I Can't Quit You | 2YEON

Jeongyeon dreamt of Nayeon that night, though she hardly had any actual sleep. To her horror and mild concern, the couple next door were still fucking. She wasn't even sure if they had even stopped at all during the day when she'd been out being lonely and depressed. Jeongyeon had walked all over town, thinking about her life and where she wanted to be. When she had returned to her room, it only took a quick second of silence to hear the sounds of sexual groaning from beyond the wall.

Woken for a third time, Jeongyeon threw her pillow at the wall and rubbed a hand over her face. She couldn't deal with this so late. Who the fuck even had time for so much sex anymore? Jeongyeon couldn't even remember the last time she'd an orgasm, never mind had actual sex. It wasn't like she and Nayeon had been particularly inclined as of late. Ever since that goddamn promotion...

Before certain thoughts could make her even
angrier, Jeongyeon threw some clothes on and grabbed her phone and keys. Her slops clacked loudly underneath her feet as she made her way down the stairs to the parking lot below. It was pretty dark, but the motel sign and the store across the street provided light where the moon didn't reach. She headed over to a nearby bench and plopped down with an angry huff. When morning came she would check out and head somewhere else if those idiots next door weren't done mating by the time the sun came up.

She unlocked her phone and paused to stare at the time. 00:32. Just great. Jeongyeon tapped around for her email, hoping Jihyo had a long update for her to read, but accidentally went into her photos. Her finger slid across the screen as she tried to go out of the file, but she only succeeded in opening up one of the pictures. Nayeon's brown eyes stared up at her above a large, happy grin. Jeongyeon frowned deeply, staring at the picture. It didn't give her butterflies or a rush of affection or anything. She felt nothing. No, not entirely nothing. Seeing Nayeon's face like that made her stomach churn with disgust. She
lifted her thumb to delete the picture.

"She's really pretty."

"Jesus fuck!" Jeongyeon's hands flailed and her phone sailed through the air. She barely managed to catch herself on the bench before falling off, but her phone landed hard on the gravel beneath her and she stared at it with a tick in her brow.

Beside her a woman had appeared, and she was staring at Jeongyeon's phone with an apologetic look on her face.

"Not the worst reaction I've had," she joked.
Jeongyeon sighed and swiped her phone off the floor.

The corner was a little nicked-which she knew
would bother the fuck out of her-but other than that, it was alright. She hurriedly slipped her phone back into her pocket and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sorry for scaring you like that," the stranger
continued. "I just couldn't keep my comment to myself. Is she a friend?"

Jeongyeon wanted to stand and run down the street. Forget getting her stuff and her car. She was tired and tense and miserable, and it was starting to get a little cold. Her shorts and slops did absolutely nothing to keep her long legs warm. She shifted to stare up at the stranger, already pulling up a mean comment from her throat.

The woman was attractive. Strikingly so, enough that Jeongyeon's words died in her throat. It wasn't really the beauty of her face that made Jeongyeon suddenly speechless, but more so the severe look in her eyes. They were dark and swirling with shadows, and though they held a gaze that told Jeongyeon this woman had seen some dark stuff, there was also a lightness there. The woman
lifted a brow and dropped into the space beside her.

"Er, it's alright," Jeongyeon finally answered. "And no, not a friend."

The woman hummed softly, studying Jeongyeon's face. "Wife, then," she supplied. "And maybe not for much longer?"

Jeongyeon blinked. "How did you know that?"

The woman's disappointed face suddenly fell as if she was by what Jeongyeon had just said. She adjusted the glasses on her face. "Your tone," she said. "And the look on your face. How long have you been together?"

Normally jeongyeon a would have cussed this woman out and hurried back up to her room, but there was just something about her presence that made Jeongyeon oddly comfortable. She found herself actually answering instead of being sarcastic.

"Eleven years. Married for eight."

The woman whistled. "Damn. A long time to be together with someone."

Jeongyeon slumped down on the bench and fiddled with the strings by her shorts' zipper. "Doesn't seem to have been enough though."

"Trouble in paradise is a tragic thing. My name is Jennie, by the way. How rude of me to frighten you, interrogate you and not provide my name before." She flashed a bright, goofy grin.

Jeongyeon was utterly compelled to reciprocate, although mildly. Jennie held her hand out and she took it.

"Jeongyeon," she said. "And don't worry about it. Why are you out here so late on your own?"

Jennie's grip on her hand was a little too tight, a little too warm, but she let go quickly and hid her hands in her armpits. She blew a lock of hair out of her face and glanced up at Jeongyeon's room, much to Jeongyeon's dismay.

"Just making sure a business transaction goes smoothly," Jennie said softly. "What about you?"

"You aren't selling drugs, are you?"

Jennie laughed. "No."

"Buying?"

"I don't abuse any substances."

"Picking up a hooker then?"

"Do I look like a shady character to you?"

Jeongyeon studied Jennie's outfit. She was dressed darkly, with tight black jeans and a black jacket. Her hair was up in a ponytail, but from its disarray Jeongyeon could tell she'd had her hood on until recently. She gave a shrug and grinned. "Maybe."

Jennie shook her head. "Looks can be
deceiving. So can problems, sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes when you feel like there is no
answer or solution, there's one staring right at
you. Sure, not all relationships can work out
forever, but most can. All you need is a little
extra effort. Here." Jennie reached into her
pocket and produced a card. "Give me a call
if you feel like eleven years are worth more
something." She winked.

Jeongyeon took the card and stared down at it.

Organization of Marriage Counselling

Jennie Kim

Contact: XXX-XXX-XXX

She furrowed her brows. "I don't, um..."

Jennie's lifted brow made her click her mouth shut.

"Thanks."

Jennie grinned. "I should get going. Have a
lovely night."

Jeongyeon could only watch as Jennie stood and walked over to a suspicious looking black van. When she drove by she waved enthusiastically, to which Jeongyeon waved back. She sat there for a while, staring at the road, twirling the card in her fingers.

What were eleven years really worth?