Oath

Chapter 26

Far away from the curious eyes of the by-standers in the lobby, you were now protected by the walls of Taehyung's VIP apartment adorned with paintings, each giving the feeling that it would hold enough value to keep you jobless and well fed for at least half of your lifetime. You didn't pay much attention to the details that made this place the last time you were here. And for good reasons. But now avoiding Taehyung's eyes made for the perfect opportunity to appreciate this place in its full glory. The walls were made of marble, some white, some black, the floor of a deep, shiny black that seemed to pull you in. It gave the feeling of an art museum rather than that of a place to crash. Everything was made of clean cuts, simple yet fancy, giving off strong masculine vibes.

You went for the bathroom first thing, still not ready to face Taehyung. Stalling wouldn't make the problem go away, but neither would talking to him in this state. You needed more time. The claw that tightened around your neck every time you breathed had been pushing you to the brink of crying for a while now, still not satisfied by the burning sensation in your eyes nor the bloody red that colored them. You had wept so much that tears refused to come out. It was just the pain and the merciless claw. You looked in the mirror that stretched from one corner of the wall to the other, not recognizing the girl that stood in front of you. Fading bruises lingered where skin was torn from slaps and punches, lips were dry and chapped from all the crying that seemed to have forced every drop of water out of your body. Your arms had cuts and violet flecks stretching all the way down to your wrists where bruises formed bracelets reminiscent of tight ropes. You brushed your fingers over the place where the needle -from the IV fluid that Namjoon so eagerly prepared- had penetrated your skin. It still hurt at the touch. Being with Jungkook alone was enough to keep the pain away, but now it was all coming back in waves, each running deeper. One glance could tell that your whole body screamed exhaustion.

You collapsed to the floor and rested your head on your knees, keeping them in place with your arms. Eyes closed, you tried to push away the feeling of emptiness that suffocated you, the burning sensation in your chest, Jungkook, Taehyung, and the whole world. You felt your conscience fading. All the courage that once pushed you to do crazy stuff without thinking twice had vanished into thin air. It was as if now that the puzzle was complete, there was nothing else worth fighting for, especially without Jungkook by your side. The war was already lost. At least that's what you thought.

Taehyung was pacing around the room, waiting for you to come out. He was nervous, a feeling he barely knew existed. He noticed something was wrong, he could see it in your every gesture. Was it Jungkook? It was clearly Jungkook. "That bitch," he growled. Had your memories came back? That would make things even more complicated. He stared at the door ready to break it to smithereens by his gaze alone. Five minutes had already passed and the silence was making his heart incline towards worry. Two knocks against the hard surface, no reply. "Y/N, are you ok?" Another set, same result. "I'm coming in," he said, voice husky. He pushed the door open slowly, scanning every corner until his eyes landed on you. He rushed inside, the sound of the wall being hit by the knob making you jump out of the trance. He crouched next to you, his hands cupping your shoulders.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he said as his eyes frantically traced down every line of your body.

You simply shook your head and shifted under his hands, trying to escape his grip. Your eyes burned with sadness and hate, his shot right back with shock and anger. He clenched his jaw and brought an arm under your legs, pulling you up from the cold floor. Too weakened to show resistance, you complied and waited until you felt the soft material of the sheets under your skin. You glanced at the entrance door, considering your chances of success in an attempted escape. You could not brush off the image of the Taehyung from your memories, the cold almost demonic eyes that pierced right through your soul. You needed time to piece everything together. You felt your head spinning and the events that took place in the last 72 hours left you with the suspicion that everyone and everything was there to cause you harm. You were at your limits. The door, I need to reach it, you thought. A few seconds of Taehyung turning his back to you were all you had, and you went for it. Adrenaline pushed your body off the bed and up racing towards your great escape. Gliding between pieces of furniture with surprising ease, you felt as if the success rate you calculated had been correct. A smile would have taken over your lips was it not for the panic that painted your face. Your fingers folded around the handle, the cold touch of freedom traveling down your spine. You were about to press it when a hand smashed on the door just to your right. Your breath hitched, mind going blank. The other hand went for your shoulder, spinning you around to face Taehyung frowning down at you. It felt like ice kissed your skin, every chance of moving gone. Your game was over before it even began. He had seen a shadow moving fast in the corner of his eye, head snapping into your direction. His feet were stronger, his steps quicker, catching you was just a matter of seconds. Having the advantage of starting first was no equal of his velocity. His heavy breaths made his chest rise and fall right in front of you. No thoughts roamed through your head, nothing but a voice screaming danger.