Chaennie Collection Volume 2

Gone -Postlude- (Final)

-Present Time-

・Jennie's POV

How did I go from running away from seeing Rosie to now sitting at a park bench with her sister?

"You okay?" Alice asks, her eyes still on Hank, who's grown so much in the year I didn't see him.

"Fine." I answer, shortly.

"Jennie." Alice calls me in that older sister tone of hers, "You were a part of our family for almost a decade, I know you better than you think."

'Were'...damn when did using past tense hurt so much?

"Aly, why are you so nice to me?"

"huh?"

"I know Rosie probably told you everything...so you know how much I hurt her before."

"Jen." Alice places a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to look at her only to look away just as fast. I couldn't look into those eyes that look so much like hers.

"You and Rosie are both stupid when it comes to your feelings." She deadpans and I chuckle lightly at this.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"You know...if you really didn't have any feelings for Rosie, I don't think you would have stayed for as long as you did. Maybe it's because I'm an outsider looking in at your relationship with her, but I don't think she loved you more than you did her."

"I think she did...Rosie's the type to give and give...and I was always just taking. Taking everything she gave me for granted until there was nothing left." I looked down at my hands.

Why didn't I just give to her at least once. At least show her what I could offer..what I wanted to offer.

"Do you remember when you first started dating."

"Like in high school?"

"Yes." Alice chuckles, "I think you guys were only 3 or 4 months into your relationship at the time, but Rosie had to get her tonsils removed."

"I vaguely remember that."

"She wasn't in school for a few days and you suddenly showed up at like midnight looking so worried for her."

"Me?"

"Yes and you stayed with her..all night."

"I..." I racked my brain, trying to find that memory. To help me find a piece of me that gave Rosie the love she deserves.

"You did..I even have a photo somewhere at home. It was adorable...you were holding onto her hand so tightly, like she was dying." Alice laughs, "But you also left before she woke up."

"Ah I remember...Rosie wasn't in school and Lisa was on a trip at the time. No one knew where she was and she didn't contact me like usual. I couldn't sleep for days because I was so worried that something happened...and that next morning I woke up realizing where I was..what happened and I.."

"You held back." Alice finishes my sentence for me.

"Yeah."

"You were always holding yourself back Jen...and I don't know why. Did loving my sister scare you that much?" Alice asks and I was about to answer when she stopped me, "Actually, don't answer that...I don't think I should be the one to know that." She motions to where Hank is and there she is playing with him, smiling so brightly. And boy what would I give for her to smile at me like that again. Maybe in my next life I can be Hank.

"I'll go get Hank..I've talked with Rosie and I've talked with you...but I think you two need to talk."

"Aly." I stop the older girl from walking away, "Is she happy...with her?"