my brothers girlfriend

movie (M)

EIGHTEEN - LISA

Through sheer luck, or as I was more inclined to believe, fate, the dates upon which Kai would be thousands of miles away from us included my birthday. After finding out, Jennie had booked our tickets to Jeju and a month later it was time for Kai to leave. His flight was in the morning but he was leaving for his friends tonight so they could go together. 

Right now, Jennie was at my place with him and I was out with Rosie, but I knew I would have to see them together tonight because there was no way my mum would be okay with me not saying goodbye to Kai. 

I cut it as close as possible knowing Kai is leaving around 9 pm, and make it home for 20:30. I walk in to find everyone in the living room and greet them all before taking the empty seat beside my mum.

I notice Jennie's eyes lingering on me and when I meet them she smiles, but I find it hard to return it when she's sat with his arm draped around her. She quickly averts her gaze whilst mine drops to the floor, vaguely aware of the conversation around me, though I notice Jennie isn't involved either. I'm sure she's thinking of me just as I'm thinking of her, but that doesn't stop the rage bubbling in my gut.

It was getting harder to conceal it. I promised Jennie I would, but she sure was taking her sweet time with ending it with a guy she didn't even love. Or so she had told me. That thought had been creeping up more often recently. Before I had been convinced, but why else would Jennie cling to him for so long? It was entirely possible she was falling in love with us both simultaneously, and was just waiting to see who she would fall for deeper. 

The reality is, Jennie's promise meant nothing to me until she followed through with it. However, I didn't want to ruin our week alone together, so I decided to wait until after Jeju to ask her for an update, and perhaps demand she speeds things up.

"Your father and I are going out for dinner tonight, Lisa, so you'll have the house to yourself," my mum says, tapping my shoulder for my attention. 

"That's fine," I shrug, not really caring.

"Jennie can stay with you if you like, for the company," Kai finally says something smart, before quickly glancing at Jennie. "I mean, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course it is," Jennie replies, beaming.

A smirk begins to creep up on my face and I have to bite my lip to stop it, but when I look at Jennie I notice a similar look of smugness. If only he knew what he had just set up.

A little after nine, Kai stands up to announce his departure. "I better go. I'll see you all in a week." He hugs my dad then my mum who acts as if he's going off to war, before turning to me. "Aren't you going to give your big brother a hug?"

I try not to outwardly cringe or roll my eyes as I stand to hug him. It feels forced and awkward, not only because of the circumstances. I wasn't accustomed to affection with family. Every now and then my mother demanded a hug and I would oblige to please her, but it still felt unnatural. Yet I had no issue with affection with friends or Jennie.

"Enjoy Jeju. Have a good birthday."

"Thank you," I say genuinely. No matter how much I hated him, he was still my brother and the only innocent party in this situation. I had no right, really.

I pull away and he turns to Jennie before bear-hugging her, lifting her off the ground in the process so her chin sits on his shoulder. We make eye contact.

"Don't miss me too much, Jennie. I love you."

"I love you too." She looks away from me as she says it.