Alexa’s mind was spinning on the bus ride back to the prison at what had just happened.  The stunned silence resonated around the room, seemingly lasting a lifetime before someone shouted from the audience for him to reject her.  The host then began cheering along with the rest of the crowd, gathering ferocious momentum, as Taehyung just stood still staring down at her without so much as a word. 

She had closed her eyes and waited, knowing in her soul the pain of rejection was coming at any moment.  Her ears seemed to register him turning and his boots stomping off the stage.  Opening her eyes, she watched the back of him disappear into the shadows as she was yanked by the guards and marched back to the bus. 

It didn’t hurt.  That’s what she couldn’t understand.  Her brother and sister had both told her how much it hurt deep in their heart, how their souls ached, but she didn’t feel it. 

She was taken back to her cell in a blur, the guards were all unusually quiet.  There wasn’t a word strong enough to describe how much their silence terrified her.  What evil thing they would plan to do to her next after this.  The radio continued to play throughout the jail and well into the night.  The DJ’s talked about her and Taehyung constantly, forever hopeful he would reject her soon and be the hero of the country, reassuring everyone he was the best match for her to be the nation’s saviour.

Left in her cell she laid down trying to sleep but she was plagued with visions of his dark eyes.  The only logical explanation was that he was messing with her, prolonging the pain before he rejected her.  Maybe he would do it publicly, to make sure everyone knew he had rejected her.  That night she had nightmares for the first time in years of herself on her knees in front of the crowds of angry faces, shouting for her death, with a pain in her heart so sharp as his deep voice boomed over her, telling her to die for her crimes. 

The next morning, she woke naturally which was terrifying.  She was used to being kicked or having an ice-cold bucket of water poured on her head.  It terrified her that the guards were not doing anything.  She was hungry, not being given anything to eat the day before, and as the day stretched on she was not given anything to eat today either.  Though the hunger stabbed painfully in the pit of her empty stomach, she was grateful for the day off from the abuse.  No cold ice bath, no torture, no back breaking digging.  She walked around her cell a little before the effort it caused made her sink back on the mattress and fall into another nightmare filled sleep.

The next morning was the same, along with no food.  She woke up by herself.  Desperate for some water, some bread, something to fill her stomach.  It had been a long time since they had completely starved her like this and although she was used to being constantly hungry this was a whole new level of starvation. 

Laying back on the mattress she heard the cell door open, getting up and turning quickly, hoping for food a guard entered giving her an evil glare before gesturing for her to follow.  They didn’t pull on her chains, drag her on the floor like usual, terrified but hopeful for food she followed. 

She was lead down one of the hallways to an empty room, except for a table and two chairs, which she was told to sit in.  She did as she was told, deliriously hoping for food, although she was never fed at a table like an actual human being.  The guard left the room leaving her alone as she stared at the floor waiting for whatever horrible ordeal was coming. 

Within minutes the door opened again, and someone walked in.  She didn’t lift her head to look, as the person took the seat opposite her across the table.  She waited for them to speak, concentrating on a particularly dirty patch of floor.  Clearing their throat, another person walked into the room, placing a tray of food on the table before leaving.  The smell left her salivating, desperately hungry.  Unable to resist she peeked up at the table, taking in the most amazing real food she had ever seen. 

‘Are you hungry?’  The deep voice of the person sitting opposite her asked. 

She jumped in her seat, tilting her head, she looked up at them, right into the deep brown eyes that had been tormenting her dreams.  She knew better than to speak, he would surely make fun of her and eat in front of her, not allowing her any of the delicious smelling food.  She turned her eyes back down to the floor and remained still. 

Hearing him sigh, he began to fill a plate with food for himself as she waited for him to begin.  She could cry with how hungry she was.  It was like he knew her hunger was killing her, so he came here just to eat in front of her and torture her. 

Filling the plate, he pushed it across the table at her, placing a spoon down next to her, and a glass of water.  Her mind was telling her not to look, but her hunger got the better of her. 

‘Eat.’ He instructed as she looked up.  He was now busy filling another plate for himself as his eyes avoided looking at her.  She could barely believe it.  It had to be a trap, maybe it was poisonous.  She resisted, but before long, long after he had picked up his spoon and began eating noisily, she couldn’t resist, tentatively picking the spoon he had given her with a shaking hand, she took a scoop of rice. 

She kept her eyes down as she ate in silence, savouring every mouthful of delicious real food.  It took her all her effort to chew, wanting to eat everything, though after a few bites she knew her stomach was so full she couldn’t possibly eat another bite. 

Placing the spoon down, she let out a small sigh, feeling full for the first time in forever. 

‘Full?’ he asked, bringing her back to the reality that he was there.  She twitched, maybe he was going to force her to eat everything.  Instead of starving her, he was going to force her to eat until she was sick.  Shaking, she was petrified at what he might do, keeping