Lisa

I'm only barely remaining in control of my rage as I sit opposite Jennie. She's trembling, and I can see the hurt in her eyes. I can see her visibly shrink as she sits there, her shoulders hunched and her eyes on her plate. Mino keeps touching her, and she keeps recoiling. It's so subtle that I don't think he even notices, but I do. I notice everything about her. I notice the way she avoids looking at Mom and Rosé. The way she stares at her food as though she's sorry for even existing. I knew this would happen. I knew just being here would make her feel the way she did back then. Like everything that happened was her fault. Like the love she gave out so freely was destructive. Like her presence is ruining things for everyone. None of that is true, but I know my Minx, and I know she won't be able to stop those thoughts, those doubts. I can see her holding onto her anger as best as she can, but failing nonetheless.

I watch as Mino extends his hand underneath the table, probably to touch her thigh, and she tenses. She rises from her seat and keeps her head down as she excuses herself. She's shaking so hard that I have to grip the table to keep from following her.

Mino hesitates, and then he rises too. I shake my head and stand up. I don't know what Jennie needs right now, but I know it's not for Mino to follow her. He walks into the direction Jennie disappeared to, and I cut him off in the hallway. I grip him by his shirt, hard, and pin him down with a stare. "She needs space, and you're going to give it to her," I tell him, trying my best to be polite, and failing miserably.

Mino tenses and tries to pull himself out of my hold, but he can't. "What my girlfriend needs right now is me. Who the hell do you think you are to decide for her? Maybe us being here has made you all nostalgic, but you'd better remember that Jennie is mine. You don't have the right to tell me to stay away."

I grit my teeth and laugh humorlessly. "You might be right, Minho. She's yours, but I'm still very much hers. And if I see you touch her in a way she doesn't like, if I see you hold her hand even just a little too tightly ever again, I'm going to break every fucking bone in your hand. If you make her uncomfortable even the slightest or force her to do something she either doesn't want or isn't ready for, the way you did today... then I will know, and I will fucking kill you. I'll make you disappear so quick they'll call me Houdini. I've been playing nice, but don't forget who I am. I'm Lisa fucking Manoban. And you? You're no one. You'll just be another statistic."

Mino blinks, his eyes wide, and then he looks away, a shudder running through him. I let go of his shirt and take a step back before tipping my head towards the dining room. "Get back into your fucking seat, and don't fucking move until Jennie gets back."

I see a flash of defiance in his eyes, and I fucking hope he won't listen. I need an excuse to punch him in his fucking face, and I'd love for him to give me one. Unfortunately, he nods and turns to walk back, his hands balled into fists.

I sigh and lean back against the wall. If he tells Jennie what I just said to him she'll never forgive me. Me and my fucking temper. She's been distant all week. If this gets back to her, I'm done for.

"I had no idea you could be so terrifying," Rosé says, and I turn to find her standing in the corner, a smile on her face.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. "How long have you been standing there?"

Rosé hesitates and looks away. "I just wanted to make sure Jennie was okay. I wasn't going to speak to her or anything, but I just wanted to see where she ran off to. I just wanted to know if she was okay."

I look at her, trying to assess her sincerity. I'm fucking horrible, because my first thought is that she might take anything she just heard me say, and use it to drive a bigger wedge between Jennie and me.

"Stay away from her," I tell her, unable to contain my anger. I'm tired of everything today. I'm tired of being unable to protect Jennie. Of being unable to keep her from getting hurt. I'm tired of hurting, of wanting her and knowing I'll never have her.

Rosé nods and smiles bittersweetly. "I will. I promise. I'm going up to my room now, and I'll stay there for the rest of the evening. It's the least I can do, anyway." She walks up the stairs and stops mid-way. "Jennie is in the treehouse, by the way," she says, her voice soft and insecure.

I nod. Where else could my Minx have gone? The treehouse has always been her safe haven. I hesitate only slightly before walking out the door. I know I told Mino that she needs space, yet I'm unable to heed my own warning.

I pause in front of the treehouse, worried that I might be overstepping. I drop my forehead to the door and inhale deeply, but in the end I can't stay away. I push the door open quietly, and my heart sinks when I see her sitting on the floor, trying her best to cry as silently as she can.

I sink to my knees in front of her, and she looks up at me through her tears. Seeing her like this devastates me. "Jennie," I whisper. "Minx, don't cry," I murmur, lifting her into my arms. She comes gladly, and I close my arms around her. Jennie rests her head on my shoulder, and I tighten my grip on her. Her entire body is shaking from the force of her tears, and I bury my hand in her hair. "Baby, you're breaking my heart," I whisper.

She clutches me tightly, but we couldn't possibly be any closer. "Lisa," she whispers.

"Yes, I'm here. I'm here, Minx. Whatever you need, I'm here."

Jennie cries even harder, and my heart shatters. When she cries like this, I can only barely keep my own tears at bay. I don't think I've cried in years, but seeing her like this brings me pretty damn close. I swallow hard and press a kiss to her head.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm ruining everything. I'm ruining Thanksgiving. I'm ruining everyone's evening. I'm doing it again."

I pull away from her a little to look at her and wipe her tears away. "Baby, you haven't done a thing. I don't think you've even spoken a word, so how did you ruin anything? My love, it might not show, but Mom is actually happy to have you here. Don't do this, okay? Don't make yourself believe these lies your pretty mind has spun. I want you here. You're wanted here, Jennie."

She looks into my eyes and nods, but I can tell she doesn't believe me. I pull her closer and press my lips against her forehead, my lips lingering. "What am I going to do with you, Jennie?" I whisper.

She visibly steels herself, and I sigh. "I'm sorry," she says again. "I… thank you for coming to check up on me. This is silly. I'm sorry, I'm overreacting. I apologize. I'll be better… I— I'll act normal. Everything is fine."

I hate seeing her like this. I hate seeing her so insecure and so broken. "Minx, if you're hurt, you're hurt. If being here is hard, then that's okay. Fuck everyone else. Fuck everyone that's hurt you in any way. Fuck them. You owe no one anything. You don't even owe them civility if you don't feel like giving it to them. You do not need to force yourself to sit through a night off bullshit appearances. I won't ever ask it of you, and if your dad truly understood how you feel, he wouldn't either. He just thinks he's helping you heal, Minx. But if this isn't what you want, if it isn't what you need, then we won't stay. Say the word, and we'll go. I can drive us home right now. We don't even have to say bye to anyone."

Jennie looks into my eyes and she inhales deeply as she threads her hand through my hair. When she looks at me that way my heart aches. It aches for everything we used to have. Everything I can no longer have. I close my eyes and swallow hard when Jennie drops her forehead to mine.

"I'm okay now," she whispers. "So long as you're there, I'll be okay. Let's stay."

She pulls away from me and smiles, and my heart skips a beat. Even with tear marks running down her face, she's still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I almost wish that she hadn't asked me to stay, because all I want to do is keep her to myself. I don't want her sitting next to Mino. I don't want to go back into that house that's filled with all the people that tore us apart.