If It Hurts This Much (Chaelisa)

Chapter 16

The journey takes around half an hour, considering the amount of traffic in the streets. Not really surprising since it's just after eight and people leave their offices around then to return to their loving wives and settle down for a nice, relaxing night in.

Well, that's what most people are doing around this time.

Not Lisa, though. Instead, she's frantically tapping her foot against the floor of Jennie's cab, staring out the window and trying to repress the anger burning inside her stomach as Seoul blurs by outside. Chaeyoung's sitting beside her, because they're in the back and her hand is resting just beside Lisa's, like she's scared to make a move in case it sparks something in the brunette and Snix is revealed and all her wrath.

But she wouldn't do that, Lisa knows it. And truthfully, she feels kind of bad for dragging Chaeyoung along. After all they've been through, the last thing the blonde would want to do is publically out Miyeon about the affair, seeing as it's a small case of pot calling the kettle black here - but she's Lisa's strength. She's support, the scaffolding holding Lisa together. If anything kicks off, Lisa knows she needs Chaeyoung there.

They pull up outside Breadstix around five minutes later with no regard for the parking signs and road markings and all of them hop out the cab. Lisa's heart's pounding hard in her ears as her pulse quickens with every step she takes towards the door. But they aren't slow steps, they're infuriated, fast ones that takes her to her destination quicker. She has to know what's going on. Has too.

Somewhere between opening the door and stepping over the threshold, her fingers laced through Chaeyoung's and now they're basically sprinting through the small hallway, barging past the maître d as her eyes search like a hawk and its prey. They're stopped by the bar, and out of her peripheral vision, she can see Jennie lingering behind awkwardly, eyes wide and arms braced like she's ready to tackle Lisa in case of a lashing out.

It'd probably make her laugh if it wasn't for her rapid breaths and the red flashing before her eyes, seeing as there's only one booth that isn't in view that Lisa knows is going to contain her wife and supposedly, one of her good friends. Bile rises in the back of her throat and she clamps her jaw shut, tugging Chaeyoung further through the restaurant, ignoring the maître d's calls and into the back.

"I don't think this is the best idea," is the first words she hears from Chaeyoung when they round the corner and come into the hidden booth's view. In the cab journey over, or, well, the first five minutes, Lisa practically pushed her phone that actually is Miyeon's phone into Chaeyoung's hands and let everything fall into place. About a minute later, Chaeyoung gasped beside her, piecing everything together as she moved her hand closer towards Lisa's lingering on the leather seat.

Lisa rocks up onto the balls of her feet, craning her necks like it's going to enhance her view as she scans the restaurant in search. "Yes it is," she bites back, gritting her teeth, because still, no Miyeon.

"Well," Chaeyoung's voice is low like she doesn't want anyone else to hear, even though it's just Jennie behind her. "I don't think I should be here, Lisa. It's really not my place."

The words would probably take effect on Lisa if at that precise moment, her eyes slid to the left to land on a familiar pale face with sparkling, emerald eyes and a Cheshire grin. Anger burns a hole in her heart and she seethes at the mouth, imagining infuriated foam bubbling out.

But it's not because she's hurt by the confirmation of Miyeon cheating, it's because she's just been betrayed by someone she thought she could trust. Being cheated on has that effect. It weakens you, makes you feel like you weren't enough for the person you thought loved you back, and it kind of tears down your confidence - because you don't know where you went wrong.