Lifetime

Baggage

"I'm leaving."

Jungkook's energy flipped at my reply, carrying a bitter nervousness as he stood. "For how long?"

"I don't know. Until his treatment is over. Until he doesn't need me there anymore." I responded, on to rolling underwear.

I stood, brushing past him to the bathroom to gather my items. One look at the half empty bottles of hair product and used makeup told me that they weren't important enough to bring.

"We'll come with you." Jungkook followed after me, refusing to give me even a foot of space.

"You can't." There was a bark in my tone that was automatic.

When I tried walking back to the bedroom he grabbed my arm so that I was forced to turn to him. "Why not?" He sounded desperate for clarity.

Bewilderment coated my voice. "Jungkook, I'm going to the middle of the U.S. There's nothing out there for you or Taehyung."

"You'll be there." He protested immediately.

I huffed. "You just bought the gallery." I made a point, Taehyung interrupting as he leaned into the doorway, staring down at his phone.

"And I just got into the Film Scoring program." He held up his phone, open to an email from the admission office of the school he applied to and auditioned for months ago.

I pulled myself from the hold Jungkook kept on my arm, reaching for his phone to read the letter of acceptance. I scanned it quickly and looked up to see his face devoid of emotion, wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug. "I'm happy for you. You deserve this." I said. I hadn't realized that I started to cry again, his thumb catching the tear on the apple of my cheek.

"The next flight out is at eight tomorrow morning." He didn't acknlowledge the accomplishment, unable to lean into any excitement.

"You can defer and I'll sell the gallery until we can come back." Jungkook was still adamant from behind me.

I scoffed. "I'm not letting you uproot your lives. I have to but you don't."

"Say the real reason." Jungkook was closer. I hated fighting like this, with them on either side of me and feeling like they were both against me. Taehyung's tension came from the sadness of me leaving rather than anger up until that point, when Jungkook made his next statement. "You know what today is. You'll be with someone else in two days if you go."

I turned from him only to be met with the harsh, flat line of Taehyung's mouth, letting me know that in only a minute their comfort changed to ire.

When I shoved my way past Taehyung to get to my bedroom again he didn't follow but Jungkook was right on my heels. "Is that what you want, to go be with him." He was technically posing a question but spoke as if it were a fact, an accusation.

"I haven't even thought about that. I don't care about any of this soulmate shit right now. All I care about is getting to my dad." I stuffed one last pair of shoes into my smaller suitcase, zipping the bag with force.

"But you will be." Taehyung reappeared, having been listening from the hallway. "Whether you want to or not."

The laugh Jungkook release carried no humor. "Exactly, so we should just end this here."

Despite the conversation being headed there his exclamation took me by surprise and I stood, looking at him in disbelief before diverting my gaze to Taehyung. Neither of us dared speak again, letting seconds and then minutes pass like we were willing ourselves to accept the finality in Jungkook's parting words.

"It's over."

Taehyung and I stayed there, my body flinching at the sound of Jungkook stomping through the apartment, of glass shattering and the front door slamming so hard that it reverbated off the walls.

While Taehyung didn't go after him, he didn't stay with me, leaving with a near inaudible click of the door as he shut himself in their bedroom. His exit was the complete opposite of Jungkook's but it was just the same, sending them eons away.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, a confirmation of my boarding pass flashing across the screen. I stared down at the ticket, debating whether to go after one or both of them. Even if I did, I didn't know what I could say, leading to my decision to spend the night sending a lengthy resignation to my job and booking a car to drop me off at the airport.

Taehyung was the closest so I tried with him first, tapping at the door quietly in case he was asleep. I jiggled the handle and when it didn't turn I realized that he locked me out, banging louder to get his attention.

"Tae, open the door. I don't want to leave like this." I called out, waiting for any indication of movement from the other side but met with the same deafening quiet.

After another minute I moved on, stopping to sweep up the broken glass from a framed painting Jungkook striked from the wall on his way out. I knocked on the door to the apartment he used for painting loud enough to be sure he could hear it over the noise he made inside, clanging that let me know he was either in the middle of a rage filled creation or destruction.

The sound halted and even if I couldn't see him, I could feel that he was right there, two inches of wood separating us..

"Kookie," I let out a shaky breath, my eyes welling again with the last words I'd say to him, "I love you."

Back at our apartment I lugged my suitcases and backpack by the front door, curling onto the couch to wait the few hours before my cab arrived.

I lulled into a half asleep state until the alarm on my phone started to ring. It was still completely dark outside and I tripped over the cello case on my way to the bathroom, cursing before remembering I was close to never tripping over the cello case again.

There was little I could do for my red-rimmed eyes, rubbed raw from crying. I pulled through the knots in my hair so that it was off of my neck and brushed my teeth before tossing every skin and hair care product, my toothbrush, and loofah into the bin. I didn't want to leave them with so many remnants of me.

My head darted toward the hall at the sound of a door opening, Taehyung brushing by so quickly that I could have easily missed him. Despite my rush up the hallway I couldn't keep up, catching a view of the door clicking shut behind him.

With less than half an hour left before my departure I triple checked everything, downing a premade coffee from the refrigerator and taking a last look into the bedrooms for anything forgotten..

There was a small amount of noise from the living room and I sat up, scurrying back up the hallway. I found it empty and silent again, this time absent of my two suitcases.

I wasn't sure if one of them had taken my luggage in a last ditch effort to keep me from leaving or if it would be waiting for me downstairs. I rushed to put on my backpack and unclipped my key from the ring it hung on, leaving it on the counter with one last look at my little home in Italy.

The lobby to the apartment building was vacant, closed for the weekend, and I tugged my coat tighter as I stepped out onto the sidewalk to protect myself from the cool air.

Jungkook leaned over the trunk of a cab parked by the curb, shoving my largest bag in before reaching for the next. Taehyung stood at the edge of the walkway, hands stuffed in his pockets and a baseball cap pulled down to sheild eyes that matched mine.

They heard me approach at the same time, turning their heads in sync. Jungkook slammed the trunk shut and moved by the window to speak with the driver while Taehyung opened my door. I hesitated getting inside, waiting for him to say or do something but nothing came. I dropped my backpack into the seat next to me, stealing a glance at Jungkook through the driver's side window before Taehyung pushed the door closed.

I craned my neck to see through the rear window, getting a final image of Jungkook disappearing into the building and Taehyung's disheartened figure planted on pavement.