LISA

She'd been gone for a few weeks, and I hadn't stopped thinking about her. I did my best to get Jennie off my mind, but she made it her mission to stay wrapped in every thought that crossed me.

I didn't mind.

If I couldn't have her, I'd at least have the memories of what we shared.

On a cold evening in September, I received the call I'd been dreading for so many years. The call that rocked my world upside down and left me dazed and confused.

"Lisa, it's Alex. Your dad is in the ICU."

The second the words were spoken, I felt as if I'd died. I rushed to the hospital, and when I got to the reception desk, I panicked. "Hi, my dad was brought in. He's in the ICU, a-a-and—" I began to stutter as the receptionist stared my way.

Rosé.

"Marco Manoban, yes. Let me look up which room he's in, Lisa," she said, typing in some information. "He's in room 234, on the second floor. Elevators are down the hall to the left."

I started moving before she even finished talking. I broke out into a run, and instead of taking the elevator, I shot up the stairs. My heart sat in my throat as I hurried to 234, and when I arrived, Alex was standing in the hallway talking to a doctor.

"What's going on?" I barked, barreling forward. "What's the deal?" The anger that raced through my chest when I looked up and saw Taehyung staring my way only pissed me off more. "You're his doctor?"

"Yes, and—"

"No. We want someone else."

"What? I'm sorry, I'm the only one on the floor tonight and—"

"I don't give a damn. Call someone else," I ordered. The last thing I wanted was that asshole to be dealing with my father's care.

"Lisa, look, I know we've had our issues, but please believe that my patients are always my top priority," Taehyung stated. "None of my personal issues are going to affect your father's treatment."

"Bullshit. Get a new doctor," I said through clenched teeth. My blood was racing, and I hadn't had a chance to slow it down since getting the call from Alex.

"Lisa," Alex cut in. "Just listen to him. He was updating me on Marco's condition."

I grimaced but didn't say another word. I crossed my arms, and my eyes were locked on Taehyung. I didn't trust the asshole, but at that moment, I didn't really have a choice.

"Your father suffered from acute alcohol poisoning. Your uncle found him passed out with vomit in his mouth, and he called an ambulance right away. Though he hasn't woken up yet, we are closely working to stabilize him. We are watching his airways and maintaining his circulation and breathing. Now, it's mainly a waiting game until he actually wakes up."

"That's it?" I growled. "All you have to offer me is waiting? Are you kidding me?"

Taehyung frowned, and I wanted to slam my fist right into his face. "I wish I had more information for you, but that's where we are right now."

I wanted to cuss him out, but I didn't. I walked into Dad's hospital room, saw him hooked up to all those machines, and I swore my heart died all over again. "Fuck," I said on an exhalation, pulling a chair up beside his bed. I lowered my head and sniffled.

He looked like shit. He was so skinny and weak, and it seemed like those machines and wires were the only thing keeping him alive.

"I can't believe you did this," I said, taking his hand into mine. "Listen, I don't really have time for this, so can you just wake up? All right?" I nudged him in the arm. "Just wake up, all right?"

"Lisa…" Alex's voice was low, but I ignored him.

"Wake up, you fucking asshole," I said to my father, the man who had once been my hero. My chest burned as I choked on my words and tears began to fall from my eyes. My head fell to our embraced hands, and I began to fall apart. "Please, Dad," I whispered. "Just wake up."

Seven hours had passed, and he was still not waking up. They used the term alcoholic coma and told me there was nothing they could really do except for wait.

I was so damn tired of waiting.

"Lisa," a voice said from the doorway. I'd been in the same chair in the same position since I'd arrived. I looked up to see Yeri standing there. She gave me a small smile. "Hey, Lisa."

Seeing her eyes made me miss her sister.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard about your dad. As you know, rumors get around this town fast. I figured you could use someone to sit with you." My stomach knotted up, but I didn't reply as she walked into the room. She sat down beside me and gave me a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"Okay. It's okay not to be okay. But just know that you're not alone."

I lowered my head, bewildered by Yeri sitting beside me. She owed me nothing, not an ounce of her time or energy, yet there she was, sitting beside me, letting me know that I wasn't alone.

"Why are you here?" I asked her.

"Because I made a promise."

"To who?"

"My sister."

I turned to look at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I drove her to Atlanta a few weeks ago, and when I was getting ready to leave, she asked me to do only one thing."

"And what was that?"

"To look after you."

I grimaced and clasped my hands together. My feet tapped rapidly against the floor tiles. "I miss her," I confessed.

"I know," she replied. "And she misses you, too. Which makes it hard for me to understand why you aren't on speaking terms."

"It's complicated."

"No." She shook her head. "It's not. Falling for someone isn't hard. It's the easiest thing in the world. It's all the other things that surround the fall that make it hard. But those feelings that you both feel for one another? That's easy, and if you allow yourself to let it in, you'll be happy that you did. But you both are allowed to figure things out on your own time. For now, I'd just like to sit here with you if that's okay."

"Yes." I nodded. "That's okay."

We sat in silence, watching the lines dance around the machines as my father fought for his life.

"Can you not tell Jennie about this?" I asked her. "Please. I don't want her to worry."

"If that's what you want, then I'll respect that. But it's okay for you to need her. It's okay to need people."

I didn't reply to her comment, but I simply thanked her for sitting beside me that afternoon. She gave me the warmest smile and lightly squeezed my knee. "Always and always."

If only she knew how much that meant to me.

Days passed, and nothing changed. Yeri stopped by each day and would sit beside me whenever Alex wasn't around. We didn't talk about anything at all; we merely sat in silence wishing and hoping for my father to open his eyes. When Friday evening came, I sat in the room, and when a voice was heard at the door, I looked up.

My chest burned.

"Jennie," I muttered, standing up.

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?"

Jennie stood in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

I nodded, and she walked into the room slowly. The look of fear in her eyes when she saw my father hurt me.

He looked awful, and it was apparent.

Then she looked at me. The look of sadness that found her eyes when she saw me hurt me.

I looked awful, and it was apparent.

She didn't say another word, but she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close.

God, I missed this.

I missed her. I missed us.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"I'm so sorry," I replied.

I held her for a while, afraid to let go because I feared if I did, she'd just fade away like a mirage.

When I finally let go, I walked over to the window and took a deep breath.

"He's in a coma," I told her, my voice cracking. "He's been this way for days now, and if he doesn't wake up…" My words faded off, and I jerked my hand through my hair. "I hate him," I told her. "I've hated him for so long—for the person he became, for the person he turned me into—but if anything happens to him…if I lose him…" I shut my eyes. "He's my dad, Jennie. He's all I have, and if I lose him, I lose my world."

I wiped a stubborn tear that fell from my eye.

"Lisa, come here," she said softly. I hated how her gentle voice brought a small dash of ease to my mind.

"No," I said. "I'm fine. How did you even know I was here? I asked Yeri not to tell you."

"And she didn't, but you live in Chester, Georgia—word spreads quickly, even to Atlanta. Now, come here."

"I'm fine, really. You can go," I told her, looking at my father.

"Lisa," she said, this time placing her hand on my shoulder. She then held her other hand out toward me. "Please, come here."

I sighed and placed my hand in hers. She pulled me into another tight hug.

She wasn't a mirage.

She wasn't a dream.

She was real…she was there.

"I'm okay," I told her.

"You're lying," she replied.

"Jennie—"

"No." She shook her head as she laid it against my chest. "You don't get to argue your way out of this one, okay? You have to let me hold you for a while. So just be quiet and don't let go, okay?"

I took a deep breath and pulled her closer to me.

Comfort.

I wasn't used to comfort, but pain I knew a lot about. That afternoon, Jennie gave me so much comfort, and even if I had wanted to let her go, my heart wouldn't have allowed me to do it.

"Thank you," I whispered, pulling her even closer and resting my forehead against hers. "Thank you for coming back."

"Always," she said softly, her exhalations falling against my lips. "And always."