Dancing On Thin Ice // KTH

Chapter 53

"S-stop the car." Carmela tried to breathe but the car suddenly felt hot and stuffy. A sickening sensation blossomed at the pit of her stomach and she clutched her seat with her fingers.

"What, right now?" Tae glanced at her, his eyes wide.

"Stop the fucking car, Taehyung." She couldn't even bring herself to look at him, as her mind tried to wrap around his words.

"But--" He started.

"Fine, don't." She unbuckled her seat belt and unlocked her door, about to open the door of the moving car.

"OKAY, wait! Jesus fuck..." Tae huffed, and the car slowed to a stop at the side of the highway.

Carmela immediately grabbed her bag and opened the door, stepping out of the car. 

"Hey! Where are you--" Tae said, but she slammed the door shut, cutting off his words.

The dusty wind blew in her face as she turned to the back door of the car and seated herself inside. Tae spun around in his seat, gazing at her. His expression was blank... but a hint of hurt... swept over his eyes. Carmela turned away from him and stared out the window, clenching her jaw.

But the moment he turned back to the front, she clutched her stomach and doubled over, her face twisting into a silent sob. 

Those words... they couldn't be true... could they? 

He said he never loved her... that he only loved the sex? 

No... no, he's lying... but then why did he laugh and say it like that? It had only been a couple of weeks since she became serious about him... maybe you need to know each other longer than that, to truly know about-- wait... then was he faking everything he said and did? The entire time... the entire time they were together?

But he was so... so real about everything. The way he protected her hand from the burning tea... the way he kissed the scars on her legs--

His cruel words, could they actually be true?

"Ah..." Carmela accidentally let her voice slip between her sobs, and she quickly put her hand over her mouth. She regained her quick breaths, patting her chest. Her body twitched as she tried to keep herself calm and quiet.

It's okay. I'll be okay.

She slumped in her seat, closing her throbbing eyes. Her head vibrated against the cold window, as her confused mind swam with questions that made her heart shake with pain.

* * * * * * * *

Carmela awoke to the growl of her stomach she slowly blinked her heavy eyes open. She stared at the roof of the car for a moment, before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. It was dark outside, the sky slowly warming up with the pink rising sun.

Her hands froze as she looked at the boy sitting up front, still driving. An ache pounded through her bones and her empty stomach felt even more sick as she turned away from him.

The black bag was beside her and she unzipped it, reaching inside for some food. There was a plastic water bottle and a couple of granola bars, thank god. She unwrapped the bar and quickly stuffed it into her mouth, gulping a few sips of water too. 

Suddenly, she noticed Tae's dark eyes glancing at her from the mirror between the two front seats, and she stopped chewing, her chest lurching. His eyes... they looked so tired and red.

Carmela quickly fished out her phone and looked at the time. Oh. It was 3 a.m... he'd been driving for 9 hours straight!

Before she could understand her actions, she cleared her throat and leaned forwards in her seat.