YOUNG LOVE || 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀 ✔︎

twenty-nine

Lisa followed behind Seulgi's car, the windshield wipers swooshing intermittently as the light rain continued. She glanced over at Nayeon, who was watching her with a smile that Lisa knew all too well. That smile—and the hand that brushed back and forth across her thigh—indicated only one thing.

“I’ve missed you,” Nayeon said. “I thought if we came here, you wouldn’t be able to run away this time.”

Lisa raised her eyebrows. “So this was your idea?” She had thought perhaps Seulgi had planned this.

“Oh, we had too much wine the other night. It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Nayeon said with a laugh.

“So where are you staying?”

“Irene found a nice hotel over on Broadway.” Nayeon's fingers pressed down against her thigh. “There doesn’t seem to be much nightlife in this town, though.”

Lisa shook her head. “No, there’s not much.”

“Guess we’ll have to find some other way to kill time then,” Nayeon said with a seductive smile.

Lisa wanted to feel something. She really did. But Nayeon's touch meant nothing to her, and she wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. She slowed, turning down a side street and finally pulling to a stop.

“We should talk,” she said.

“Talk?” Nayeon's hand slid higher along her thigh. “Lisa, I assure you, I didn’t drive five hours to talk.”

“I’m sorry if you came here with the expectation that we’d sleep together,” she said. “I’ve tried to be honest with you from the start.”

“Yes, I know. Just sex. And I was honest with you too. I’m not looking for a relationship, Lisa. If I was, it wouldn’t be with you.”

“Yes, you’ve been brutally honest about that,” Lisa said dryly.

Nayeon smiled. “But the sex? We did that pretty well, if I remember.”

Lisa stared out the window, watching the rain as it came down harder now. She was tired. Tired of the games, tired of pretending. Tired of it being just sex.

“I’m sorry,” Lisa said again. “I’ve…I’ve changed. And I don’t want to sleep with you.”

Nayeon stared at her, the seductive smile fading from her face. “She’s very beautiful. Are you still in love with her?” Lisa raised her eyebrows, surprised by her assumption. “Seulgi told me about you and Jennie. About your past.” Nayeon finally withdrew her hand from Lisa's thigh. “So? Are you?”

Lisa let out a deep breath, unable to run from the truth. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

Nayeon gave a short laugh. “Wow. I didn’t think you’d actually admit it. In love with a married woman? To put it bluntly, that must suck.”

Lisa pulled back into traffic. She had no intention of discussing her feelings for Jennie with Nayeon. She again turned onto Broadway, heading to their hotel. Seulgi and Irene were waiting in the lobby for them.

“Get lost?” Seulgi said with a smile. “Or happy to see each other?”

“Hardly,” Nayeon said dryly. “We’ll be lucky if we can talk her into having dinner with us.”

“Well, we have plenty of time before dinner,” Irene said. “Let’s go to the bar. We can sit and visit,” she suggested, her gaze alternating between Nayeon and Lisa.

Lisa nodded. “Sure.”

“I need to run up to my room,” Nayeon said. “I want to change shoes. I stepped in a puddle.”