𝐌𝐀𝐅𝐈𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 [𝗧𝗔𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗜𝗘]

🅝︎🅘︎🅝︎🅔︎

JENNIE

The sunlight shone on my face and I squeezed my eyes tightly against the glare. Turning around, I winced at the soreness in my back and felt my forehead crease in confusion.

Why did my soft, cuddly bed feel so hard?

Groggily, I blinked my eyes open and came face to face with the bottom of the couch in my bedroom.

I rubbed my eyes in an effort to get rid of the sleepiness. A lazy yawn escaped from my mouth and I groaned, falling back on the floor again as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Turning my head to the side, I saw Taehyung’s jacket lying next to my face. I frowned in confusion and slowly brought my hand to the jacket, running my fingers softly over the fabric.

“Hmm,” I hummed as I tried to think back to last night, feeling strangely disoriented.

Why am I holding his suit jacket?
As soon as the thought ran through my mind, I quickly sat up, dizziness rushing through me.

My harsh breathing filled the room and last night flashed before my eyes.

I was worn out, tired of constantly thinking about the past. Tired of fighting my demons.

Feeling numb, I brought his jacket to my chest, holding it there as I closed my eyes. I hated my nightmares.

When I escaped, the first few nights were horrible. I could barely get any sleep. But then for two nights, I didn’t have any nightmares.

I felt hopeful.

Last night, all that hope came crashing down around me. I was so naïve to think that I could escape such a horrendous reality.

Shaking my head at my own stupidity, I stood up and stumbled toward my bathroom.

I didn’t even look at myself in the mirror. Instead, I walked straight to the shower and let the warm water cascade over me.The warmth began to seep under my skin and my muscles relaxed. I stayed under the spray longer than usual, trying to gather myself again.

Closing the water, I stood still for a moment and closed my eyes.

Stay strong. Don’t break. Don’t show weakness.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes again and stepped out of the shower.

Stay strong. Don’t break. Don’t show weakness.

Quickly drying myself, I dressed in the same clothes I had been wearing for weeks now. My black maid dress.

When I was finished, I glanced in the mirror, looking at my reflection in silence.

My eyes were red and puffy. Tiredness was clearly written all over my face. It didn’t come as a shock to me. The face in the reflection…I had seen it a million times. Looking exactly like that.

Stay strong. Don’t break. Don’t show weakness.

I walked away without a second look. Taehyung’s suit jacket remained on the floor, where I had left it before.
I bent down and took the jacket in my hand.

I was trying so hard to avoid what I felt last night. There was no way to describe it. No words. I never felt that way before and I was still trying to wrap my head around it.

Peace. That was what I felt. In the middle of yet another panic attack, Taehyung’s jacket brought me peace.
He brought me peace.

How was that even possible?

My mind was a mess when I walked into the kitchen, where Lisa and Lena were waiting for me. When I walked in, both of them gifted me with genuine happy smiles.