and there it is, a mark of the divine | JENLISA

Chapter 4

Lisa stares at her, completely incapable of coming up with a response. The terrifying, exhilarating thought hits her instantly: she would do anything for Jennie. She is the kind of woman who builds castle walls around her heart and fortifies them with armaments. She lets the fog settle in around her fortress, so it's no longer an option for wayward travellers.

Except, Jennie has already begun the dismantling process. Step by step, brick by brick. A one-woman army. She doesn't break the bricks, or even crack them, but simply deconstructs them like building blocks, carefully taking them into her possession and storing them in a neat stack elsewhere.

Honestly, Jennie could've come by and stuck a toothpick into the walls, and Lisa would've crumbled all on her own.

/

They spend a little more time at the beach before heading back to the house. They both decide to shower before heading over to the place Minnie had chosen for lunch, and when Jennie comes out of the bathroom, she spies Lisa sitting at the kitchen table, fiddling with her hands.

"You nervous?" Jennie asks, jokingly, but the look she gets in response causes her face to fall a bit. She takes the chair beside Lisa and pulls it closer to her. "They're your friends but we don't have to go. I can drive the getaway car."

At least that joke causes a small quirk of Lisa's lips. "I'm not nervous," she clarifies, before taking a deep breath in. "I just don't want them to scare you away."

That's... not what Jennie had been expecting. She had clues, things she didn't want to verbalise about the nebulous nature of their situation, but it hadn't been this. Lisa really doesn't want her to leave, and the thought plants a seed deep within her.

"Scare me? Your friends?"

Lisa sighs. "They're not intense by any means, but they like you and now you're back, they're going to poke and prod. Most of them aren't from here, but they all came here and eventually stayed. I just don't want you to feel pressured by anything they may say or imply."

"What, you think I'll want to run if they ask too many questions?"

Lisa sighs again. "I don't know."

"Lisa..." Jennie begins, her tone sincere, reaching over and placing a hand over hers. "I have a tragic fear of buses and I can't drive, where am I gonna go? Into the ocean? That's a bad idea even for a good swimmer."

"I'm serious, Jennie."

"So am I!" Jennie insists, but the goofy smile she produces doesn't match her words. "I would never just run, Lisa. I told you I want to spend the summer here, and I will. I know my history doesn't exactly scream 'reliable' but I would never just leave like that."

Lisa's face goes on a journey — from insecurity, to a flicker of something indecipherable, to momentarily stunned. "I— I never meant to imply that."

"I know," Jennie says, offering a gentle smile. "You didn't accuse me, it's just a fact."

Lisa looks at her, largely vulnerable, and Jennie feels a small hint of satisfaction knowing she feels comfortable talking to her about things that are currently bothering her. It's a whole different beast than discussing scars from her past.

"How about... we go and if you feel uneasy afterwards, we can totally debrief." She tilts her head. "But... it's gonna be completely fine, I promise."

And it is.

They arrive at what can only be described as a pub, and everyone is already there waiting for them. Jennie meets Jisoo (who she likes a lot) and Lilith (who she still likes but may need to make a personal project). She greets Minnie and Yasmine and Hugo. She sees Rosé hold Jisoo's hand and she feels even more idiotic than the last time they crossed paths.