“He looks lonely.”
“That’s none of our business.” Jungkook stared at his drink, forcing himself not to look next door. “He chose to go on a solo vacation.”
Jin and he were having homemade caipirinhas on the rooftop deck while the feijoada cooked. Jungkook shouldn’t have any more alcohol after their boozy beach day, but he needed something to take the edge off after his run-in with Taehyung.
“True,” Jin said. “Still, it’s kind of sad.”
Curiosity tugged at Jungkook’s better instincts, and his curiosity won out. He glanced to his right, where Taehyung sat by his pool. Six-foot hedges separated their villas, but Jungkook’s high vantage point gave him a clear view of Taehyung’s backyard.
Taehyung was scrolling on his phone and eating the saddest-looking sandwich Jungkook had ever seen. Lantern lights swayed in the trees, casting a soft glow over his features.
The cynical part of Jungkook wondered if Taehyung was eating by the pool because he’d heard them on the rooftop and wanted to win their sympathy. But the empathetic part of him couldn’t ignore the pang he felt in his chest.
Jin was right. Taehyung did look lonely.
Jin followed Jungkook's gaze. “The town feels a whole lot smaller, doesn’t it?”
“It’s big enough. He does his thing; we do ours.” Jungkook kept his voice low, but at that exact moment, Taehyung looked up as if he’d heard him. Their eyes met, and a shiver of electricity ran through Jungkook’s skin.
He tore his gaze away before it could deepen into anything more dangerous.
“You feel bad for him, don’t you?” Jungkook said when he saw Jin’s frown. “What happened to always having my back?” He was only half joking.
Jin owed a lot to Taehyung, who’d gotten him his first job as a junior chef at one of the Laurents’ restaurants before he moved up to his current role as executive sous chef. Jungkook didn’t expect him to shun Taehyung just because they were divorced, but Jin’s clear soft spot for Taehyung made Jungkook uneasy—because he could see himself sliding toward the same feelings.
Jungkook was too susceptible to others’ opinions. He didn’t want to be, but he couldn’t help it.
“It’s still true, but I also feel bad for him,” Jin said. “We both know why he’s here, and it’s not for vacation.” He nodded toward Taehyung. “When was the last time Taehyung willingly took time off work?”
Never. Even when they were married, Jungkook had to force him to stay in Brazil for longer than a few days between Christmas and New Year’s.
It suddenly struck Jungkook what a massive deal Taehyung’s appearance here was. This wasn’t a night off or a rescheduled meeting; he’d left the office, flown to another continent, and judging by how comfortable he was making himself at Villa Luz, he intended to stay awhile.
Jungkook’s stomach twisted into knots. He fiddled with his fingers. Don’t let him fool you. Taehyung would do anything to win, but the prize only mattered to him before he obtained it.
“Come on,” Jungkook said, sidestepping Jin’s question. “The food’s going to be ready soon, and I need to take a shower.”
“You showered an hour ago.”
“I need to shower again,” Jungkook lied. “The humidity’s a killer.”
Jin cast a knowing look Jungkook's way but let the subject drop. He went to check on the feijoada, while Jungkook took a half-hearted rinse, letting the hot water wash away any residual sympathy he felt for Taehyung.
YOU ARE READING
Twisted Devotion | taekook
Fanfiction❚ ❚ ⧽ ✎ In which Jungkook had enough of Taehyung. He realized Taehyung had lost sight of everything personal in his relentless pursuit of wealth. For years, Jungkook had stood by him, understanding the long hours, the missed dinners, the endless cal...
