You can read all of Forgetting Arlo, Liberty, Destined, and The King's Lost Queen. You can also read ahead of my new stories Shattered Souls plus many more stories. You will always be supporting me. To find out more, please click on this link: patreon.com/littletroublemaker_
Word count: 2454
SHE WAS GOING to do it. She was going to talk to them. It was a terrifying thought but she knew Billie was right. She needed to have this conversation.
So, the following day, she messaged Taehyung since they had a better text friendship than the others and waited anxiously for his reply. She had barely seen her mom since yesterday and she was glad about it. Her mom's presence never helped her, no matter how she acted.
An hour after she messaged Taehyung, he replied.
[From Kim Taehyung] Yes of course you can meet us! Is there anywhere you want to go?
[From Madeline] Can I come to your hotel? It's a conversation I want to have in private?
She knew she sounded ominous. A spike of fear suddenly filtered through her body. It wasn't her emotion—it was one of her soul mates. Probably Taehyung. He was no doubt thinking the worst.
[From Madeline] I'm not rejecting you. I promise. I just need to talk to you.
That would hopefully be enough to ease some of his concerns.
[From Kim Taehyung] Okay, I'll let the others know. Do you know where our hotel is?
Yes, she did. Freya had tried to set her up by taking her there. It was a shame she didn't show up. She imagined the hotel was luxurious. For them to stay there, it had to be.
[From Madeline] Yeah, I have the address. I'll see you in an hour?
He replied instantly with a thumbs up. Placing her phone on her bed, she loosened a breath. She would go through with this. If they were to move on from what had happened, this talk had to happen. No matter how terrifying it was.
Madeline had never spoken about her insecurities before, let alone twice to eight people.
Courage. She had to take a leap of faith and be brave.
Madeline sent her mom and brief and vague message, explaining she was going out for a few hours. Her mom probably wouldn't reply—she never did. But if she came back early, wondering where her daughter was, then Madeline could at least defend herself.
It took a short bus ride for Madeline to reach the hotel. She thanked the driver awkwardly and marveled at the towering building before her. She took a few breaths to calm her racing heart.
When she entered, she immediately felt out of place. Everything was pristine and expensive. Even though her father was quite well off, she could never get used to this kind of lifestyle. Especially when her mom was on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Squaring her shoulders, Madeline sauntered up to the front desk as confidently as possible. She prayed that Taeyhyung or any of the boys had informed the staff that she was arriving. The last thing she needed was to be kicked out for being a saesang.
"Hi," She greeted, nervously. The woman stopped typing and flickered her bored gaze to Madeline. She was pretty with curly black hair and a golden tan. "I—I'm here to see some people. I don't know if they told you I was coming."
The receptionist plastered a professional smile on her face, "Can I take your name?"
"Madeline Smith," She replied, her fingers anxiously tapping down on the desk.
"Ah, yes. They are on floor nine, room 15. They're waiting for you." She said with forced politeness. Her attitude changed the moment she knew why Madeline was there.
Madeline thanked the employee and headed over to the lift. Her heart was hammering in her chest violently, threatening to explode. She was beyond afraid of what was to come but was also excited to speak to them.
The lift took its sweet time heading upwards. A couple was also in the small space with her. Neither of them could keep their hands off each other. It made Madeline feel quite uncomfortable but also happy for the couple. They had to be soul mates. The look in their eyes only came from people who were around their soul mates.
A part of her longed for that. She wanted what everyone else had. Well, everything but the heartbreak.
She exited the lift once it reached floor 9 and began her search for room 15. The corridor was long, filled with corners leading to new parts of the building. It was like a labyrinth.
When she spotted the room, she froze. This was it. She hadn't seen all of them together since she was in hospital. Being in a room with all seven of them felt overwhelming. She couldn't wait to see them though. There was something about their presence that calmed and excited her.
She forced her hand up and gently knocked on the door. Madeline waited with bated breath as rustling was heard on the other side of the door. Not even a second later, the door was thrown open to reveal a disheveled Jimin. His smile widened at the sight of her and his arms opened as if he was going to hug her. Thinking better of it, he reluctantly lowered his arms and pouted slightly.
Madeline felt bad. She knew he wanted to hug her—to embrace his soul mate. But they weren't there yet.
"Hi," She muttered, shyly. Jimin's face returned to its natural bright glory. That man had a smile that could blind anybody.
"Hi, please come in," He said, inviting her into the room. She stepped past her, trying to keep a bit of distance from him. He noticed but didn't comment on it. A flash of pain soared down the bond. Madeline fought to keep her expression polite and neutral. She didn't want him to see how much his hurt affected her.
The others were all dotted around the room, trying to act casual. She would have assumed that if it weren't for the way everything about them was unnatural. Namjoon was holding a book upside down as if he had scrambled to pick it up. Hobi and Jin were in the small kitchen the hotel provided, stirring their drinks. The two youngest were sitting on the couch anxiously, their legs bouncing up and down. Yoongi was the only one who appeared calm and natural. His head was resting on the seat, his eyes partially closed.
At her arrival, all eyes fell on her. She squirmed under their intense and longing gazes. She hated attention—a lot. Having seven powerful stares on her was unnerving.
"Uh, thanks for having me over," Madeline thanked them, maintaining a professional tone. She didn't know how to slip out of it. "I'm sorry it's last minute. I—I really need to talk to you guys."
The room was tense, filled with anticipation. They all looked worried about what she wanted to say. She had assured Taehyung she wasn't rejecting them yet it appeared none of them could get that idea out of their heads.
"I'm not rejecting you." She stated, firmly. "I want to talk about everything. About...about why I'm so hesitant about this. I think it's only fair."
Her honesty surprised them. They all leaned forwards as she spoke as if they were hanging off every word she said.
"Why don't you take a seat?" Jin suggested, being the first to follow her lead.
She thanked him and chose to sit on the single armchair. The others all followed suit, squeezing onto the two couches opposite her.
"So," She sighed, unsure of how to begin. Whatever confidence she had was already waning. "Yesterday, a friend of mine came over and sort of helped me see what I had been missing. She gave me the courage to come here and tell you why I've been acting the way I have."
"You don't have to talk to us if you're not ready, Madeline," Namjoon assured her in a soft, delicate tone. She appreciated his want to not press her but she knew it was necessary.
"No, I have to do this. For you and me. We're not going to get anywhere if I keep placing a wall between us." She retorted, determined to do this.
"Okay, then we're ready to listen. Take your time." Hobi replied, adding a smile to ease her worries.
She nodded her head and collected her jumbled thoughts.
"Okay, this story starts with my mom. Thankfully, none of you have met her. On her eighteenth birthday, my mom found out she didn't have a soul mate. It...broke her. So, to ease her pain that night, she went out and got very drunk. There, she met my dad. He hadn't met his soul mate yet. They hooked up and...had me." She began, knowing this story off by heart.
They were all listening to her words intently. They wanted to hear every part of her story—to know this part of her life.
"My mom...she was never the same after she found out she was soulless. My whole life, I've grown up with her views that soul mates would only bring pain. My dad and his family are the complete opposite but I spent less time with them. My mom never wanted me to have a soul mate. So, growing up, I took on that view as well. I didn't want one. I didn't want to end up sad like her. In my mind, it was better to be alone. That way, nobody could hurt me."
"When I found out I had seven soul mates, I freaked out. My mom's face when she saw...it tore me apart. Then I started guessing you guys were my soul mates. Freya found out and told my dad. He booked flights to Seoul and tickets to your concert. Everyone started to tell me how great this would be for me and I started to come to terms with my fate. I even began accepting it. But you guys didn't want to see me. And that broke me."
Guilty expressions met my eyes. She believed they weren't the ones who gave that order but they still felt responsible.
"What happened solidified what my mother always taught me. I now see that it was a misunderstanding and I want to move past that." She continued, wiping away the tears that suddenly fell from her eyes. When had she started crying? "I don't want to be alone. And...And I also don't want to be hurt. I don't want to wake up one day and be alone. I won't survive if you abandon me because you realize I'm not worth it."
"That would never ha—" Jimin tried to interrupt her.
"You don't know if things will change, Jimin." She finished; her tone sharp but not harmful. "You don't know if you will harbor the same feelings for me. I'm ordinary, there isn't anything special about me. You'll see that once you get to know me. And then you'll leave."
They all stared at her in shock. She knew right now they would deny that would ever happen but she didn't know about the future. That was why she was protecting herself.
"Madeline, that is not how the soul bond works. We already lo—care about you deeply. Our feelings won't change. I don't think you understand how far we've fallen. We're not going to give you up. Never." Namjoon stepped forward in a calm tone.
"We don't know the future but we know ourselves. We know our feelings. We have all waited so long for you. And we won't give you up. You are not ordinary, not in the slightest. You are so beautiful, inside and out. I'm upset you can't see it but I hope you will soon." Yoongi added, passionately.
"Madeline," Jin called her name in a gentle voice, taking her hand softly. "You are incredible and we will always want you. Please give us a chance."
She blew out a breath, feeling overwhelmed by their words. They were exactly what she wanted to hear. Were they doing that on purpose? Or was it the truth?
Billie's words came to mind. She told her to trust them. She wanted to be with them and so, in order for that to happen, she had to believe them.
"We want to work through your concerns together. You are worth everything and I hope you will see that soon."
Their words were trying to give her confidence. And it was working. They were speaking from the bottom of their hearts with so much earnestness. They had faith in everything they were saying.
"I—I can't promise anything. I can't promise that my views will change overnight or that I will be ready to fully commit. But...I want to try." Madeline eventually spoke in a shaky but promising voice.
She watched their reactions; and tried to decipher the many looks that flashed in their eyes. Since they had lived together for so many years and were as close as family, she knew could communicate just by looking at each other. Madeline had the same ability as Freya and her half-brothers.
Her nerves were obvious to anyone who looked at her. She had been brave and revealed herself which was no easy feat. Most people hid their true feelings behind layers of masks but with soul mates, you were meant to be yourself. That was one of the many perks. Your soul mates were supposed to accept you wholeheartedly.
So, the question was would these seven successful men accept her?
The third oldest member eased over to her gracefully. She would have assumed he was very confident if it wasn't for the slight tremble in his hands.
To her surprise, he kneeled before her and gently took her hands. Pleasant sparks erupted on her skin and ignited her soul. The bond thrummed with pure joy. This was what it wanted. Affection. Acceptance. Love.
"Thank you for your honesty, Madeline. We heard everything. And no matter how scared you are that we'll leave, we can assure you with our lives that it won't happen. We accept you, my love." He declared in a voice full of conviction and honesty. "So, do you accept us?"
She licked her lips and glanced around the room again. Opening herself up to new possibilities won't be easy but she's going to try. She wanted this—them.
"Yes, I do."
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