Don't Forget | ✔

Twenty Eight

That evening was eventful. Taehyung's father dragged Arya out of her room, ordering her to make him scrambled eggs. He wouldn't stop whining like a child till she agreed to.

As she sauteed the eggs in the pan, Taehyung's father tapped his fingers on the dinner table, eagerly.

"You are acting like you haven't eaten in a week. How long has it been since you had scrambled eggs?"

"Taehyung makes them occasionally, but it's not the same as yours. I missed your cooking. I think Taehyung secretly misses it too." He mumbled at the end, making Arya smile.

Placing two plates on the table, she took a seat across from Taehyung's dad.

"Have you been eating veggies, every day?" Arya inquired, making him groan.

"Don't remind me. I promised Taehyung I would have spinach for dinner." He whined, making her chuckle.

"He's just concerned about you."

"He makes me worry about him more than he worries about me." He shook his head, sighing before he dug into the plate.

"Since when have they been engaged?" Taehyung's father was not predicting the question.

"It's been three months."

"When do they plan on getting married?"

"Probably not anytime soon."

Arya wished it was sooner. It would be easier to get over a married man than the one who gave unnecessary hope.

Taehyung's father thanked her for the dish and left for his room to continue reading books. Arya stayed in her place, with palms clasped on the table, she stared into nothing, wondering why she had to fall in love with Taehyung out of so many people. Why was it so hard to just forget him?

"Is that scrambled eggs I smell?" Arya's head snapped towards the voice and found Taehyung grinning. She gave him a subtle nod.

"It's finished. If I had known you were home, I would have made more."

Taehyung shrugged, taking a seat opposite her.

"You can always make it another time." He suggested. Arya gave him a modest smile.

"Arya," He started with nervousness in his voice. "I need to tell you something."

Before Arya could reply, his phone rang. He sighed irritably before looking at the caller ID. He reluctantly answered the phone walking away from the kitchen but halted hearing Mia's frenzied speech.

"Tae, it's Amara! I can't find her!" Taehyung's heart stalled. His face turned pale.

"What?" He whispered, thinking he heard wrong.

"We were at the mall when she suddenly disappeared and I found a note in my pocket..." Mia let out a strangled sob. "Tae, she's in danger! We have to save her!"

Taehyung felt his whole world revolve. His head felt faint as he processed Mia's words. Arya noticed something was awry with him and grabbed his arm.

"What happened?" As soon as she inquired, Taehyung's eyes turned red and glossy.

An hour after Mia broke the news, everybody assembled in the living room. The police were informed. Even though Amara wasn't her own child, Arya's heart crushed at the mere thought of what the little girl must be going through.

"It's Jaden, isn't it?" Arya asked Taehyung, who nodded regretfully.

"What did the note say?"

"That we should have known better than to let you in." Mia spat. Arya kept her gaze on the floor, knowing she was the only one to blame for the situation. "If it weren't for you, my child would have been safe today!"

"Mia!" Taehyung warned her.

"Did I say something untrue? This Jaden or whatever wants her! Why is our daughter suffering?! Why are we being punished?!" Mia yelled as a fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks. Arya felt her pain. She might not be a parent, but she knew the anguish. After all, she experienced it not once but thrice.

Jungkook wrapped his arm around her shoulder, guiding her towards the stairs. Arya pulled out of his grip and turned to Mia, who held her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook with every sob racking through her body.

"I'm sorry." Arya's voice was thick with sorrow. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

Mia glared at her with clenched fists. Jungkook grabbed Arya's wrist and pulled her into her room. On cue, Arya fell to the floor, breaking down.

"I feel so helpless!" She cried out. Jungkook sat beside her. His eyes glistened, looking at the woman he had grown to cherish. He tugged her to his chest.

"It's not your fault." He whispered. "You didn't ask for any of this. Don't blame yourself. We'll find Amara soon. She'll be safe and smiling before you." He promised, placing a kiss on her temple.

Jungkook's attempt to console her failed because Arya tossed and turned in her bed till midnight. She knew nobody was sleeping in the house. Her tears have withered away and Jungkook finally, but unwillingly, left her alone.

Suddenly, her phone dinged. She picked it up to discover a message on the screen. It was a video. Arya's eyes widened.

"How have you been?" Jaden smirked. "I'm sure you have grown hotter."

Arya flinched in revulsion. The camera moved towards a corner where a little girl laid on the floor unmoving. Her heart dipped.

"Don't worry. She's breathing. She'll keep breathing as long as you listen to me."

Fear set in, watching his sinful smirk. The same smirk that made her anxious for days. The same smirk that traumatized her.

"There's a black car waiting for you at the end of the street. You have exactly one hour. Don't act too smart. Wouldn't want the poor girl to die so young, would you?"

The screen went blank. The phone slipped from her hands as they shuddered. Breathing became hard. Her mind was all over the place. She clutched her hair, eyes burned, tears forming. She was terrified, but Amara mattered more. She pulled herself together and made up her mind.

Arya put on a coat before walking downstairs cautiously. It was all dark. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen and placed it in her coat pocket.

"Can't sleep, either?" Taehyung's voice made her jump.

"I-I was feeling thirsty." She managed to spit out. She could feel her hands shake behind her as Taehyung walked closer.

"Don't take Mia's words, seriously. She's not in her right mind." Arya shook her head.

"She didn't say anything wrong. Ever since I came into your life, all I brought was grief."

"Don't say that. Things are a little bearable with you around. You have no idea how much I missed you."

He took a step forward, making her step back. He froze his moments realizing what he was doing, but he couldn't hold it anymore. She had to know. If he delayed it any further, he was afraid he would lose her forever.

"Can I ask you something?" Taehyung nodded. Arya bit her cheek. She didn't know if she would come out alive and see the sunrise again. She deserved to know.

"Were they all lies?" She swallowed. "Everything you ever told me, promised me, did you mean any of them?"

"I wasn't lying." He explained, instantly. "I understand why you might think otherwise. I haven't been the best person to you, but there's so much you need to know. I promise I'll tell you everything when things are settled. Just hold on, Arya. Hold on a little more."

Arya simply nodded. She didn't have the time nor the energy to argue. She had only thirty minutes left. After that, she didn't know if she would be alive. 

"You should go to Mia. She will need you." 

Taehyung nodded. Before he left, he pulled her into a hug. A tear slipped down her cheek as she leaned into his warmth.

"Amara will be fine. I promise."