraught daughter up from the airport 8 months ago.

"Mama," Ray began, her voice sounding tired as she made her bed. "Hobi doesn't want to talk to me. He doesn't want to see me. He's... he's moved on. Look." Ray pulled up a news article that was trending on social media.

Ray's mom patted her hand as she looked at the article. "I wouldn't assume too much munchkin," she stated. "Have you talked to the other members lately?"

Ray nodded. "I talked to Jungkook yesterday. He sent me a couple messages but I know he's been busy since they're on tour," she explained. "I don't talk to them about Hobi. I'm... I'm afraid to ask."

"What are you afraid of?" her mom asked.

"Afraid to hear that he's fallen in love with someone else. Afraid to hear that he hates me," Ray admitted.

"Do you... do you think you made the right decision?" her mom asked.

Ray shrugged. "I... I don't know mama," she replied. "I love him. I still love him. I miss him so damn much."

"Could you see yourself with him? Having a future?" her mom asked.

Ray hesitated, but then spoke. "I wanted to marry him mama. I just... I just was afraid that he would change his mind later. Was it too soon? Maybe but I didn't need to spend years with him to figure out that I was in love with him and I could see myself spending the rest of my life with this man," she burst out, the tears she had been trying to hold back spilling down her cheeks.

Ray's mom gathered her in her arms, murmuring soothing words to the girl whose heart was in tatters. "Why? Why did you say no?" her mom asked.

"I just didn't want him to realize he made a mistake. I didn't want him to realize he didn't love me that much," Ray sobbed out. "I didn't want him to break my heart."

"So you broke his first?" her mom asked, a look of disappointment on her face. "Do you realized how silly that sounds?"

Ray lifted her head, her eyes wide in surprise. "Mama! You're supposed to be on my side," she complained, the feeling of betrayal in her voice.

"Silly girl," her mom scolded gently. "What have I always told you?"

Ray sighed. "That you have my back," she began, her voice becoming reluctant.

"But only when?" her mom urged her to continue.

"But only when I'm right," Ray finished, the sounds soft and sad.

"And in this case munchkin, you weren't right," her mom said. "You hurt him just so he couldn't hurt you. How is that right? At all?"

Ray ducked her head, knowing her mom was right. "I don't know what to do mama. I love him so much. I want so badly to be with him, but it's too late," she cried, her voice breaking.

"You won't know since you won't try. Where are they touring?" her mom asked, her eyes going wide when Ray kept quiet. "Are you serious? They're here? In the US? Are they coming to Chicago?"

Ray sighed, ducking her head even further. "They... they performed in Chicago last night," she admitted, her voice small.

"Damn it Ray," her mom snapped out. "You had a chance to see him and chose not to take it. Why?"

"Because I'm scared! I'm scared," Ray shouted then began sobbing into her arms. She knew she messed up. She knew she should have called him before leaving Korea. She knew she should have asked for time to think about the proposal instead of automatically assuming the worst of Hoseok, the man she was in love with. Instead she chose the coward's way out and accused him of horrible things. Things she didn't know if he could ever forgive her for.

Her mom rubbed her back, trying to comfort the sobbing girl. "It's going to be okay," she said gently. "Try calling him."

Ray shook her head. "I... I can't," she said.

Her mom lifted Ray's face up to meet her own gaze. "Try. You'll never know what's going to happen until you try," she pleaded. "Give the love you had a chance."

"What if he doesn't love me anymore?" Ray asked, the thought filling her heart with dread.

Her mom sighed. "Then he doesn't deserve you," she said gently. Her mom stood up, kissing the top of Ray's head and exited the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Ray paced the room, unable to get her mind off her mom's words. Had she really messed up that badly? Ray picked up her phone, sending a quick message to Jungkook. Maybe it was time to find out what was really going on. Find out if there was a chance to make it right.

Ray:

Hey JK

Hope the concert went well

I need to talk to you

Please call me when you can

9:32 AM

The rest of the day passed slowly. Every time Ray's phone dinged, she would jump hoping it was Jungkook, but he never responded. Late that afternoon, the doorbell rang and her mom sent her to answer it, expecting a package from Amazon to be delivered.

Ray brushed her hair out of her face and pulled the door open, her mouth dropping open in surprise at the man on the other side of the door. His hair was darker, he looked slimmer, and even the makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under his eyes, but to Ray, he looked just as handsome as the day she had met him.

"H-h-Hobi?" Ray stammered out. "What... what are you doing here?"

Hoseok POV:

When Ray pulled open the door, Hoseok wasn't sure what to expect. He didn't know how she would react to seeing him, but his heart fell even more in love with the girl who stood in front of him. She had obviously lost weight from her already slim frame, her face was paler than the last time he had seen her, and she was clearly not sleeping well, but she was still the most beautiful girl in the world to him.

"Can... can I come in?" Hoseok asked, removing the mask covering his face and taking off his hat, running a hand through his now dark hair, his voice stuttering at the question, afraid she would shut the door in his face.

Ray said nothing, but nodded, opening the door wider, gesturing for him to come in. Hoseok slipped off his shoes then followed Ray into a brightly lit living room with dark wood floors and plush looking brown furniture.

A woman that looked like an older version of Ray stepped into the room. "Did the package...? Oh," she exclaimed, cutting herself off. "Who is this?"

Ray seemed to be speechless, so Hoseok moved towards the woman. "I'm... I'm Jung Hoseok," he replied. "Nice... nice to meet you."

The woman's eyes widened and she looked towards her daughter. "Wait... what? Are you serious?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise, but then she seemed to pull herself together. "I'm so sorry. Nice to meet you as well. I'm Kacey," she replied.

Ray rolled her eyes at her mom's girlish reaction. "Sorry. My mom... my mom is a fan. She has a slight crush on Yoongi," she said, making her mom blush in humiliation.

Hoseok turned to Ray in surprise. "Your mom is ARMY but you weren't?" he asked, an amused look on his face. "That's surprising."

Ray shrugged. "I know," she said simply.

Hoseok turned back to the woman, but she had crept out of the room silently, her embarrassment probably getting to her. Ray gestured towards the sofa, taking a seat on it. Hoseok hesitated but then sat next to her, reaching out for the trembling hands in Ray's lap. "Baby I am so sorry," he said finally. "These... these last 8 months without you have been terrible. I'm so sorry for the way I sprung the proposal on you. I was just so afraid of you leaving Korea, leaving me that I panicked." Hoseok squeezed her hand, smiling when she didn't attempt to pull away. "I want to marry you. That hasn't changed. I'm just sorry for trying to rush you into it."

Ray was silent at his words. "I'm sorry too Hobi," she finally said, her pretty eyes filling with tears. "I was so afraid of you breaking my heart that I pushed you away before you could. The only thing I want is to be with you."

Hoseok's heart lifted at her words. "Do... do you still love me?" he asked, terrified of the answer question, but knowing it needed to be asked.

The tears spilled down Ray's cheeks, prompting Hoseok's eyes to tear up. "I never stopped loving you," she whispered. "I'm still just as in love with you as I was before."

"I love you Ray. So damn much. I just want to be with you. I don't care if that's with you here and me in Korea. I promise we can make it work. Please just give me another chance," Hoseok pleaded, his normally bright voice filled with worry.

Ray threw her arms around his neck, pulling him in close. "I love you so much Hobi," she sobbed against his neck. "I want to be yours again."

"Baby you were always mine," Hoseok said, burying his face in her hair, the familiar scent of her shampoo filling his nose. "You never stopped being mine. Just like I've always been yours."

Ray leaned back, confusion on her face. "But... but what about the girl in the photo?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

Hoseok grinned and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his photos until he found the one he wanted, the same photo from the article. "This girl?" he asked, grinning even wider when Ray nodded. "This is Dawon, my sister."

Ray's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and Hoseok wanted to pinch them. "Oh baby. You didn't really think that I was seeing someone else did you?" he asked. "Silly girl. How could I want anyone else when all I want is you?"

"What now?" Ray asked, her voice filling with worry. "How do we work it with me here and you..."

Hoseok stopped her flood of words the only way he knew how. He dragged her close and pressed his lips to hers, effectively silencing her. Hoseok felt the resistance at first, but then Ray melted in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. After kissing her a moment longer, Hoseok pulled back. "Don't you worry baby. I love you. You love me," he reassured her. "We'll make it work no matter what."

A/N:  We are almost at the end of Let Go.  Epilogue will be posted Thursday in honor of our sweet Hoseok's birthday.