Four STARZ Members Came to Hide, Then Fell for the Cat Café Owner novel · Chapter 17 of 40

Chapter 17: Minho

Minho looked at Missy for a long time and said nothing at all.

Then he looked at the other four, one by one.

"Hyung," he said to Chan. "Felix. Hyunjin."

"Minho," Chan said, quietly. "You weren't supposed to come until Thursday."

"I wasn't supposed to come at all. You told the manager you'd handle it."

"I'm handling it."

"You're standing in the rain holding hands."

Missy unlocked the green door.

"Come inside," she said. "It's wet. You must be starving."

"I ate on the plane."

"You ate pretzels."

He blinked, and followed her in.

She sat him at the counter, away from the others, with the old tabby at his elbow and a pot of strong tea between them.

The four men hovered by the window, pretending to look at the cat toys.

"You're not what I expected," Minho said.

"I keep hearing that. What did you expect?"

"Someone who needed things. Someone who would cling."

"I need plenty. Mostly I need the till to balance."

"I looked you up on the plane," said Minho. He was twenty-seven, with a strong jaw and eyes that did not blink enough.

"Find anything good?"

"Your left sleeve. The moths."

"My husband picked the moths," Missy said. "I picked the moons."

Minho's hands went still on the cup.

"You're a widow."

"Four years in March."

"Nobody told me that."

"Nobody asked."

He was quiet.

"Jisung calls me every night," he said at last, not looking up. "He sounds like himself. I haven't heard that in three years."

"And you can't decide if that's good."

"I can't decide who gets the credit."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes. If it's you, then you can take it away."

She turned the mug in her hands.

"Minho. I'm not trying to take him from you. I'm not trying to take anything."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Making soup. Feeding cats. Falling for five idiots."

He looked at her then, straight on, for the first time.

"Five," he said.

"I'm counting you, honey. It was rude not to."

He looked away, and a muscle jumped in his jaw.

"I called the manager's number before I called Jisung," he said, abruptly. "When I heard where they were. I asked her if I could come. She said no. I bought another flight."

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