Red and Butter

18 | Hold Me Tight

Jimin to Butter

Max enters my room while talking over the phone. "Which police station?" I mouth a 'who?' and he covers the phone. "Taylor." Then he resumes talking to her. "Did you already call your family? I see. Any friends? Okay. Keep me updated. Bye."

"What happened?" I ask, sitting up. I wince from the pain on my left shoulder and bruises on my stomach. I still have the purplish mark under my eyes.

"The police found her and invited her to give some statements." Max says, worry is evident in his face when he starts pacing.

"Who's with her?"

"No one. She lost her phone yesterday so she hasn't contacted anyone except us."

"I'll go to the police station. She must be scared right now." She was sold by the guy he trusted and abducted by the same person. Who will not be traumatized? But she was alone the entire night. Taylor is a strong woman but it doesn't mean she's not scared.

Max pushes me gently back to my pillow. "No. You're not going. Dude, you're injured and need rest. I'll handle it."

I give him a scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, do you like her? How come you're being overly nice with her?" I don't need a competition right now? But if he does, what will I do?

"Fuck you." He responds by raising his middle finger. "I am a nice guy. I won't steal her, I swear."

"Steal? From who?" Is she in a relationship?

"Jimin, the bullet hits your shoulder, not your brain." He chuckles but his face quickly transforms into a serious one. "From you, you moron. Are you denying that you don't like her after all the troubles you've been through because of her?"

Do I like her? I mean like in a romantic way? Maybe I did. But we didn't even have a proper conversation yet. How did Max know?

"Dammit Jimin! It's pretty obvious." He turns around to leave. "But I will not argue with you. Figure it out. I'm going to see and help your girl."

He doesn't wait for my response before disappearing from my sight. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be involved in a kidnapping incident. But I did it by saving the girl who makes me see red, literally and figuratively, and who's been invading my thoughts recently.

Max and I stayed in the hospital overnight after they removed the bullet that was dislodged between the muscles in my left shoulder. After giving our statements to the police, we fell asleep and came home a few hours ago. Max should be home by now, with his family, but he chooses to help me out.

Heaving a sigh, my thoughts drift to the 'girl in red'. Taylor Swift. So that's her name. A smile forms in my lips. It seems that she has a rough past. Is that why she takes dating lightly as if it's just normal to say yes to a guy?

I am awakened by the ring of my phone. I reach out for my mobile, yawning, checking who's calling.

Max.

I sit up abruptly and bite my lip when the pain from my wound shoots up, my back instantly lean back on the headboard for support. "How is she?"

"Aren't you too worried?" He says in a teasing voice. "Everything's fine. The police asked her some questions which she responded calmly. She's on her way home."

"Thanks dude. You're the best."

"No worries. You're like a brother to me so I'm making an effort to help my future sister." He laughs but I know he meant what he says.

"Whatever." I say but I'm grinning at the thought of having a girlfriend.

Is she the one?