Chapter 93

The grocery store was unusually bright that afternoon—too bright for Lisa’s liking, especially with Jennie insisting they “only need a few things” while pushing a cart that was already half-full.

“Baby, we came for milk and eggs,” Lisa said, leaning slightly over the handle as Jennie dropped in another snack pack.

Jennie didn’t even look up. “We are getting milk and eggs. And also ramen. And this yogurt you like.”

“That’s not ‘only a few things’.”

“It is in my heart.”

Lisa laughed under her breath, shaking her head as they turned into the next aisle. Jennie walked close beside her, their shoulders brushing, her hand occasionally finding Lisa’s fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world.

That’s when Lisa stopped.

Jennie felt it immediately—the pause in her steps, the way her fingers tightened just slightly.

“What?” Jennie followed her gaze.

And there he was.

Lisa’s ex.

Standing at the end of the aisle like a bad memory that refused to expire properly. He looked up—and immediately lit up with recognition.

“Lisa?” he said, like they were still something that existed.

Jennie’s grip on Lisa’s hand tightened instantly.

Not painful.

Just… final.

Lisa didn’t move closer. She didn’t move away either. She just stood there, blinking once like her brain was trying to decide whether this was real or just a very poorly designed simulation.

“Hey,” Lisa said carefully.

Jennie, meanwhile, had entered a completely different mental dimension.

In her head, she was calmly and efficiently deleting him from existence like an app she never installed.

Uninstall. Block. Report. Mute forever.

Her expression stayed sweet. Almost too sweet.

“Hi,” Jennie added politely, tilting her head with a smile that could have fooled anyone who didn’t know her.

But Lisa felt it—the grip. Still there. Firm. Protective. Possessive in a way Jennie would never say out loud in public.

The ex laughed awkwardly. “Wow, it’s been a while. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Lisa nodded slowly. “Yeah. Grocery store.”

“Right,” he said, as if she had just revealed a profound secret about the universe. “So… how’ve you been?”

Jennie blinked.

That was it.

That was the question that did it.

Her thumb rubbed once over Lisa’s knuckles—slow, steady. A silent message: I am behaving. Do not test me.

Lisa, unfortunately, was very aware of Jennie’s entire emotional spectrum through hand pressure alone.

“I’ve been good,” Lisa answered.

A beat.

Jennie smiled again. “Very good,” she added lightly, voice soft but somehow carrying a subtle finality. “Busy. Happy. Well-fed.”

Lisa bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

The ex nodded too many times. “That’s great. That’s really great.”

Silence stretched.

It got awkward fast.

So awkward that even the cereal boxes felt uncomfortable.

Jennie tilted her head slightly, still smiling. Still holding Lisa’s hand. Still mentally organizing a very thorough imaginary argument she would never actually say out loud in a grocery aisle.

Lisa cleared her throat. “We’re actually in the middle of shopping.”

“Oh—yeah, yeah of course,” the ex said quickly. “I’ll just… see you around then?”

Jennie’s smile didn’t change.

But her grip on Lisa’s hand did.

Slightly tighter.

Like a seatbelt clicking into place.

Lisa immediately spoke before anything else could happen. “Take care.”

The ex hesitated. “Yeah. You too.”

And then he left.

Just like that.

Gone between shelves of instant noodles and canned soup like a bad draft of a story nobody wanted to rewrite.

The moment he disappeared, Jennie exhaled slowly.

Lisa turned her head. “You okay?”

Jennie looked at her.

Then down at their hands.

Still linked.

Still warm.

Still hers.

“I was perfectly fine,” Jennie said sweetly.

Lisa raised an eyebrow.

Jennie added, quieter, “I just didn’t like him talking.”

Lisa laughed, leaning closer as they started walking again. “You were literally squeezing my hand like you were grounding me through an earthquake.”

Jennie finally looked a little guilty. “Was I too obvious?”

Lisa squeezed back this time. “A little.”

Jennie hummed. “Good.”

Lisa blinked. “Good?”

Jennie glanced at her, expression softening completely now that the aisle was empty again. “Means you’re still here.”

Lisa’s teasing faded for a moment.

Then she bumped her shoulder gently into Jennie’s. “I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Jennie didn’t answer immediately. She just shifted their hands so their fingers interlaced properly this time—no space between them.

“Good,” she repeated again, but this time it sounded less like possession…

…and more like relief.

And they continued shopping.

With milk, eggs, ramen—and Jennie occasionally checking that Lisa was still right there beside her, just to be sure the world hadn’t tried anything funny again.