Consummate Love

|25|

There's nothing worse other than waking up with a terrible headache that accompanies that hangover which practically pins you on the bed. Park Chaeyoung should've started getting used to waking up with the sun attacking her eyes so much that she had to take her pillow for cover. Doesn't really help when that act made it suffocating.

"You awake?" She roused from that husky voice that seemed scratchy for some reasons. She'd know that voice anywhere. "Better drink some water first and um... painkillers."

"The way I expected it before... it would've been me offering help instead receiving it. When it comes to hangover." Chaeyoung peeked an eye at the older girl. Jisoo must have spent the night by her bedside as if the tousled hair and prominent eyebags weren't enough proof. "Clearly, my expectations..."

"Fall off short?"

She shrugged and let out a groan, finally accepting the advil. "Something like that... did you spend the night here?"

"What do you think?"

"I'm seriously not in the mood to think, unnie. I just want to sleep and not have my best friend hovering me like I'd jump from the window anytime soon."

"So I'm still your best friend?"

Jisoo's question didn't halt Chaeyoung from drinking till there was barely a drop of water from the glass. She had to flush the bitterness out from her mouth and relieve her throat from the burn. At some point, the talking with Jisoo increase its effects in ways she can't explain.

"Depends." She didn't want to say that. She may have said it to keep it light but the face of the other girl may have scratched her tired heart a bit more. "Do you still consider me as yours? After everything?"

"Of course, Chaeyoung-ah. Of course." Jisoo let out a soft sigh and smiled as if everything's fine. As if nothing mattered unlike all the other things that occupied Chaeyoung's mind. "Nothing will change. We've got each other's back, remember?"

"Really?" The older girl hummed a yes and out of exhaustaion, vague recall of what happened last night, Chaeyoung resumed her position earlier with her body completely succumbing to the comfort of her queen sized bed. "Is that why..."

"Why what?"

'Why you told me what you told me?' Chaeyoung thought yet she didn't voice it out.

They locked eyes as Jisoo ran her hand through the latter's hair. It was comforting and Chaeyoung wouldn't deny that she direly missed being close to her. "You should also rest, unnie. When I said I want you with me, I didn't mean for you to babysit me too."

"But you might need something--"

"I can manage. The butler's there for a reason." She offered a tight smile because her head was definitely trying to get back on her being a bad friend by killing her with all the throbbing. "Besides, I'll be sleeping like a log. Or whatever that is they say. I don't even understand how logs can sleep."

"They're trees and trees are alive too, you know."  Chaeyoung shrugged as if she gave up in arguing with that. Jisoo pecked her forehead and smiled. "I'll check up on you later again, okay? I just have somewhere to be but I'll come back."

"Hmm."

"I love you, Chaeyoung-ah."

Chaeyoung remained still with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep already. She knew Jisoo lingered by the door before she bit her lip hard as she heard the worry and outright affection the older girl used to bid her goodbye and sleep tight. It just felt worse to hear that from Jisoo who has done nothing wrong, nothing that she blamed her for. It was merely her feelings and, like Lisa said, jealousy of what could've been her place.