Crook | K.th

Crook 8: Run

/Narrator's POV/

By the end of the night, Liyah was spent. She had experienced far too much in the span of six hours and it overstimulated her. Overwhelmed her. All she could think about as she gathered up her duffle was how great her sheets would feel under her skin once she and Jimin made it back to the apartment and settled down in bed.

Speaking of the boy, Liyah notices him as she is walking out of the club. Using the discrete back door that all dancers entered and left out of at the beginning and ending of each night. She had made a decent amount. A good $700 plus the ... tip she received from Taehyung. Tonight she was taking home a solid thousand. Not too shabby.

"Finally. I was starting to think something had happened to you." Jimin says, leaning up from the driver side door of the car and puffing out the cigarette smoke as he speaks. He tossed the smoked down nicotine stick on the ground. The sound of his sneakers digging into the gravel is heard as he turns on his heels to walk around and open Liyah's door for her.

"I'm sorry. I was trying to make sure I had everything." Liyah sighed. Jimin hummed as he opened up the door. "Thanks." Liyah mumbled as she slid in without an ounce of hesitance.

During the time Jimin takes to get back in the car, Liyah puts on her seatbelt. He hops in the car, wasting no time to crank it up and get them away from the club. Liyah is oddly silent. Jimin realized that she had been a bit spaced out these past few days. He wondered what was bugging her. They talked about everything together, but he knew that sometimes it was hard for Liyah to share her true feelings. He didn't like to pressure her but he also didn't want her to suffer in silence.

"What's up with you?" Jimin asked, turning a corner. Liyah side eyed him.

"What do you mean?" She plays coy. Jimin rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean. You've been a bit distant these past few days. I just want to know if you're okay." He says simply.

Was she okay? Liyah didn't even know that answer her damn self. She would've liked to think that she was strong. That she could simply move past the fact that Taehyung had returned to Chicago and was ready to get the ball rolling again. But it wasn't that easy, wasn't it? He's had too much of an impact on her life for Liyah to simply forget him. For her to shelf the thought of him and store it into the back of her head.

"Nothing's wrong." Liyah says stubbornly. The lie flows out almost too easily. It scared her, how easy it was to be untruthful with a trustworthy friend such as Jimin. He knew all about Taehyung. Liyah needed to tell somebody about him. Jimin was there, willing to listen. He fucking hated Taehyung for what he did. If not more than Liyah hated him.

"Oh come on." Jimin snorted. "Is it about Bobby? I know he called you in his office earlier. What did he say?"

"This isn't about Bobby and he... he just wanted to know if me and you planned on leaving the club soon. Says that we shouldn't even think about it." Liyah murmured.

"God, we really are the last thing keeping that fucking building afloat." Jimin chuckled. Liyah wanted to laugh because it was the truth. But she was thinking about far too much right now.

"Is that what it was though? You shouldn't let that asshole get to you, Liyah. He's nothing without us and we can leave whenever we damn well please. That was nothing but an empty threat. Gas lighting if you will." Jimin said. Pushing it to the side as if it was nothing. They had become so used to Bobby's bitch fits, it was humorous to them.