If It Hurts This Much (Chaelisa)

Chapter 15

"Chaeyoung?"

Jaehyun's still kneeling on the floor, staring up at the blonde with hopeful and frightened brown eyes and Lisa has a hard time trying to not feel bad for him. She knows how nerve-wracking it was to propose, and she was alone in a room with Miyeon, so God knows how he's feeling with thirty or so people surrounding him. And then of course double seeing as it's been two minutes and thirty six seconds since Jaehyun actually asked, and the only response from Chaeyoung has been a deafening silence.

"Chaeyoung?" Jaehyun presses on, tugging the blondes hand slightly whilst looking around the room in sheer panic. "Please answer."

Chaeyoung's right hand shakily brushes back a piece of blonde hair fallen down across her face, and then takes in a deep breath, recomposing herself and straightening up. Lisa tilts her head, and watches the way her best friend's eyes flicker back and forth between her and Jaehyun, and then finally lay rest on the diamond ring hovering at the end of her left hand.

Her heart flutter's rapidly with every second passing, hope bubbling to the surface as she watches the cogs in Chaeyoung's brain turn, snapping between crumbling Jaehyun's world and making it a haven. The pause grows longer, Jaehyun's face growing more uneasy by the second and soon enough a whisper comes from the far side of the room. Jennie's hand is still on Lisa's back, pressure increasing minute by minute, and the urge to demand what Chaeyoung's answer is almost gets too much for her. But she manages to bite it back, literally making her teeth clamp down on her tongue as her breathing picks up, murmurs increasing throughout the room.

Chaeyoung breathes in deeply and finally meets Jaehyun's pleading eyes and instantly, Lisa feels her heart sink through her body until it's about a second from falling out her ass. "Yes," the blonde responds breathlessly, a smile growing across her face, "Yes, Jaehyun, I'll marry you."

Jennie's hand tightens around the jacket covering Lisa's back as the brunette's knees buckle slightly. She lowers her head, trying not to do it so obviously that Miyeon notices, and squeezes her eyes shut against the emotional turmoil. Jaehyun practically jumps from the floor, his strong arms wrapping around Chaeyoung's body and picking her up to spin around whilst the crowd breaks into a loud applause, hands clacking against the champagne flutes and a few cheers coming from Taeyong.

But the last thing that passes through her mind before Jennie drags her into the bathroom, isn't if Miyeon's watching her reaction, or if anyone's listening to her rapid breathing and drumming heartbeat, or even if anyone's slightly suspicious by her lack of cheer for her best friend. No, instead, it's whether or not Chaeyoung felt this way all those months ago, when she proposed to Miyeon. Whether Chaeyoung's heart was aching and whether it felt like Chaeyoung's world was crumbling around her.

Because Lisa even knew from that night, when they saw each other for the first time in years, that something was different between them… That something was evolving. The half-regretful, half-apologetic glance that the blonde's sending her way right now is enough to prove that.

And now, watching Jaehyun cup Chaeyoung's cheeks and bring her in for a sweet kiss that's all lips, she's beginning to understand what exactly that evolution is.

***

Lisa walks into the kitchen, where Chaeyoung's standing in front of an open fridge, lugging out a few more bottles of champagne. A fleeting thought of what the blonde would've done with the excess if she had said no runs through her mind and a small laugh to bubble to her throat – because screw drinking that much champagne. However it's quickly erased when she realizes that's just a thought and her heart sinks again. The reality is still a yes.

She knows Chaeyoung's acknowledged her presence, and slowly sidles up, butt leaning against the top of the table in the center of the kitchen directly behind her best friend.