Mine

Chapter 17

Cherry paced the length of her room, bare feet pressing into the cool wooden floor. Her hands twitched at her sides, fingers curling and uncurling as if holding something invisible. She'd counted the knots in the wood too many times to pretend she wasn't a mess.

It had been a week. Seven days since she last saw him. Seven days since Taehyung appeared in front of her, too close in that fitting room, his gaze dropping like a stone against her skin.

Her breath hitched.

She shouldn't still feel it. The heat of his body, the way his fingers brushed her wrist—so light, like he was afraid to grip too hard. But he did grip, didn't he? And she hadn't pulled away. She wanted to pull away.

Liar.

Cherry dragged a hand through her hair, tugging at the roots until the sting forced her to stop. Her reflection in the window stared back at her. Unable to sleep from days, she looked pale and hollow-eyed, as if her thoughts drained the color from her face.

She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, as if she could squeeze the words out of her skull. But they echoed louder, curling like smoke in the corners of her mind.

Come to me, Cherry.

Her breath caught in her throat. She could almost hear his voice—soft, low, and taunting. It wrapped around her, tighter and tighter, until frustration sparked hot beneath her skin.

I want to watch you fall apart. Her nails dug into her thighs. Why did it sound like he was right there? Her room felt heavier, suffocating, like the shadows stretched too far. I want to see how far you'll crawl for it.

Her jaw clenched. She hated how easily those words snuck in, how they stuck to the insides of her ribs like tar. Each one left a bitter aftertaste.

I'm not chasing you this time. She bit her lip hard enough to sting. Why did that part bother her the most? It wasn't like she wanted him to chase her. Right?

Her head tipped back against the wall, and she exhaled sharply, as if the weight of the thought might roll off her chest. But it didn't.

Make me come to you.

Cherry's eyes snapped open. A harsh laugh escaped her lips—sharp and humorless.

"God, I'm so stupid." The words felt ridiculous. Make me come to you. It sounded desperate. Pathetic. "Why did I say that? JUST WHY-"

She wasn't the type to beg. She shouldn't be. But why did the idea make her stomach twist?

Her fingers curled into the sheets, bunching the fabric tight in her fists. Frustration bubbled up, hot and angry, but beneath it—somewhere deep—was something else.

Something dangerous. Because no matter how hard she tried to shove it down, Cherry already knew how this ended. She would come undone.

Just like he said!

Why did I give him that?

It felt like handing him a loaded weapon and daring him to pull the trigger.

Her heart twisted violently, a pulse of something that wasn't entirely anger. It was something worse—a longing she couldn't peel away from.

Taehyung had disappeared after that day—no lingering shadows, no stalking words, no whispers in the dark. The silence felt suffocating. And that lingering sensation of being watched, the subtle pressure of his gaze that never quite left her skin? That too was gone.