I Need You to Run ✔️

45. Moving ON

(The Next Morning)

He had a plan. It wasn't bulletproof or well thought out, but it was still something to work with. Although the old man didn't deserve an inkling of his kindness after everything he had put him through the last twenty-two years, it was a surefire way to save Taehyung's ass if things did escalate.

Clutching the box handles that burned an imprint into his palms, Tae looked down at the two cases of beer in his hands before allowing his eyes to linger on the empty bottles littering the ground outside his home. His father's love for the poisonous juice was far stronger than the hatred he carried for his son, so hopefully, he would focus on the twenty four bottles instead of his son packing.

The place was completely silent, no indication of what he was about to face on the other side of that door. It was eerie and terrifying, his heart picking up as he thought more and more about the next few minutes he would have to endure. If he was lucky, the old man would be passed out and he would have the chance to slip in and out without being detected.

Feeling panic rise in his chest, Taehyung crouched down and pressed his back against the cold plastered wall taking a deep, wavered breath. There was no way in hell he was going to allow himself to chicken out, not after everything he had been through. He refused to let that monster win.

Closing his eyes, he removed a can from one of the boxes and lifted the tab, the hiss of air leaving the compressed space giving him chills. He gulped back the bitter liquid, swallowing each burning drop as though his life depended on it. And hell, maybe it did. He needed every ounce of liquid courage he could get before walking back into the depths of hell.

He knew it was a stupid idea, clouding his mind with the toxic beverage, his judgement faltering with each drop of sin that passed his lips. But it was all he could do to bring himself to step through that door one last time. To finally red himself of the torturous past. To move on and become the man he knew he could be.

Crushing the can in his hand, he dropped it onto the pile beside him on the cement pathway and looked up at the sky above. It was a beautiful day which meant a good thing, right? Bad things can't happen on beautiful days.

He took a moment, going over all the positives he had been blessed with in just the last few hours. The encouraging text messages he had received from some of his friends that morning gave him the boost he needed to get out of bed and face the music. He knew that no matter what happened, he would always have them to support and protect him.

Those messages felt almost as amazing as waking up beside the woman he had grown to care so much for, her peaceful face nestled on his chest and arms wrapped loosely around his naked frame. He couldn't wait to be over all this drama so he could fully focus his attention onto her, hoping they could become more than friends with benefits.

The thought of Wren instantly brought an ease to his mind. Smiling, He pulled his phone from his pocket, ignoring the haze that began to fill his mind as the alcohol settled in his system.

TAEHYUNG:
After I'm settled in at Kooks, would
you like to go on a proper date with me?
Maybe to dinner or something?

Smiling at the sent message, he shoved the phone back into his pocket, his fingers coming into contact with something else he had almost forgotten about. Pulling the folded paper out, he opened the folds until he could see the simple letter he had written for his mother. He wasn't sure if he would have the chance to see her before leaving, the odds of running into her on the street being slim to none.

She deserved more than to have her only son disappear without a simple 'I love you,' especially after everything she had been through After reading over his terrible penmanship, he quickly folded the paper back up and shoved it into his pocket, mentally searching for a place to hide it that only his mother would find.