𝐃. 𝐋. 𝐒. || 𝐊.𝐓𝐇 ✓

ＳＩＸＴＥＥＮ

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"How's your food?" Taehyung tosses a glance at my plate. 

"It's good," I admit while picking around with my fork.

He suddenly puts down his fork, places his elbows on top of the table, and rests his chin underneath his folded hands.

"You haven't even taken a bite yet. You've just been playing with it." He softly clicks his tongue, glancing back and forth from me and the plate before me.

"I'm just not hungry. I told you earlier I was fine," I lie with a fake smile, but it seems even he doesn't believe it.

However, he just shrugs as if it can't be helped. "Okay then, if my fiancée can't eat here, neither can I. Let's go home," then he stands from the table and walks straight to the front to pay without waiting on me.

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"There was no reason to act like that," I add while sliding into the passenger seat of the vehicle.

"I can say the same thing," he wastes no time confronting me after we leave the public restaurant.

Once he shuts the driver's door and is settled inside the vehicle too, he pulls out his keys to crank the engine, but he stops right before he can do so.

"I know something is troubling you, Ada. You might as well spill," he's more of an idiot than I thought if he thinks I'm going to tell him anything personal about myself.

"It's none of your fucking business—"

"It is my business!" He interrupts, not letting me fully finish my sentence. "We're engaged, and pretty soon, we'll be married. Every small detail about your life I'm going to find out. If I don't find out the information first, and then the tabloids run a background check on you, it's not going to be good, then we're screwed. It can damage my business, and if you're hiding anything, it'll hurt you in the long run."

"If you want the full year to be peaceful, then you need to tell me first so that I can handle it before anyone else can ruin your image—"

"My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with other women for months, and I never had a clue. I was so deeply in love that I never questioned the extra box of condoms, the red, lace underwear in his Jean pocket, even though I knew I didn't own a pair, and I never once asked about the obvious late at night work hours." I interrupted him this time, coming clean just so that I won't have to bring this up on a sunny day. At least I'm already thinking about him.

"I... did something awful because he wanted me to..." this time, I can't stop my words from flowing out. I can't stop myself no matter how hard I try. I promised to die with this secret, but I can't. I can't stop it.

"I became pregnant, but because I was so stupidly in love I listened to him when he said he wasn't ready to be a father and that we would have a baby when he's ready. The next week, I scheduled an appointment at the abortion clinic... and my child was dead the same day." I had made a promise to myself to never tell anyone this, but here I am telling him my whole life just so that I can be free within a year and won't have any problems with the media once I'm free again. "The funny part is that when my ex told me about the cheating, he admitted he got another woman pregnant. He left me to be a father for their child, but he could give less of a shit about the one we made."

I can't even finish my sentence before the tears come to my eyes. Roughly, I wipe them away before they can spill and run down my face.

"There, now you know—" I don't have the chance to finish my words before Taehyung comes closer and wraps his arms around me.

He holds me close in a tight embrace, burying his head into the crook of my neck, and I swear I can feel him sniffle against my skin.

"I'm so sorry that this happened to you, too," he whispers so quietly that it almost doesn't sound like it's coming from him. I pick up his words, but I don't ask what he means.

Unexpectedly, I slowly move my hand above his head and gently pat him. "It's okay, Taehyung—"

"It's not okay!" He raises up this time, and I see the frustration and anger within his eyes, even small amounts of tears. "He had no right to force you to do something like that. Now you hold a grudge against yourself for going through with it. I can tell you wanted to keep the baby,"

I'm trying my hardest not to show any more emotion.

"It's probably for the best. At least this way our child wouldn't have grown up fatherless. Besides, you probably would have killed us when you saw us—"

"You and I would have never met. I highly doubt you would be in a club if you had a child at home." He admits when I nod.

"I suppose you're right." I softly laugh, trying not to break down again. 

"But if there was a chance we still met, I wouldn't harm you or your child," a soft smile comes to his lips for a brief moment, but then he drops the expression altogether. "Let's head back. I think I'm ready to be home," he pulls away from me and starts the vehicle.

When he pulls off the side of the street and starts driving, his last few words stick with me.

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While driving back to the house, he unexpectedly speaks.

"I'm sorry that I asked you to tell me," he begins while bringing his hand to rest over mine kindly. "I promise I won't let anyone find out," his thumb softly strokes my knuckles, and it brings a sense of comfort after the difficult conversation we had minutes before.

"If I'm being honest," he starts, but he looks like he's forcing himself to speak.

"You don't have to say anything else, Taehyung." I give a weak smile towards him, but he shakes his head as if he has to say what's on his mind.

"A couple of years ago, I went through the same situation, but it was reversed. I've never told anyone before because I know people would say it wasn't my choice and that I should get over it, but honestly, I can't. I had a girlfriend, ex now, but I fell hard for her. She became pregnant after about six months of us being together, but she didn't tell me until after she had the abortion." He breathes heavily, the other hand gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"I know I can't do anything, but it hurts so damn much. I never even got to know that I was a father until after," he tries to be strong while saying this, but I know he's struggling.

"The girl at the store earlier, Alicia, she's the one who works at the clinic. She was the one who took the life of my child, and she didn't have the decency to call me or anything. We've known each other for years... I know it sounds stupid because I know she can't tell people information like that, but for fuck's sake, I'm the father. I at least had the right to know I was a parent before she went through with it."

Now I know why he's telling all this to me. It's because I'm the only one who understands.

"I'm so sorry," it's the only words I can force out.

The rest of the way home, we remain in silence, but I have a feeling, just like me, he's daydreaming of what it would have been like to be a parent.

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