‘Are you feeling okay?’ he asked in concern. She cutely nodded, ‘never better.’

‘That’s good. I want to go home with you as soon as possible, baby,’ he said as he kissed the top of her head. She smiled weakly.

Home with you. Oh, that was the place she wanted to be in as well. But something bothered her. Oh right, Kris.

‘Babe,’ she called, ‘do you know who Kris is?’ She hadn’t asked, but now that everything seemed to make sense, she thought it was the good moment to clear things up. She saw him become rigid and for some reason, she had a feeling that he didn’t like Kris much. Not that she liked Kris any better, but Jongdae’s expression told her that he hated Kris in a way graver than her.

‘Kris is,’ he breathed in, ‘let’s just not talk about him.’ He wouldn’t, no, couldn’t possibly talk about Kris with her, could he? After all, he didn’t see him important enough to enter their conversations. Katherine didn’t understand and she wanted to but he won’t let her.

‘Jongdae, are you.. is there something you’re not telling me?’ she asked innocently. As much as the question was just an innocent one asked by an innocent girl, he still felt startled and unfortunately, he gave himself away. Matters like Kris was something he couldn’t possibly keep his raging emotions from exploding.

‘Kris is,’ he sighed and took her hand, ‘let’s say he’s an old acquaintance.’

How clever. Acquaintance.

‘So you knew him, huh?’ now her voice became sharper and her gaze wasn’t the soft type anymore. He could feel her becoming rigid and he fought with himself if he should feel pissed off at Kris more or . He had never seen her as serious as now and somehow he thought that she looked stunning – more mature now.

‘Yes, I knew him, baby,’ he admitted. How ashamed he felt now that she knew that she was kidnapped by someone Jongdae knew and he didn’t even make a ing effort to try to find her. Now she was the one fighting with herself – if his anger at the moment was for Kris, or for his boyfriend. Something inside her chest was burning and she felt her head hurt. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down, but the memories and screams she let out before in the stupid warehouse she was held came flooding her mind, polluting what little moment of peace she was sharing now with Jongdae.

She breathed in, ‘so you..’ and out, ‘you were friends with.. with that..’ her hands were shaking little by little and she could feel the emotions gushing to her face. Jongdae looked worried. She was turning red.

‘Kat-‘

‘With that.. with those..’ she was breathing deeply, as if she was having a panic attack.

‘Katherine, baby,’

‘With those filthy, low-life bastards?!’ now she was trembling uncontrollably. She didn’t know why either. Was it because of the thought of those men back in the warehouse, or was it because of the thought of her boyfriend being friends with them?

Jongdae realized just now, and he couldn’t react any sooner. He pulled her into his arms and caressed her back as she trembled.

‘Ssh, Kat, I’m sorry,’ he whispered. She sobbed, ‘they.. they.. Jongdae, they did.. me,’ she could barely get her thoughts straight as sudden flashbacks came running through her mind. Jongdae closed his eyes tightly, as if he was seeing the same images in his head.

He felt weak as well. Katherine was.. taken advantage of – something he would never think of doing to her. She was so precious to him and it made his guts turn with the thought that his old friends so carelessly threw her being aside.

‘Kat, I’m so sorry,’ as if his words can bring back what had happened. But he promised in himself that he’d be there from now on to comfort her and love her like before – even though she was not her whole self anymore. He didn’t really care, he just wanted her.

‘Jongdae..’ her voice trailed to a whisper. She was weak. Emotionally weak.

‘Jongdae? What’s up? Is everything alright there?’

‘Everything’s fine. Listen, can I ask you a favor?’ he looked back at Katherine’s sleeping figure and couldn’t help but smile a bit.

‘Sure, anything,’

What?

‘Wh- huh, Jongdae?’ he asked as if he had heard wrong.

‘I’ll be taking her home with me after she’s recovered.’

Was that even possible? Luhan thought. It wasn’t like he disagreed or something, but the sudden image of a certain man named Kris flashed through his mind.

‘Yes, I want you to make sure that I’ll have something to use when the time comes,’

He shook his head lightly, what will Kris do?

‘Uh, sure, Jongdae, how may I help?’ he asked absentmindedly. He could hear the other line shuffling.

‘Luhan, is it possible if you could go see if Kris is at home?’

Luhan gulped. What if Kris was? He didn’t want to have an encounter with him at the moment. Knowing that Kris probably was in the state of ed-upness now that Katherine was with Jongdae, he didn’t like the thoughts of having to face Kris’ moody side today. Not tomorrow, not ever.

‘Uh, sure,’ he said otherwise. It was the least he could do. He hadn’t had the opportunity to be of much help to Katherine for the past two weeks and now was his chance, right?

Nothing could ever make up for the two weeks without her.

She shifted her position and snuggled closer to Jongdae’s chest. She felt so little in his arms. Just like a baby – soft and fragile.

Maybe she was. After all, she was still weak.

As he was about to drift to sleep with her, he felt his phone vibrate inside his back pocket. He inwardly groaned but stood up and went outside the room.

‘Luhan?’

Everything’s a mess.

‘Jongdae, uh, Kris is, well, not in the house as of the moment,’ he stated. It was the truth anyway. All that was inside the house were the scattered things and broken glass. Katherine’s room was a mess, and so was Kris’. Luhan gulped as he walked through the hallways. Kris might be hiding somewhere for all he knew.

‘Really? That’s good to hear,’ he heard Jongdae reply with relief in his voice.

No, it is NOT good to hear, Jongdae, he said more to himself.

‘Uh, I guess..?’ Luhan wasn’t really sure how he should feel. Where was Kris?

‘Listen, Luhan, Katherine and I..’ Jongdae said on the other line.

Luhan heard something from the distant room. He walked closer and closer until he heard people talking. He leaned onto the door.

‘Luhan?’ Jongdae asked. Luhan replied with a whisper, ‘I’m here,’

‘So, Kat and I, we’re,’

‘Calm down, duizhang!’ Luhan heard Baekhyhun’s voice and some distant and muffled things getting broken.

‘How can I ing calm down, huh?! Tell me, how do I ING-‘

Clash. Crash.

‘Hold him, Tao!’

‘ this life! Jongdae!’

Crash. Luhan jerked himself a bit.

‘Y-yeah?’ he could only ask Jongdae in a whisper. ‘Are you okay?’ Jongdae asked.

‘Yeah, I’m fine,’

‘So, Kat and I, I’ve decided that,’

Crash.

‘I’m going to ing kill that bastard! I’m going to ing kill him!’ Luhan gulped as he started to back out from the door. He quickened his pace and ran down the stairs towards his car.

‘Luhan?’

‘Jongdae,’ he said as his chest heaved up and down. Never had he been this scared.

‘Kat and I, we’re going to go out of the country,’ Jongdae said with much resolution.

He felt quite relieved. Go, his inner self ordered, go now while everything’s not too late.

‘Uh, yeah, that’s a great idea, Jongdae,’ he cheered although he was panting so hard and he was catching his breath.

‘Really? You think it is?’

‘When are you leaving? Tomorrow?’ he asked as he looked back at Kris’ house and started his engine.

‘Tomorrow? Are you that excited to get rid of us?’ Jongdae joked. Luhan was serious.

‘No- that’s not what I meant, but hey, the sooner the better right?’ Luhan tried to hide the panic in his voice.

‘Yeah, I guess,’ Jongdae replied, ‘thanks, Luhan.’ With that, the call was ended.

Luhan was driving carefully, his thoughts running to every possibility.

What has happened to you, Kris? He dialed his boyfriend’s number.

‘Luhan?’

‘Sehun,’ he said seriously. What are you planning to do, Kris?

‘Where are you, babe?’

Jongdae, take care of Katherine.

‘Babe, Kris is going to kill Jongdae,’

He wasn’t surer about anything else in his life than that.

Chapter eighteen, done :)

So, I updated a little earlier today since we're going somewhere and I'm not sure if I'll be back soon. I hope you liked this chapter, hihi ^^ I also made it a little longer for you guys! ♥

So, any reactions? Thoughts and comments are welcomed!

Stay tuned, yes? ♥