SHADOWS OF DECEIT

Chapter 29

Joshua woke to a sharp chill cutting through the darkness, the cool night air brushing against his exposed skin. His body tensed instinctively, a shiver running down his spine as the loose black shirt draped over him failed to offer any real warmth. 

The fabric clung to his bruised skin, each abrasion sparking a fresh wave of memory—a visceral reminder of the intensity that had consumed him just hours before. His breath hitched, and his eyes fluttered open. The room was dim, moonlight filtering weakly through the curtains, and it took him a moment to orient himself.

It hit him suddenly: he wasn't alone. Or, at least, he shouldn't have been. Joshua turned his head, heart thrumming in anticipation, but the bed beside him was empty.

His stomach twisted. 

He left.

Joshua pushed himself upright too quickly, a pained gasp escaping his lips as his body protested. Muscles ached in places he didn't know could ache; his skin stung where Seokmin had left his mark. 

The motion was enough to make his head spin, but what hurt more was the hollow ache in his chest. His mind raced with insecurities. Was he just another indulgence? Another fleeting conquest for a man who specialized in keeping walls up.

A subtle shift in the air cut through his spiraling thoughts.

Joshua's gaze darted toward the balcony, his heart lurching when he saw the silhouette standing there. Seokmin. The faint glow of a cigarette burned between his fingers, the ember occasionally flaring as he drew a slow inhale. 

His torso was bare, shadows playing across his toned chest and scars that spoke of countless battles he never spoke of. The faint light cast by the ember illuminated his features, sharp and unreadable. His jeans hung low on his hips, his posture loose but somehow commanding.

Joshua swallowed hard, relief battling with something far more dangerous—a yearning so raw it almost hurt.

As if sensing Joshua's presence, Seokmin turned his head, dark eyes locking onto him. For a moment, neither spoke, the tension between them thick and electric. The cigarette dangled from Seokmin's fingers, ash falling lazily to the ground, his gaze unreadable but heavy, cutting through Joshua's very core.

"You stayed," Joshua finally whispered, his voice rough, hoarse from the night before. The vulnerability in his tone cracked through the air like thunder.

Seokmin's lips curved into a smirk, the faintest twitch of amusement flickering across his features. "Didn't think I would?" he replied, his voice low, the gravelly edge making Joshua's breath hitch. He stepped closer, the outline of his figure growing clearer under the moonlight.

Joshua tried to keep his composure, but his hands trembled, fingers clenching into the sheets beneath him. "I... I thought—" He cut himself off, unsure of how to finish the sentence without revealing too much of his own fear.

Seokmin stepped through the threshold of the balcony, the cigarette now stubbed out and discarded. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, his dark eyes fixed on Joshua like a predator sizing up prey.

"You thought I'd leave after I broke you?" Seokmin asked, his voice deceptively soft, but his words carried a sharpness that made Joshua flinch. 

"That I'd walk away while you're still trembling like this?" His gaze flicked down to where Joshua's legs had shifted under the sheets, noting the faint wince etched across his features.

Joshua opened his mouth to respond but couldn't form the words. He hated the way Seokmin's presence made him feel—weak, exposed, desperate—but he couldn't deny the pull either.