Love Beyond Chains | Enhypen Jake

15

Nabi's POV

"JAKEEEE!" I scream at the top of the lungs.

He appears almost instantly, rushing out of the closet with incredible speed. His eyes are wide, his breathing heavy as he looks at me. "What? What's wrong? Are you ok?" He asks, his voice filled with concern.

"She's calling me! What do I do?"

"WHO?" Jake asks, my panic fueling his own.

"Amelia!" I explain, referring to the café owner who had interviewed us a few weeks ago.

"Then hurry up and answer it!" He exclaims. He grabs the phone out of my hand, swiping the answer button quickly before the call can cut off. He makes a gesturing motion and raises his eyebrows, urging me to say something.

Regaining my composure, I snatch my phone from Jake's hand and utter a sheepish, "Hello?"

"Nabi!" Amelia's voice is warm on the other end. "It's so nice to hear from you again."

"Thank you Mrs. Amelia, it's nice to hear from you too," I respond, feeling my nerves calm a bit.

"Yes, well, I guess I should get straight to the point," she chuckles. "I called to let you know that you were hired!"

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!" I squeal, jumping up and down. In all my excitement, I accidentally bump into Jake, who's watching me with an amused expression on my face. Looking at him makes me pause as I realize that there's something, or rather someone, that I had forgotten.

"Wait, what about Jake?" I ask Amelia quickly. "Was he hired too?"

The line goes quiet, and for a moment I'm worried she didn't even hear me. Just as I'm about to open my mouth to repeat the question, I hear her reply. "I'm sorry, but Jake didn't pass the interview." I turn around to look at Jake, wondering how he's processing this information.

Jake's expression shifts, but he forces a small smile when our eyes meet. He nods slightly, giving me a reassuring look, though I can tell he's masking his disappointment.

"Um...so that means Jake really isn't working with me?"

"Unfortunately not," she tells me gently. "But I'm sure he would have luck elsewhere."

I hesitate, the thrill of being hired quickly fading. I don't want to have a job if it means I can't enjoy it with Jake. Maybe it makes me sound selfish or clingy, but we've developed a team dynamic. It seems like we do almost everything together now. I can't imagine working hours a day without his smile and support right by my side.

"I'm sorry Amelia, but I'll decline the job," I say softly, feeling my voice steady with certainty.

"WHAT?" she practically yells.

At the same time, Jake snatches my phone from me, muting the call. "What are you doing?!" he hisses, looking at me as if I've lost my mind.

Ignoring him, I take my phone out of his hands and unmute the call. "Sorry, but I just can't imagine myself taking that position if Jake wasn't offered one as well. We're quite close, and I don't think it's right for me to accept without him."

There's a beat of silence before she finally speaks, her voice edged with bitterness, "Oh, I see. You're the clingy girlfriend type, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You're the kind who just can't get a single thing done without your precious boyfriend by your side," she continues, her words laced with judgement. "Hmph, I should've known."