Hi there! If you didn't support a single chapter in book 1, let's please leave that behind and vote this time 🙂💜 I'd greatly appreciate it <3
My arms hug the pillow at my side while my naked body is stretched across the damp and messy white bed sheets. I don't feel Taehyung next to me which makes my eyebrows furrow.
It's then that I feel my ankle on top of cool skin and I'm awoken by the sounds of smacking plastic. Propping myself up on one elbow, I spot Taehyung sitting in front of the mattress with his back turned and my foot hanging over his shoulder while he plays video games.
He's not overly jumpy like some kid, but instead sits like a statue with nothing by his thumbs flashing quickly. He pierces his eyes into the Tekken tournament as if it were a strict life or death situation, and that forms a small smile on my face. I continue to silently admire him from behind while he plays.
Taehyung grunts quietly when a big YOU LOSE takes over the screen, raising his controller as if he were about to throw it. "Tsk— Piece of..."
He presses retry and enters another round when I playfully swing my foot and he looks back at me with raised eyebrows.
"Oh. You're awake." His arm curls around my leg. He then smiles and rubs it up and down before I scoot down to sit closer to him and buckle my arms around his neck. "Was I asleep long?"
"Kinda. But it's fine, you need rest."
I place a kiss on his cheek and look up at the TV screen.
"So, since when were you into video games?" He looks back at the paused screen and shrugs. "I've always liked them. Just never got the time to play."
I hum and run my fingers through his hair while he lays his head between my legs and strokes my thigh. It's not long before he's placing kisses on it and I'm smiling uncontrollably.
He then smacks my thigh lightly, "I haven't heard much police this morning so we should probably head out before they come back. It'll be suspicious if you wore your prison uniform outside so you can wear my spare clothes until we get there."
"Until we get where?" My eyebrows weave.
"Somewhere safe. For the meantime. Now go wash up, we'll leave when you're finished."
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ☀️
Taehyung's arm hooks around my shoulder as he leads me through the large lawn, a scarf hooded to hide my face completely. I lift up the hem just a bit to get a peak of the house we're approaching. It's big and brown, like a prestige family home.
"Whoa... Who are we visiting?"
"A friend." Taehyung places a hand on my back when we climb the stairs. He knocks and I feel my heartbeat fasten. I wonder who it could b—
"Tae!" The slender, brunette man welcomes us with a huge open smile. He wraps Taehyung in a dramatic hug while I just enter behind them reluctantly. He looks familiar...
"Wah~ I'm so glad you're staying here buddy! My home is your home!" He pats his shoulder. With a hand on his hip, he looks me up and down.
"Oh right, Lilo, this is Hoseok. He also went to our school. Was more of a mutual friend."
"Wait... I remember you!" I point. "You're the guy who threw that insane party and groped my ass!"
Taehyung's forehead creases before he slowly slips away from under Hoseok's arm.
"What? Bro I-I was drunk! I didn't even know she was your girl!"
"She wasn't my girl dumbass, but still..." He pushes him away.
"Alright alright." Hoseok claps his hands together and bows in front of me with an irresistible smile and formal manner. "Lilo, I sincerely apologize for that incident. I can get rather wild when I'm drunk. It won't happen again."
"I'm glad that's settled." I chuckle. "So this is your new home now? Why'd you move out of that other house?"
"Well technically this isn't mine. After the party, the neighbors complained again and I got evicted. I'm living with my parents in this vacation home, but they're on a cruise so until they get back, it's all mine."
"I see... So it'll just be the three of us staying here?"
"Ehh... Not exactly."
"Huh?"
Hoseok looks at Taehyung who elaborates, "With the police out like this, we can't have friends just out and about until we come up with a solid plan. Otherwise they'll be knocking on doors all day long for questioning."
"Okay... So where are they?"
Hoseok points to the living room just behind me and I poke my head into the doorframe. Jimin sits on one couch on his phone while Jungkook and Winter sit on the other, his arm around her while her arms and legs remain crossed. They all look up at me before Winter lands a small wave, "Hey kiddo."
"You're all here... Oh my God..." I immediately run into each of their arms for a heartfelt hug.
"I missed you all so much you have no fricking idea."
"We missed you too." Jimin laughs.
"Wait, where are the other girls?" I ask.
"They're all living out of town doing their own things. Since they're not involved, they don't need to stay here, though Jungkook, Jimin and Winter still lived in the city so we have to keep them with us for the time being.
*Knock knock!*
Everyone pauses and looks at the door, wondering who could be knocking when this is a private residence.
With a raised eyebrow, Hoseok carefully walks over to the door and peeps through the hole.
"Uh... dude, it's a guy with a long coat."
Taehyung immediately looks at me swats my arm, "Hide."
I nod and hurry behind the living room door so I can still see and hear everything happening on the opposite side through the gap. Taehyung steps back towards the wall behind Hoseok to also stay out of sight.
Hoseok spares Taehyung a short nod before finally opening the door.
"Can I help? Uh..." Hoseok's eyes scroll down to the man's shiny gold badge. "Officer?"
"Morning Mr. Jung." The man untucks his hands from his pockets. His voice is very deep and lazy. "SCPD chief detective, here to ask a simple question if that's okay with you?"
"Uh... If this is about any noise complaints or egged houses it totally wasn't me."
"No no. I'm here to ask about a high school acquaintance of yours. Have you seen a man by the name of Kim Taehyung recently?"
Taehyung's eyes widen and eyebrows furrow from behind the door. Hoseok almost gives himself away by turning to look at him but makes sure to keep his face trained straight.
"Kim Taehyung... Kim Taehyung... Hmm... Nope, doesn't ring a bell—"
"Mr. Jung please don't lie to me. I take my job seriously, and I have records proving you to have known the man years ago. Does class B6 perhaps, ring a bell?"
"Ah!" Hoseok clicks his fingers, "That Kim Taehyung? Pshk, no way that guy was a total loser." He scoffs, making Taehyung scowl. "Anyway, why do you ask?"
"Well his father's murderer recently escaped prison and I was hoping to discuss the matter with him in terms of charges he'd like to settle, but police can't seem to get a hold of him, and many of his close allies have been out of reach too. You are the closest connection we have right now."
"Oh. Well I haven't spoken to Taehyung in years. I don't know anything about this, but I hope you find him soon though. He's probably torn about it."
"Yeah..." The detective nods slowly and reaches into his pocket. "Here's my business card. Please give us a call if you hear from him, I'll return if I have any more questions."
"Sure thing officer...?"
"Min." He comes into view at the door to shake Hoseok's hand. I now notice the man's short height and petite form, as well as his ruffled hair that is as deep as his voice.
Finally he leaves and Hoseok closes the door with a dramatic exhale.
"Well aren't we in deep shit." Jungkook emerges.
"How can he know I knew you? He'd have to be going back to school records right?"
Jimin takes the card from Hoseok's hands and reads it closely. "He said he's the chief, right? Sounds like this guy's a legit detective. We might be in for some trouble."
"They're going to find me aren't they?" I step into the foyer with rounded, teary eyes. Taehyung's then pulls me into him.
"Hey, as long as I'm here nobody is going to find you."
"Yeah but how long before they find out you're lying?" My voice raises, "Then we'll both be in jail! I can't go through that again Taehyung, I... can't go back there..."
"Shh calm down. No one's going to jail. We'll figure this out together, okay?" His eyes now meet my level. I nod slowly, slipping my arms around his waist and letting my mind sink into his embrace.
—AUTHOR'S POV—
—THAT NIGHT (2AM)—
The house is silent and dark. Everyone had finally settled into their rooms and were now peacefully sound asleep on the upper floor. Jimin quietly sleeps in a fetus position in his room while Hoseok sleeps in his parent's room next door, his body spread like a starfish, mouth drooling and pillows/sheets kicked onto the floor. Jungkook and Winter spoon in the room across the hall. He proceeds to snore like a pig while Winter scowls at him over her shoulder and whacks him with her pillow for the fourth time.
And down the hall opposite the guest room is where Lilo lies, wrapping her arm and leg around Taehyung as she nests in his chest. Taehyung on the other hand, just watches her, admiring her tranquil shut eyes and curling a strand of her silky hair around his finger slowly.
It had been hours since everyone went to bed and yet he wasn't asleep. Even though he's exhausted, he just can't give into the night.
Finally he slides out, trying hard not to wake Lilo. He enters the kitchen and pours a glass of cold water before turning his back on the sink and stretching into the cabinet for the tub of pills—
"Can't sleep?"
Taehyung doesn't bother turning around, unphased at the voice on the other side of the counter.
Sergio's eyes are stone grey, no pupils to fill his white and cracks break down his skin. Dark oozing blood drips and spews from the deep hole drilled into his forehead. His clothes are dirty and ripped, and hair is wet looking.
Taehyung's head hangs low while his eyes scroll up at the man in a scowl. He raises the glass to his lips after throwing the pill to the back of his throat and drinks.
"You should get to bed Kim... It's not healthy to stay up at these times. Let me wander your mind as you drift into slumber... Do you not trust me?" He laughs.
Taehyung turns his back on the man again and looks at his drink. The pill's effects were getting weaker and weaker by the week, but it's all he has to go off of.
"How many times will you turn your back on me? Don't you want to face what you did? I thought you were a man."
Taehyung's head jerks to the side, twitching at his shoulder until his ear flashes the blade. His fingers jolt and tap around the cylinder of the glass.
"If you wanna keep those twitches under control, go to sleep. I promise I'll give you good dreams. I may even invite your parents along. Your dad misses you..."
Taehyung's head twitches to the other side, his teeth clench as he holds the glass tighter.
"You're in my head." He grumbles.
"Was shooting me in your head? Was stabbing your own father to death in your head as well? Look at me Taehyung... you did this. To me. To us. I wasn't the first and I sure as hell won't be the last. You'll only hurt more people... And I have a strong feeling the next victim is going to be none other than your little girlfrien—"
"SHUT UP!" Taehyung spins around with the glass raised in his grip, ready to throw it, but then freezes at the sight of the empty kitchen... Nobody stands there, just an empty room.
His eyes remain rounded and lips, part.
He looked and sounded so real... so real.
Taehyung exhales while rubbing his temple. After a minute or two, he returns upstairs to bed where Lilo lies, still in deep slumber. He wraps his arms around her waist and cuddles her from behind, staring into space as his mind gets lost in nightly thoughts.
Because I like theories and making readers think, this book will have a few disturbing dream sequences that you'll have to solve on your own. ;) 💜 Also now you guys know what I was saving Yoongi for hehe