I Hate You, Don't Leave Me

Chapter 26

Chaeyoung awoke the next morning to find her arm slung around an empty pile of bedsheets, and her eyes sprang open. Lisa was no longer lying beside her. Frowning, she looked over to Lisa's own bed to see if maybe the brunette had decided to go back and lie there in the middle of the night, but it was empty. Dread settled in the pit of Chaeyoung's stomach, a feeling that had become all too familiar in the past month. Lisa was gone.

The two of them hadn't slept together last night, had simply fallen asleep when they got back from the concert, but Chaeyoung couldn't help but remember the heated kiss they had shared outside of Exo House. She wondered if her bold behavior had scared Lisa away again, and she scolded herself for having been so stupid. She shouldn't have gotten so lost in the moment. She shouldn't have touched Lisa's chest without permission. She wouldn't even let Lisa kiss her without permission, and then she had gone and done that. Lisa had probably decided that she didn't want to be with Chaeyoung anymore after last night, and so she was off hiding somewhere again. The thought made Chaeyoung sick to her stomach.

She really hoped Lisa was not going to start pushing her away again because if it happened one more time, then that was it. She wouldn't allow herself to be in a relationship with the other girl if that was the way that she was going to be treated. She couldn't believe that Lisa would just leave like this though, especially after last night. Lisa wouldn't have taken Chaeyoung to that concert if she didn't still love her. Besides, she had been into the kiss, too, until Chaeyoung had squeezed her breast. She was the one who had wanted the kiss to happen in the first place. On top of that, Lisa had promised never to push her away again. If last night had bothered her, then she would sit down and talk to Chaeyoung about it. She had to. Perhaps, the only reason that she was not lying beside Chaeyoung right now was that she simply had to go to the bathroom.

Pushing the bedsheets aside, Chaeyoung rolled out of bed, planting her feet firmly on the braided rug. She made her way out onto the hardwood floor of the hallway. The bathroom door was open. No Lisa.

Chaeyoung blinked back tears, wondering if Lisa was up in the attic. She thought about going up there to try and talk to the other girl, but she decided against it. She would give Lisa the day to come and talk to her, and if she didn't, then that was it. They were over.

Chaeyoung wished that she wasn't so hurt by that thought.

She knew that Minzy didn't normally make breakfast until around ten on the weekends, and it wasn't even nine yet, but Chaeyoung went downstairs anyway, hoping that the house mother might be willing to make her something earlier. She was already feeling hungry, and she knew that there was no way that she was going to be able to fall back asleep without Lisa by her side.

When Chaeyoung pushed into the kitchen, she saw Minzy seated at the kitchen island, providing what seemed to be unnecessary supervision while Lisa cooked at the stove. Chaeyoung rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was seeing correctly, but sure enough, there was Lisa, making scrambled eggs in a frying pan. The blonde tried not to let her mouth water when her eyes landed on the stack of chocolate chip pancakes that were sitting on a plate beside her girlfriend. Minzy rarely ever cooked chocolate chip pancakes, normally opting for blueberry or banana because they were healthier, but chocolate chip was Chaeyoung's all-time favorite.

"What's this?" Chaeyoung asked. Her eyes were curious, but also filled with relief at the fact that Lisa was simply making breakfast rather than avoiding her.

Lisa spun around, flour streaked across her left cheek, and Chaeyoung smiled at the adorable sight. "Chaeng, you can't be in here."