JENNIE
We pulled into the parking area of the apartment that I shared with Jisoo about twenty minutes later. Lisa still had a fantastic smile on her lips as she shut the car off, and I knew she was still a little high from the adrenaline of being on stage. While I could think of no greater torture than being the center of attention in front of hundreds of complete strangers, not to mention singing in front of said strangers, she lived for it.
She was grinning ear to ear as she met me in front of her car, humming one of her songs. Smiling up at her, I looped my arm through hers. I had no desire to live her life, but I would happily bathe in the aftereffects of it. We'd been through so much in our path to each other; her joy now brought me joy, too. I'd much rather see a delighted smile on her face than tears in her eyes.
After swishing the door open dramatically, she led me to my tiny two-bedroom place here. While it was postage-stamp small, it did have a pretty spectacular view of Lake Union. Following her through the door, I sighed tiredly and switched the light on. Removing my purse from around my body, I set it on a small table while Lisa shut the door. Mere seconds after I was done, my body was jerked forward and then slammed back into the front door.
I had time to gasp but that was it. Lisa's body pressed against every inch of me, her lips hungrily attacking mine. Without a thought, my fingers snuck up into her hair, twisting around the long strands. My heart surged forward so fast I thought I might collapse to the floor. Lisa's firm grip around me wouldn't have allowed that, though. Everywhere, from her chest, to her chiseled stomach, to her sensuous hips, was flush against mine, pressing into me like she wished we could be closer.
As the fire in me started to heighten, the arousal I felt for her burning away every other thought in my head, my breath quickened. Her breath was quick too between our hungry kisses, our light tongue flicks. Then her hand traveled over my bottom, curving around my thigh to the back of my knee. Shifting us slightly, she grabbed my leg and adjusted it up her hip. Lining us up perfectly, her aroused body pressed into mine, just where I needed it to.
Groaning, I tightened my hands in her hair and firmly attached my lips to hers. A sultry noise escaped her throat, rumbling through her body as our mouths moved together intently. It stoked the fire already in me to a boiling point. I needed her. All of her. Now.
Arching against the door, I broke away from her glorious mouth. "Lisa," I moaned out, instantly grateful my sister was not here, "…bedroom…"
Her lips traveled down my throat, her tongue flicking every erogenous zone on the way down. I groaned again, rubbing myself against her, trying to dull the ache somehow. A chuckle left her mouth as the tip of her tongue traced my collarbone. She was enjoying this, enjoying teasing me. Pushing her shoulders back, I frowned at her. She cocked an eyebrow at me, the edge of her lip curving up in a similar manner. It was so incredibly hot, especially with the desire smoldering in her eyes. No one could do bedroom eyes like Lisa could.
Then her demeanor completely changed. Smiling playfully, she let go of my leg that she'd hitched up her side. Tilting her head as she watched me struggling to breathe like a normal person, she took a step back. "Are you ever going to move back in with me?" she asked, her thumb coming up to trace the line her tongue had slid down earlier.
I blinked at her sudden change of direction, my head feeling sluggish as it fought against the desire to push her back into the living room and take her on the monstrously ugly orange couch. I was pretty sure she'd let me. Wondering if she'd really just asked about us living together again, I took a side step away from her. It was also a side step toward the hall, toward my bedroom, and the smolder in her eyes came back a little.
Smiling impishly, she nodded her head that way. "Because I really hate having sex on a futon." Winking, she added, "Not that I won't, though."
Smirking at her, I reached out and grabbed her hand. "You're the one that kicked me out," I said, managing to keep my voice light, even though the memory was a painful one for me.
Backing us towards the hall, I watched a flash of that pain wash over her face. It was gone instantly though. Shrugging, she laughed out, "Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time."
My hallway was a short one, with my room at the end closest to the front door. Jisoo's room, the larger room, was at the end of the hall with our tiny, shower-only bathroom in the middle. Lisa's place wasn't all that much bigger, but it seemed like a spacious mansion in comparison.
Stopping us in front of my closed door, I put my other hand on her chest. "No, it was." My hand traveled up her neck to cup her cheek; she leaned into my touch. "You and I needed space. We needed to get our heads on straight."
She smiled a little, then sighed. "Well, now that they are…why don't you come back?" her voice lowering, she stepped into my body, her arms wrapping around my waist. "I know we've taken things slow, but I still want to move forward…with you."
I swallowed at the warmth in her voice, the love in her eyes. I wanted that too, I really did, but, I was trying to be a stronger person, my own person and I knew that if I moved back in with her, she'd be my world again. I'd drown in her.
Smiling encouragingly, I ran my fingers back through her hair. The serious look in her eye softened as I caressed her. In as reassuring of a voice as I could, I softly said, "I think it's better if we keep waiting." Switching my hand to run my thumb over her cheek, I added, "I've sort of come into my own being with my sister. I don't want to fall right back into needing anyone to feel…complete."
I bit my lip, hoping she wasn't offended. Her insanely Brown eyes ghosted over my face, taking in every feature. Inhaling deeply, she squeezed me a bit tighter. "What if I'm the one that needs you?" her face was completely, heartbreakingly serious. Shrugging, a tiny smile broke into her lips. "I hate sleeping alone."
Even though she'd said sleeping alone, I knew it was more than that. Lisa hated being alone. Oddly, it was something we had in common. But knowing we needed this, I threw on a bright smile and shook my head. "You'll be alright." Her tiny smile curved into a disgruntled one and I laughed, slinging both of my arms around her neck. "Besides, we almost always end up sleeping together anyway."
I flushed bright red after I said it, instantly realizing how suggestive it sounded. She grinned at me adorably, reaching behind me to open my bedroom door. Laughing at my comment, she shook her head. "Exactly." Pushing my door open, her eyes came back to mine, playful now. "Think of the gas money we'd save." She tilted her head, walking me backwards into my room. "And rent, you wouldn't have to pay that, living with me. You could work less, concentrate on school more."
She smiled and shrugged, like it made perfect sense. And logically, it did. Emotionally though, I thought we were in a good place now and maybe we shouldn't mess with that. Freeing one hand to flick on my light, I sighed. "I like my life, Lisa. I finally feel…well rounded."
As she closed my door with her foot, her hands slinked down to cup my backside. Smiling devilishly, she murmured, "Yes, I know, very well rounded." I smacked her on the shoulder as she chuckled. Then she sighed, pulling my body flush to her and kissing me softly. "Fine."
I melted into her lips, savoring the taste of her all wrapped up in the smell of her. Pulling apart, she kicked off her shoes with her toes and tilted her head at my lumpy futon. "But that seriously sucks. Can I at least buy you a decent bed?"
Smiling as I stepped out of my flip-flops, I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the bed she hated. She was right, it was lumpy, with a heavy bar in the middle that dug into your back, but it was a large one and there was plenty of room on it to…roll around. Backing up to the edge of the futon, I grabbed the bottom of Lisa's t-shirt. "Of course. You can even help me break it in."
Her seductive grin in place, she helped my fingers remove her clothing. "Hmmm…you may have sold me on this idea."
Laughing, I ran my hands down the wondrously etched lines in her chest. Her breath hitched when my fingers traced the black ink of my name swirled over her heart. Nothing in this world was as beautiful to me as that tattoo, except the one bearing it.
"Anything that ends with sex, sells you." I giggled.
Lisa playfully pushed my shoulder back, and I sat down on the bed that sagged a little in the spot that was technically the "sitting" area when it was folded up. Scooting into the center of the bed, the hard support bar apparent under my body, I felt heat rush through me as Lisa leaned over the edge of the mattress. Her eyes peering up at me, she huskily murmured, "True."
My breath hitched as I watched her crawl over to me on her hands and knees. Leaning over me, my breath embarrassingly faster, she eyes scoured the length of me. Feeling the pure sex appeal radiating from her, I swallowed. It sometimes amazed and mystified me that this person was mine, practically any time I wanted her. It was still a little miraculous to me that out of every person in the world that she could be with, she'd picked me. I still didn't see why.
Smiling as her lips came down to mine and my hands traveled back up that smooth, perfect chest, I whispered, "Whore."
She laughed in my mouth as her body settled beside mine. "Tease," she breathed, her hand coming up to run through my hair.
I laughed at the terms that we'd once used to hurt each other with, being used as affectionate phrases now. Things were like that with Lisa. Cold one minute, red hot the next. Our going slow was how we were working on keeping the relationship even, consistent. Lisa didn't seem at all worried that we'd burn out, but I sometimes did. After all, she could have anybody. Even if she was experiencing something with me that she'd never had before—a true, deep to her core love—a secret, buried part of me knew that now that she'd been opened up to love, she could find it again with someone else if she wanted to.
God, I hated that thought.
Pushing back my doubts, I instead concentrated on what I had no question about. Right now, Lisa wanted me. Right now, Lisa loved me and only me. And right now, my sister wouldn't be home for hours.
Dressed only in her worn denims that hugged her so perfectly, her sculpted chest above me as she leaned over my body, Lisa worked her mouth softly against mine as the fingers of her free hand spun around a dark lock of my hair.
My fingers were busy as well. They'd moved up to her wonderfully messy head of hair. It was so much fun to bunch it around my fingers and I couldn't resist giving her a light tug. She grinned against my lips. Then my fingers trailed down her neck, enjoying the lean muscles, and the light pulse of her veins under her skin. From there they decided to swoop up and over her shoulder blades, lingering for a moment on the tensing and releasing muscles as she played with my hair. Their only natural course after that was straight down her back. My lucky fingers delighted in the smooth, lean expanse of skin on the way down to her waistband. Of course, halfway there, they decided to head back up to those shoulder blades and retrace the path down to her waist. But this time, I lightly scraped my nails across her flesh instead of the softer, gentler finger pads.
"Don't tease me," she muttered as she sucked on my lower lip.
I laughed lightly as I remembered harshly digging through that perfect skin once before…in an espresso stand, no less. I felt my face heat as blood rushed to my cheeks. It was sort of an embarrassing moment for me. Lisa pulled back from our kiss to look over my features, probably noticing my flushed cheeks and understanding my expression. Her finger ran along my cheek before sweeping over my lips. "Do you have any idea what that did to me, when you scratched me?"
Her lip twisted devilishly at the memory while my blush surely deepened. Not being able to speak, I merely shook my head. She smiled wider and leaned over to my ear. "I think that's what made me come."
My eyes closed for a second at hearing her say it and I chuckled despite myself. "I didn't realize you were so kinky," I whispered.
With a smirk she laughed out, "You're the one that cut me."
I giggled again, feeling my embarrassment slide off of me with the laughter. "You're the one that liked it."
She kissed my chin gently before pulling back with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't enjoy doing that?"
I bit my lip and looked away from the cocky look of self assurance on her face. Of course I'd like it. It had done as many amazing things to my body as it had done to hers. A tiny bit of guilt washed through me. I did feel bad for hurting her, for drawing blood. That was a little more than was called for.
Surprising her, I shoved back her shoulders. she grunted and said, "Hey," as she tried to crawl back over to me. Laughing, I kept her away with one hand while I squirmed out from where I was partially entangled in her legs. Before she could complain, or manhandle me back into position, I straddled her hips.
As she was facing sideways, she started to flip onto her back, a huge grin lighting her face at my forcefulness in taking the top. I laughed harder as I shoved her shoulder down, keeping her chest on the mattress.
Once I was firmly seated on her lower spine, she twisted her neck to look back at me. "What are you doing?"
My hands played over the expanse of pristine flesh before me while I answered her, a little huskily. "Well, I do feel guilty about hurting you…"
She twisted around more as her lips smirked at me. "I did mention that you made me come, right?"
I felt that flush return at hearing her say that word again—come. It wasn't even a dirty word, really, but hearing it pass her lips reminded me of toe-curling, blood-boiling, life-altering moments of ecstasy. Just hearing her say the word made me want her even more. Smiling, I pushed back that feeling…for now.
"I want to make sure you're not…damaged."
I ran my hands up her back, leaning over her so my hair brushed her skin. I delighted when I noticed her shiver when my long locks touched her. Her eyes flicked over my face and her voice dropped. "I only have one scar that can be attributed to you."
Her eyes rested on mine and my breath caught at the love I saw in that gaze. I didn't think I'd ever get used to seeing how much she adored me. It made all the flirting I'd witnessed earlier irrelevant. None of those fan girls got that look from her. None of those fan girls got to have this level of intimacy with her. Not anymore. Evan was right, she played with them but her heart was mine.
I nodded, surprised at how my eyes were misting. My thoughts tumbled over to the memory she was referring to and I bit my lip. It was a long time ago that she'd taken a knife wound while trying to defend my honor. It was one of the most amazing and horrible things that anyone had ever done for me. Amazing that she'd stood up for me, and horrible that she'd been hurt. My fingers traveled down her ribs, touching the mattress as I curled them around her body. I leaned over and kissed the edge of the scar where I felt the roughness cutting into that once smooth skin. She sucked in a breath, her stomach clenching as my lips moved over the old wound.
I smiled and kissed across her back as I thought of one other major wound she'd gotten because of me. True, this one didn't have an external scar, the fracture having been reset without surgery, but I knew it was damaged, under the surface. My hands ran up her arms, squeezing the left one, where she'd broken it while getting into a fight with Taehyung so many months ago.
I leaned forward and kissed that arm and her eyes softened as she watched me. I knew she understood my gesture. "I adore you for all your scars," I whispered as I leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
Her hand came up to grip my head, keeping me trapped in the loving softness of her kiss. She deepened it and the fire of anticipation coursed through me when her tongue brushed over mine. My breath sped up and I leaned into the kiss for a moment before I stopped myself.
Skillfully, I pulled away from her hand trapping me to her mouth. With a playful scowl I smacked her shoulder. "You stop that. I'm not done with my inspection."
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, can you hurry up? So I can make love to you and not this awful mattress?" she pressed her hips against the bed beneath her for emphasis and I laughed. Laughing herself she muttered, "We could switch positions when you're done?"
Ignoring that, I sat back on my seat at the base of her spine and turned all of my attention to her glorious back. She seemed fine, definitely no thin trails of puckered flesh from me tearing into her. I leaned forward to kiss her skin and then I noticed it. I paused as I looked more closely. It was faint, so faint you wouldn't notice unless you were literally an inch from her skin, like I currently was, but it was there. Thin, white streaks down her back, right where I'd raked her. I smiled inwardly that a part of our crazy, intense night was still with her, maybe forever. As much as I hated that I'd caused her pain, I was a little happy that a reminder would be with her, wherever she went.
"Ah, found 'em," I muttered.
She started to ask me, "What?" when I playfully drug the very tip of my tongue over the vague white line. She cut off what she'd been about to say and a shudder went through her. Emboldened, I let my tongue make a trail up between her shoulder blades and up the back of her neck. Lisa squirmed and dropped her forehead to the pillow, her breath definitely faster. Another old memory seizing me, I very gently bit the back of her neck. She groaned.
Before I could really process it, and definitely before I could stop it, she twisted underneath me, bringing up her arms to pull me down to the bed. All of the air whooshed from my lungs with the force she used to get me off of her. I giggled when she crawled on top of me. Her lips attacked mine, her tongue practically searching for my tonsils.
I pushed her away from me. With desire evident in her smoky bedroom eyes, she growled, "I said don't tease me."
I smirked and ran a finger across her parted lips. "Payback." I raised an eyebrow at her. "At least I didn't do that in a crowded club."
Her face startled. It was almost like she'd forgotten about that very intense moment when she'd licked me in the middle of a packed dance floor. Taehyung and Jisoo had both been somewhere in that club at the time. Her brow scrunched together as her eyes turned recalcitrant. "That wasn't very nice of me, was it?"
I slung my arms around her neck and shook my head. "No, it wasn't…but I liked it."
Her guilty eyes turned playful again as she thought about that night. "I couldn't resist." her fingers trailed up my arms, raising them over my head and causing delightful shivers to course down my body. "You had your arms up here." She cocked one over my head and brought the other one above it. Holding both wrists in one hand, she trailed her finger down my nose to my mouth. "You were biting your lip as you danced." I bit my lip again as I watched her hungry eyes recreate the sight of me that had pushed her over the edge. Her finger floated over my lip and down between my breasts. I closed my eyes but she kept going, dragging the finger over my still exposed belly button to my shorts. She played with the waistband before bringing a hand to my hip bone. "And these…these hips…" She leaned over me to lightly breathe on my face, our lips brushing. "These hips drove me straight to madness."
She brought her lips down to mine and released my hands. I wrapped my arms over her head, firmly holding her to me. When we paused for air, I muttered, "You were watching me?"
She ran her nose along my jaw, flicking her tongue for an occasional taste. "Ceaselessly." Her lips traveled back and forth along my jaw. "I have many things to atone for, and I hate what happened between us later, but I'll never feel sorry for tasting your skin that night." I gasped and arched against her, lifting my head so her lips could revisit my neck.
She obliged and feather-light touches made their way down my skin. Her mouth still on my neck, her fingers tore at the knotted section of my shirt. In one smooth move she lifted the dark material up and brought it over my head. her eyes lingered over my body for a second before she harshly unhooked my bra and ripped it off of me. My body pulsed with need as her burning eyes visually caressed me.
With a sigh, she dropped her head to my stomach. "I need this flesh," she muttered as her tongue ran up me.
Fire shot through me at the contact and I writhed under her touch. "I need you too, Lisa."
She dragged her tongue between my breasts. "I need to see your face when I do this." She flicked her tongue all the way up to my neck and I closed my eyes and groaned in response.
"I need to hear you when I do this." She brought her lips, and that miraculous tongue, to my breast, swirling it around the nipple.
I arched my back and dug my hands into her hair. "God, yes…"
Her breath heavy, she brought her lips to my ear. "I need to be inside of you…as deep as I can go." My body ached with her words, my light shorts suddenly horribly uncomfortable as the pleasant tingling between my thighs shifted to a full-on throbbing ache. I moaned loudly and tried to kiss her but she pulled away.
She hovered above me and I opened my eyes to gaze at the god-like woman before me. Her expression burning with desire for me, she swallowed heavily. "And I need to hear you beg for it." Her expression asking so much more than her words, she added, "Do you want me?"
The throbbing that I didn't think could get any worse, intensified, and my mouth found hers. "God, Lisa…please, yes, God…please. I want you…I want you so much." I also meant more than just the words. She was asking me if she was the one I really wanted to be with. I was telling her, as plainly as I could, that she was.
I mumbled more pleas for her while our mouths enacted what we both wanted. With heavy breaths and frantic fingers we pulled off the remainder of our clothes and she did exactly what she'd said she needed to do.
Smiling as I woke up the next morning, I yawned and stretched. My arms and legs didn't collide with another warm body in my chilly bed, but I wasn't too surprised. Lisa was almost always up before me. I wasn't sure why, but the girl was an early riser; she got up at the crack of dawn nearly every day. She also was a night owl, usually staying up just as late as I did, even on nights I closed at the bar. The woman was sort of miraculous when it came to sleep. It did eventually catch up with her, but she could go for days on very little of it. Then it would hit her like a brick wall and she'd sleep for twelve hours straight.
Shaking my head at her, I inhaled deep, my smile widening. My favorite smell in the world, aside from Lisa's natural scent, was wafting through the house—coffee. Lisa was brewing a pot in the kitchen. That was definitely one of the perks of waking up with her.
Peeking an eye open, I saw that she'd left my bedroom door cracked a bit. From the other room I could hear the pot peculating and the sound of Lisa getting cups ready. She was also humming a song. Relaxing back on my pillow, I just enjoyed the sound for a minute. I pictured her out there, singing away in just her boxers. It was a delightful image.
The sound of a key entering a lock broke the stillness of the morning. It was immediately followed by the front door cracking open. Sitting up on my elbows, I frowned. Was Jisoo just now getting home? I knew she'd worked late last night and then mentioned she was going out with some of the girls from work, but this was late, even for her. Unless, of course, she'd already been asleep…somewhere.
Maybe she'd met up with Jackson, to congratulate him on his big event. But, it just as easily could have been somebody else that she'd hooked up with. Jisoo and Jackson had a weird relationship. When they were together, they were inseparable—all hands and tongues and, ugh, grinding. But when they were apart from each other…well, you'd never even suspect that they were involved. They were very open to being with other people. It was odd to me, but it seemed to work for them so I didn't say much about it.
When Jisoo's bright voice sounded a greeting, I immediately hoped Lisa wasn't in her boxers. I even looked around the ground to see if her clothes were still on my floor. Luckily, they weren't. While she and Jisoo only ever acted friendly around each other, I didn't need my sister ogling her anymore than she already did. Physically, she'd kept her distance once she found out that we were involved, but like any fine piece of art, her eyes lingered on Lisa, appreciating the masterpiece before them. I understood. I appreciated her daily.
"Hey, Lisa, good morning."
"Mornin', Jisoo. You're out late…or early."
Lisa laughed as Jisoo sighed, a heavy bag clunking to the floor. "Yeah, went to Pete's. Ran into the guys."
Lisa chuckled lightly, probably surmising what I had earlier, that she'd been entertained by Jackson until the wee hours of the morning. It hurt my stomach a little to think about what they'd probably been doing, and as I forcefully made my sluggish body stand up, I tried not to.
Jisoo laughed huskily while I grabbed some lounge pants out of my dresser, quickly throwing them on my naked body. "I heard you guys did great at your big show." Jisoo sighed forlornly. "I'm sorry I had to miss it."
Seeming like it made no difference to her, Lisa replied with, "It was just a show, nothing you haven't seen before. Don't worry about it."
I shook my head as I threw on a thin, comfortable shirt. Just another show? She was so casual about the whole thing. I knew that it had meant something to her, though. It had excited her, invigorated her. I'd seen it when she'd shoved me against the door last night. I bit my lip at that thought and quickly ran my fingers through my thick hair a few times, eager to see the passionate woman again.
Stealthily walking out of my room, I immediately saw Jisoo and Lisa in the kitchen. She was leaning back against the counter, facing me, her arms crossed over her chest as she carried on a quiet conversation with my sister. Jisoo had her back to me, her long, luxuriously shiny hair ridiculously perfect for the early hour.
Watching them, I tilted my head. If my sister had had her way last year, the two of them would have ended up together and I'd be walking up on a couple, instead of a couple of friends. As Lisa's lips curved into a small smile while she spoke softly—her hair a distractingly charming mess—I could easily picture them as the gorgeous pairing they would have been.
Raising my chin, I inhaled a big breath. That wasn't what happened, though. She'd never touched her. My sister had no idea what her lips felt like, what she tasted like, what her fingers felt like, what she sounded like when she was making love. She'd never heard her say I love you. But I had…repeatedly.
That confidence pushing aside my lingering insecurities, I meandered into the kitchen. They both twisted to look at me when I stepped into the small room. Lisa's small smile for her turned into a wide one for me, her deep eyes brightening.
She smiled down at me as I slung my arms around her waist. "Mornin', sleepy," she breathed, kissing my head.
Exhaling contently, I buried my head in her neck. "Good morning."
My sister sighed. "God, you two are adorable." Smacking my arm, she rolled her eyes. "It's annoying."
I smiled, laughing a little. "Good morning, Jisoo. Late night?"
Grinning devilishly, she bit her perfect, red lip and cocked an eyebrow just as expertly as Lisa could. "Oh, yes." Her finger shifted between the two of us. "And I can guarantee you it wasn't as cutesy as your night."
I flushed and looked away from her and she laughed, her voice throaty and seductive in a way that mine never would be. Lisa laughed with her, squeezing me tighter. "I wouldn't say our night was cute, Jisoo."
I flashed my eyes up to Lisa and smacked her chest, my face reddening even more. While Lisa's and my love life might be a bit tamer than she was used to, and my sister for that matter, I didn't need her chatting about it. Grinning down at me, she said nothing further and I relaxed. Lisa wasn't exactly an open book, and she generally didn't talk about her life much. Thankfully, that included our sex life.
Jisoo snorted and I looked back at her. Her face in a playful grin, she said, "I know." She poked my shoulder. "I know how hot you guys can get." My jaw dropped and my face paled. She laughed and jerked her thumb towards the hallway. "My bedroom is only one room away from yours, Jennie." Raising her eyebrows, she leaned in and muttered, "Maybe the two of you could remember that in the future?"
I covered my face with my hand and twisted into Lisa's body. God, sometimes I did forget. Being with Lisa could just be so…consuming. Chuckling as she held me close, rubbing my back, Lisa causally answered her. "We'll try and keep that in mind, Jisoo. Thanks."
Laughing, Jisoo rubbed my shoulder. "I'm just teasing you, Jennie. Go ahead and scream away, I don't mind." As I peeked at her from between my fingers, I watched her eyes rake over Lisa's body. "Lord knows I would," she murmured.
Lisa chuckled again, shaking her head before kissing mine again. Winking at her, she patted my arm again. "Well, I'm off to bed. I'm beat."
Twisting away from us, she started sashaying back to her room. The tight pants she had on emphasized the curve of her hips. Jisoo was definitely beautiful and provocative. Sometimes it was hard to live with her never-ending perfection, but she was family, and she'd swooped into my life when I'd needed her the most. She'd helped me get back on my feet when both important person in my life had dumped me. She'd helped me find a place to live when I'd had nowhere to go. She'd helped me heal my shattered heart when I was sure I couldn't. She'd even helped Lisa and I get back together. No, whatever her eccentricities, I loved her.
I was smiling and shaking my head at her when she tossed back, "I'll be out like a light if you guys want to go at it again?"
I sighed as Lisa laughed. Pulling back to look at her, I smacked her chest again. "Would you stop encouraging her?" she smiled, still chuckling and I sighed again. "I wish the two of you had a better hobby than trying to embarrass me."
Twisting me around to face her, she placed a tender kiss on my forehead. "Well, you wouldn't have to worry about it at my place." Rocking my hips back and forth, our bodies touching and retreating enticingly, she added, "Maybe I'll just embarrass you back to my home?"
Raising an eyebrow, she grinned crookedly at me. I wanted to smack her again, but that look was too damn sexy. I ended up kissing her instead, which, of course, made her chuckle.
Lisa stayed with me all afternoon, helping me go over everything and anything that had to do with school. I was starting my last year soon. I had everything ready to go, all my classes lined up, all my books purchased, but going over my plan helped me to not feel so nervous about it.
I don't know why I was still nervous about the first day of school. You would think that after sixteen grades, I'd be used to it by now, but I wasn't. That first day of school phobia had even made me delay starting college after high school.
My mom and dad had been furious about that, but I'd just been too nervous to do it. My mom had been going through a small cancer scare at the time, a small lump found that she'd had to have removed. Even though they'd protested, I'd taken the opportunity to stay home with her while she went through treatments. She hated me missing school, but it worked out for me. I got to take care of her and delay doing something that terrified my eighteen-year-old self.
She was one hundred percent better long before the school year was up, and begged me to quit wasting my time with her and enter late. I'd already deferred for a year, though, so I took all the time I could.
I may have delayed for another year, but eventually Jisoo had had enough and had marched me down to the office after my year hiatus and forced me to get registered at the school I'd already been accepted to—Ohio University. And of course, once I was there I was fine. It was getting through the door that was the hard part for me. I was working on that too.
But I suppose my delay had ended up being a good thing. I probably wouldn't have met Taehyung if I hadn't taken that year to lounge around my parents' place. And then, if I'd never met Taehyung, I definitely wouldn't have ever met Lisa. Even though I hated how we started, how much we'd hurt Taehyung, who was an incredibly good guy who really didn't deserve everything we'd put him through, I was still grateful that fate had led me to Seattle, to Lisa.
Lisa thought my nerves were cute. She didn't seem to get nervous about much of anything. She could probably walk into the first day of school, thirty minutes late, completely naked, and be absolutely fine. I smiled to myself as I reconsidered. No, people and places may not affect her, but feelings did. Telling me that she loved me for the first time had sure scared her, probably worse than all of my first day jitters combined.
Well, it was nice to know that she wasn't impervious to nerves.
I was majoring in English this year, a fact that Lisa teased me about. she seemed to think I'd be better suited for Psychology. Personally, I think that was because she wanted me to take another class like my Human Sexuality course last year. She was sort of incorrigible when it came to the baser instincts. Not that I had much room to talk, at least, not when it came to her. I just couldn't stop myself from wanting to be all over her whenever she was near.
After a full day of helping me map out everything, right down to which path I needed to walk through in the quad, it was finally time for me to go to work.
Smiling as we walked through the apartment's parking lot, I started to grab the keys from her hand. "Can I drive?" I asked playfully, walking backwards in front of her as I tried to jiggle the keys out of the death-grip she had around them.
Scowling wonderfully, she shook her head and jerked her hand away. "No, you cannot."
Stopping and putting my hands on my hips as she walked past me, I stuck my lip out. "Why not?"
She took two steps and then stopped and walked back to me. Her mouth was instantly sucking on my pouting lip. I was instantly no longer pouting. Against my skin, she murmured, "Because…that is my baby, and I don't share her." she growled that to me and my breath quickened.
"I thought I was your baby," I managed to squeak out.
Smiling, she grabbed my hips and pulled me into hers. "You are." Her lips returned to mine, her kiss deep, territorial almost. When I felt that familiar fire starting to ignite, when I was ready to yank off that bothersome t-shirt and glorify her body with my tongue, she broke apart from me and breathed, "And I don't share you either."
As my body was a delightful, gooey warmth of sensuality, I could have melted right there into the sidewalk. she laughed and finished pulling me to the car. I—quite happily—scooted into the passenger's side.
Still smiling over her declaration of possession, it wasn't too much later that we arrived at my second home here in Seattle. Well, third truly. Lisa's place will always feel like home to me. Even with all of the bad memories that lingered there.
Parking in the stall that her Chevelle frequented so often that it was unofficially known as "Lisa's Spot," she shut off her mechanical baby. If only she could turn me off so easily. I still felt a little worked up. Not the best way to start my shift, and that was probably the real reason why Lisa had done it. She may call me a tease, but that girl enjoyed making me squirm.
I stepped out of her car right as she walked around to open my door. She frowned that I hadn't waited, then she held her hand out for me. I took it, like I always did, and we walked hand-in-hand to the large, rectangular building where Lisa found peace.
While Pete's was comforting and familiar to me, it was sort of solace for Lisa. She came here to play, to get away, to socialize, to, at one time, pick up girls, and I think to shut off her mind for a while. I'd disrupted that peace for her when I was working here while we'd been suffering through figuring out our relationship, but the serenity was back now and the lazy smile that curled around her lips as we stepped through the door clearly showed that.
Holding one set of the double doors open for me, she gallantly led me in, kissing my hand as it extended away from her. She generally did something physical when we walked through the door. Sometimes it was a peck on the cheek, sometimes her hand snuck around my waist, but there was always something. Some sort of announcement to the room— I was hers.
She'd wanted that when our relationship was secret, and now that it wasn't, she let everybody know it. Including the sulking bartender who was watching us.
Rita had been here since Lisa first arrived, when she'd come back from L.A. She'd had her sights set on Lisa immediately and, husband-be-damned, sometime in the past few years, she'd successfully had her. It made me a little nauseous. She was at least twice Lisa's age, over-tanned leathery skin, over-bleached blonde hair, and a sense of fashion that left nothing to the imagination. I'd never asked Lisa about their hookup. Honestly, I didn't want to know…ever.
Her lips twisted up when Lisa shifted her head to acknowledge her. All she gave her was a slight incline of a greeting, but you'd think Lisa just walked up and licked her by her reaction. All sultry smiles and hooded eyes that were, I'm sure, mentally undressing her, she leaned over the aged bar that ran the length of the wall beside the front doors.
Practically purring, she murmured, "Hey there, Lisa…Jennie." My name was clearly an afterthought.
I smirked at her and twisted to face Lisa. "I have to go put my stuff away. Usual?"
I tilted my head and she ran a finger back through my hair, tucking a lock behind my ear as she bit her lip. It was charmingly attractive. "Yeah, thanks, Jennie."
Smiling at her, I leaned up to kiss her cheek. Not satisfied with a peck, she twisted and found my lips. My face heated, knowing Rita, and a good portion of the rest of the room, was staring, but I let myself indulge in a small moment of PDA. I immediately stopped the moment when I felt her free hand come around to squeeze my backside. Lisa didn't always do subtle PDA.
Pushing her shoulder back, I pointed at her in warning. Laughing, she shrugged and gave me an I'm innocent smile. It was a complete and total lie, she was nothing near innocent, but it was adorable and I rolled my eyes and laughed as I turned away from her.
As I made my way to the hallway, I passed about five sets of tables that all had their eyes glued on where we'd been by the bar. The women at those tables alternated between her and me as she made her way to the far back corner of the room near the stage where the guys traditionally sat. I could feel myself being appraised with every step I took. Self conscious, I kept my head down and walked a little faster. It was one thing for her to be admired by so many people, it was quite another to be judged if you were worthy of her or not. And by the leers and twisted lips I saw, it was clear I was falling short of their expectations. Again, I tried to not let it bother me, but the ego is a frail, tender thing.
Exhaling in relief when I was through Lisa's admirers, I made my way to the back room, where the employees kept their stuff. Somi and Kate were coming out of it as I approached. Kate, a tall, graceful girl with the world's bounciest, most perfectly put together ponytail, beamed at me. I'd seen her work a double shift two nights in a row, and her hair had still looked liked she'd just done it five minutes ago. I don't know what she used on it, but she should look into endorsing the product.
"Hey, Jennie. I hear the show rocked yesterday!" A long, auburn strand curled around her neck as she spoke, a neck so slim and elegant, it was practically begging to be draped in diamonds.
I nodded eagerly as I worked past them in the doorframe. "It was. They were incredible!" I sighed, thinking how perfect Lisa looked on stage. They say some people are just born to be on one, and Lisa was one of those people. Idly, I wondered what that meant for us…long term.
Somi tilted her head at me curiously, her red Pete's shirt emphasizing every curve that the men here swooned over. She was the sweetest person, though, and completely loyal to Evan. "You okay, Jennie?" she asked.
I shook my head. "Yeah, just nervous about school starting up." And Lisa becoming a bone fide, across-the-globe rock star. It was weird to both want a future for someone, and desperately not want it at the same time. I wished her all the success in the world, but only if I didn't have to share her. Man, one more thing I needed to work on. Good thing college is all about self discovery.
Somi smiled and patted my arm. "Don't worry. You're super smart. You'll do great."
I nodded, feeling silly again for even worrying about school. Somi was right. Lisa was right. I knew the grounds. I knew a lot of people there. I knew a lot of the professors. And I had a scholarship that practically paid for the whole thing. I had nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear but fear, right?
Kate nodded with Somi, her light brown, almost topaz eyes wistful. "Yeah, you're so much smarter than me. I gave up after one semester." I frowned sympathetically, but then she swished her head to look down the hall. "Hey, is Lisa here? I want to ask her about the show."
Shifting to a smile as I pictured Lisa leaning back in her chair, people watching while she waited for me to bring her her "usual," I nodded. "Yeah, she's here."
I couldn't keep the dorky grin from my face and they both giggled at me before shuffling off together. What? My girlfriend was a super-hot musician with fabulous hair, a rock-hard body, and my name tattooed over her chest. Who wouldn't grin about that?
I shoved my stuff in a locker and hastily threw my hair up in a ponytail that was nowhere near as perfect as Kate's. Sunday nights weren't too terribly busy, since the band didn't play, but there was still a lot of moving around and not having my hair flopping all over my face was a good thing.
When I stepped back out to the main part of the bar, I saw that my D-bag girlfriend wasn't alone anymore. Leaning back in her chair, a foot casually propped on a knee, she was chatting amicably with Sam, the bouncer here.
Sam was a big guy, burly and muscular. He finished off the intimidating scowl he kept on his face by completely shaving his head. It just made him seem all the more menacing. He'd been friends with Taehyung when Taehyung had gone to high school here for a year. He'd taken Taehyung in, after we'd broken up, when Taehyung just couldn't live with Lisa anymore. Understandable, given the circumstances. From what I heard, Sam and Taehyung still talked occasionally.
Lisa had also gone to school with Sam and Taehyung. It was how they all knew each other. Even though Lisa was a couple of years younger than them, she'd formed tight bonds with Sam and my ex. And Lisa still talked to Taehyung too. A fact that never ceased to amaze me.
But now the pair was going over more pleasant topics than last year's drama. Lisa had a huge smile on her face as she spoke to Sam, occasionally flicking her hands in the air, gesturing. Sam listened with a small grin on his usually imposing features. I figured Lisa was talking about the show.
Shaking my head, I went about getting Lisa the beer she'd wanted. I just couldn't get over the fact that my girlfriend had played a major venue. Even if her band didn't go anywhere else, that would be something that she could tell her grandkids about. I smiled even wider as I approached Rita. Lisa with kids…even the thought gave me goose bumps.
A couple of hours into my shift, the rest of the band strolled in. Lisa was at the front of the bar when they burst through it. She'd finally been cornered down by Kate, who wanted to know everything about yesterday. I heard Lisa try and play it off like it was nothing, but Kate wouldn't let it go and asked her question after question, most of them along the lines of—"Weren't you nervous? Didn't you feel like peeing your pants?" Lisa always laughed at her and told her no, but I don't think she bought her answer.
After being hounded by her for a while, Lisa almost looked relived when Kate twisted around to acknowledge her band mates strolling in. Once they were all four together, the bar broke into applause and ear-splitting whistles.
I joined in with the merriment; I was just as proud of them as the other patrons. Evan smiled as he looked around, his warm eyes grateful and appreciative. Lucas seemed horribly embarrassed. His face flushed with color and he quickly looked back at the door, like he wanted to run through it. Lisa chuckled and shook her head as she put her hand up in acknowledgment. They all seemed a little thrown by the attention.
Except Jackson, of course. He was throwing kisses with his hands in-between deep, dramatic bows. If Lisa hadn't clapped him on the back to make him stop it, I think he would have started in on an Oscar-worthy speech once all the noise died down.
Still shaking her head, Lisa said a polite thank you to the crowd once it was quiet enough to hear her. Lucas immediately darted to their table, thankful to disappear. Laughing at the guitarist, Evan walked over to Somi, lifting her into a mammoth embrace. Lisa shoved Jackson forward, but not before the bassist loudly exclaimed, "My Johnson is gladly accepting all forms of praise…if anyone wants to congratulate me privately."
I rolled my eyes and looked away as Lisa smacked him across the back of the head. Seriously, my sister must have a screw loose to date that man. If what they were doing could even be considered dating.
A few minutes after the guys were seated, Pete, the middle-aged, weary owner of the bar came out to congratulate them. With a thin smile on his lips, he shook hands with each band member. While Pete looked far from unhappy, he didn't seem thrilled either. Lisa had told me once that Pete had no talent in finding bands to put on his stage. It was the main reason the D-bags played here so much. Pete and his business partner, Sal, had made a deal with Lisa and the guys, not too long after the boys moved up here. The two men agreed to let the boys have the exclusive rights to the stage every weekend, if they wanted. It gave the boys a home base to play from, and a safe spot to store their instruments. And for Pete and Sal, it allowed them to stop searching for gigs that would bring in the customers. It was a win-win; the band brought in a lot of customers.
With a slight frown on Pete's brow as he shook Lisa's hand, I figured he was starting to believe that her act might outgrow her…and then he'd have to start looking for talent again.
Once Pete left the guys to their drinking, clapping Evan on the back as he left, the bar subdued back to normalcy. Most of the people started engaging in their own conversations, only a few going up to congratulate them personally. Thankfully, none of those few were women congratulating Jackson in the way that he wanted.
A few female fans did eye Lisa, but nothing more than the I-want-you eyes I was used to her getting. None of them seemed quite brave enough, or drunk enough, to approach her table, though, and I was just fine with that.
Throughout the course of the evening, the D-bags eventually left their bar. Lucas left by himself an hour or two after arriving, a shy smile on his face as he said that he had plans with Rachel. Jackson rolled his eyes as his cousin left, gesturing obscenely with his hand in the air over his naughty parts. Thankfully, he left about an hour later, some blonde bimbo on his arm. She gave him sultry, seductive eyes as they left, and I was pretty sure she'd give him the praise he'd wanted earlier. I shook my head and ignored the sight of Jackson leaving with another woman. It happened all the time. I'd asked Jisoo about it once, but she'd only shrugged and said she didn't care. He was free to do whatever he wanted. Her too.
Evan stayed until closing, escorting Somi out when she was done with her duties. Lisa stayed, too. Feet kicked up on a chair, she watched me with a deliciously provocative smile while I wiped off some tables nearby. And Rita watched her just as provocatively.
Yep, everything was back to normal.
Refusing to sleep in my bed again, Lisa drove us to her place instead. A small, peaceful smile was on her lips as she pulled onto her street. I wasn't sure if that was because she was coming home after a couple of days, or if she just enjoyed having me come home with her. I supposed it was a little of both.
His tiny, white two-story house was dark as she shut the car off. When we'd all lived there, Lisa, Taehyung and me, the house had seemed warm and alive with activity. Now that it was just Lisa, the house seemed a little quiet. As Lisa cracked her door, I thought maybe that was the real reason for her smile. Lisa preferred a bustling house. I'd gleaned that out of her when I'd asked her if she'd rent out her room again.
With a slight frown, she'd told me, "I've thought about it. But I don't know…it feels like yours, and I don't want to give it to someone else." Those words had warmed me considerably, but when I'd asked her if she needed the rent money, she'd only shrugged and said, "No, renting out the room was never about money." Sighing, she'd added, "I just don't like being there alone."
God, sometimes she just broke my heart.
Stepping into the entryway, my eyes drifted around the familiar space. It was sort of a double-edged sword for me. I loved being here with Lisa. I loved the memories of cuddling with her on the couch and making love to her in her room, but…Taehyung was here, too.
His ghost seemed to linger in the spaces he'd been. Leaning against the kitchen counter drinking a mug of tea. Lying back on the couch, watching sports on TV. Showering in the bathroom, sometimes with me. And our room, the first room we'd ever shared as a couple, was the room that Lisa refused to rent out again. The ghosts were heaviest in there. So heavy, that I refused to go in there. I couldn't even look at the door. As it was closed when Lisa and I walked into her bedroom, I thought that Lisa probably didn't go in there either. Like I said, double-edged sword.
Propping her guitar case in the corner of her room, finally having taken it out of her car from playing at Bumbershoot, Lisa watched me as I sat on her bed. With soft eyes, her vision flicked to the closed door across the very short hall upstairs. "You alright?"
Throwing on my brightest smile, I leaned back on my elbows. Lisa's face brightened considerably. "Of course, I'm fine." That was mainly true. I was fine. I'd let Taehyung go and I'd slowly begun to forgive myself for cheating on him. But being here was difficult for me sometimes and Lisa knew it. I think that was the real reason she didn't pressure me more to move in with her. I just wasn't ready to deal with the ghosts every day.
Sitting down beside me, she laid a palm on my thigh; it ignited me instantly. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered.
Sitting up, I laced my arms around her neck. "I had no choice. You wouldn't let me drive your car, remember?"
She chuckled and leaned in to kiss me. Lightly laughing myself, I threaded my fingers back through her shaggy hair and laid back on her pillows, bringing her with me.
She was instantly engaged, hands running over my body, her own body sneaking into position alongside mine. As I thought of all of the women who'd wanted her this weekend, women who she'd only briefly flirted with, or politely acknowledged, or in some cases completely ignored, my heart swelled. She didn't want them. She wanted me. She loved me. And God, how I loved her, too.