The Beginning of the End - Jenlisa

Chapter Sixteen

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The following morning, I woke up with Jennie snuggled in the crook of my arm.

Jennie was sleeping peacefully under the warm covers, facing me. Her head was resting on my shoulder, khaki hair scattered over the white pillow beneath, and one of her hands sprawled on my chest, lightly clutching the material of my H&M bleached sweatshirt.

Brushing a rebellious strand of hair behind her ear, I took the time to examine her perfect Korean features, fingers trailing from her cute forehead, to her pointy nose, her soft puffy cheeks, her noticeable mole on her left eyelid and then her luscious pink lips. Jennie was beautiful all the time, but there was something about her when she slept that I had always found oddly fascinating. Perhaps it was the way she seemed relieved to the burdens she usually carried. Perhaps it was the way I could ogle her as long as I entirely wanted without having her complain or being thoroughly savage. Or perhaps it was simply because I loved her so much.

That was a mystery I had never quite managed to solve, but that was alright, as long as I had the chance to think about it every so often.

Smiling like an idiot, I brushed my hand over her puffy cheek one last time, before grasping her hand and attempting to slide out from underneath her, with plans to prepare breakfast in my mind. Before I could move more than an inch, though, I heard a small whine coming from her. With a furrow between her brows, Jennie snuggled closer to me, burying her face into the crook of my neck and exhaling contently.

Jennie used to do that, I remembered. Jennie used to do that, because, even in her subconscious, she knew I would leave before she awoke.

How many times had I abandoned her like that? How many sunny mornings had she woken up to an empty bed? How many cold winter nights had she spent alone? I had coaxed her to open up and rely on someone, and when Jennie finally managed, what did I do? Leave. Over and over again, disappoint her.