Jennie

Something is wrong, but I can't figure out what it is. Lisa seemed absentminded all day, upset even. I can't quite pinpoint how I know, but I do. I glance down at my tee and hesitate for only a second before grabbing my leggings and tugging them on.

I make my way through the giant house and pause in the living room, my eyes on the large glass sliding doors that lead to the veranda. As expected, she's standing there, staring up at the sky, a whisky glass in her hand. She doesn't seem to feel the cold, even though she's only wearing shorts and a loose tee. It's not winter quite yet, but it's definitely too cold to be standing there dressed like that.

I bite down on my lip and walk over to the sofa to grab the thick furry throw. I hesitate before walking up to the doors, and I inhale deeply before walking through them. The sound of the door sliding open startles Lisa, and she turns to look at me in surprise.

I walk up to her, my feet freezing, and pause in front of her. I look into Lisa's stunning hazel eyes and wrap the throw around her, gripping the ends tightly. "You'll get cold," I whisper, my voice disturbing the tranquility of the night.

Lisa looks at me like I'm some sort of mirage. The way she's looking at me makes my heart race. For years I've dreamt of her looking at me like that, just one last time. Every single time that she visited me in my dreams, she'd look at me like this, and I'd wake up in tears, knowing it'd never happen again. My heart clenches painfully as Lisa raises her hand to my face. She cups my face gently, and I lean into her subconsciously.

"What are you doing here, Minx?"

My eyes widen and my heart starts to race. It's been years since I got to hear her call me Minx, and I didn't quite realize how much I missed it.

"What do you mean? I'm here for my dad, of course."

Lisa shakes her head and tugs the throw out of my grip. She wraps it around the both of us, her hands on my shoulders.

"What are you doing out here? Your dad isn't here. It's just me."

I look away, unsure how to reply. "I don't know," I answer honestly. Dad has already gone to bed and I've already checked up on her. I'd just been twisting and turning in bed, unable to keep my mind off Lisa. "I was worried about you," I admit. "You seemed upset today."

Lisa takes a step closer to me and wraps her arms around me fully, closing the distance between us. My breasts graze against her chest, and I have to resist the urge to melt into her. I look up at her, my heart beating wildly.

"You noticed I was upset, huh? No one else did. Not even Jaehyun. How come you still read me so well, Minx? How come you still notice every little thing about me?"

I bite down on my lip as I stare into her eyes. I could get lost in those eyes of her. The specks of green and all the different shades of brown have always captivated me. "I don't know," I whisper.

Lisa sighs and drops her forehead to mine, her eyes fluttering closed. She inhales deeply, and I close my own eyes, wanting to lose myself in this moment with her.

"Are you happy, Jennie?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. Am I? I like to think I am, and most days I can make myself believe it too. But have I been truly happy since I lost Lisa? I don't think so. There's no point in admitting that, though.

"Yes," I whisper. "I am."

Lisa inhales deeply and tightens her grip on me. This moment feels so precious. I can't remember the last time I wanted a moment to last forever. I guess the last time I felt this way was with Lisa too.

"Mino… does he treat you well?"

My heart wrenches at the thought of him, and I feel guilty immediately. I stiffen in Lisa's arms and bite down on my lip. The truth is that right here, right now, I'm happier than I have been in years. Why is it that no matter how hard I try, I don't ever feel this way with Mino? I want this so badly with him. He deserves it.

"He does. He treats me incredibly well. He's very kind and considerate. I'm very lucky to have him."

Lisa tenses, and I feel bad. I wish she'd never even asked me that question, but I can't lie to her either. Mino is amazing and I'm not sure I'm even good enough for him.

"Are you?" I ask. "Are you happy?"

Lisa remains silent, her chest rising and falling against mine. "No," she says eventually. "I haven't been happy since you walked out of my life, Jennie. I haven't even truly felt alive since you left."

Lisa pulls away from me and wraps the throw around me, leaving herself exposed. "It's good to hear that you're happy, though. It's all I've ever wanted for you. I'm glad you found your happiness, even if it isn't with me."

I force myself to smile and nod at her. These things that I'm suddenly feeling around Lisa… it's all just nostalgia. At the end of the day, I'll still go back to London, to the life Mino and I are building together. I'll still move in with him. I can't get caught up in whatever it is I'm feeling right now.

"You'll find your own happiness too, Lisa," I tell her. I guess the sayings about first love are true. You never really get over your first love. I don't know how else to explain the rage I feel at the thought of Lisa with someone else.

"Maybe," she whispers, but I can tell she doesn't believe it. Lisa brushes my hair behind my ear and smiles at me.

"I'm glad you're back, Jennie. Home hasn't been the same without you."

I nod at her. "It's good to be back. I wish I'd come back sooner, to be honest."

Lisa smiles, yet her expression is heartbreaking. "Me too," she whispers.

She clears her throat and inhales deeply. "Look, you and I… we'll always have history. But you'll be living here for the foreseeable future, and you'll be working with me too. I'd like it if you and I could try to be friends. I think your father would appreciate that too. No more sneaking around trying to avoid me around the house or at work."

I blush and look away. "You noticed that, huh?"

Lisa chuckles, and the sound makes my heart flutter. "I notice everything about you," she whispers. She looks away and so do I. My heart can't take it when she says things like that.

"Yes, of course," I murmur. "We should try to be friends. We were friends before we were ever anything else."

Logically I know that's true, yet I can't think of a time that I wasn't in love with Lisa. Were we ever even truly friends? Even before I realized it, I considered her to be mine.

Lisa smiles and nods, and that's that. We're friends.