Unspoken Desire JenLisa AU

Chapter 13 (M)

Jennie's POV

A week had passed, and Lisa was nowhere to be seen.

Not at the site. Not at the hotel. Not in my texts, my calls, or even the empty hours I spent staring at my door, hoping she might come. After what I saw that night, my heart felt too raw to face her, but it didn't stop me from waiting.

Each day, I told myself I wouldn't check my phone, but I always did. And each time, the silence hit me like a fresh wound. Lisa knew where I lived. If she cared, if she meant any of the things she'd said to me, why hadn't she come?

The ache in my chest deepened every time the thought crossed my mind. It wasn't just heartbreak; it was betrayal. I had let myself believe in her. I had let myself hope. And now? I couldn't even bring myself to go back to the firm.

When I arrived at the hotel after what I saw back in Jeju, I made up my mind.

"Jisoo," I called her as soon as I entered the room.

"Jennie?" Jisoo's voice was warm, but I could hear the concern beneath it. "What's going on?"

"I'm heading back to Seoul earlier than planned," I said flatly, not wanting to explain more.

"What about the Jeju project? I thought it's important to you-"

"That doesn't matter," I cut her off, my voice sharper than I intended. "I will just... monitor it while I am in Seoul"

There was silence on the line for a moment. Then, Jisoo sighed. "Okay. I'll handle things here. Are you alright?"

"I am fine," I lied.

But I wasn't fine. Not when Lisa's absence was all I could think about. Not when I kept wondering if I'd ever been anything more than a convenient distraction for her.

I sat on my couch, staring blankly at the TV, a knock startled me. My heart leapt despite myself. Could it be her? Was she finally here, ready to explain, to apologize, to-

I rushed to the door and pulled it open.

"Jennie!" Chaeyoung's excited voice greeted me, her bright smile nearly blinding me.

My stomach sank.

"Chaeyoung..." I forced a smile, though my voice was hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to invite you to dinner tomorrow night," she said, stepping inside before I could stop her. "Just a small family gathering. It's been so long since we've all been together."

I froze. "Dinner?"

"Yes!" she beamed, then paused to glance around. "Nice place. How come you never told me you lived here?"

"Because I didn't think you'd care," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing."

I folded my arms, trying to find a way to decline. "I'm really busy, Chae. I don't think I can make it."

Her smile faltered, and guilt clawed at my chest. "Come on, Jennie. I made an effort to find you-do you know how hard it was to track you down? You owe me this."

Her words stung, but they weren't wrong. "How did you even know where I live?"

"Oh, Mom and Dad told me."

Of course. My mood soured further. My biological parents, who had only recently re-entered my life, still seemed to think their perfect daughter could patch up all the loose ends in our family.

"I don't know, Chaeyoung," I said, my voice strained.

Her face fell, and for a moment, she looked hurt. "It's just dinner, Jennie. Please? It would mean a lot to me."