All my flowers grew back as thorns
Windows boarded up after the storm
He built a fire just to keep me warm
All the drama queens taking swings
All the jokers dressin' up as kings
They fade to nothing when I look at him
And I know I make the same mistakes every time
Bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right
I did one thing right
I'm laughing with my lover, making forts under covers
Trust him like a sister, yeah, you know I did one thing right
Starry eyes sparkin' up my darkest night
My baby's fit like a daydream
Walking with his head down
I'm the one he's walking to
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
My baby's fly like a jet stream
High above the whole scene
Loves me like I'm brand new
(Call it what you want, call it what you want, call it)
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
-
"Your wife," Nayeon echoed once more, her face slack with shock as Rosie pressed a hand against Jennie's lower back, brimming with excitement and nerves, yet standing taller than she had in a while. "You told me you weren't seeing anyone."
"Dating," Rosie laughed as she corrected her, "and I'm not. Clearly."
"Has she had you on the edge of the seat the whole time?" Jennie asked with a grin, leaning into Rosie.
"Absolutely!" Nayeon exclaimed, shaking her head. "I certainly didn't see this coming, at any rate. You could've led with that, you know."
With a crooked smile, Rosie shrugged as she tilted her head to the side, "I could've, but then the focus would've been on that the whole time. I figured the story should just be told from the start, with all of the silly mistakes I made along the way too."
Sighing with exasperation, Nayeon eyed them both silently and then shook her head, letting out a quiet laugh.
"I could kiss you right now, Rosie!" she triumphantly exclaimed, "you've just given me the story of the year!"
Reaching out, Nayeon took her face in her hands and gently squeezed Rosie's cheeks, looking overjoyed as she smiled wickedly. Letting go, she clapped her hands together and nodded.
"I'll give you ten minutes to catch up and then shall we continue?"
"Sounds perfect," Rosie smiled, feeling refreshed, reinvigorated for the rest of her story left to tell.
Having Jennie there had raised her mood considerably, bolstering her and wiping away and tiredness. Turning to face her, Rosie entwined their fingers, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness as the rings on her finger shone.
"Are you hungry?"
Groaning, Jennie tipped her head back, "yes! The food on the plane was awful."
"Come on, let's get you some catering. My mum's already eyeing you up too."
"I'd better go and say hello."
Giving Rosie's hand a squeeze, Jennie wound her way through equipment, everyone moving out of her path as they eyed her with furtive glances. Smiling to herself, Rosie moved to the kitchen, where the food was still spread out, and was joined by Doyeon, who started piling a plate with food alongside her.
"You're happy."
Casting her a quick smile, Rosie nodded, feeling giddy with excitement. "You knew?"
"Mhm. I helped her book her flight; she didn't want to arrive too early and mess it all up."
"Did you actually arrange my flight to Miami?"
With a snort of laughter, Doyeon shook her head, "no. No, I didn't. Well, yes, I did, but a return one with Jennie. The private jet is all arranged."
"God, what would I do without you," Rosie smiled, gently squeezing her assistant's arm before she took the plate and snagged a bottle of seltzer.
Slipping into a small sitting room, she took a seat at the table and watched as Jennie walked in with Clare, both of them in deep conversation, chatting away with ease. Jennie's face lit up at thesight of Rosie, whose eyes slid to her mother's face, watching as contentment softened it.
"I'm just going to talk to one of those lovely cameramen about how the filming works," Clare tactfully announced before retreating.
Ducking down, Jennie gave Rosie a lingering kiss before dropping onto the seat beside her. With a faint sigh, weariness slumping her shoulders, Jennie picked up a sandwich and took a bite, her eyes landing on Rosie again.
Chin propped up in her hand, Rosie stared at her in wonder as a faint smile played on her lips, hardly daring to believe she was there. She even said as much.
"I can't believe you're here."
Laughing around a mouthful, Jennie's eyes crinkled and she reached out to touch the back of Rosie's hand. "Believe it, because you're stuck with me forever once this is all over." Her humour melted into an anxious look. "How do you feel?"
Shaking her head, Rosie wordlessly opened her mouth as shrugged and then let out a laugh. "I ... don't know. Light. I just feel so happy. I mean, you've always made me feel that way, but it feels like a weight off my shoulders to just not care anymore. It's out there. It's done. If this is it ... I have no regrets. Not a single one."
"This isn't it," Jennie softly assured her, "never in a million years would this be it. There are millions of people who are going to be happy for you - for us - and they're going to be itching for the next album, just like always."
Wrinkling her nose as she smiled, Rosie shrugged, "logically, I know that, but it's just that ... even if it wasn't true, I wouldn't care. Not anymore. It's you and me."
"You and me."
Warmth blossomed in Rosie's chest as she watched Jennie eat her lunch, the rain a soothing patter on the windows as muffled voices came from the adjoining rooms. She would've been content to sit there forever, linger in that moment, on the precipice of the before and after her life would become. Her apartment felt like a liminal space, the threshold of a new beginning that she hadn't taken yet, and Rosie enjoyed the quiet comfort of it. "How was the flight?"
"Mm, long."
"You know you didn't have to come all this way-"
"I wanted to. This is ... a big moment. No matter what you say, it's scary. You must be even madder than I thought if you thought I was going to let you do it all by yourself."
"Thank you," Rosie murmured, her eyes softening with adoration.
Cramming another sandwich in, Jennie raised her eyebrows as her eyes widened a fraction, before crumpling into a smile.
"You're staring," Jennie mumbled.
"I've missed you," Rosie said, rolling her eyes, "unsurprisingly. It's not the same through the phone, so ... let me look at you for a little bit longer."
"You can look for as long as you like - I'm not going anywhere."
Smiling, Rosie spent the rest of her fleeting break watching Jennie eat in between brief comments about work, about Hank, about the interview. There would be time for more questions and answers later though, and all too soon, Rosie was being hassled by hair and makeup for retouches.
Brushing crumbs off her lap, Jennie followed Rosie out of the room squeezing her arm and kissing her cheek before wishing her luck and taking a spot beside Clare. They fell into whispered conversation and Rosie couldn't explain how rested she felt as she took a seat in her armchair and smiled at Nayeon, ready to press onwards.
"So ... you're married," Nayeon said as soon as they started rolling again, relishing the sound of the word, and more importantly, the attention it would bring her for the scoop.
-
Rosie awoke the next afternoon to a warm body pressed up behind her and an arm around her waist, slowly turning within the embrace to stare up into a pair of achingly familiar brown eyes. Head banging with a headache and her memory a little clouded, Rosie's eyes narrowed before she started.
Bolting upright, she put her left hand out before her and looked at the flimsy paper ring on her finger, her heart hammering.
"Fuck."
"Good afternoon to you too," Jennie lightly replied, shifting forward as she pressed a kiss to Rosie's shoulder blade.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, Rosie closed her eyes and let out an elated laugh, feeling delirious as yesterday caught up with her.
"We actually did it."
"We did."
"We're in so much trouble."
Laughing, Jennie cupped the back of Rosie's neck and eased her down, propping herself up above her. "We are."
At the grave look of worry on Rosie's face, Jennie paused and tilted her head to the side, "do you regret it?"
Startling slightly, Rosie immediately reached up to cup her face in her hands, her pulse quickening with panic as she urgently replied. "No! No, no, never. I just- I really don't want to be the one to break the news to Park Chanyeol."
Burying her face into the side of Rosie's neck, Jennie laughed, her breath warm as goosebumps rippled across Rosie's skin and she wound her arms around Jennie's waist, pulling her closer.
"We don't have to tell him right away," Jennie crooned as she kissed the underside of Rosie's jaw, "we can be convincing liars, don't you think so?"
"But for how long?" Rosie morosely replied.
Pushing herself up, Jennie gave her an exasperated look, "we just got married yesterday; I think we can afford ourselves a little bit of happiness before we start worrying."
Sighing softly, Rosie smiled and reached up to brush the hair out of Jennie's face before kissing her quickly. "You're right. And I am happy."
"You're hungover," Jennie said with amusement, "you smell like a distillery."
Groaning, Rosie went slack against the pillows, feeling clammy amidst the tangled sheets, her mouth dry with the sour taste of alcohol and her head still throbbing.
"Then you know I really mean it when I say I'm happy right now."
"Let me get you some aspirin."
Kissing her forehead, Jennie slipped from the bed and donned a robe before heading downstairs. Laying there for a moment, Rosie groaned and forced herself out of bed and into the shower, tepid water washing away the flushed feeling of her skin as she rinsed the smell of liquor from her pores.
In the mirror, she prodded her pallid skin, turning her head this way and that, as if she might've been changed overnight by what they'd done. She looked no different, although she liked to imagine that the set of her shoulders was less tense and her misery vanished from her weary face.
Jennie stepped into the doorway and eyed her in the mirror before strolling in and handing over the pills and the water. She looked about as bad as Rosie still felt and stepped into the shower as Rosie swallowed the aspirin and spent a long while furiously brushing her teeth.
Smoothing out the bedsheets, Rosie perched on the edge and waited for Jennie to emerge, her stomach churning as her heart pounded, the reality of their situation settling in. She wasn't having doubts, but in Rosie's mind, things were very quickly becoming messy.
Stepping out of the bathroom, towelling her wet hair, Jennie grinned and then turned solemn at Rosie's expression. "Is everything okay?"
"Can we ... talk for a second. Don't worry, I haven't changed my mind. I just ... want to figure some things out because ... this is-"
"Yeah."
Sinking onto the bed beside her, Jennie raised her eyebrows and Rosie nodded, searching for the words to express her concerns.
"Okay ... so ... how is this going to work? I mean ... we just got married and we- we don't live together and my entire life is under a magnifying glass right now and-"
Covering Rosie's hand with her own, Jennie looked at her with soothing brown eyes, urging her to take a breath as Rosie slumped. "We can ... stay at mine. I'm a lot less conspicuous than you so I can't sneak into your apartment every night, and we can't rent this house forever, so we'll stay at mine. Unless you want to go to one of your other houses? Rhode Island?"
Shaking her head, Rosie's mouth thinned, "they always know when I'm in town. Like you said ... conspicuous. But I can't just ... move in. People will notice sooner or later."
"Then don't move in," Jennie said with a quiet laugh, affecting Rosie's accent before kissing her lightly and cupping her chin, "stay at my place every night and every day, and be seen going back to your apartment with photographers parked outside and no one will even blink at it."
"It's risky."
"We're already deep into risky, baby," Jennie murmured, a v forming between her brows as her mouth thinned. Perking up a moment later, she climbed to her feet and gently pulled Rosie up with her. "But right now, I need to eat something full of salt and grease and at least three cups of your coffee."
Following her downstairs, Rosie made straight for the coffee machine, which soon roused the other three women who'd passed out in the house the night before. The five of them were quiet as they nursed their hangovers, Jennie frying up eggs while Rosie buttered toast in between bites. Lisa was looking a little green and Jisoo was busy doling out pills and water, looking crabby, while Seulgi dozed in her seat.
"So ... that's it then," Jisoo said after they'd all finished clearing their plates. "You're married."
Sharing a glance, Jennie and Rosie smiled, their hands finding each other beneath the table.
"Thanks for your help yesterday," Jennie said as she raised her coffee to her lips. "I know it was all a bit ... rushed."
"What're you going to do now?" Lisa rasped, deep circles beneath her eyes, "you know ... about, well, everything."
"Nothing, for now," Rosie said with more conviction than she felt, aiming for nonchalance even as worry nagged at her. "We'll just keep quiet about it. It'll all work out, don't worry."
No one wanted to burst their bubble about it, but there was a palpable air of unease around the table, even as Jennie and Rosie smiled and casually brushed hands or touched shoulders, the little affections cherished after so long denying themselves.
The other women had to leave soon after, well-wishing and stern warnings offered up as they left through the back door, and Rosie and Jennie found themselves truly alone for the first time since the morning before.
As Rosie climbed the last step, she met Jennie's eyes from across the room, where she was cleaning up in the kitchen, and Rosie was struck by the reality that this was going to be her life now. They'd have work and travelling and difficulty hiding it, but there would be days when she came home to Jennie putting their dishes away, mornings where she woke her up with breakfast in bed, nights spent cuddled up on the sofa watching movies neither of them had had the time to watch.
It left her feeling breathless as a giddiness overtook her, and Rosie quickly strode across the room as Jennie stared at her, a quiet intensity in her eyes. Grasping her face in her hands, Rosie kissed her roughly, the sound of cutlery clattering on a plate as Jennie let it drop onto the counter, and they kissed until they were laughing and out of breath, pulses jumping and eyes bright.
"I love you," Rosie whispered, resting their foreheads together, "I never thought I'd be able to say it to you again, but I do. I'll tell you it every day for the rest of my life. I love you."
"I love you too," Jennie murmured against her lips, and Rosie could feel her smile.
They finished tidying up in the kitchen and clearing away a few forgotten bottles from their celebrations the night before, and then Rosie packed a bag. Just a small bag, with clothes for a few days and the things she couldn't do without, and then, lugging her little orange tree as Jennie cradled Hank, she left the house on Cornelia Street for the last time, leaving the rest up to Doyeon to arrange for moving.
They took Jennie's car, piling everything into the back, and with caps and sunglasses pulled on, they set off through the backed-up city traffic, holding hands across the centre console. And despite how tenuous their little plan was, Rosie couldn't stop the lurching excitement in her stomach, the feeling so right, so perfectly right that she was restless with anticipation of arriving at Jennie's apartment.
Riding the elevator up with their arms full and the shared glances that betrayed their eagerness, they stepped out onto Jennie's floor - their floor - and Jennie unlocked the door to reveal the apartment beyond. Hank ran inside first and Rosie lingered in the doorway as Jennie lugged the potted tree in after him, taking a moment to drink it all in.
Glancing over her shoulder, Jennie's expectant look softened into one of understanding, and, depositing the pot on the ground, she smiled as she moved over to Rosie and took her hand, urging her over the threshold.
"We're home," she said
And it wasn't Rosie's home, because they'd never lived there together before - had never lived anywhere together - but Rosie knew what she meant. She could feel it in her chest, that peace, that feeling like she'd come home to her every day for her whole life. And it had nothing to do with the apartment, it was just Jennie. Shaking herself out of her reverie, Rosie smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
"Yes, we're home."
-
"That was when it was good," Rosie laughed, a wry twist to her lips, "it's always good at the beginning, right? The honeymoon phase. We didn't even get to have a honeymoon though, because that would mean going somewhere we'd be easily spotted, and that was the opposite of what we wanted. But it was good. It was ... perfect."
"But that must've been hard for you."
"Immeasurably."
Rosie exhaled as her smile turned uneven, running her palms over her jeans as she shifted forward. She could feel Jennie's eyes on her, attentive and encouraging, and she subconsciously touched the rings on her hand as a gentle reassurance that they'd come through it.
"People think that when you find that person, the one, all your problems are magically fixed. They aren't though, you just feel happy and loved enough to excuse them, ignore them. I managed it for a while, for a few weeks, but the anxiety. I was used to sleeping with pills, staying awake with pills, drinking to take the edge off the nerves. As happy as we were, I spent so many nights awake, thinking through every bad scenario, every way it could go wrong. And, I mean, before ... the worst that could happen was a broken heart and a reprimand from my label for being reckless. But to be married ... that was something else entirely."
-
They didn't tell anyone else - not even their parents - and the thrill of their secret marriage was enough to dissuade any prolonged worry about getting caught out. It was difficult, timing their arrivals at the apartment, making sure as well as they could that their departures went unnoticed.
And on the flip side of that, Rosie had photographers stationed outside her apartment nearly every night for those few weeks, hounding her as rumours and lies still spread like wildfire. Her hopes that everything would've blown over by now were woefully mistaken, and it wore away at her until she stopped going home and stopped going out. Jennie's apartment was her home now anyway, so why shouldn't she hole up and let the whispers die.
It was easier said than done and Rosie was distracted, restless inside the apartment, inspiration fleeting when it came. Still, she filled notebooks with lyrics, trying to shake the pressure of a new album that she knew would have to come eventually. Not now, but once her reputation had recovered enough for Chanyeol's liking, once she could make him his millions again.
November in Chicago was blustery and cool, grey skies and orange leaves falling outside the windows, and Rosie bundled up in sweaters as she holed herself up in Jennie's office. It had unspokenly been relinquished to her as a music room, and Jennie was a frequent audience, listening to the scraps of songs and melodies she composed.
She was there then, knocking on the open door with her elbow, plate and a mug in hand as she loped inside. Fresh ginger snap cookies that were still soft and warm were arranged on the plate and Jennie kissed the top of her head as she passed off a steaming chai latte to Rosie, before leaving back against the desk.
"So ... what's it called?"
"What?" Rosie asked, taking a sip of her latte, the taste of cinnamon flooding her mouth as she swallowed, setting the hot mug down and rubbing feeling back into her cold fingers.
"The song? You've been playing it for the last hour. Surely it's something."
"Maybe. Maybe not."
Rolling her eyes, Jennie smiled as she picked up a biscuit and took a bite, speaking around a mouthful. "Well, play it for me then."
With a sheepish wince of a smile, Rosie picked up her guitar and balanced it in her lap. Flipping through the pages of her scribbles, she searched for the right part and cleared her throat, before strumming the melody.
"Is the end of all the endings?
My broken bones are mending
With all these nights we're spending
Up on the roof with a school girl crush
Drinking beer out of plastic cups
Say you fancy me, not fancy stuff
Baby, all at once, this is enough
And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for
Queen of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa
And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for
Queen of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa
And all at once, you're all I want, I'll never let you go
Queen of my heart, body and soul, ooh whoa"
"I've nearly got the verses down," Rosie said with a grin as she continued to pluck at the strings, the melody dwindling away, "but the chorus ... it's been stuck in my head for the past week. I just had to write it down."
Eyes shining with happiness, no small amount of pride, and a fair bit of smugness, Jennie unfolded her arms as she smiled at Rosie.
"I love it."
"Yeah? I'm trying to figure out a way to put it on the next album without ... well, you know. I'm not sure how though."
"Well, that's easy; just say king."
Mouth thinning with an exasperated grimace, Rosie set her guitar aside and climbed to her feet, crossing the gap between them and giving Jennie's cheeks a squeeze.
"But," she lightly replied, "you're not a king , and the song is about you. "
"And I know that, and you know that, and, one day, everyone will know that."
A stern look clouding her face, Rosie gave Jennie a searching look, "wouldn't you prefer it if I just ... found some way to make it gender-neutral? So we can still pretend-"
Cutting her off with a kiss, Jennie extracted herself from Rosie's arms and stooped down to pluck another biscuit from the plate, holding it up to Rosie's mouth.
"I want you to focus on whatever lyrics feel right to you. They don't all have to be true, you know. You can make up lies and tell stories about made-up people, or just make people believe that. I promise you, I will never be the person to get angry at you for twisting songs to make them better. Hell, if you wrote songs about us now, I'm sure they'd all be sappy and sweet and have all of your fans out for my blood for not breaking your heart."
Choking on a laugh, Rosie took the biscuit and took a bite, humming with appreciation. "These are really good."
"I tweaked the recipe," Jennie confessed in a hushed tone, kissing Rosie's nose and letting her go.
Rosie's phone started ringing then, startling her, and she crossed over to the armchair to answer it, staring down at Hyeri's name lighting up the screen. Swallowing, she cleared her throat.
"Hello?"
"I'm downstairs. Can you buzz me up?"
Hesitating, a smile spreading across her face as Jennie's arms wound around her waist and she nuzzled her neck, Rosie shook herself back to the conversation.
"I'm not home right now."
"I'm aware," Hyeri dryly replied, "it's about to rain. Put some clothes on and tell Jennie to open the damn door."
Before Rosie could reply, the line went dead and she stood there open-mouthed with a light flush colouring her cheeks.
"Is everything okay?" Jennie murmured against her skin.
Blinking, Rosie closed her mouth and shook her head, "I- yeah. Hyeri is here. Let me just ... buzz her up."
"Hyeri?"
Wincing as she quickly crossed the room, nearly tripping over her feet in her haste, Rosie let out a strained laugh.
"Had to happen sooner or later, right? She's pretty reasonable - sometimes - so maybe ... it's fine. Don't worry about it."
Reaching the intercom beside the front door, Rosie pushed a button and stepped back, turning to face Jennie. Giving her a wan smile, she swallowed thickly, a nervous fluttering inside her.
Crossing the distance, she wrapped her arms around Jennie and rocked them slightly, closing her eyes. With a wry smile, Rosie exhaled.
"Well ... it had to happen sooner or later, right?"
"You can just ... lie."
"It's okay," Rosie murmured, kissing her temple, "I want people to know. It's about time. Besides, what're they going to do? Tell us to get a divorce?"
Choking on a laugh, Jennie pulled back and arched an eyebrow, "yeah, Rosie, I think that's exactly what they'd say."
"Then it's a good thing it's not up to them," Rosie stubbornly replied, tweaking Jennie's chin as a thunderous knock sounded on the door.
Rolling her eyes, Rosie walked over and opened it, taking in her publicist's scowl as she stamped her feet and stepped inside.
"Couldn't you have just stayed on the damn West Coast? I feel like my feet are going to fall off and it's not even winter yet."
Lightly kissing her cheek as she sighed softly with exasperation, Rosie took Hyeri's coat and hung it up beside the door. Shutting it behind herself, Hyeri walked further inside with a curious look on her face, taking in Jennie's home.
"We could've met at my apartment, you know," Rosie hedged as she followed after her, distant sounds of Jennie in the kitchen reaching her ears.
Turning, Hyeri arched an eyebrow, "well, you've been spending so much time here lately, I thought you must've moved in."
Folding her arms over her chest, Rosie raised both eyebrows, "and how would you know that? Is Doyeon spying on me again?"
Sighing, Hyeri fished her phone out of her pocket, "you know I keep track of your cellphones in case they go missing."
"Jesus, Hyeri, I know you're in every part of my life but do I not get any privacy at all?"
"I don't give a shit if you're here, do I? I already know this little thing is going on; as a matter of fact, I'm one of the only ones helping you with it. I've seen you here every day and night, and I could've called you out on it a lot sooner."
"Why are you here?" Rosie wearily asked, too tired of the same old conversations to be angry. Especially when she was about to drop a bombshell on her publicist.
Moving further into the apartment, heels clicking on the hardwood floors as she stepped around Hank and spotted Jennie in the kitchen. Despite her misgivings, Hyeri greeted her warmly and Jennie anxiously reciprocated, her smile uneven as she offered up coffee from the pot she'd nervously brewed as a distraction.
The three of them soon found themselves sitting in the living room, scattered on the sofas and armchairs with cups of coffee crowding the low table.
"I thought we could all do with an update on how things are going," Hyeri said.
"You couldn't ask over the phone?" Rosie grumbled.
With a pointed look, Hyeri's mouth thinned, "you have a habit of hiding things when I talk to you over the phone. I mean ... look at you." She waved a hand at Rosie and shook her head, "you're not sleeping properly again. This time off ... no offence, Jennie, dear, but it was supposed to be a time for you to recover, Rosie. To get over this ... hiccup. I don't expect you to be working away on the next album, but you were doing so well. What happened? Because now I find you here when I thought this was all on the outs, and-"
"We got married," Rosie bluntly interrupted.
The silence was overwhelming for a long moment, no one moving, although Rosie could feel Jennie cringing from where she sat. Eventually, Hyeri let out a choked laugh.
"Tell me that's a very poor joke."
Flexing her fingers, Rosie held her left hand up, where the old engagement ring Jennie had first proposed with had been dug out of the back of a drawer and donned above the matching wedding bands they'd had made. She watched as surprise flashed across Hyeri's face, a dozen emotions from understanding to anger passing, before settling on a stony look.
"Are you fucking kidding me," she exclaimed, leaning forward.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Rosie glanced sideways at Jennie. "No."
Shooting to her feet, Hyeri ran her fingers through her hair as she paced, kicking her heels off and letting them clatter to the floor as she clenched her jaw. Rosie waited patiently for her to speak.
"Do you have any idea how hard you make my job?" Hyeri snapped, "do you- do you think it's fun for me to worry about cleaning up after you? You're so rash and reckless. Do you even think about the consequences of your actions? Do you? "
"Do you think it's bloody fun for me to have to listen to everyone else all the time?" Rosie bitingly retorted, bristling as she climbed to her feet. "Am I not allowed a single piece of happiness? Can't you just ... stop being my publicist for one single second and be happy for me?"
Rosie's eyes burned with tears, making her even more frustrated as she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. She felt small before Hyeri, young and childlike, like she was being chastised - which she was - and Rosie chafed at the feeling.
"This isn't personal, Rosie. Of course I'm happy for you, if this is what you want, but I have a job to do, and that comes before any personal feelings I have right now. Jesus, I just-" roughly exhaling, Hyeri ran a hand over her face and turned to face Rosie, "you know, sometimes it feels like you don't want this anymore, and that's a real shame. But you don't have to blow up a decade of hard work that everyone else has put into you. Into your career. It's not just about you; don't you see that?"
Letting out a scathing laugh, Rosie smiled bitterly, "no, it's never been about just me, about what I want. I've spent my entire career listening to what's best for the brand and I just- I'm done . I don't want it anymore, so ... go ahead and tell Chanyeol and tell Irene and tell him he can take his contract and-"
"And what? Trap you? Because he will. Take you to court for breaching your agreement? He'll do that too."
"I don't care! I don't care anymore, Hyeri. This is killing me. Things were supposed to be better and they're just- they're not. I don't think my reputation is going to recover from this whole mess so I just- I'm doing what I want for a change, okay?"
"And what? You're just going to hide this until ... when exactly?"
With a grudging scowl, Rosie clenched her teeth, speaking through them, "Chanyeol will get his album if he wants it. I'll be free after that."
"After you tour," Hyeri bluntly corrected her. "That's, what, another year? You want to hide this for two more years?"
Shrugging, Rosie sank back down onto the sofa and Jennie shifted closer to her, wary and slow, "we've been doing just fine so far."
"And with all due respect, Hyeri," Jennie quietly started, "this is none of your-"
"Do not tell me it's none of my business. Everything she does is my business; it's what she hired me for. I'm not paid to indulge her, I'm paid to keep her squeaky clean and buy off the media, which at this rate, is practically impossible."
"I'm well aware of what they're still printing," Rosie muttered, "let them run it."
"If you want to dig your grave faster, then so be it," Hyeri said, throwing her hands up and flopping back down onto the sofa, tense with irritation.
All of them fell silent, and Rosie could see Hyeri seething as she peered at her from the corner of her eyes. Jennie squeezed her hand, catching her attention, and Rosie offered her a ghost of a smile.
Finally sighing, Hyeri fixed her with a grim look of amusement, "I suppose this is when I'm supposed to congratulate you?"
Lips twitching, Rosie cocked her head to the side, her chin tipping up in a haughty manner as she surveyed her. "I would like that."
Rolling her eyes, Hyeri climbed to her feet and beckoned her and Rosie went willingly, the tense knot inside her easing minutely. Wrapping her in a hug, Rosie smiled as she closed her eyes, things smoothed over by the forgiving gesture.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Patting her back in a resigned manner, Hyeri pulled back and gave her a wry smile, before her eyes slid to Jennie. "Break her heart one more time and I'll launch the biggest smear campaign this industry has ever seen. I'll make sure you never work again."
Wincing, Rosie cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows, "well ... that was fun. Do you have anything else you need to shout at me for?"
"Oh, it won't be me you need to look out for. Just wait until I break the news to Chanyeol. Irene will be ecstatic, of course. And call your mother. I take it you haven't told her or she would've had me on the line to talk some sense into you straight away."
"I'll call her later," Rosie murmured, properly admonished. "Is there ... anything I can do to help?"
Sighing, Hyeri shook her head and picked up her coffee, knocking it back and putting on her shoes. "Just ... stay out of sight. One crisis at a time, no? Let me handle Jeong Jaehyun first and then we'll talk about this."
"Thank you," Rosie murmured, genuine gratitude colouring her voice as she lowered her hackles.
Nodding, Hyeri picked up her bag and glanced at them both before rolling her eyes. " You two. Never have I had a client who caused me so much trouble. I think I might retire early, God knows I deserve it."
"You and I both know you love the drama of it all."
"You certainly make it a challenge, and you're testing my patience. No more scandals. Not
for at least another year. That includes a secret divorce, God be unwilling."
Sheepishly smiling, Rosie trailed her to the door and watched as Hyeri donned her coat
before catching her cold fingers and giving her hand a squeeze.
"Thank you, Hyeri. I mean it. I know we give each other a hard time, but ... I'm grateful."
"Try not to give me any more reasons to track your phone," Hyeri said, patting Rosie's cheek affectionately, "I hate to mother you."
"I'll try. Maybe I'll ... get out of town for a bit. I don't know."
Grimacing, Hyeri nodded in agreement. "Just one more order; try and get some sleep, Rosie."
"I will."
She left after and Rosie fell back against the closed door, feeling hollow and shaky as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She heard Jennie's quiet footsteps and opened her eyes, forcing a bright smile to her face as she brushed her hair out of her face.
"That went well, don't you think?"
"No," Jennie spluttered, an incredulous look of amusement on her face. "I mean, I certainly expected worse , but-"
"I know."
"Hey, are you okay?"
Jennie crossed the space between them and bundled Rosie up into a hug, smoothing her blonde hair as Rosie buried her face into her shoulder.
"It's okay. They'll all get over it," she murmured reassuringly in Rosie's hair. "They don't have a choice, do they?"
"I don't know, Jennie. I don't think this is something Chanyeol will just ... get over. He's ..."
"Greedy."
"Yes," Rosie exhaled heavily, "yes, he is. He'll want to protect his investment."
"You're more than an investment, Rosie. And it's not all on you, you know. Tell me how to help. How can I fix this for you?"
Pulling back with a choked laugh, Rosie shrugged helplessly, a sad smile on her face. "You can't fix it, Jen. It's a marriage, not a problem. "
"But it is a problem. A good one, I hope, but it's not easy," Jennie frowned.
"I don't need saving from it though, it's not something I didn't choose for myself."
"But we need to do something!" Jennie firmly replied, "you can't keep going on like this. You don't sleep, you don't eat, you don't go out. I'm worried about you. So tell me what you need."
"I just need you . Don't go anywhere, okay? Because that scares me more than the rest."
"Is that what has you so stressed?" Jennie asked with an uneven smile.
Softly sighing, her shoulders going slack, Rosie closed her eyes. "Of course it is. I feel like I can't even enjoy this properly because I'm too worried about what'll happen. So, yes, I stay home and it keeps me up at night, but you can't save me from my own mind. My doubts. My fears."
"I'm not trying to save you. I just want to be with you and not have to worry."
Drawing in a long breath, Rosie held it for a second before meeting Jennie's eyes and giving her a pained look.
"Then if I wanted to leave, go somewhere for a while, would you come?"
"Would I come with you? Rosie, I- of course I would. I'd come with you in a heartbeat."
Breathing out, Rosie swallowed and offered her a weak smile, "would you really?"
"Let's go right now," Jennie said with a crooked smile, reaching to take Rosie's hand, "let's pack a bag and go. Wherever you like."
"I want to go home," Rosie said in such a small voice, so weighed down with exhaustion, feeling like she might cry. "Come to Melbourne with me. Come to Australia.
"Your childhood home?"
"No one will find us there."