Prank Date [✔]

Part 30

I blew out the breath I had been holding the entire time Jennie was telling her family off.

The Kims glanced at each other. No one said a word. They all looked as if a bomb had just gone off in their faces.

Isn't anyone going to get up to see if Jennie is okay?

I frowned. But maybe Jennie wouldn't want to face her family. Now that she had time to think, Jennie probably felt embarrassed. She was used to keeping things to herself and didn't normally react with emotional outbursts.

Well, this one was long overdue. I was proud of Jennie for speaking her mind.

"Are we really that bad as parents?" Jennie's mother looked at Jin.

"Well," Jin said, "I wouldn't say bad, but ..." He shrugged. "You're not the overly involved type, that's for sure."

Mr. Kim sank against the backrest of his chair. After a few more seconds of silence, I got up. The Kim's stares zeroed in on me.

"I'll go see if Jennie is okay," I said.

Jennie's mother hesitated. "Maybe I should go."

"If you want." I paused, torn between hoping Jennie would bond with her mother and wanting to protect Jennie from her parents. "But maybe Jennie needs a minute before she's ready to talk to us." I added.

Jennie's mother didn't get up. She sat looking at me for several seconds, her expression almost pleading.

Taking the easy way out again. I sighed. I think they do love Jennie, but they have no clue how to show her. Now the question is: is this the right moment to show her that I love her?

I buried my head in my hands. my legs trembled, so I leaned against the kitchen counter. Get yourself together. I inhaled and exhaled and tried to shut out everything but my breathing.

A soft touch to my shoulder made me jump.

"Hey," Lisa murmured. "It's just me. Are you okay?"

I wiped my eyes before I turned toward Lisa. My eyes burned, and I had to clear my throat before I could speak.