didn't know you were cold ('til you felt my fire) // JENLISA AU

Chapter 26

A serious expression on her face, Lisa stepped a bit closer. "What's a bad idea?" Her voice was firm, but thankfully didn't sound too emotional. She kept walking forward until she was close enough for Jennie to touch, and without thinking Jennie did, reached forward to rest a hand on Lisa's arm.

"This. We shouldn't- We're done with each other." Jennie voice wavered, the edge of a hiccup threatening at the last word. "You have your French credit and I- I brought your sister to a dance for car parts."

She fussed with the collar of Lisa's shirt, mouth pulled tight in that ugly grimace of someone trying desperately not to cry. "You..." her voice was higher now, cracking, "can go to graduation, go to college, make your mark on the world." She looked up at Lisa, smiling so brightly and genuinely even as the tears spilled down her cheeks and her chin shook.

She was happy for Lisa. Really. She was going to make herself a good future.

Lisa was looking at her with those impossible eyes, the grey of them reflecting gold in the hotel lighting, expression unreadable.

"And I-" Jennie's smile tightened, no longer genuine as she looked back down at her hands on Lisa's collar, "I can go back to being the- the spoiled, rotten little princess that I'm meant to be."

One of Lisa's hands came up and gently rested over hers as the other girl took a deep breath. Jennie pressed her mouth tightly to try and fight back the sobs that threatened to spill from her, ducking her head to wipe the heel of a hand at the corner of her eyes before the tears washed away all her makeup.

"Jen," Lisa said, so gently she may as well have just have shoved her fist through Jennie's chest for the pain it caused her. "I didn't mean-"

"Lisa." If she didn't interrupt now she'd lose her nerve entirely. "We... that was all this was. We got what we wanted."

Lisa searched her eyes and silently raised a hand to rest on Jennie's cheek, brushing away the stinging tears with her thumb, just like she had on the night she'd ruined everything to brush away a small bit of frozen yogurt. The gentlest pressure on the final crack to break the dam. Jennie let out a hiccuped sob and stepped back, shaking her head.

"Enjoy your prom," she managed out, taking another step back. Her vision blurred as her tears started to slid down her cheeks and she knew this was ruining the makeup. Her throat was so tight she could barely get the words out, and when she did it was high and breathy, breaking as more sobs tore through her chest. "I need to be going. Give Ella my best."

She took another step back before turning completely, walking as quickly as she could out the front door of the lobby.

It was raining.

Of course it was raining.

She hadn't even thought to check the weather before heading out tonight and now she had to try and find her car in the parking lot in this rain, this downpour, soaking her to the bone. She crossed her arms, held them tight against herself as she walked through the lot, shivering, tears running unchecked down her cheeks.

"Dumpling!"

No, no, please don't, she thought even as the nickname froze her in her tracks. She could hear the wet footsteps running up until they were right behind her, and turned as they slowed to a stop.

Lisa's hair was already weighed down by the rain, hanging limply to one side and making the sad expression on her face even more exaggerated.

"Jen," Lisa said, one hand slightly outstretched as if to hold Jennie there.

"This isn't going to work!" Jennie pleaded, taking a step back. Her dress was waterlogged now, heavy, pulling her down. She felt trapped. "I finally had my whole life planned out, and this... -you..." her voice broke again.