Ms. Kim wants me!

CHAPTER 38

LISA'S POV

It's been a couple of days since I last saw Jennie.

The rain-soaked memory of her calling out my name still haunted me, echoing in my mind every night before I fell asleep. Tonight, I was at home getting ready for bed, trying to push it all away, when suddenly my phone lit up with an unknown number.

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Lisa?" The voice on the other end was slightly out of breath.

"Yes," I replied, my eyebrows knitting together.

"This is Taehyung!" he said quickly.

My eyes widened at the mention of his name. "Taehyung? Why are you calling me? I'm getting ready for bed!" I said, irritation and confusion in my voice.

"I'm sorry," he said hurriedly, "but Jennie is very drunk right now. She wants to see you. I was on my way to a meeting and I found her at a bar, she's very, very drunk! Can you please come and get her? I'm forced to attend this meeting, and I can't stay." His voice was rushed, almost panicked.

I pressed my fingers against my temple. "Ugh, fine!" I groaned.

"Good, I'll text you the address," he said before quickly hanging up.

A moment later, the address popped up on my screen. It was only a ten-minute drive from my house.

With a heavy sigh, I grabbed my keys and headed out, my heart beating strangely fast.

When I parked outside the bar, the neon lights flickered faintly against the dark street.

Through the open door, I spotted Jennie, she was slumped over at a table, her hair messy, her makeup smudged, smiling weakly yet crying at the same time. The sight of her like that made my chest ache.

I got out of the car and walked toward the entrance. Taehyung was waiting near the doorway.

"Thank God you're here! I need to go, I'm late," he said quickly, already stepping away.

"Yeah, go," I muttered. He disappeared, leaving just me and Jennie.

I turned to her and my heart clenched. She was swaying slightly, her eyes unfocused, a small smile on her face even as her tears streamed down.

I reached out and took her hand gently.

"Huh? Who are you? Nah, nahh, I don't care! You're beautiful," she giggled, her words slurring together.

I sighed and began lifting her out of the bar, my grip firm but gentle.

"Come on," I murmured, bringing her toward my car.

"Where are we going, beautiful girl?" she asked, her voice playful.

"My house," I replied softly.

"Yayyy!!" she shouted happily, her laugh echoing in the empty parking lot.

We arrived at my house, and by then she was practically asleep on her feet. I put her into the living room, my arms straining under her weight.

She was heavier than she looked, or maybe I was just too tired. Either way, every step felt like a battle.

I finally got her to sit down on the couch and noticed a stain on her shirt, something dark, maybe wine.

I grabbed a cloth and began wiping at it gently, but before I could clean it, she grabbed my hand.

"Stop!! Only my Lili, Lisa can do that! Don't touch me! You're not Lisa!" she cried, her voice cracking with drunken emotion.

I froze, the memories of the last time she got drunk flashing in my head.

"Who is this Lisa?" I asked quietly, playing along, my heart already breaking.

"She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen! I love her so much! I wanna marry her! She's amazing. I asked her to come back to me, but she rejected me..." she whined like a child, her lips trembling.

I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight. "Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered, leaning close to my ear.

"I... still... love... her," she giggled softly, her words heavy despite her laugh.

My heart shattered. "I am Lisa," I said finally, looking at her.

Her eyes widened, and she reached up, holding my face with her trembling hands.

She looked at me for a long moment before smiling faintly.

"Oh yeah... you are Lisa! Yay!" she chuckled, her words slurred but warm.

She let go of my hand and allowed me to continue wiping the stain. My hands shook as I worked, trying to focus on anything but the ache in my chest.

I pulled her up carefully and began walking her toward my bedroom. She stumbled against me, her legs like jelly.

"Where are we going?" she asked, tilting her head.

"To sleep," I groaned, trying to steady us both.

"Huh? To sleep together?" she asked again, a small smile playing on her lips.

"No, you idiot," I said, unable to stop a tiny laugh from slipping out.

"Dang it!" she pouted adorably, her lower lip jutting out.

We were almost to the door when both of us tripped. In an instant, we landed on the floor with a dull thud.

We both groaned in unison.

"That hurts," she murmured, wincing.

"I'm hurt too," I groaned back, rubbing my elbow. She looked at me suddenly, her expression softening despite the alcohol.

"I can't let you get hurt!" she said, wrapping her arms around me protectively, pressing her forehead against mine as if shielding me from something.

"Lisa..."

"Yeah?" My heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice.

"I still love you," she whispered, her words clearer than anything she'd said all night.

My breath caught in my throat. The room spun around us, but for a second, all I could see was her, Jennie, the woman I'd never stopped loving, holding me in her arms on the cold floor of my apartment, confessing what I'd been dying to hear.