What Is - Jenlisa (Book 2)

Chapter 18 - The Other Shoe

Lisa watched Taehyung walk in, her fists clenched in her pockets. The sight of him still triggered a surge of anger she struggled to suppress. That kiss on her cheek, right in front of her eyes, almost made her snap. The thought of him and Jennie being okay, but they're not, added more frustration.

Jealousy had a way of eating her alive, gnawing slowly but steadily, until it was all she could think about. Seeing Taehyung's easy smile directed at Jennie felt like salt being rubbed into an open wound, a constant reminder of everything that had gone wrong. Lisa's mind swirled with memories and regrets, each one feeding into her jealousy more and more.

Jealousy was a tricky beast. It can twist your thoughts, making you see threats where there might be none, making you feel possessive over something that was never yours to begin with. It was irrational, Lisa knew that... but knowing didn't make it any easier to control.

"I was expecting heavy traffic so I left early," Taehyung said, smiling at Jennie. "I know how much you hate being late." Lisa rolled her eyes subtly at his statement as she closed the door, trying so hard to keep her cool, but the force she unconsciously used to close it betrayed her. Jennie glanced at Lisa, raising her brow with questions written all over her face before turning her attention back to Taehyung.

"I'll change, then we can go," Jennie said, then walked a few steps to the stairs before turning to face Taehyung again. "Or maybe you can go first, and I'll just meet you there?"

"How about we use one car? I'll drive so we can discuss things on the way," Taehyung suggested, tucking his hands in his pockets before glancing with a subtle smirk at Lisa as if taunting her. Lisa caught his sly glance and felt her blood boil instantly, nails digging into her palms.

Jealousy fed off these small moments, magnifying them until they were all she could see. The rational part of her mind told her that she was overreacting, that Taehyung wasn't doing anything wrong. But the irrational part, the jealous part, couldn't help but see everything as a challenge, a threat that could jeopardize the fragile situation she was struggling to maintain with Jennie.

"Okay, let me just grab my stuff." Jennie agreed, and Lisa snapped her head towards Jennie's direction, disbelief written all over her face, not expecting that she would actually agree to that.

Jennie hurried back to her room, and Lisa followed quickly behind, leaving Taehyung in the living room alone. "You guys have plans this weekend?" she asked, going straight to the point as soon as they entered Jennie's room, not even bothering to knock this time. Boundaries were forgotten thanks to the brewing storm of emotions she was trying her best to control.

"Mmhm, we're going to check the progress of the hotel's final touches," Jennie said casually as she gathered her things, not sensing the obvious stress from Lisa.

"Without telling me?!" Lisa blurted out with a little raise in her tone - her attempt to keep her voice down was a complete failure. Jennie looked up at her, eyes squinting with the audacity of Lisa to act that way.

"Why would I need to tell you?"

"B-because!..." Lisa stammered, realizing that she had no right to know anything about her plans, or any rights to make demands. She took a deep breath to calm down but her heart kept pounding hard against her chest, with jealousy and anger flowing through her veins. She tried to say something, anything to explain, or justify her feelings but came up empty. All she could do was watch Jennie pack her things that seemed to be enough for an overnight stay. The thought of them going somewhere together, alone, overnight - it stung so much and she hated every bit of it.

"I just--" Lisa tried to say but the words got stuck in her throat, not knowing how to express herself without sounding pathetic. "I don't get it..."

Jennie looked up at Lisa again, still with that questioning look on her face, "Don't get what?"