*JENNIE
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I feel my body start to warm. The sensation starts on my face and then slowly spreads over the remainder of my body. It's like a soothing cocoon basking me in its warmth and comfort. But the feeling is fleeting, quickly replaced by heat that sears my skin.
My eyes shoot open and I immediately squint, the bright sun blazing down on me making it difficult for my eyes to adjust or my mind to process where exactly I am. I roll to the side, trying to avoid the harsh rays, and my eyes instantly lock with Lisa's.
She's lying in the same position as last night, curled on her side facing me, her hazel eyes bloodshot and heavy. A slow smile pulls up the corners of her mouth as she gauges my reaction—the shock and disbelief I feel probably written plain as day across my face.
"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" My heart immediately kicks into overdrive, beating frantically against my ribs.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My throat is so dry I doubt I could speak clearly even if my mind would cooperate.
Am I still dreaming?
It takes me several long moments to gather my thoughts enough to blink, breaking the connection that seems to be mounting between us.
Rolling onto my back, I swallow down the thick knot in my throat and push into a sitting position, looking out over the beautiful water that sparkles under the bright morning sun.
"What time is it?" I finally manage to speak, my voice hoarse.
"Not sure." I feel Lisa shift in the chair next to me.
"I don't even remember falling asleep," I admit, tucking my chin against my shoulder as I look back to where she's now lying on her back, her hands tucked behind her head.
The look in her eyes causes my skin to flush, and I immediately look away.
"I should call Jisoo." I reach for my phone in the back pocket of my jeans, not surprised when the clock on the screen reads just after six thirty in the morning. I can tell from the position of the sun that it hasn't been up long.
Normally I would be a walking zombie—given that I couldn't have slept more than a couple of hours—but I feel wide awake. The second I opened my eyes to see Lisa staring back at me was like I had picked up a live wire, and my body is still feeling the effects of the shock.
I swipe the screen and see a couple missed calls and a few texts from Jisoo. I don't know how, but I guess I must have accidentally switched my ringer off.
"Shit," I mutter under my breath, reading her messages.
Jisoo: When you get back to the house, call me.
Jisoo: Can you text me so I know you're good?
Then about an hour later—
Jisoo: I swear to God you better have a good reason for not calling me.
Jisoo: You can thank Jack for me not coming after you. He assures me that Lisa will not hurt you, but mark my words, if she does, I will chop her dick off. And her balls, too.
I stifle a laugh, the vision of Jisoo chasing after Lisa one I can't help but picture. It's something she totally would do.
The last message came in about four o'clock this morning.
Jisoo: Me and Jack are crashing in one of the spare rooms. Come find me when you're done doing whatever it is you two are off doing.
"Everything okay?" I turn to see Lisa now sitting upright, the green in her eyes so prominent under the morning sun that for a moment I completely lose my train of thought.
"I should head up to the house," I finally blurt. "Jisoo's been messaging me all night. She's probably ready to murder me." I throw her a nervous smile, not sure why all of sudden my stomach feels like it's taken flight.
"I'll walk you up." She doesn't hesitate, pushing to her feet so quickly that she's reaching out to help me up before I've even moved.
"Thank you," I say, allowing her to pull me to my feet.
I move to take one step and stumble, nearly face-planting into her chest.
"Whoa, you okay there?" She sets her hands on my shoulders to steady me.
"Think I might still be feeling the whiskey," I lie, just needing an excuse to cover my blunder.
"Well, considering you drank a third of the bottle last night, that doesn't surprise me," she teases, draping an arm over my shoulder and tucking me into her side.
"I think I can manage to walk now," I reply dryly, making no attempt to step out her embrace.
"Well, I think I'll keep you close just in case." She winks down at me, the action causing heat to spread from my face all the way to my toes.
I'm quickly learning why Lalisa Manoban has the reputation she does. You have to have skin made of steel not to feel the effects of her everywhere. There's something so consuming about her—so raw and sexy. In just one night she's made my body feels things it never has before, and she's barely even touched me.
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I remain tucked against her as we make the walk through the woods and back toward the house. The proof that a party took place here last night is everywhere. Just in the pool area alone there are enough bottles, cups, and trash to account for most of the student body, and that's before we even make it inside.
Lisa releases her hold on me just feet before we reach the back door. I feel the loss of her instantly, but at the same time, I'm thankful for the opportunity to compose my thoughts. It's hard to breathe, let alone think, with her body next to mine and her faint cologne intoxicating my senses.
Just when I reach for the door, I feel Lisa's hand on my backside, my phone emerging between her fingers seconds later.
"What are you doing?" I spin in her direction, reaching for my phone.
"Hang on." She smiles, holding the device out of my reach as her fingers quickly move across the screen. "There," she adds just seconds later, reaching around me to slide the phone back into my pocket.
I don't miss the way her fingers linger there for a moment or the tight knot that forms in my lower belly when they do.
For a moment, I almost swear she's going to kiss me—her eyes locked on mine, her lips in a firm, hard line like she's trying to fight against herself—but then a sound in the distance breaks the moment, and we both turn toward the disruption.
"Davis, what the fuck, man?" Lisa starts just seconds before the tall, brawny guy leans over into the bushes and loses his stomach.
"On that note," she quickly adds, pulling the door open, and ushering me inside. The incident with my phone long forgotten.
If I thought outside was bad, it's nothing compared to the mess that litters the beautiful interior of the home. Like the pool area, there are bottles, cups, and trash across every surface. A lot of the décor looks misplaced, and most of the couch pillows and cushions are strewn across the floor.
Two girls are fast asleep on one couch, a guy I don't recognize on the opposite one, and then a handful of people scattered across the floor—all passed out cold.
Lisa pays no attention to the mess, like it's an everyday occurrence, and casually leads me around the chaos and into the kitchen. She doesn't say a word as she crosses toward the refrigerator, retrieving two bottles of water before appearing from behind the massive stainless-steel door.
"Your house. Um, do you want me to stick around and help you clean up?" I ask, taking the bottle of water she extends to me.
"Nah. Sonya will be here in a little bit." She shrugs, draining over half the contents of her water bottle in one swift pull.
"Sonya?" I question, twisting the cap off my own bottle and taking a sip, the cool liquid instantly soothing my dry throat.
"Housekeeper," she replies, quickly finishing off the remainder of her water.
"Of course." I shake my head, suddenly reminded of how very far apart our lives actually are.
It's fun to pretend that Lisa would ever be the kind of girl to settle down with a girl like me, but if I'm being honest, that's all I've been doing all night—pretending.
She's the star quarterback—rich and pretty handsome and well, a bit of a womanizer. I'm just me. Plain old Jennie Kim. I have nothing to offer someone like Lalisa.
"You okay?" She must sense the shift in the air between us, but I do my best to brush it off.
"Yeah, fine. I should probably find Jisoo, though. Her parents think she's at my house, and my mom will be home from work soon," I lie, knowing my mom got off work two hours ago and is likely at home fast asleep.
She thinks I'm at Jisoo's and since I don't typically lie, she would never expect me to be anywhere other than exactly where I said I would be. And in my defense, Jisoo's house is where I planned to be right now; clearly the night worked out differently than I expected it to.
"Jack usually sleeps up in one of the guest rooms." She tosses her empty bottle of water onto the island and snags my hand. "I'll take you up there. Hopefully, he's decent. I've seen his bare ass more times than I care to admit." She's joking, I'm sure, but I can't help but wonder how many of those times Jack was with a girl that wasn't Jisoo.
It just solidifies that I am way out of my league with guys like this.
I try to let myself enjoy the feeling of Lisa's warm hand wrapped around mine as she leads me up the stairs, knowing that it's going to be short-lived. I don't belong in Lisa's world any more than she belongs in mine. We couldn't be more different. Hell, we practically exist on entirely different planets.
When we reach the second floor, Lisa walks right into the first bedroom without even knocking. I follow her inside, not surprised to see a sleeping Jisoo draped over Jackson. Both appear to be naked but luckily have a sheet covering all the important stuff.
When Lisa releases my hand, I choose to stay back toward the doorway rather than follow her further into the room. They may be covered but that doesn't mean I want to get all up in their business.
"Jack." Lisa nudges the side of the bed with her leg the moment she reaches it. "Jack," she repeats, nudging it harder.
Jackson's head instantly pops up and he looks around, dazed and disoriented.
"What the fuck, dude?" he questions, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands as he sits up, the sheet falling dangerously low down his toned body. I keep my eyes averted, purposely not looking directly at him.
"Jen has gotta go." Lisa gestures toward me and then points to Jisoo who stirs in the bed next to Jack.
"Chu." Jack nudges her with his arm, which seems to fully wake her. She pushes up on her elbows, a wide smile on her face when she finds me standing by the door.
"Hello there, sunshine," she says before giving into a big yawn. "Good to see I don't have to cut any dicks off today." Her eyes dart to Lisa who seems a bit confused by her statement. "Or do I?" She lifts a brow at me.
"Oh my God, you're ridiculous." I shake my head, honestly a little embarrassed by my loud mouth friend. "We gotta go. Mom should be home soon." I give her a look I know only she will pick up on.
Thankfully Jisoo and I have established our own little language over the years, and she understands me instantly.
"Okay, give me a sec to get dressed." She yawns again, clutching the sheet to her chest as she sits up. I give her a thankful smile and step backward out of the room.
"We'll wait downstairs," I hear Lisa say just moments before joining me in the hall, pulling the door shut behind her.
Silence stretches between us as Lisa leads me through the expansive house and then out onto the front porch. The morning air is so warm and inviting, but it does little to calm the nervous jitter of my heart.
I take a deep inhale, trying to steady myself. I just need to get out of here. Away from this house and this intoxicating girl who keeps looking at me in a way that makes me feel things I shouldn't be feeling. Not with her.
Don't get me wrong, last night will probably go down as one of the highlights of my high school life, but that doesn't mean it will be any more than that. Kai did enough to show me that I'm not ready for what comes along with dating at this age. Especially with someone as experienced as Lalisa.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want that with her, though. You'd have to be blind not to be physically stunned by her. But I can't afford the distraction or the heartbreak that I know will follow if I let myself even entertain the idea that there could be an us.
And what's to say she even wants that to begin with?
I spent the entire night with her, and she didn't even make one move. Not one. Given her reputation, I think it's safe to say she's not into me like that. Otherwise, I doubt we would have spent the entire night just talking.
But then what about this morning? What about waking up to find her looking at me the way she was? And then there was the beautiful comment, the one I've been trying to dismiss since the moment it left her lips.
I'm not sure what would be worse—fighting to keep myself from drowning in the ocean that is Lalisa Manoban, or just letting myself be swept under and see where the waves take me.
"Can I see you later?" Lisa's voice pulls me back to where she's standing next to me on the porch, her large hands wrapped around the banister as she leans forward, her gaze locked on the side of my face.
"What?" The word just falls from my lips without me meaning for it to.
"Later." Her mouth pulls up in a smile. "Are you busy?"
"Um, I'm not sure yet," I stutter, my words dying off as Jisoo steps outside, interrupting the moment. "I guess I should get going. Last night was fun." I give her the best smile I can muster before grabbing Jisoo's arm and practically dragging her off the porch.
I'm afraid that if I stay even a moment longer I'm going to give into the pull of the tide and let Lisa drag me under.
"I'm going to call you later, Jennie Kim," Lisa yells after me, laughter in her voice as if she can sense my need to escape her.
As much as I want to ignore her statement and just make it to Jisoo's car unscathed, I can't stop myself from turning around. I also can't hide the wide smile that stretches across my face when I look up to see that sexy as sin look in her eyes.
"I'm not going to hold my breath," I call back, taking one last look at the breathtaking smile on her face before turning and disappearing down the driveway.
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