Catch 22 - JJK (21+)

Chapter 11 - Friendship

ARIA

The moment I was able to get Jungkook out of the door, all the tears that I had been trying to hold back knowing he was on his way to my office flowed. I didn't want him to see me like that.  I knew he'd be worried, and I hadn't decided whether or not I wanted to discuss what was bothering me with him yet.

"You just couldn't keep it together for a few minutes," I quietly scolded myself, angry that I'd let him see me upset, which only made my tears multiply.

Once I got myself together, I hurried out of my office and locked the door behind me. I had  already activated the 'out of office' notification for my incoming emails because I knew there was no way in hell I'd be coming in to work tomorrow.

No sooner than I'd made it to my car and sat in the driver's seat, my cell phone went off. I watched as it vibrated on top of my briefcase in the passenger seat, the screen illumined with an unfamiliar number.  I knew it was him, but I was suddenly afraid to answer.

"Oh my God... what the fuck was I thinking giving him my number?"  I smacked myself on the forehead as I asked the question out loud.

Jungkook was my student for goodness sake. What on earth would possess me to tell him to call me? In my defense, my mind was in total disarray, so maybe I wasn't thinking straight, but I had to call bs on that thought. I was a little upset, not stupid. I knew exactly why I'd told him that.

There was something about sharing space with Jungkook that made me feel alive, and that was what I needed tonight. I refused to spend the rest of the evening drowning my sorrows in a carton of cookie dough ice cream all alone, mourning another failed relationship.

The vibrating stopped as soon as I reached for my cell.  Assuming that he'd probably call right back, I quickly pressed the push start button in my car to activate the Bluetooth technology so my phone could connect to it. Then, gripping it tightly, I stared down at the screen, willing it light up with his number again. I wasn't even sure what I would say to him yet, but I really hoped that he...

Letting out a small sigh of relief at the buzzing sensation in my hand, I didn't hesitate this time to answer. "Hey."

"Hey... are you okay?  Where are you?"

Just hearing his voice through the speakers in my car was enough to make my heart race and stir the butterflies in my stomach, but his tone was filled with worry and concern. I could tell that he was genuinely upset because I was, and that made me a little misty-eyed.

"I'm okay. I'm still at school, sitting in my car.  I-I just..." I hesitated, realizing that I was about to throw my entire personal code of ethics out of the proverbial window for the first time in my five plus year career.

"What is it?  You can tell me. Let me be there for you the way you were there for me."

Why did he have to be such a sweetheart?

And how did he always know the exact right thing to say? 

Hell, I didn't even know why I was about to say one of the most inappropriate things I'd ever said to a student, but here I was. It didn't really matter anyway. I was already in way too deep to get out at this point.

"I just... I don't want to be alone tonight."

I could feel my eyes welling up again as the reason all of this was even happening came back to the forefront of my mind, but he was a very welcomed distraction.