We eventually reach the big house and I look out Jungkook's window at it, leaning over the center seat to see it.

"Thank you again," Jungkook smiles at my parents politely as we roll our suitcases up to the house.

"No problem, sweetheart!" My mother beams, "You can be with us any time you want."

Jungkook flashes me a silly grin so I shake my head and look down at where I'm walking.

"I like this one," my mom leans over to me quietly.

"I'm sure you do, but he's the most annoying person on the whole planet." I try to convince her but she shrugs, not buying it at all.

"He's nice, you just keep lying to yourself." She accuses and I brush it off.

I'm not lying to myself. She doesn't know what she's talking about.

Jungkook generously opens the door for us all and we walk in. My parents thank him and I glare, not happy at all about him being here.

The fact that I'm going to spend my entire break with him riles me up inside, and what makes it worse is that my parents like him. Well, at least my mom does.

We go to the entrance room and a warm pine smell encapsulates my nose. I gaze around the large area with beautiful woodwork on the stairs and decor along the walls.

"This place is so pretty!" I gasp at how magnificent it is already.

"I know right?" My mom beams, "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes!" I smile brightly.

My dad talks to my mom about the layout and I'm too busy gawking at the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling to register what they're saying.

"Ellie, look." Jungkook taps me and points to a flower pot holding Pansies.

"Oh my gosh!" I speed-walk over there to get a better look at my favorite flower. Once I get there, I realize they're fake, but still beautiful. "They're so pretty." I smile but soon my name is called by my dad.

"Coming," I call back and take Jungkook with me to follow my parents to our rooms.

"The bedrooms are all on the second floor," My dad informs us and walks up the beautiful staircase.

"Is everyone else already here?" I ask.

"Not yet," my dad answers, "They'll all be here in an hour or so."

We go down the hallway and my parents take a left to the first door.

"This is our room, honey." My mom claims right away and I giggle.

"How many rooms are here?" I ask and lift my brow.

"Five," Dad answers.

"You can share a room with Jungkook."

My dad clears his throat and gives my mom and I a look but we both dismiss him. "Oh, calm down." Mom laughs at him.

"I'll be the best roommate." Jungkook smirks at me playfully.

"Sure you will." I press my lips together in a straight line.

"Then it's settled," My mom claps once, "go claim a room, don't have too much fun when you get there, though."

"Mom!" A disgusted expression washes over my face and I turn away while Jungkook laughs lightheartedly.

"I have some candles that will stop any moods that come up-"

"That's great, ma." I scrunch my nose at her and walk out the door with Jungkook following behind me.

We peek into the room until we find one with two beds and walk in fully.

I put my stuff on the bed closest to the small balcony, furthest from the door, "DIBS!"

"Have your way, at least I get the outlet." He puts his stuff down and gestures to the outlet closest to his bed.

My smile drops and he laughs at my disappointment.

"Yeah? Well at least I get...." I look around for something, anything.

"Ha!" He falls against the perfectly smooth comforter on his bed.

"It is a pretty view, though," I look out the sliding doors. "I wonder what this place is like in the summer."

This big house is secluded in the middle of nowhere but it's downright astonishing. The tall trees are coated with frost and it really looks picturesque.

I don't even hear it happening, but I feel Jungkook come up behind me and look out at the view beyond the glass door with me.

"Wow," he says over my shoulder, "This really is pretty."

I look beside me at him and our eyes connect. I nearly get lost in his deep mahogany irises and my mind draws a blank as soon at it happens. I guess I just didn't expect him to look so mesmerizing when I turned to see him. And with the spell he casts over me, I can't control the urge to flicker my eyes to his smooth pink lips, noting how kissable they are right now.

We hear the click of the door and turn our heads toward the sound, immediately coming out of whatever that was.

"Apparently they're all here now!" My mom beams cheerfully and gestures for us to follow her quickly.

Jungkook looks at me with a somewhat nervous grin and I guide him beside me as we make our way to the hallway.

My dad comes out and joins, so the four of us walk downstairs and wait in the living room for them to enter.

It opens and I see my aunt Debby with a big smile on her face.

"Hello everyone! Come on in!" My mom invites the group of people.

Aunt Debby, uncle Josh, aunt Jenna, uncle Tyler, and all five kids come bursting through the door with wide grins.

"Hi, Paige!" My mom picks up the excited 4 year old, "How are you, sweetie?"

She laughs with happiness and it's utter chaos with the other four kids yelling and jumping around.

I glance over at Jungkook and he has this sweet expression on his face, "Everyone," I start and get their attentions.

"This is Jungkook," I gesture to him and he smiles charmingly.

"Jungkook, that's Jenna, Tyler, Josh, and Debby," I point to the adults, "Samuel and Paige are Tyler and Jenna's kids. Callie, Allie, and Emilie are Josh and Debby's."

"You're gonna have to repeat those again some time," he laughs cutely, "Nice to meet you all."

"Ellie hasn't brought a boyfriend for a holiday break in few years now, it's nice to see that she likes you this much." Debby smiles sweetly.

"No," I correct, "We're uh, not dating. He's just a friend."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She laughs with embarrassment, "Don't take offense to that."

"We're not." I reassure her.

"Well, let's go get everyone situated upstairs," my dad advises, "Pick your bedrooms and all that."

Everyone agrees and heads upstairs. The kids and adults pick out their rooms and make themselves at home.

While the adults are catching up downstairs, the kids are yelling and playing in their room together and Jungkook and I are cooped up in ours.

"So... Why didn't you go home?" I ask from my bed, "You said something came up, but what was it?"

"Well," he lays down on his back on his bed and his expression turns dull again like earlier today, "They decided to go on a cruise instead."

"Why?" I furrow my brows together, immediately becoming frustrated, "I thought you had a great relationship with your family."

"No," his eyes fall down, "I have a horrible relationship with them. This is the third year in a row that they've cancelled on me. I haven't seen my family in forever and I love hanging out with them because family is important to me but they just-" he takes a breath, "They just don't care about me."

His gaze drops even more and the entire atmosphere of the room becomes somber.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." He doesn't move his eyes upward to look at me.

Now I feel bad for denying him the access to stay with us here over and over. I'm glad my parents convinced otherwise.

It physically pains me to see him so distraught. He's always been a strong person; never sheds a tear, never shows that he's sad, you get the point.

He was so excited to see his cousins and his family and they decided to go on a cruise? Are they insane?!

I bite my lip in irritation, getting mad at his family for thinking so lowly of him. The children next door are being loud and interrupting my thoughts, but I try to push it away until-

"You like kids, right?" I confirm and his eyes meet mine.

"Dude, I love kids." He cracks a small smile, happiness starting to surface in his features.

I stand to my feet and hold out my hand. He raises a brow and hesitantly takes my smaller hand in his own before getting up.

Chills run through my arm at the contact but I move those thoughts aside before taking him out of our room and going next door to where the five kids are playing.

"Hi Ellie!!!" Callie and Allie shout at the same time when we walk in. They are twins after all.

"Hey guys!" I smile and they hug me before dragging Jungkook and I with their small hands to the center of the room where their papers and crayons are.

"Look, it's a spaceship!" Paige holds a paper to my face consisting of a blue triangle with orange and red scribbles at the tail of it.

"Oooh, you should draw an alien to go with it." I suggest and she nods excitedly.

"And he'll have hair like his!" She points to Jungkook.

"This is Jungkook." I gesture to him.

"Jungkoo?" She repeats.

He laughs and nods, bunny smile on full display and the outer corners of his eyes crinkle.

She gets to drawing her green alien with floppy dark hair and happy eyes.

"Ellie, it's a bunny rabbit!" Emilie points to her drawing. Not gonna lie, it's pretty good for a six year old.

The five kids show us their drawings and then end up giving us paper and crayons to draw with them.

We sit criss-cross-applesauce on the floor with them and draw the craziest things we can come up with.

"May I present to you..." I hold up my paper dramatically, "The panda-unicorn hybrid."

They clap and laugh at the silly sketch before Jungkook holds up his own hybrid of a seal and a giraffe.

I swear we must've sat there for two hours straight. We had a good time, of course, but then my bottom hurt from not moving around at all.

Jungkook still has all the energy in the world and all the kids heard me call him 'Kook' a little while ago so now they're calling him 'Koo'.

He encourages their creativity and even taught them how to make paper airplanes..... in 10 different forms.

He is beyond sweet with them. As much as I don't really love kids, it's amazing to see how good he is at being with them and making them all happy. Even though there are five, he is sure to give all of them an equal amount of attention and they really do love him to death.

I'm too caught up in how Jungkook interacts so kindly with them that I don't hear the door open.

"Alright kiddos and slightly older kiddos, it's time for dinner." Uncle Josh says and all the kids plus Jungkook and I pile out of the room.

"Wash your hands before your sit at the table." Jenna reminds everyone once we get downstairs.

"It smells amazing in here." I comment and waft the scent into my nose.

"Thank you, honey." Aunt Debby smiles happily at me.

I glance over and see Jungkook lifting Sam up so he can reach the tap to wash his hands and I almost combust in that very moment.

Gosh, he would be such a good dad. I smile at the extremely cute interaction.

Sam and Emilie are the oldest at six years old, but neither of them can reach the tap. After Jungkook puts Sam down, Emilie is jumping to be picked up so she, too, can wash her hands.

It's incredibly sweet watching it all happen, and apparently my mom sees me, so she comes over.

"That's cute, isn't it?" My mom smiles, "I remember when your dad would do that with you. Gosh, you loved it just as much as them."

"I remember that." I lean against the wall with a soft gaze and the kids' happy giggles fill the room.

"Yeah," she looks at me, "See? I told you so."

"What?" I ask.

"You totally have a thing for that boy."

"What? No way." I retort and cross my arms over my chest, "I'd never think of him like that."

"Well my senses are telling me otherwise."

"Yeah, well your senses are wrong." I deny and walk to the sink after the kids and Jungkook are done.

I wash my hands and sigh. "You alright?" Kook asks from beside me and dries his hands.

"Yeah, my mom is just saying nonsense." I explain briefly, "Anyway, let's go eat."

•••••••••••••

Do you think Ellie's mom is right about all of her 'senses' or is it really just nonsense?

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