Long, bronzed limbs lay tangled in the crisp pink sheets of the massive four-poster bed in Shayla's room. The mid-morning sunlight crept in through the open window, warming the young girl's sleeping face until she stirred from slumber.
Desiree stretched lazily before hopping out of bed and walking out into the kitchen.
Shayla was already there. The bright eye'd brunette lifted her head from scrolling through her phone and upon see ing Desiree, a broad smile flashed across her face.
"You'll never guess who texted me just now?" she chirped.
"Who?" Desiree asked slowly, climbing onto the seat opposite Shay at the breakfast bar.
"Yannis!"
"Yannis...?" Desiree scrunched up her nose while stealing a bite of apple from Shayla's fruit salad.
Shayla's eyes were wide with mischief, "Yes, Yannis. And he was asking about you..."
"So what did you tell him?"
"Well, I told him you were here.."
Desiree swallowed the lump of fruit uncomfortably and Shayla noticed the slight awkward silence that had wafted into the room.
Shayla cleared her throat before hopping off of her seat. Desiree watched as her friend stuck her head in and looked around in the giant, deluxe ice-box that towered at the centre of the palatial kitchen. Desiree was sure that thing was bigger than the refrigerators they had at her dad's full service restaurant.
"Juice?" Shayla called, her head still lost inside the frosty cavern.
"Sure, thanks.."
Pouring herself and Des a glass, Shayla handed it over like a piece offering.
"What happened last night.....it doesn't change anything between us, right?" the girl's eyes shone in concern.
"Of course it doesn't, Shay!" Des replied, feeling relieved as well because she felt a little worried about the very same thing too.
Shayla pulled her friend in for a tight hug. The two girls embraced, letting go of the misgivings of last night.
"So about the beach party later....are you coming?"
"Of course," Desiree answered, "I don't see why not? I want to spend as much time having fun with my best friends as possible before you all leave me again!" she pouted playfully.
"Awww....and who knows, maybe you'll even share a cute little New Years kiss with Yannis? huh...huh?" Shayla teased, puckering her lips and Desiree shook her head in disgust.
Yannis was just her friend. They'd known each other since they were babies, traded first-fallen tooth's and played 'spider-man' in the back yard...
"No thanks!"
***
Taehyung's eyes followed the girl. Yes, the one in the pink dress. She looked even better than the last time he'd seen her in it.....
Its the same dress she wore on the night he looked into her beautifully innocent eyes and made her a woman.
His woman.
"Desiree!" he could hear one of her friends call her over the murmur of the thronging crowd and loud, pounding music.
It was New years Eve and his birthday.
Taehyung didn't celebrate birthdays ever but Hoseok was back in town for the holidays and wouldn't let the whole 'birthday' topic slide.
So the two went out.
They'd gone to a few different bars, had a couple drinks and then somehow, ended up here at the annual beach bonfire to ring in the new year.
The beach was scattered with young people, mostly college kids and some underaged stragglers, totally not Taehyung's scene.
But he knew the kind of crowd that events like these drew in: people like the ones she hung out with.
So he came on what was guised as a whim with Hoseok and secretly, he'd hoped that he would see her and his inkling was right.
She was here too.
What a coincidence and a relief because Taehyung was dying to catch even just a glimpse of her again.
He looked at her now from afar, her face lit up with laughter, the skirt of her tiny sundress skimming her smooth, sexy thighs and teasing his imagination.
He missed her, longed for her.
A glint of sparkling silver around her neck made his heart skip a beat.
She was wearing it....the necklace.
Taehyung smiled in spite of himself and Hoseok caught his friend's change in composure compared to the sullen disposition that he sported all day prior to now.
'Hey, everything ok, man? You seem in a better mood now...finally getting into the birthday spirit?"
Hoseok whipped around to the face the crowd at the back of them and catch a glimpse of whatever had finally melted the moody little icy prince's stony facade. But Taehyung had already averted his gaze elsewhere.
He couldn't tell Hoseok that he was sulking over a girl all this time.
He was stressed from work and trying to figure out a way to take down Suleman without taking himself down in the process. That was all.
"I'm fine." Taehyung grumbled, taking another gulp of beer.
A horrible surprise awaited his vision when he snuck another covert view as Hoseok went back to mingling with a few close-by strangers at the bar.
A sick viper, a pervert running his hands up and down her the length of her legs, his hands nearly slipping under her dress as their hips swayed together to the music and Desiree threw her head back on his shoulder, laughing.
Taehyung scowled in disgust.
Why was she acting this way and how could she be enjoying this?
He roughly wiped the froth of beer from his mouth off on the back of his hand.
Taehyung lifted his gaze quickly again, just in time to catch a glimpse of the pink skirt weaving through the crowd and heading to the other end of the beach.
"Will you excuse me one sec?" he asked Hoseok but it wasn't really a question.
Taehyung was already leaving Hoseok's side. He threw the empty bottle into a nearby trashcan and advanced through the crowd.
He couldn't loose her.
Bobbing and weaving through the masses, he followed after her, still keeping a safe distance.
Her shaggy waves floating around her shoulders as she moved, making Taehyung's heart speed up at just the thought of being this close to her again.
The crowd thinned and then opened out into a clearing. A few tiny groups of young people hung around idly, talking and laughing.
Taehyung made sure to hang back at a safe distance, doing his best to blend in as he moved along behind her.
She was heading for the toilets.
That made him stop. He leaned casually against a nearby wall next to a teenage couple who were both too tipsy to take any notice of him.
He waited.
Desiree emerged after a short while, washing her hands at a small stone sink outside and looking around a little before she set off again to return to the party.
Someone else called out to her as she walked by on her way towards where he was standing. She gave them a smile and an enthusiastic wave.
Taehyung's heart burned. She was always so kind, so pleasant and happy. She made him want to be better.
Too bad...
She passed right on by, not even recognising him in the shadows of the night.
Desieree let out a small pip of surprise and fear but the scared look in her eyes softened immediately when she realised just who had caught her by the hand.
"Tae?"
"....hi." Taehyung breathed out lowly. He was so anxious to capture her that he'd forgotten to prepare something clever to say.
"Hi....um, what are you doing here?" she asked, looking puzzled.
Taehyung's eyes widened.
"What do you mean what am I doing here? What are you doing here?"
Desiree looked around awkwardly.
"I'm here with my friends..."
Taehyung's eyes glowered with malice, remembering the dark haired boy with his hands everywhere they shouldn't be.
"You think you're being hot..... you think acting like this is sexy?"
"What are you talking about?" Desiree looked back at Taehyung, her eyes frightened and confused.
"That boy you were dancing with back there...I saw you." Taehyung tightened his grip around her tiny wrist, squeezing hard without even realising it.
"So? Taehyung let go of me! Why did you even bother to come here? You were the one that broke things off with me, not the other way around.."
He brought his face close to hers, "That doesn't mean you should go cheapening yourself for any of these immature pricks!" he spat through gritted teeth.
"Cheapen myself?" Desiree looked taken aback, "Why is it so hard for you to believe that somebody else could be genuinely interested in me?"
"Because they don't deserve you!" he shouted, causing her to freeze with fright.
"Taehyung, you're scaring me!" the girl whimpered.
As if a fog had cleared, Taehyung suddenly came to grips with his actions. Releasing her hand, he was instantly overcome by growing feelings of regret and embarrassment. Even more so, as he looked at the red finger prints left on her wrist.
Desiree cradled her bruised hand protectively, rubbing it and glaring at Taehyung.
"You are so confusing, Tae! You don't want me but you don't want to see me happy with someone else...do you hate me that much? All I ever did was love you and..."
Desiree quickly covered her lips realising the gravity of what she had said out loud.
She'd never told Taehyung that she loved him before. At least, not that she was aware of.
She had let the precious word slip even though she didn't mean to.
"I...."
"Oh, Desiree. I'm sorry I....I did want you.....I do now.."
"What?"
"...I don't hate you, its just..." Taehyung stuttered breathlessly and pulled at his blond strands frustrated by not being able to tell the truth.
He wasn't making any sense, he knew that.
It was killing him not to be able to just come out with the truth to Desiree but things just weren't that simple.
It didn't mean that he was just going to stand by and watch her get felt up by some pubescent dick-head either!
Tears began to well up in Desiree's eyes.
"What is this? Some sort of sick game?" she asked, swallowing thickly.
"Des, no..." Taehyung's eyes pleaded.
"You can't play with my emotions like this, Tae. First, the necklace and now you're acting like a jealous boyfriend!" Desiree trembled, feeling hurt, angry.
"Oh, but that's right! You're not my boyfriend are you? You're someone else's fucking fiancé!" she pushed him away from her, making Taehyung stumble backward a little bit.
"Tae, get away from me and stay away from me! I don't want anything to do with you or your messed up, little mind-games!"
Taehyung bit his lip, feeling his temper flare again. He held her firmly by the shoulder, making her look at him.
"So why are you wearing this, huh?" his fingertips lifted the glittering pendant from its resting place against her warm skin.
Desiree glanced down at it then casted a steely glare in Taehyung's direction.
"You know what? You're right!" she hastened to undo the clasp at the back but when it wouldn't go free, she ripped the delicate piece of jewellery from her neck.
"Here!" she shouted, "Take it!"
"Des, what....you don't have to do that..." Taehyung's voice broke in hurt.
"First place gets a diamond ring on her finger...." Desiree smirked, "And I guess second place gets a shiny little necklace! Is that it?"
Taehyung shook his head, mystified.
"Thank you for bringing me to my senses. I don't need your fucking consolation prize!" she threw the necklace at him and he managed to catch it with frozen fingers as it came into contact with his chest.
Taehyung reached out to take her other hand- this time gently, his eyes dotted with sorrow.
"Des?....Des, my babygirl...please," her fingers slipped from between his as she pulled away and Taehyung felt as though his very soul was slipping away with them too.
"Tae, please don't do this. You don't mean it..." tears flooded her big brown eyes and her bottom lip trembled as she turned and walked away from him.
Storming back off through the sand, Desiree melted into the thronging crowd of the party.
Back to her world.....one that he was no longer a part of.
"Desiree!" Taehyung called out into the night but she didn't look back.
***
(Also guys I am aware of Tae's proper date of birth, I adjusted it a bit to fit in with the storyline x )
🌴 I hope you enjoyed x 🌴
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✨ BJF ✨