the truth about monsters (Chaennie)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Calm

Jennie Kim lived a life of divine discipline. Day in and day out, her life was planned, from the cradle to the grave.

She was the product of her parents, the latest of an immensely powerful lineage of noble men and women, of crooks and thieves, and most recently- murderers.

Jennie had always seen herself as a part of them. Unquestioningly so.

She had gone to private schools, studied endlessly, painstakingly practiced the piano and language after language, honing herself to take up the mantle of her father's work, while pleasing her mother's demands of aesthetics and beauty.

She'd gotten battered and bruised in her time at the academy, where she'd thought she'd fallen in love.

She'd served her time in the bowels of hell, away from home, in the harsh environment of service. She'd made decisions that would have broken many others.

She'd returned to find her beloved mother and father, whom she'd lived her entire life for, left lifeless and unmoving in the wake of a mere car accident. She'd lost herself. She'd struggled for answers. She'd lashed out and cried and then schooled herself. She'd become stoic, and cold, and unlike the bright, intensely loving girl she'd known herself to be.

She poured her agony into her work, and life became business and pain.

She'd convinced herself that she could only honor her parents' memory by fulfilling their wishes and taking the helm of the company, including the dark underbelly of the business that no one dared take responsibility for.

Jennie Kim became the shell of a person.

And then, Roseanne Park came stumbling into her life, tearing at the walls she'd so meticulously slaved over building.

And then Jennie Kim truly, actually fell in love.

Not the kind of love she thought she'd felt for Irene.

No, it was real, intense, bright, terrifying love. The kind that consumed her in a way that had to be unhealthy, but felt so right. The kind that made her forget anything but Rosie's name, over and over again, on numb lips and an even number mind.

She didn't think resurrection was possible.

But there she was, her second day alone with Roseanne Park. And honestly, the day prior was spent entirely in bed- only once did she rise to bring Rosie food, and in a smiling, giggling heap, they ate together in bed. Gazing into each other's souls, talking of whatever they pleased, before they continued their exploration of their love, specifically, in the corporeal form.

Bliss did not begin to describe Jennie's thoughts, her feelings, the emotions that shook her to her very core.

And she knew Rosie felt the same way. She didn't have to ask. It was in the other girl's gaze, so blatantly filled with love, adoration, lust, and want.

They remained entangled with one another, under the blankets of Jennie's bed, acting as if the slightest distance between them would kill them.

Rosie was a cuddler. Jennie adored it.

A husky voice interrupted her revelations, and Jennie couldn't help but smile when she heard Rosie stir slightly behind her, legs very much entangled with Jennie, her body pressed to Jennie's back, effectively spooning her with warmth.

"How long have you been up?" Rosie rasped, burrowing her face into the crook of Jennie's shoulder.

The sunlight filtered into the room past the slits of the drawn curtains, setting everything ablaze in a gilded glow that perfectly captured the warmth of the moment, the intimacy of it all.