The Foolproof Plan

Chapter 38: PRELUDE TO WHAT

I took a walk around the apartment complex before heading back home. I needed to cool off before seeing Bella. I hated the fact that I'd lost control, but didn't really hate that I'd punched Jimin. He had it coming for a long time.

I realized I'd been gone for almost an hour when I walked through my front door. I saw Bella and Namjoon finishing up the cleaning from the night before.

"Hey, Joon," I said. "You didn't have to come and clean, but thanks anyway."

Bella was eyeing me warily as she paused in sweeping the room. "Jin. What happened?"

I shook my head and instinctively hid my right hand behind my body. "Uh, nothing. We'll talk later," I said to her while looking at Namjoon. The look he shot me let me know that he was aware of what had happened. I half-closed my eyes and shook my head.

"Help me take the rest of this trash to the bin," Namjoon said to me, shoving two full trash bags into my hands. I hissed when one of the bags slammed into my right hand.

As soon as we were out of the apartment, he turned to me. "What the hell were you thinking?" he asked reprovingly. "You decked Jimin? Why?"

"If you know I decked him, then you must know why," I retorted. I stomped to the trash bins, leaving him behind. I opened and closed my right hand. The knuckles were red. I hoped Jimin would feel the pain in his jaw for days!

Namjoon caught up to me. "Because he said stuff about Bella?"

"Because he took advantage of Bella," I corrected angrily. "That little fucker did...things to her! He messed around with her for the last time."

"Seokjin," he began soothingly.

"He put his hands on her, Joon!" I interrupted him. "His filthy hands and-and mouth were...ugh!...in and around her body! I couldn't let him get away with that!"

"Shh," he cautioned as another guy walked up to the bin and tossed in a trash bag. Once the guy was out of earshot, Namjoon frowned. "That shit! Well, I guess he had it coming then. I don't know how you're going to tell Bella. I mean, she's bound to find out, and then I don't know how she'll react. You have to remember that they've been friends and more for a long time."

"But not anymore," I said. "She is my girlfriend, and I will gladly beat the shit out of him again if he dares to touch her after this."

"Okay, okay," he said, trying to calm me down. "Bella's been worried since I got here. I think you should talk to her. By the way, Taehyung texted me and told me to get over here in case you were still batshit crazy. I told Bella only that I came over to help clean."

"Yeah, thanks, man," I muttered.

After Namjoon left, I pondered how to bring up the subject with Bella. When it came to Jimin, she seemed to have a blind spot, and that piece of shit was always ready to take advantage. I recalled how he'd been emotionally abusive and manipulative with her for years after her brother's death. I knew that he loved her in his own, twisted way, but I would take care of Bella now. I would be in charge of her happiness, and I would hold her hand during the not-so-happy times. I wanted to be with her. I loved her, and I hoped she would let me express that love instead of pushing me away.