The Escort S2

Part 61: The dark place

Jungkook's POV

My eyes are still closed as I reach for the warmth of my love. The heat that is familiar and expected at the start of each day. I pat around our king size bed like a newborn pup seeking its mother.

"I'm over here, Kookie." I open my eyes and sit up. I wipe my eyes and slowly search around our bedroom.

"Why are you standing over there, baby?" I say with a heavily raspy morning voice. When Tae is slow to answer, I rise and join him. He stands staring out the large rectangular window that overlooks the garden. He doesn't turn to look at me. He just continues to focus outside. I rub his back lightly and there's a slight wince to my touch that's unexpected.

"Sorry, Kookie." He apologizes for his reaction. He carries something heavy in his mind. I say nothing and patiently wait. "I have something I need to share with you," he says, turning to me. His eyes are filled with concern.

"What is it, Tae? You seem nervous."

"l am, Kookie."

"Please don't tell me the Jeon family hotel is having another guest," I snicker.

"No, Kookie. Something happened yesterday." The lack of emotion and seriousness in his tone fully awakens me.

"At work, Tae?"

"Well, yes and no."

"You're starting to scare me," I say, careful to keep the pulse of anxious energy I feel beginning to course through me beneath my surface. I pull in a quiet breath and wait to hear more.

"That's not my intention, baby. I wanted to tell you last night but we both were exhausted. I needed to sleep and think. Unfortunately, I did more thinking than sleeping." I take his hand and lead him to our sitting area. We both take a seat in the two large red designer chairs that Tae had made. It is a quiet and serene space where we have many discussions.

"Tae, why—"

"l was afraid of your reactivity. And then it hit me. This is you and me and we work things out together. We are each other's anchors. When things get foggy or dark for one of us, we are the other's light."

"There's nothing we can't get through together because that's who we are, Tae. We hold onto each other. We've done it before."

"Yes, we have." He says lifting his head and dipping his chin in agreement, but his eyes have not changed.

"I need to sit with you, Kookie." I open my arms and he slides onto my lap. The knot in my gut builds and I breathe. My mind rushes wildly through several terrible scenarios and then I breathe and wrap my arms around him lightly.

"Tae, is it Triton?"

"Yes," he whispers. My next breath is audible and I'm a bit relieved because I'm sure I know what it is.

"So that bastard finally used your past against us. Fuck him. Let him tell the world. We don't care." Tae lowers his head.

"Kookie, that's not what he did." Suddenly everything stops moving for me.

This time I whisper. "What did he do?"

"He took on a phony identity and posed as a new client." A cold chill rushes up my spine. "I met with him under false pretenses."

"What!? He did what!? How!?" Firecrackers go off in my head and my teeth clench so tightly pain shoots through my jaw. I feel dizzy for a moment. I can't believe what I'm hearing as Tae's words sound off in my head. 'I met with him,' is loudly on repeat play in my head.