~𝟱𝟮~

(Third person, Lee Know's perspective)

It upset all the boys to hear the horrific story Ava told, and even more so when they saw how she just completely broke down afterwards. But Lee Know was the most upset. When Ava had let go of his hand and looked at him, he knew something bad was about to come out of her mouth. But what she said was so much worse than he could have imagined. He was surprised she even got halfway through the story without breaking down.

But with every shuddering breath she took, his heart broke a little more for her. And when she just completely let go, it hurt him so much to just sit there and watch. He told himself he couldn't touch her, that she would get scared or flinch away from him. But he just felt so sorry for her. He probably wouldn't have been able to make it through half of what she did, but he would go through it all a hundred times if it meant she wouldn't have been hurt the way she was. He wanted so badly to comfort her.

So he went against his better judgment and reached out to her, placing a comforting hand on her back. It completely surprised him when she collapsed into him, his body going stiff for a second. But then he just went with comforting her as best he could. He had learned the technique he used on Ava in college, having had a friend who got frequent panic attacks. It always worked on her, so he thought he might try it. It actually worked, but it still broke his heart to hear those shuddering sobs come out of Ava's mouth and feel how her shoulders shook with each breath she took.

He felt like he could hold her forever if that was what she needed. Somehow he managed to get her shoulders to stop shaking. It made him feel a lot more at ease. Then after a while of just staring down at her as she cried herself out, he noticed she had stopped moving, her breathing softer and slower. He realised she had fallen asleep. He shifted slightly and looked up at the rest of the boys, all looking at Ava with worry in their eyes.

"You should take her to bed," Chan said, grabbing Lee Know's attention.

"She's had a rough day; she should get some sleep."

Lee Know nodded, looking down at Ava again. Unlike all the other times he had seen her asleep, she didn't look troubled. At all. She seemed so peaceful. He smiled at her fondly before slowly getting up with her in his arms. He managed to get her up the stairs and into her room without her waking up.

He gently put her down on the bed, tucking her in underneath the covers. He smiled at her soft, peaceful features, admiring how strong she was for telling them. Until she groaned, shifting in her sleep. He quickly turned, walking towards her door. Until he heard her speak, making him stop in his tracks.

"Wait."

(First person, Ava's perspective)

The fuzz from sleep cleared from my mind and I groaned and shifted, trying to figure out where I was. I opened my eyes to find Lee Know retreating out of my room.

"Wait," I said, wanting him to stay. I saw him stop in my doorway, not turning around.

"Please don't go. I... I just..."

"Need some comfort?" he asked softly, making me look up at him.

He finally turned around, looking at me with hurt in his eyes. And I realised, he was hurting for me. He slowly came over to my bed as I sat upright, bringing my legs up to my chest and resting my chin on my knees. He gave me an unsure look before taking a seat on the foot of my bed, leaning back against the footboard. He looked at me sadly.

"Don't look at me like that," I said, looking away from him.

"Like what?"

"Like you just saw me break like a piece of glass... Like you just saw me shattered and vulnerable. Like I need to be protected from everything... Most of it was my fault anyway. If I had just-"

"Hold up. You think what happened to you was your fault? Why would you ever think that?"

"If I had just escaped sooner, or hid better, or actually told someone, or left him the first time he hit me or-"

"Hey, listen to me."

He had moved to sit right in front of me, taking my hands in his. He was looking at me so intently, with so many emotions swimming in those beautiful brown eyes of his.

"None of this was your fault, okay? I'm sure if you were in your right mind at the time, you would have left. But if anyone were to go through what you have gone through, I'm sure at that point their only instinct is to get through it, to survive. And that is exactly what you did. So please, stop blaming yourself for what happened. Please, I'm begging you. It'll eat you up inside, that guilt. So please, let it go."

His eyes were pleading with me, and I could have sworn I could see tears glistening in them as he looked at me. It upset me to see him so upset, tears welling up in my own eyes.

"I don't know if I can," I squeaked, a tear slipping over my cheek.

He immediately let go of my one hand, thumb gently brushing the tear away. A few more fell, and he let go of my other hand. His hands rested on either side of my face, thumbs brushing over my cheeks. I laid my hands over his, gripping onto them like they were my only lifeline.

"Is there anything I can do? Anything I can get for you?" he asked softly, hands still resting on either side of my face, clenched in mine.

"No, I just need some time, then I'll be fine."

"I can't just sit by and do nothing when you're suffering this much. Please, let me help."

"I... I could just really use a hug right now," I said, my voice coming out wrought with emotion.

He smiled at me slightly, bringing my forehead to touch his before bringing me into a hug. He moved me onto his crossed legs, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I let my bent legs rest on the bed next to him, cuddling into his warmth. I sniffled a few times, but my tears seemed to have miraculously disappeared. His one hand rested on my upper back, the other gently cradling my head. I buried my head into the crook of his neck.

His warmth and safety wrapped around me like a blanket. I breathed in his scent, feeling my sadness drift away. I didn't know how he could make me feel the way he did, but it amazed me every time. And I still had so many questions for him, like for how long he had been falling for me, or what made him think of me as special. But in that moment, none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was his arms wrapped around me, and how safe I felt right there, next to him.

(Third person, Chan's perspective)

Chan and the rest of the boys stayed nailed to the couches and chairs they were sitting on, still trying to process what Ava had told them. No one said anything, not even daring to look at each other. Chan looked up when he heard Lee Know coming down the stairs. Lee Know seemed sad.

"Did you get her to sleep?" Chan asked.

"Yeah. At first she just wanted to talk to me but eventually she fell asleep. I don't know for how long she'll sleep, though."

Lee Know took a seat next to Changbin on the couch, dragging a hand through his light brown hair. He sighed and dropped his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose. Chan watched him intently, the scene between him and Ava a few moments before sparking his interest. He wanted to ask about it a bit later, but he scratched the thought, instead deciding to wait and watch how it unfolded further.

"Gosh..."

Chan looked at Jeongin as he spoke, that one word shattering the tense silence between all the boys.

"I just never expected something like that. I mean I guessed she was troubled but... it just... I never... woah."

"It's a lot to take in. But if you really think about it, she was giving us hints all along," Seungmin said.

"Yeah, I mean she always kept her distance and she would flinch if we touched her without her knowing beforehand. And she always avoided talking about it when we asked," Changbin commented.

The boys all nodded. The more Chan thought about it, the more upset he felt for Ava's part.

"She had to go through so much. And she just... stuck it out in silence. It must have hurt so much. I can't even imagine going through what she has."

The boys all looked at Chan as he spoke, him looking at the floor. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and he suddenly stood up. All the boys looked at him as he went out the sliding door, closing it behind him. He took out his phone and dialled a number, listening as it rang. Then the person on the other end picked up.

"Hey, Bang Chan. What's up?"

"Hey, Reilly. Sorry to bother you so late, but I was just wondering if you and your team have any new information about that prisoner that escaped."

Chan stayed quiet as he heard papers rustling on the other end of the phone. Then his ears perked up as Agent Reilly spoke.

"Nothing new really. We suspect he's still in your area. He seems to have a vengeance. So if I were you, I'd keep the team and yourself on your toes. He might come after you all again. And this time he might pack a bit more of a punch."

"Thanks, Reilly. Tell the team I said hi."

"Sure. Hope to have some new information for you soon."

At that they both said their goodbyes and Chan looked out at the ocean, slipping his phone back into his pocket and blowing out a deep sigh. Then he collected his courage and went back inside, the boys all looking at him with big, curious eyes.

"I just spoke to Reilly. They haven't found much. They suspect Damian is still near the dorms. So we're going to have to be on our top performance when we get back home. I don't want us to leave Ava alone anywhere. Not the dorms, not outside, not anywhere. I trust her abilities, but trauma can do weird things to you. So I want one of us within viewing distance of her at all times. Understood?"

The boys all nodded.

"Okay, good. I'll tell Ava about the news in the morning."

"Are we sure that's a good idea?" Felix asked. "I think she's still going to be pretty raw and fragile tomorrow. Shouldn't we hold off on telling her for a little while?"

"I really would want to hold off on telling her for a while, but I think the sooner she knows, the better," Chan answered.

"Could we maybe just give her tomorrow to recover, at least?" Lee Know asked, his eyes desperate.

Chan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, we'll leave it till the day after tomorrow. But we have to tell her before we go back home. I really don't want to have to upset her again, but you can all probably see how necessary it is."

The boys all reluctantly nodded. Chan also gave a nod and sighed.

"You should all get to bed. Your brains and hearts need to rest after all the stress from tonight."

"What about you, Hyung?" Jeongin asked. All the boys looked at Chan, concern flaring in their eyes.

"I'll go to bed a bit later. I still want to make a few more calls."

The boys nodded, even though they knew Chan would probably not go to bed like he said he would. He watched as they all trudged to their bedrooms, then going into the kitchen. He grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge, taking a sip before putting it down on the counter. He walked up the stairs and went to stand against the doorframe of Ava's bedroom. Her door was open, which was a bit strange to him.

He looked at Ava from the doorway, her features seeming peaceful. How the hell did you survive that, he thought to himself. Gosh you're so strong. But you must be so broken inside. At least we can help you to get better now. At that he smiled slightly at her sleeping form before going downstairs again, the thought of sleep not even near his mind.

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A/N

heyy guys!! oh my gosh i can't believe how much the reads have gone up in like a weeks time. we passed 2K and 2.5K in less than a week! thank you so much to all of you for all the support! it was really a great way to start off the new year, just seeing all of you reading this book that i never thought anyone would actually read. i thank you all so much for all the support :)

anyhow, i apologise for leaving you all on a cliffhanger on the last chapter (sorry not sorry) but i hope this chapter will kind of make up for it. hope you guys enjoyed this chapter :)

see you all in the next one <3