My Fallen Angel

Chapter 3

"Jungkook, stop."

My attention narrowed in on the third man in the room, the one who'd spoken. He was leaning against one of the many marble columns, arms folded, expression cold as stone. Cooly, he examined me. 

"Relax, Suga. I'm telling her what she needs to know," said Jungkook with an arrogant wave. A twinge of mild irritation made me frown a little, but I decided to drop it in light of the serious tone of the conversation.

"The less she knows, the better off she will be," Suga replied, his voice deep and smooth and soft. "And the sooner we can get her safely home. We're on borrowed time, JK. Don't forget that."

Jungkook's humor faded from his face. Gravely, he snapped, "I know."

"Hang on, I don't get a say in this? I think I have a right to know everything!" I insisted. They didn't seem inclined to listen to me though. 

Suga pushed away from the wall, cold and detached as ever. "You need to go as far away from here as possible, before the wrong people catch sight of you in Rome. We'll send you home and you can forget you ever saw us, and the others will never know that either of you were ever here." He moved across the room with purposeful strides to head for the door behind us. He paused as he brushed past to place a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. Without turning to face him, he murmured, "If you leave again, don't come back."

I watched a flash of raw emotion cross Jungkook's face. A flicker of pain, there, and then gone again. Suga walked out of the room without a second glance, leaving us alone. 

Jungkook wasn't looking at me. He was gazing at a spot somewhere far above me, lost in thought. My heart ached for him in that moment, and I couldn't help but touch him. I stepped forward and took his hand with a soft, "Jungkook?"

His eyes snapped to mine, where they lingered. There was so much depth of emotion in those fathomless eyes. But he smiled and broke the tragic tension, even if the smile didn't reach his eyes. 

"Suga takes a while to warm up to people," he assured me. "Don't take his unfriendly reception too personally."

"Oh, I don't care about that," I blurted. "But I—nevermind."

His eyebrows raised expectantly. "No, go on. Say what you were thinking," he insisted. 

"I just— I have some questions," I admitted.

This time, his smile was genuine. "I thought you might. I'll tell you what I can, I promise," he said. 

So I started with the toughest one first. "Why did he ask you not to come back?" The question was soft and tentative, hanging in the air and meeting with silence.

He shook his head. "Oh, Evie. You had to start with the one I don't think I can answer."

Frustration battled with burning curiosity in my chest for a moment before I decided that it would not be worth it to press the issue. Instead, I asked, "He mentioned 'the others.' Who was he talking about?"

Jungkook gave me a sheepish look through his untidy hair. "Ah, that. I guess you could say that my... brothers would not be thrilled to see me right now. Especially one in particular. Suga was actually surprisingly calm about me turning up here, but if the others found out," he shook his head and trailed off. Either he didn't want to elaborate, or maybe he didn't know how. 

"You and Suga are brothers?" I prompted him to speak again.

Another wry smile. "Essentially, yes. But we had a... falling out."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do I feel like you're holding out on me here?"

He laughed. "Probably because I am. Trust me, it's for your own—"