Love You Twice

Chapter 11

Chaewon

I spent all of Saturday in bed. No work means not moving from the spot on my bed.

"Chaewon! Come get dinner!" My mom yells. As much as I don't want to move, my stomach loves food and it's in much need of some.

I roll out my bed and walk to the kitchen. Mom has a pizza and my friends behind her.

"Go away." I say, not wanting to deal with them today. I can't just have one day of peace?

"No way." Zuha says. She grabs the pizza and Eunchae grabs me dragging me to my room.

"Mom!" I yell wanting her to help me. "Sorry hunny! They paid me a good amount of money!" My mom yells back.

My own blood is a traitor.

"We aren't leaving this room until you tell us what happened last night." Kazuha demands. Her and Eunchae sit beside me on my bed, and immediately start digging into the pizza in front of us.

Shouldn't they be home healing from a hangover?

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I grab a slice of pizza and take a big bite out of it.

"Where did you run off to last night?" Eunchae asks.

"Sorry can't talk. Eating." I say with my mouth full.

"Chaewon!" Zuha yells. "Okay fine. I just took Jennifer home. She was drunk and sad. She caught Yeji cheating on her."

"With who?" Eunchae asks. Maybe I can take their attention off me and put it onto Yeji and her failure to keep it in her pants.

"Ryujin." Eunchae gasps, and Kazuha laughs. "Honestly Sakura deserves it after everything." Zuha says, and Eunchae raises a brow at her.

"Really? Because last night you would beg to differ." Eunchae says. What did I miss? "Wait...what happened?" I ask.

"This idiot went and talked to Sakura." Eunchae says, smacking zuha in the back of the head. Zuha immediately smacks her back causing them to get into a small hitting match.

Everything juicy happens when I leave. I'm never leaving a party early again.

"Guys! What do you mean you talked to her?" I ask, pulling them out of their fighting. Zuha looked at her hands.

"I was drunk! Sakura was there and she just looked so hot!" Zuha whines, putting her head in her hands.

"Are you serious? Eunchae why didn't you stop her?" I ask. "I tried!" Eunchae puts up her hands.

I guess zuha is really hard to stop from doing something if she wants to do it. "What did you do?" I ask, completely forgetting we were just talking about Jennifer and I.

"Nothing." Zuha answers. One thing about Zuha is she's a terrible liar. She always has been, so I can see right through her lies.

I give her a look, and she breaks. "Okay! I may or may not have broke down. It was really embarrassing!"

I don't know if I should scold my friend or hug her.

"What did she do?" I ask. "She took me upstairs and hugged me while I cried." After everything she's done... why is she being so nice?

Even eunchae seems shocked by what zuha is telling us.

"And?" Eunchae says between chewing her food. "And there may have been some kissing..." Zuha drags along her sentence, avoiding Eunchae and I's shocked stares.

"And some light touching." Zuha finishes her sentence.

"Kazuha..." I say seriously. She finally looks at me. "I know! I know I'm so weak and pathetic!" While the sentence may have been said jokingly, her face told a different story.

"No, no it's not that." I say, placing my hand on hers giving it a tight squeeze. "It's just... what are you wanting from this?" I ask seriously.

"She hurt you Zuha. There's no promise that she won't do it again." Eunchae says, and I nod along with her. She's right. Who is to say Sakura won't hurt her again?

"I know guys. I know... it's just so hard. I loved her for so long I don't know what it's like not to love her. I don't want to not love her." Zuha starts to break down a little.

A small tear rolls down her face, and Eunchae is quick to wipe it away. Eunchaes a better comforter, while Zuha and I are the better talkers.

It just works out this way. Eunchae cuddles up closer to zuha, rubbing her arm as she cries.

"It's hard zuha, I know it's hard, but you have to be careful. Have you talked to her since last night?"

"She texted me this morning letting me know she had fun last night and that she doesn't regret it." "Did you respond?" I ask. "I just said same, and she said we should meet up sometime. God I hate that she can do this to me!"

I move to hug zuha as well, and we all just lay in my bed comforting my best friend in the whole world.

"My head is so foggy. I'm just so confused. I love her so much, but I don't want to be hurt again." I just nod, letting her know I understand.

I listen to her soft sobs, and can't help but wonder why the world has to be so hateful. Why does bad things happen to good people?

——————

I always make sure to be an hour early to work. Nana is getting too old to make all the pastries on her own, so I like to help.

She's taught me how to make everything here, so I just maneuver around her making the next thing on the list of baked goods.

Cookies. My favorite. I've always loved baking cookies.

Before my father left we would always try new recipes for cookies. Throwing whatever we could find in the next batch.

For a long time I hated even the thought of baking a cookie, but Nana gave new purpose to baking.

She allowed me to separate the two, and brought back my joy. I owe everything to her.

All of this reminiscing makes me full of emotions, so while nana has her back turned to me counting the eggs we have left in stock, I'm quick to wrap my hands around her and give her a big hug.

"Woah Chae! What's this for?" She asks, patting my hands with hers. "Don't ever die nana." Nana shakes her head, chuckling.

"It's going to be a while before you can get rid of me darling." I let her go to not be so overbearing.

The tiny woman in front of me looks up at me and smiles. Her eyes squint, curling at the corners. I admire her wrinkles that all tell a story.

"I used to be upset that my kids never gave me grandchildren, but God sent me you. The most perfect one I could ask for." Nana pats my cheek, and I can't help the tears that well up.

Screw being overbearing. I pull her back into a tight hug.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Jennifer says, as she looks to the ground out of embarrassment from interrupting Nana and I.

"You're fine sweetheart. Let's get back to work we open soon." Nana pats my back.

"You girls can finish up front. I've got it all handled back here." I groan a little about the thought of being stuck with Jennifer up there, especially after the whole party situation.