The Quiet Contract

Big deal breakfast

Lisa POV

The drive back home after dropping Jennie off was quieter than usual—not that it was ever particularly loud, considering how Jennie didn't say much to begin with. But tonight, the silence was heavier, like it carried something unspoken that I couldn't quite grasp.

I glanced at her as she stepped out of the car without so much as a goodbye, her shoulders tense as she walked up to her door. She seemed... upset? No, irritated?

I sighed, leaning back in my seat as I waited for the gates to close behind her. What had I done this time? I thought dinner had gone well—better than expected, even. She hadn't outright told me to leave her alone, and there were moments, fleeting as they were, where she didn't look like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.

But then I had to go and mention Rosé.

As I drove home, the pit in my stomach grew heavier. Did she think I wasn't taking this arrangement seriously? It wasn't like I was ditching her responsibilities entirely—I just wanted to spend a couple of days with Rosé.

Am I wrong for wanting that?

Rosé had been my anchor for years, and after everything I'd been juggling lately—this marriage, the company, my attempts to navigate Jennie's icy demeanor—I felt like I needed her more than ever.

Still, Jennie's reaction lingered in my mind, gnawing at me.

I parked in front of my house, dragging myself inside. I dropped my keys on the counter and sat down on the couch, my head in my hands.

Why is this so hard?

Jennie didn't want to be close to me. She made that perfectly clear. And yet, her coldness tonight—it wasn't the same as usual. It wasn't the distant indifference I'd grown accustomed to. This felt different, like something I said had struck a nerve.

I groaned, running my hands through my hair. "You're overthinking this, Manoban," I muttered under my breath.

But even as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had done something wrong.

When my phone buzzed on the coffee table, I snatched it up, hoping for a distraction. A smile spread across my face when I saw Rosé's name flashing on the screen.

Rosé: "Flight's on time! Can't wait to see you, loser. 🛬"

For the first time all evening, my chest felt a little lighter. Tomorrow, I'd finally get to see my best friend—the one person who could make sense of all this chaos swirling in my head.

Maybe, just maybe, she'd have some advice on how to handle Jennie. Or at the very least, she'd make me laugh long enough to forget how tangled my feelings had become.

As I typed out a quick reply, I couldn't help but think about Jennie again. Would she miss me if I wasn't there tomorrow? Probably not.

But a part of me—a small, hopeful, ridiculous part—wished she would.

--

The morning came quicker than I expected. As I threw a duffel bag into the backseat of my car, my thoughts flickered back to Jennie. Would she actually care that I wasn't showing up with her usual coffee and breakfast? Probably not.