Loved You First (Jenlisa) COMPLETED

20

There was an annoying throbbing at her temple, Lisa couldn't quite explain. She squinted in an attempt to shake it off as she pushed herself into a sitting position, awake but a little confused. It was morning; that much she could tell. She raised her hand to the side of her forehead and discovered the bandage.

Right, drunk guy in the clinic. Fun times.

There was a bottle of aspirin and glass of water next to her bed with a Post-it from her mother instructing her to take the pills upon waking. She did, and shortly after her shower, felt immensely better. She applied her customary lip gloss and checked her phone for any communication from Jennie. A text. A voice mail. Anything. She wasn't surprised, but she was sadly disappointed.

The look on Jennie's face as she'd fled the scene yesterday resonated with her. Terrified. That was the best way to categorize it. She thought of the scenario from Jennie's perspective, having already lost so much in her life, and understood her freak out. But that didn't mean she wasn't hurt by it, by the way she walked out of the clinic.

On her.

There was really only one thing left to do.

She pulled the suitcase from beneath her bed and started to pack.

-

She'd overreacted with Lisa.

Jennie knew that now. It had taken her a good twenty-four hours to come down from the emotional rollercoaster the day had her on, but in that time, she'd gained perspective on a few things.

And while it took her a couple of days to figure that out, she knew that now. She'd been so caught off guard by the possibility of something happening to Lisa that it took her right back to that horrific time in her life, and she'd fled the scene in response. It was a defense mechanism and one she wasn't exactly proud of.

In the wake of their fight, she'd pulled herself back emotionally. She'd spent the last couple of days going through the motions of her day-to-day life and feeling incredibly hollow in the process. It was time to fix what had gone wrong and navigate the very dicey waters that may still be ahead.

While she didn't exactly know how, she had to find a way to make it right with Lisa.

She rang the bell and waited nervously on the front porch of the Manobans' house. Her heart sank at the realization that Lisa's Beetle wasn't in the driveway. It was possible she'd already left for Seoul and she was too late. She hoped that wasn't the case.

Lillian beamed upon opening the door.

"Well, this is a nice surprise!" She kissed Jennie's cheek. "You look tired, sweetheart. Is everything okay? How's your father? Is he doing all right on the Atacand I prescribed?"

The succession of concerned questions was really nothing new. Lillian and Marco made a habit out of worrying about their family, and she was grateful to be included.

"We're both fine. He seems to be adjusting to the new medication well. Thank you for taking such good care of him. Is, um, Lisa home by chance?"

Lillian sighed. "She said good-bye twenty minutes ago and headed out. She said something about taking some time to clear her head before getting on the road to Seoul. She seemed to have some things on her mind, but didn't bother to tell me about them. I feel like I have to be a mind reader with my own daughter."

"I'm sure she wants to. It's hard for her sometimes. She doesn't want to upset you."

"I'd rather she upset me than shut me out."

She decided to go out on a limb. "Does she know that?"

"Of course she knows that. She's my child."

But Jennie knew it was something Lisa needed to hear.