The Beginning of the End - Jenlisa

Chapter Ten

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Jennie stared at the phone in her hands, the number on the touch-screen jumbling together before her catlike eyes.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Droplets of water slid down the large, floor-to-ceiling window the brunette was facing, overlooking dark streets and wind-swept trees. The door to her office was open, with muted sounds of people buzzing with activity seeping inside the four walls. It was late morning, and Jennie was at work.

Jennie thought it could be hardly said so, though, because all the brunette had been doing since she came in was spare furtive glance at the telephone or spend minutes with it in her hands, tapping numbers and hovering over the call button, only to back away and delete them after traitorous second thoughts.

Quite frankly, Jennie believed she was being ridiculous – childish, even – so the next time her fingers touched the keyboard, the brunette didn't let them stop halfway.

The phone rang – once, twice, thrice, - until the call connected, and a familiar sweet voice greeted her.

"Hello~?"

Taking a deep breath, Jennie tried to reign in her emotions and to calm her erratically beating heart.

"You know, it's a bit overconfident of you to assume that I still remember your phone number." Jennie said.

There was a moment of silence from the other end. "Which you do." The answer eventually came.

"Not exactly." Jennie denied. "I do have a good job, though."

"I see. Well, maybe I assumed that you have a good job."

Jennie raised an eyebrow. "What was your first clue?"

"Your car." Lisa answered simply.

"I see. Well, Riley wants to meet with you on Saturday. So, you can pick the place and I'll drop him off. Let me know."

Jennie was left to wonder, as she clutched her phone in her hands, whether the reason why she had ended the conversation before Lisa could say something else was because the brunette wanted to hear the tall blonde's sweet voice again.

Heaving a sigh, Jennie allowed the tension to leave her body as she leaned back in her seat, hands massaging her temples. The entire situation was hectic, without norms or regulations, and it was putting a tremendous strain on the catlike eye woman. Seeing Lisa again had not done Jennie any good. Of course, the brunette hadn't assumed it would, but she had expected to be more detached. Jennie had expected not to feel her heart breaking into a million pieces – and not because the brunette should be over the tall blonde by now, but because Jennie knew this was doing well for her child.

"Are you alright?"

Jennie's head snapped up at the unexpected voice, and she turned around to face its possessor, slightly surprised upon being met by the lurid vague eyes and worried features.

"Hanbin." Jennie acknowledged. "I didn't see you there."

Hanbin nodded, walking further into the room. The man seemed to be debating something for a moment, before he spoke.

"I apologize, but... was that your ex? I heard without wanting, and... and a million scenarios formed inside my head."

Hanbin and Jennie had spoken about "The Alleged Ex" a couple of times over the duration of their still rather short collaboration, mainly due to his insistence to become involved in Jennie's personal life. The brunette indulged him that, up to a certain point, not because the brunette enjoyed the man's attention, but because Jennie wasn't bothered by it. The brunette had learned to let people in, and as long as their relationship remained professional and the man was not crossing any of the lines the brunette had drawn, Jennie didn't mind sharing a few words with Hanbin every once in a while.

Jennie didn't care to lie to him, either. "Yes that was my ex."

"Do you..." Hanbin stopped, resting his hands over the back of one of the chairs available in front of the desk. "Do you need me to find you a lawyer?"

Jennie raised her eyebrows. "A lawyer? What for?"

"I don't suppose that your ex took the news well. Your 'alleged' ex could have not been upset about the fact that you kept the existence of your child a secret."

Jennie nodded once, encouraging the man to continue.

"Your ex will try to take Riley away from you."

Jennie shook her head. "No." The brunette said, with even more confidence than Hanbin.

"The need for revenge is something that characterizes the human race. Your ex may seem complacent now, but I think it's better for you to lay down some terms in writing."

"Hanbin, my ex isn't like that. My ex knows how much Riley means to me. That person would never do something like that."

"You sound so sure though." Hanbin remarked.

"I am sure." Jennie responded, mildly irritated now.

"Well, then if your ex is a good person, why did you leave that person?"

"That is not your problem!" Jennie snapped, scandalized. "And you know what? I find it very low of you to try to drag another person in the dirt because it suits your needs."

Hanbin frowned. "I am not –"

"I know perfectly what you're doing!"

"Jennie, it's just –" Hanbin stopped himself, throwing his hands in the air in a gesture of frustration. "It's quite incredible how much trust you still have on your ex."

"Our situation is... different." Jennie said eager to end the conversation. "Arrasseo? It's messed up. It's... difficult to explain what generally happened, and – and in all honesty, what's still happening. I warned you from the very beginning: stay away from this subject, Hanbin. That would be the best for you."

The message was clear. And as Jennie looked straight into Hanbin's eyes, the man could tell that Jennie meant every word she has said.