Next Door to Them

Chapter Eleven

It had been a great day.

All his husbands had wished him a happy birthday.

Taehyung, Hoseok and Yoongi had cooked up breakfast with seaweed soup.

Jungkook, Namjoon and Jimin gave him the gifts.

He had a small cake at the office and many wishes from his friends.

Seokjin had a great day.

His parents and his older brother wished him the best for many years to come.

So why did it had to be today?

How had the day become tense and grey?

Namjoon texted their friend to come by the their house before the planned time.

Erick was confused.

Jimin said Namjoon was taking Seokjin out to decorate the house. But pulling to his house, he could see all their cars parked outside.

Erick found this weird but parked his car and made his way to their house. He had a little gift bag with something he made for Seokjin. He hoped the younger would like it. He made something funny since he was almost 30.

He knocked on the door and Jimin open it. Erick smiled bright, happy to see his friend.

"I got Seokjin a gift. I hope he likes it." Jimin was trying to not be so ridged. But he was mad. So was Jungkook, Taehyung and Hoseok.

It would seem the only ones keeping a level head were Seokjin, Namjoon and Yoongi. Everyone else wanted to beat Erick to nothing.

They wanted to let Aila know he wasn't worth it.

"Is everyone here? I got a text from Namjoon. Is everything ok?"

Erick took his shoes off as he asked the questions. He wasn't dumb. Something was off. And by the way Jimin looked and how the others were waiting in the living room, it was something serious.

Erick didn't know if he should give his gift to Seokjin. So he set it down behind the couch.

"Is everything ok? You guys look like someone died." Erick didn't even want to sit. Jimin, Taehyung and Namjoon looked mad.

He's never seen them mad but the vibe they gave was not welcoming. He opted for a single chair while the others sat on their L-shape couch.

They made an agreement, only Seokjin and Yoongi could talk. The two oldest permitted the younger ones to be present only if they kept their mouths shut.

"Erick.... We..." Seokjin began but felt his words get stuck by a pressure in his throat, "okay...look we know about your soulmate." Seokjin didn't know how to say it so he went ahead and just dropped the bomb.

Erick heart picked up and the walls started to close around him.

No they couldn't have know.

"We know you found her Erick. How could you do this? To Aila in specific."

No.

All the fear and panic Erick had been able to keep away crashed into his chest. He didn't want it to happen so soon. He didn't want to lose Aila, not her. He did everything to protect her, her heart.

"Erick, look at us." Erick heard the voice but he just couldn't move.

Fear had settled in his heart and his body.

Seokjin looked at the others. Yoongi looked worried, the others still had stone faces.

"Please tell us what's going on?"

He looked up to meet Seokjin's eyes.

Seokjin felt his world stop staring at Erick. So much emotion. So much words lost in the depths of his brown eyes. Seokjin felt, no he heard the cry out for help.

"I never wanted this to happened. I've always wanted Aila. She's everything I've ever wanted. Since I laid my eyes on her, it was like I was wrapped around her. I couldn't tell you what it was that I liked, I just liked her. We have gone through so much. I mean, we just bought a house together. She's my everything...."

"It happened at the end of August. She was a client and she came in talk about signage for her business. The meeting was going great until she tripped walking out and I tried to help her. The moment my hand touched her skin, I felt it. The tingles and buzzing in my skin. My mark burned and it seemed hers did too."

"I didn't know what to do. I didn't want it. I pushed her away but the burn was too much and as soon as she touched me again, it got better..."

"Everything I knew about soulmates went out my mind. I denied her touch but within seconds, the pain was too much. Then I remembered, we need to be in contact for the first 24 hours to let the bond began to settle. That was the first time I lied to Aila. I can't even remember what I said to her but I went over to her house. She shares her apartment with three other people. Anyways, we went to her room. Her roommate got me some clothes for me to stay in and I spent the night with her. I felt so dirty. My mind was going crazy. That stupid night, we.... kissed. I don't know how it even happened, but I just know we had our first bonding step. We were out of it for four hours. And then to top it off, she reveals the biggest news... her roommates, what she made me believe, they were not. They were her soulmates as well, which means they are also mine."

Erick felt his head hurt saying those words out loud. The silence was too much and no one said anything. Everyone sat trying to take his words, to make sense out of them.

They knew more than anything how strong the bond was between multiples. The marks seem to burn even more and the attraction feels crazy.

"Then the need to be with her just felt unimaginable. I don't know what it was, but I just knew I needed it be with her."

"It's because she's bonded to the others. Since she has a relationship with the others, the bond will pull you towards them. We know because that's what happened with us." Erick slowly nodded at Yoongi's words. He didn't look mad, instead he had a sad smile on his face.

"I lied to Aila about a lot of shit. I don't feel proud of that. But I just can't let Aila go. I love her and now this stupid bond gets in the way. I needed to spend time with my soulmate to help the longing away and then... then... I, fuck! I slept with her!"

No one was shocked at his confession. Soulmates tend to gravitate towards each others, even before they are bonded. Erick is fresh with his bond so it was only a matter of time before the pull took over his logic.

"I didn't... I never wanted that to happen. I don't even know how I let it happen. We completed our second bonding ritual in the process." Erick's eyes had began to water and he cleared his throat.

"It still doesn't make things right Erick. You know Aila would have been happy for you. She would have let you be with them. I know she would."

"Jinnie I know this. It kills me to see her have to go through this. Do you know the things she has had to endure because she has no mark? She thinks she doesn't deserve love! She thinks there's something wrong with her! At one point she even believed she was damned to hell! I love her and I can't let her go."

"But you can't keep this up! You have meet your soulmate and  you have more than one! You fucking bonded with one as well! You have lied to Aila for four months! Even we have started to see how it was affected her! Either you tell Aila, or I will."

"I c—"

"That won't be necessary."