*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ

I trudge along feeling much more satisfied to see that Eric has effectively changed alliances and him and Ji Woo  are now actually getting along very well. 

They stride ahead of the group, deep in talk and my heart feels lighter already after we had our little chat to clear the air back at the cabin.

If Eric was going to become besties with any of the guys here, it should be Ji-Woo. 

Stable, wholesome, not 'suddenly disappearing into thin air', Ji-Woo.

Jenna trundles along at my side. She is yammering on about her modelling background in hopes of being picked up by Prestige PR. 

She was a gorgeous girl and I'd have no problem signing her up as one of our clients if we were sat in my office back in New York. 

But we're not. 

We are out in the wilderness of the sticky, muggy mountainside and the growing ache in my legs, the higher we climb- is severely affecting my hearing- slash, listening abilities. 

I smile politely and nod my head before fanning her off. 

"Yes, yes. Lets talk more at dinner ok? We can sit down and discuss everything." 

I clutch my side feeling winded.

"Okay!" Jenna chirps, enthusiastically. 

Exhausted, I hang back for a few seconds. 

Jenna stops, "Are you sure you want me to go ahead? I can wait for you..."

"No! No, go ahead I'll be right behind you guys."

I lean against a massive tree and drink some water while I lift my t-shirt for some air and check on peanut. The app on my phone says that she's only the size of a strawberry now but I still like to take a sneaky look at my belly every now and then. Its still flat and smooth. I wonder when I will start to show and feel her little kicks inside of me? 

I might have spent a little too long musing over peanut because a sudden feeling of dread trickles slowly down my spine.

Everyone's voices are fading further and further away. 

They probably haven't noticed that I'm no longer with the group.

I push my body off the tree with great effort. 

A sharp pain from the tendon in my lower leg goes searing though to my knee.

"Aahh!" I wince, stumbling as I try to move forward but it is seriously slowing me down.

I struggle forward, making a little progress but now the bushes have fallen quiet...too quiet. 

I don't hear the murmuring of the crowd at all in the distance anymore.

"Guys!" I shout, "Guys..."

I come upon a small clearing that has two different trails.

Oh crap! Which way did they go?

I turn to the left and then the right. Confused, I shuffle around on the spot for a moment, trying to think. 

I swallow uncertainly, deciding to take the one on the left.

After walking along for a while the path just grows narrower. The bushes are growing wilder and thicker, closing in around me.

This can't be the way!

Panic ricochets off the walls of my stomach. 

I turn around running back the way that I came.

"Oh no, Oh no. God, no!"

My head whirrs with confusion. All the trails and bushes look the same.

Stricken by panic and my mind rapidly clouding over with worry, I dive into my pockets reaching for my cell phone. 

There's no service up here.

"Shit!"

I close my eyes doing 'inny-minny-miney-mo!' and take off in the direction my pointed finger settles on.

After walking on for what feels like forever, the reality sets in that I'm actually heading nowhere.

The flasks in my bag have become dry and I have no more snacks left.

The sky is growing darker by the minute.

I desperately reach for my empty flask and overturn it on my arid tongue. A few drops leak onto the sheet of sandpaper and I close my mouth disappointed, weary and mildly terrified.

A scary cramp in my lower stomach sends me sinking to the floor.

My legs are painful and tired. I decide to rest instead of pressing on and then something bad happens. I decide that when I feel strong enough, I'll continue.

I don't want to lose my baby.

"Oh, what am I gonna do?" I pound my fist, using my last ounce of strength into the earth next to me. 

Scooting behind the hidden shelter of a large mossy rock and a big tree, I rest my crossed arms atop my knees and wait for my head to stop spinning.

A long time passes in silence with just the rustling of the wind and the incessant flapping of birds overhead for company.

A disembodied, thick sepulchral rasping sets the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge!

Its so dark now that I can barely see more than three feet in front of me. 

My heart sinks as the pain in my leg worsens and I begin to wonder how I'll ever make it back to the lakeside?

There's a loud and violent rustling in the bushes nearby and frightened half-to-death, I crawl further behind the tree trying my best to hide myself from whatever is coming.

Scary images flicker one after the next, like a post card through my mind as to what this formidable creature could be?

A bear, an axe murderer, Bigfoot, the abominable snowman!

The rustling stops and all I can hear is heavy breathing. By this point I am shaking like a leaf from dehydration, hunger and immense trepidation!

The more intently I listen, the more it doesn't quite sound like an animal though. So I poke my head out cautiously from my hiding place, fearing the worst.

To my surprise, I find myself at eye level with a pair of chunky, black combat boots.

When I look up slowly, there stands a familiar young man with glittering brown eyes and a strikingly cute bunny smile that glints brightly even in the dull evening light. His curtain of dark long hair drapes sexily at either side of his face as he looks down at me on the ground.

Never have I ever in my life been so happy to see this man.

"There you are!" He chides but I pay no mind. 

In that moment I didn't care who it was. 

Someone had found me!

"Jungkook! Oh thank God!" I swivel around in the dirt, realising that I'm unable to get up on my own.

Jungkook leans down to help me to my feet.

All the strength goes out of my body and a flop over, lifeless and jelly-like as Jungkook squats down and gathers me into arms. 

He reaches into his backpack for his own flask and funnels some water into my mouth. Jungkook take some of the water and dabs my parched lips with his fingertips. 

"What trouble have you gotten yourself into now, Mel?" He whispers lightly against my temple as my head rests tiredly on his shoulder. 

The cool relief that rushes through me is enough to make me feel the tiniest bit alive again. We sit on the earthen floor for a while with him still holding me and I don't mind. I feel so weak and tired. My body practically melts into the comforting warmth of his.

After about thirty minutes or so Jungkook has drip-fed me enough of his water every few minutes, bringing me to a point where I finally, feel able to stand on my own.

He braces my body against his, helping me upright.

"Thank you," I look into his eyes and he looks down and away quickly. His hands are still holding onto my waist to support me.

"It....it was nothing." He replies gruffly, "I'm just glad that I found you before anything bad happened." 

Jungkook tries to sound nonchalant but the resonant emotion in his eyes when they flicker back to mine, says something else.

His words from that night at the cottage come seeping back to into the forefront of my conscience.  

'I still love you, I can't stop.."

I blink, shaking my head to rid the unhelpful thoughts.

"We'd better get going before its pitch dark." He says in a voice that is flat and almost toneless. 

"Yeah" I simper and grimace bravely as I do my best to stride along on my hurt leg.

"Here, Mel. You're hurt. Let me carry you!"

"No!"

Junkgook clicks his tongue in annoyance at my defiant attitude. 

"You're only going to slow us down if you keep on going like this. Get on my back, Mel. It's getting dark."

"N- ahhh!" Another shooting pain doubles me over.

Jungkook shoots me a harrowing look and I wither.

"Fine..."

I could have sworn that I caught a faint smirk on his lips but just as quickly, his back is turned.

He bends his knees slightly and I twine my arms around the strong pole of his neck, wrapping my legs snugly around his middle.

Jungkook straightens up and as he moves off, gives me a swift slap on the ass.

"Kooki- I mean Jungkook!" I tap him fiercely on the head and he merely chuckles.

"I miss hearing you call me that..."

I remain silent as he trudges through the darkness.

                                                   ***

"I cant believe you got yourself lost, Mel." Jungkook jokes, "Well actually I can. You always had a terrible sense of direction..."

"Hey!" 

"Oww! Don't pull my hair, Mel." Jungkook whines.

"Well you asked for it!" I chirp, enjoying having the last laugh.

My chin nestles contentedly into the scoop of  Jungkook's shoulder and even though he's been hiking through the woods all evening he still smells so good. 

Melanie stop!

I recoil, jumping off of Jungkook's back just in time as we get to the bottom of the mountain where the rest of the group are gathered around, waiting. 

Every one looks so worried that I feel mildly touched by the whole sight. 

But my heart breaks when I see Eric.

His face is pale and almost tearful. His eyes search between me and Jungkook even harder when he sees the remnants of laughter on both our faces as we advance into the open.

His dashing features dissolve into a tiny frown.

Nevertheless, Eric is the first to rush forward, scooping me into a tight hug.

"Mel! I was so worried...I"

"Don't worry man," Jungkook quips, interrupting-  "She was in safe hands." 

Eric pulls away from me to offer Jungkook a fake smile.

"Yeah, thanks for your help finding her." 

 "I found her almost a mile off the trail," Jungkook raises his voice, addressing everyone else before turning sharply back to Eric.

"You'd want to plant a tracking device on this one..... You never know, you just might lose her." Jungkook jokes flippantly and both men laugh in a wooden fashion. 

Their faces are  both drawn upward into caricature- like grins but after Jungkook's remark, it is clear to see that there's no humour reaching Eric's eyes.

 He holds my hand as we walk back to the cabin in dead, silence.

Something's wrong.

                                                     ***

Sleep evaded me all night. 

I tossed and turned, thinking of what Eric might be thinking. 

He lay there asleep next to me while I laid awake worried, sick the whole time. 

When we got back last night, he just went straight to bed. No hanky panky like he promised. 

Eric said that he was tired and drained from all the events of that day. 

I suppose, I could understand. It was a long day for all of us and with me getting lost and separated from the group for hours, I could see why the thought of me being mauled and eaten by a bear might've killed Eric's sex drive. 

But still, I couldn't help feeling worried and angry at Jungkook for saying such a careless and underhanded comment like that to him. 

I needed to find a way to make Eric feel secure about us around Jungkook. But how?

Or perhaps, I was the one who didn't feel quite as secure about what Eric and I had like I thought?

I mean, what happened yesterday definitely made me doubt my bad feelings towards Jungkook all this time.

 Who I saw in the woods yesterday was the Kookie that I used to know. 

The one who always made me feel loved and safe... 

But I'm with Eric now. 

I tried my best to remind myself. 

There was no point slipping back into the past, hoping for something that might not even be there anymore. 

I needed to do something about this lingering awkwardness between me and my ex, once and for all. 

My restless eyes stayed fixed purposefully on the window. Then, at the slightest peek of morning light in through the stained glass panes- I was up like a shot!

Scuttling as fast as my feet would carry me, I slipped out of our room and spilled out into the hallway.

I straightened the collar of my pyjamas and smoothed back my hair.

Tension grew within me as I worked up the courage to knock on the neighbouring door across from mine.

A few persistent taps later.

Nothing.

A bubbling urgency sent me the surge of courage to push against the door. 

Thinking that it wouldn't give, I end up tumbling clumsily onto the floor of Jungkook's room. 

Who sleeps with their door unlocked in a strange place? 

Moron.

Filled with adrenaline and eager to just get my point across and leave, I poke at the heap of blankets found on the King sized bed.

More sunlight starts spilling into the room and Jungkook winces, groaning and wiggling himself back into the pillows.

"Oh no you don't! Wake up."

"Mel?" He blinked.

I probably look like a mad pig with smoke coming out of my ears but I don't care.

"Mel...urrrhhh!" Jungkook, smiles sleepily stretching his long body out across the bed. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I....I'm here to set the record straight." I say balling my palms into little fists at my side.

"The wha...?"

"The..... Oh, fuck it! I'm here to tell you to stop messing with my love-life! Stop competing with Eric to make him feel bad. Stop saying dumb shit to make him doubt our relationship...just stop! "

"Mel," Jungkook grabs my wrist pulling me down on top of him in one swift movement. 

He brings my face dangerously close to his, "Maybe I'm not the one making him doubt anything, love? Maybe its you?"

An unnatural rage permeates my system, stifling my judgement!

"Why, you—!" I choke out in an angry whisper. I don't want anyone to hear us arguing.

My legs are fully straddling Jungkook's hips under the blankets. Thankfully, there is this barrier between us and as I raise my hands to tousle with Jungkook, he pins them together effortlessly-  a glib smile plastered on his cute, puffy morning face.

I romp around on his lap, not really able to do anything.

Huffing angrily, I blow a loose strand of hair out of my face and try to rip my arms free from his hold now, since none of this is working out how I planned.

To my alarm, I can feel a slight bulge of hardness growing underneath me.

"Fuck, love!" Jungkook throws his head back lazily, biting down on his lip, "Don't come in here and start something that you can't finish.." He holds my wrists together, enjoying the sport as I flail about trying to free myself and truly slap him. 

I couldn't believe he was getting turned on by this!

"Melanie!"

Jungkook and I both turn around in a flash, looking towards the opened door.

I am instantly and glaringly aware of the compromising position that Jungkook and I are fashioned in on this bed. 

Grief and shame immediately strike through me at once.

"Eric!"

This looks bad. This looks really....bad.

                                                      *:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ

       💕Vote! Comment! Tell me how you really feel! LOL!💕

                                                  ✨BJF✨

Eric should look something like this, friends who asked!! heheheheh! xx