"What if the way we started made it something cursed from the start?"
I never went back downstairs for the rest of the weekend. I didn't care that I didn't eat, I simply couldn't put anything in my mouth without being afraid I would throw up right away.
The odd thing was, what happened the other day had somehow managed to instill a feeling of shame inside of me. Why, I had no idea. Taehyung's presence in our house made me feel tainted for some reason. I found myself wanting him gone as soon as possible, even though I was sure my mother would want him around for a long time.
Exactly what he wanted, I presumed.
The new week started and I had college classes to attend. Monday morning went by in a blur. I couldn't focus for a single second. Before I knew it, school was over and people were lining up in front of the exit. I slipped into the crowd and walked slowly, leaving a significant distance between myself and the others. I've never liked close proximity to people I don't know, so any kind of unnecessary physical contact weirded me out.
The bright sun rays pierced my eyes and I had to cover my forehead as soon as I walked out. Students had gathered in small groups, chatting gleefully. As I passed them by one by one, I couldn't help but notice several girls gathered in a circle, giggling and gushing in a silly way, glancing and pointing at something in the parking lot.
As I descended further down the steps, I finally saw him. My strides slowed to a leisure pace as my eyes took him in. A tall, familiar silhouette with a chest made of steel, leaning back against a slick black car. Arms crossed over his chest as he stared straight at me through his black sunglasses and a tiny smirk on his face.
Stunned but not scared, I stopped shortly in the middle of my steps. It didn't take too long to catch everyone's attention that this mysterious dashingly handsome man's gaze was focused solely on me. I'd never dealt well with being the center of attention and I didn't appreciate the spotlight now. Mildly frantic, I took a detour instead of continuing to walk towards the parking lot, and headed for the benches next to the building's entrance.
I doubted he'd be bold enough to go after me, not in this crowd at least, and moreover he seemed like he was calmly observing me with no intention of stirring drama. I had no idea where I was going, but I couldn't stop walking. If he was here to pick me up after school, there was no way I was going into that car with him. I'd rather walk a thousand miles on foot than spend another second alone with him.
I started brainstorming ideas of how to go home. The bus stop was all the way across the parking lot and there was no way for me to get there without passing by Taehyung. I desperately tried to think of another route, when...
"Hey, Va-le-rie!" someone called out mockingly for me and I knew I'd passed the school's bullies in their natural habitat. They loved to mess with me and call me names.
Without paying any mind to them, I kept walking forward briskly. However, someone stepped in front of me and blocked my way.
"Hey, I was talking to you, you nerd." He spat. It was Alex Chamberlain, the most spoiled, self-entitled brat to ever exist and also the school's biggest bully. "You ignorin' me or what?"
The other primates, his friends, joined in and soon fully circled around me, grunting and snorting loudly.
"This bitch needs to be taught a lesson." Someone barked.
"It seems so." Alex snorted, putting his hands on his hips.
"Step away from her, dude," someone else approached us, placing his lean form right in front of me. "She's not interested."
I looked up to see Park Jimin. I knew him from Math class, but I had never once exchanged a word with him. He seemed like an overall nice guy, but I never knew him that well.
Jimin's intimidating stance seemed to scare Alex and his henchmen. Mumbling something incoherent, they slowly started walking away.
"Are you okay?" Jimin asked once he swung around to face me.
"Yes. Thank you,' I informed him, hurriedly gliding past him before an idea materialized in my head. "Hey, do you have a car?"
He looked abashed. "Um, yeah. Why?"
"Do you want to give me a ride home?"
***
"Nice crib." Jimin whistled as he pulled over in front of the humongous mansion. His eyes filled with wonder upon casting over the looming building.
"Thanks," I mumbled. "I find it too dark and spooky sometimes."
"It's quite extraordinary," he remarked. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"I know. My step-father's family designed it."
"It looks kind of haunted," he grinned before his face shifted in an apologetic one. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to offend you."
"You didn't," I flashed him a small smile. "Anyway, thanks for the ride."
"Anytime," he smiled brightly at me as I jumped out of his car. "So... see you at school, I guess?"
"Yeah, see you!" I chirped a bit too excitedly and waved at him as he put the car into gear and started driving smoothly. As soon as he was out of my vision range, I got rid of the fake smile and my face went back to my usual impassive and emotionless expression.
I buzzed myself in and the giant iron gate eased open, letting me in. I started climbing up the hill that led to the house, my gaze pinned down at my feet.
As I walked gloomily, I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice Taehyung's car in the drive yard. It was when I was almost halfway through the marble pathway leading to the entrance that I noticed him standing next to the door.
Arms folded across his chest, he stood as still as a store mannequin. Despite his pitch black sunglasses, his hardened, austere expression didn't go unnoticed by me. It was enough for me to know he didn't appreciate the little stunt I pulled back in front of the school.
When he realized I was aware of him standing there, his cold façade slumped and he began strutting towards me. When he got closer, I realized he didn't seem so angry, but maybe a little disappointed.
"I was starting to get worried." He murmured.
"Oh, stop it with that." I groaned, removing myself from my spot in front of him and trying to walk around him.
He wouldn't let me. "No, Valerie, I was genuinely worried."
"What were you doing in front of my school?"
"I was there for you," he explained. "I was there to pick you up so you didn't need to ride the bus."
"That was unnecessary. I never asked you to do that."
"But I wanted to." He said and his voice held so much affection and tenderness compared to the other day that it was giving me a whiplash.
"Whatever. Don't do it anymore."
"I got it. I will never do anything again without asking you first," he nodded and for a second he resembled a guilty puppy hanging its head low in shame. Nervousness was evident as he spoke and I wondered who was the real Taehyung – the remorseful man in front of me now or the dark, calloused man from two days ago.
"Have a good day," I mumbled, trying to walk past him.
"Valerie, wait," his fingers coiled around my wrist, pulling me back. "I'm terribly sorry about the other day. I was totally out of line."
I didn't need to be a medium to know that every one of his senses was focused on me right now. Desperately, he awaited my answer.
"Could you forgive me?"
"I don't know. I might need some time to think about it." I wasn't about to cave that easily.
"I had something planned for you today," he stated. "I would hate it if I didn't make it happen."
Cold chills ran down my spine. "What?"
Letting go of my hand, he walked over to his car that was still parked in the driveway. Too dumbfounded to say anything, I watched him open the trunk and pull out two rifles out of it.
"I would love to take you shooting." He grinned.
Something about the way he said that made my stomach turn upside down.
***
The forest path wound ahead effortlessly as I and Taehyung walked together side by side. It was ominously quiet. Not a breeze stirred. The air was filled with the fragrance of damp leaves and I could hear the melodious chirping of the birds.
"Is this where you and Julian would come on your hiking trips?" Taehyung asked so quietly I barely heard him.
"Mhm," I just nodded in confirmation.
His gaze lingered on my side profile, I could see it teasing my peripheral. It seemed like he wanted to know more, but was inhibiting himself in order not to pry.
The dry leaves crunched underneath our shoes. Taehyung slunk the backpack over his shoulder, adjusting it properly as he kept on striding next to me.
Suddenly I turned to him, "You look like him."
"Huh?"
"You look like my step-father. You look like Julian."
I waited to see if this statement would creep him out and how he'd react. His initial surprise melted into a serene expression.
"Well, we were brothers after all." Taehyung said with a smile as he removed his shades and hung them over his shirt.
My curiosity peaked by the seemingly innocent gesture.
"Julian had the same ones." I mumbled in a daze.
"What?" he asked.
"Julian had the same sunglasses." I said as my surprised eyes zeroed back on his face.
"That's funny," his smile spread across his lips and extended to his eyes, carrying the purity and innocence of a gentle soul. "I got them last year."
"Really funny, yeah," I murmured.
"So I gather you and Julian were really close," he changed the subject quickly.
"Yes. He was like the father I never had."
"Forgive me if I'm asking too much, but where is your father? Josie never talks about him."
"He died before I was born. I don't know much about him. I think my mother didn't even know him that well. I sort of just... happened," I said. "I've always wondered what it would be like to have a father. In many ways Julian filled that void in my life. He was an extraordinary man."
"Yes, he really was," Taehyung agreed, a little bit reluctantly it seemed.
"So how long exactly are you staying for?" I asked as I spun around to stand in front of him and face him.
He was abashed. "As long as you'll have me. Do you want me to go?"
"It's like, whatever," I shrugged, surveying his features and every little muscle movement his face would make.
"I really want to get to know you, Valerie." He smiled and his eyes filled with adoration.
This almost choked me up and took me by surprise. I furrowed my brows and crossed my arms in front of my chest.
"What do you want from me?"
"To be friends." He said gently, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"Why now?" I asked sternly. "Why now of all times when up until now I never knew you existed?"
"I told you," he said with patience. "Because I'd been traveling."
"Did you know about me?"
"I knew Julian had remarried," Taehyung explained. "Our phone calls were brief, but on one occasion he mentioned you to me. But he didn't talk a lot about you."
Wordlessly, I waited for him to say more. Instead, he took a step forward and his hand ran up to the little elephant necklace I was wearing around my neck.
"Who is this from?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"Julian got it for me for my sixteenth birthday." I exhaled, studying his eyes.
"That's not true," he uttered blankly. "I sent it to you from South Africa three years ago. Because I knew it was your birthday."
My heard picked up its pace and my body was completely paralyzed from the shock. I stared at him disbelievingly.
"I also wrote you letters. You didn't get any of them?"
"No..."
My mind struggled to produce a thought that would make sense. For some strange reason Julian had been keeping Taehyung's existence from me. Why would he do that?
"I wrote you one for each of your birthdays and for every holiday. Ever since I found out about your existence, I couldn't stop thinking about you, Valerie. I was so happy that I had a little niece, even though we're not blood related. I'd pictured the day I'd meet you so many times. I used to fall asleep to the thought of you. I kept wondering what you look like, how you talk, how you walk. I was sure you'd be the perfect little thing ever to exist. And I have to say, the reality of you exceeded every single expectation I had. You are far more mesmerizing than any picture I had painted of you in my mind."
I almost flinched when I felt his hand travel up to my face. Using the back of his hand, he let it hover over my cheek for a moment before caressing the skin lovingly.
My heart rate skyrocketed and I felt as if he was holding me at gun point.
"I didn't mean to scare you off," he whispered.
"You didn't." I gave a small gulp.
"And now I'm finding myself fascinated with everything you do. Your smile, your touch, your laughter. I have spent half of my life looking forward to the moment where I'd lay my eyes on you for the first time."
His fingers ran down to cradle my jaw as he titled my head upwards.
"I've been observing you ever since I got here. You and I have so much in common, Valerie. I see so much of myself in you," he said huskily. "Just like you, I felt misunderstood and rejected. I desperately needed a good friend and someone to rely on, someone that would just get me without asking any questions."
His thumb traced my lower lip and his gaze fell to my mouth. Part of me screamed that this was so wrong on so many levels, but it just died out as soon as he uttered the next words.
"Let me be that someone for you, Valerie."
author's note:
thank you everyone for showering 'Black-hearted' with so much love. I'm literally overwhelmed by the positive reception. Thank youu ❤❤❤