CHAPTER 2
Escape
"Did you hear?" Seokjin started with his usual starting line.
"What's the gossip for today, Seokjin." I smiled as I took a bite into the burger.
He had always done this, filling me up on the 'dirt' he had on the other colleagues or the latest news.
"Mona got an offer in Venice." He said and I choke, coughing instantly.
"Italy?" I exclaimed and Seokjin nodded enthusiastically, his hair falling over his forehead with that motion.
"Jeffrey Leo's gallery had an opening. Which was why she was away the entire week, she was sorting out some stuff." He said, using a finger to flick away the strands that were obstructing his eyes while I gasped.
"That's amazing! How do you know?"
"I overheard her talking about it in the pantry," he gives me a cheeky grin.
"Wait," I pause, "what does that mean for us though?" I asked and he shrugged.
"I honestly have no idea." His looked down to his tray, "let's not think about that for now. Are you done with the assignment?" Seokjin asked and I tensed up a little.
I couldn't bring myself to write a paper on it for some reason. Even though purity behind love was just one of the topics of the writing, something about it seemed off. I'd get a tightness in my chest every time I started reading about it.
"Almost." I lied. A sudden bing from my phone prevents Seokjin from saying anything further.
"Annora?" I say under my breath, staring at her name the lit up my phone screen. I was caught off guard, we hadn't spoken to each other since the night of the dance. I thought she'd want nothing to do with me after that.
"You okay?" Seokjin barely looks up as his eyes were glued onto the burger he held in his hands like an award.
"Yea," I shook my head. "I just need a second." And with that, I excused myself, walking out of the coffee shop.
I looked back at the text that read 'call me' with a frown but dialled her number instantly. The ringing tone dragged on for a bit, getting me impatient but finally, I hear her voice on the other end.
"Hey," I breathe out, stuffing my hand into my jean pocket as I waited for her to speak.
"Jina..." She trailed off, taking in a deep breath after.
"Is everything okay? It's been a while since I've heard from you." I try keeping the conversation light.
"Can you meet me?" Her voice was somewhat timid which puzzled me.
"Right now?" I throw a glance at my watch, thinking if I could take the day off.
"No-" and the line starts breaking off.
"Hey, you there?" I press my phone to my ear in attempts of hearing her clearer.
"Yea, sorry. I'm out of town, with Dawn and Jungkook." She says their name and I go silent, getting a chill down my spine as thoughts start swarming back into me.
I still haven't got my hands on that letter.
"I'll be back next week, maybe we could-" and the line goes dead.
"Annora?" I call out before realising that the line got cut.
Just in that moment, Mona walks into the cafeteria and her eyes found mine. She beckons me towards her with a quick hand gesture and I make my way to her, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.
"Jina, how long does it take for you to pack?" She begins and my brain buffers.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I-"
"Jeffrey Leo just called," she says, interrupting me with the widest smile and my heart skips a beat. "They want us in earlier to set up and prepare for the gallery."
"Us?" My voice gets lost in my chest so much so only a squeak makes its way out the moment I see her nod.
"You're coming to Venice with me."
"I can't believe mum actually approved of this." Jimin plops onto my bed as I lugged onto my packed luggage.
"I guess Mona has a way with words." I shrug, a huge smile still on my lips.
"Your flights not even for a few more hours, why are you getting ready to leave?" Jimin watches me rush around my room, checking if I had missed anything.
"Does someone miss me already?" I tease, turning back to look at him and he scoffs.
"Gross, I'm sad your flights not leaving earlier." He jokes and I click my tongue out of annoyance. He laughs upon seeing my reaction. "It's going to be weird, not having you around for a few months."
"You'll manage." I chuckle and he gives me a tightlipped smile, a shrug bouncing off his shoulders. "Let's hope mum and dad don't drag you into the thanksgiving event like they did us last year."
"Wait, you're not going to be back for thanksgiving?" He sat up, a frown plastered across his face.
"I'm not sure. It depends." I shook my head and he looks down.
"I know ever since," he paused for a bit, "Yeona," his voice went soft, that name bringing back a weird feeling to my gut. "We haven't really been talking much and things got weird but I am going to miss you." He says softly and I smile back at him. "And as the older sibling-"
"There you go again," I sighed and he bursts into laughter.
"I'm kidding." He recovers from his little fit, rushing over to me as I walked out of my room. "Just keep me updated, that's all." He nudges me slightly.
"I will." I assured him. "Now, I have to go meet some people from work." I struggle bringing my luggage down the steps.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to mum?" Jimin looks at me with uncertainty and I feel all the anger I had suppressed for a while, rush back up to my head and my cheeks go warm.
I knew she wasn't the sole cause of why Taehyung and I couldn't be together but she was part of it. I couldn't make myself look past that.
"I'll text her or something." I say, finally making down the steps.
"Oh, okay."
"There she is!" Seokjin chimes as I walked towards him. Standing next to him were a few other colleagues whose names I could never remember. They had suitcases of their own and then I spot one next to Seokjin.
"Wait, you're coming too?" My face lights up as he nods his head.
"You really think Mona's going to leave without taking her trusty secretary?" He narrows his eyes at me right before a laugh breaks through his lips. "Alright hurry, we don't want to miss our flight." He walks forward, the rest of the colleagues following behind him.
I suck in a deep breath, trying to contain my excitement as I thought about how a new chapter of my life was about to begin the moment I got in the plane.
"You coming?" Seokjin shouts from afar, pulling me out of my headspace.
"Yea!" I yell back as I finally take a step forward but before my foot could hit the ground, I feel a dark blur rush towards me and the next thing I knew, I was falling backwards but I don't hit the ground.
"You can't run." The whisper I dreaded to hear fills my head.
"You can't escape me."
A/N: it's been forever omg. I'm so sorry for the long wait ah.