Dollhouse | bts ✓

16. Growing Suspicion

Monday morning was my first day back at the bookstore, so that afternoon, I was more than happy to take a long shower and then be reunited with my bed for a nap. That showed through as I unlocked my apartment door with giddiness.

"I'm home! And I've had quite the day—" I stopped in my tracks when I spotted my dolls using my laptop again. It didn't take me long to recognize the tune they were bobbing their little heads to while they lounged around the living room couch. "Why are you guys watching the music video for Fergalicious?"

"Because," Taehyung confidently stared up at me with his large, innocent eyes as he spoke. "It's so delicious?"

Hoseok playfully punched Taehyung the same instant Jungkook began howling with laughter. The happy sounds from the other dolls slowly eased into the mix until I found myself shaking my head at my minature friends, no longer able to fight the smile on my face.

Earlier that day, I was more than happy to return to my job at the bookstore after spending the rest of my weekend with the dolls.

I had gotten sick of Jimin's perverted jokes, Yoongi's tireless need to bicker, Taehyung's stomach issues (they were such a pain to clean up after!), Jungkook's cluelessness and curiosity, Hoseok's complaints about Kitty, Jin following me around wherever I went, and Namjoon getting stuck in the sink on more than one occasion.

However, despite those factors, I had grown more fond of them. It was like they became a part of my family when all I had before was Kitty.

But that didn't stop me from skipping into work with a huge smile on my face, refusing to think about how I had left Jin and Namjoon in charge and the disasters it would surely bring along. I even made sure to leave Kitty in my room with the door shut so that she wouldn't collaborate with the dolls to destroy my apartment again.

Now, as I stood there watching them goof around with each other, I couldn't remember a single reason for being nervous about leaving them on their own or why I'd been on edge during my entire morning of work.

I was happy to be home. The feeling channeled a surge of warmth that swept a feeling of comfort and safety through my body.

"Anyway," Namjoon said as he stood up to close the lid of my laptop. I moved forward to pick it up and hug it to my chest, making a mental note to myself to put a password on it. "How was your day at work?"

And then I remembered. With a cold rush of fear frosting over my senses, my mind wandered to the earlier events of the day.

"You're turning paler than Yoongi," Jin snickered, temporarily dividing me from my thoughts. His face slowly changed the longer I stared at him. Concern slowly replaced the amusement on his small face. "Wait... are you okay?"

No. I wasn't okay.

All I could think about was the suspicious man that approached me before I went inside the bookstore that morning. He reeked of bad intentions and days without a shower, which led me into believing that it was the same man from the restaurant who searched my things.

What I found most unsettling was the fact that the man repeated the same thing from the other night before taking off in the other direction, which confirmed that it was the same guy from before.

"Something of mine has been taken, and I won't stop searching until I get it back."

A chill ran down my spine at the mere thought of being followed for a reason I wasn't aware of.

Was I supposed to call the police? Get help? Leave it alone? I didn't know what to do about any of it.

And my sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with the dolls wouldn't be easy to explain to the proper authorities.

Maybe it would be wise to wait to get help until it's absolutely necessary...

Jungkook tugged on the end of my shirt until he got my attention. I blinked a few times before looking down at his small figure from where it stood on the couch. "What's bothering you? I hate seeing you upset."

I exchanged glances with the dolls. They looked back at me with the same trust and curiosity that has always been vibrant in their beautiful, chocolate eyes.

I recounted what Namjoon once requested of me. To look out for them and keep careful track of them.

How would I be doing that if I placed my burdens on them?

So finally, I smiled and answered both Namjoon and Jungkook's questions. "Work was great. There were no problems with customers today. I'm just tired, that's all."

Lies.

I swallowed hard. "I need to go let Kitty out of my room and feed her so that I can shower and take a nap."

Hoseok's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Please, no!"

That earned a smile and pat from Jimin. Everyone found Hoseok's particular fear of Kitty to be quite hilarious and they'd fallen into a pattern of teasing him about it.

Jimin glanced up at me with a slightly sinister glint in his eyes. "Would you like me to accompany you in the shower?

I turned away from them in response, but not before catching the smug look on Yoongi's face that easily conveyed that he wasn't buying my story about the day as easily as the rest of them were.

But no, the man in dark clothing didn't become a problem until much, much later.