Please Love Me | JJK

Part 16

Jungkook starts to panic as he opens every room and doesn't find you there. It's when he sees that your car key isn't on the keyholder that he concludes you left; for where, he doesn't know. It's too early to go anywhere and he hopes that you just drove somewhere to watch the sunrise to clear your head, or to the beach to think. You're a big girl, he knows that. You'd lived on your own for years; somehow he knows you're safe.

He goes back to your room and lies down on your made-up bed, inhaling the lavender scent of your shampoo and the same-scent detergent on the pillows and covers. He lays there thinking about you, where you are and what you're doing. He falls asleep hugging one of your pillows, imagining it's you.

**

The sunlight peeking from the blinds is what wakes Jungkook up. He checks your wall clock and sees it's past 7:30AM. He feels groggy and heavy. He barely slept as he felt a mix of worry and sadness at your absence. He couldn't wait to apologize, couldn't wait to finally hold you and tell you that everything's going to be okay, but you left and he doesn't know where you are. He was hoping you'd have come back by the time he wakes but there's still no sign of you at home.

He grabs his phone from his room and rings you multiple times, each call heading to voicemail. He calls your chauffeur who says he hasn't heard from you. He pulls up the number of one of your co-workers, the one you used to contact him this one time your phone's battery died; she says you're not at work and in fact, just put a notice that you'll be working from home for the next 2 days. He panics at this because you're clearly not home.

He's nervous to ask any one of your siblings or friends, knowing they'll panic as well and will ask too many questions that he's not ready to answer.

So he calls his brother, certain he knows where you are.

"Do you know where she is?" he asks as soon as Junghyun picks up. "She's... she's not here, hyung. We had a fight and I was going to apologize but she's gone and I don't know where she is..." He stammers. The more he recalls, the more worried he gets and he wills for the tears not to form.

Junghyun releases a breath. "I know, Jungkook. She told me."

"You talked to her?! I keep getting into voicemail," he says, nervous at what this now implies.

"Yeah, she's fine, Kook. Don't worry. She's safe."

Jungkook lets out a breath, appeased to know that at least you're okay. He doesn't try to dwell on the fact that you talked to his brother and not him. You always did say you treated Junghyun like your own.

"Did she say what time she's coming back? I screwed up and I want to apologize."

It takes a while before Junghyun responds. "She, uhm... she won't be back home today."

"What do you mean?"

"She'll be gone for a few days, Jungkook. She told me to tell you."

The silence is deafening for both men. It takes all of Jungkook not to break down over the phone right then and there and Junghyun is worried at how his brother is going to hold up.

"Look, everything's gonna be okay. She just needs time, you could at least give her that after what happened."

It irks Jungkook at how much his brother knows, even more that you called him when you decided to drive off and told him how last night went. He hates that his brother probably got to comfort you, something he should've done.

Jungkook is huffing on the other end, prompting his brother to try and calm him down. "Come to my office when you get here, we can talk then."

**