YOURS forever (JENLISA)

CHAPTER 5

Jennie POV

“Jennje, are you out of that chocolate peanut butter ice cream?” seulgi asks, seeming frustrated.

Mama said she needed to help Mrs. Kannan with something, which is code for she wants to play bridge with the girls, so here I am at the store. I don’t mind. It’s better than sitting at home and thinking of all the reasons I need to run away.

“I think we had a pint left!” I call out as I come around the counter. “I know Irene has been practically buying it in bulk.”

She laughs. “I don’t remember this when she was pregnant last time.” Her dark brown hair is longer than normal, and the circles under her eyes are dark. “She’s awake all night, puking all day. This is the only thing she can keep down.”

She must be going crazy. That women is a fixer if I’ve ever met one. She can’t handle not being able to do something to make things better. There’s no way she’s taking this well.

“I clearly can’t talk, but I assume each pregnancy is different.”

Seulgi searches through the small freezer and groans. “If I don’t come back with this, I worry she’ll find my shotgun and use it. Besides the tiredness, I think she’s become inhabited by Satan.”

Irene has been a little hostile, but I chalked it up to her adjusting to this new life. Marriage, another pregnancy, living in Bell Buckle again . . . I can’t imagine it’s been easy for her. Plus, knowing her, she’s most likely still making Seulgi pay for being an asshole not too long ago.

“Let me check the back, orange definitely isn’t her color.”

“Glad to see you’re worried about me, Jennie!” he calls out as I walk back.

I lift my hand and keep moving. “I’m on her side.”

As I open the door to the storage room, I almost fall over. What the hell? I organized this a week ago. Boxes are piled high, things thrown around, and nothing is where it should be. In all the years we’ve owned this store, I’ve never seen it like this. My mother is methodical about knowing where her inventory is.

I’ll never find anything in here.

I climb over the boxes and make it to the deep freeze. Thankfully, there are a few pints of the ice cream seulgi is looking for on a shelf so I don’t have to dig through boxes.

“You okay?” she asks as I stumble out of the storage area and shove my hair back.

“I apparently have a lot of work to do back there.”

She peaks her head around and nods. “You could always call Lisa.”

“I know you didn’t just say that.”

“I heard you have a pretty interesting night comin’ up.” seulgi smiles, egging me on.

This town is frustrating as all hell. I’ve always loved it here—until now. "Seulgi Manoban , you better get back to your wife or you’re going to be full of holes.”

She laughs and hands me a ten dollar bill. “I’m just sayin’ is all. My sister  can’t be too happy if she knows you’re goin’ out with Taehyung.”

“You can just say yourself right out that door.” My accent thickens as I say it. “Your sister had plenty of time to stake her claim. She chose not to.”

Seulgi, Rosé, and I were all in the same grade. The three of us were partners in crime, always into some kind of trouble. Before she met Irene, Seulgi had a thing for Rosé , which was awkward at times, but it was always the three of us. Then Rosé fell in love with Jisoo, and my heart became attached to Lisa. Poor seulgi was suddenly the odd man out. Plus, her heart’s desire was tied to her sisters.