“You know something.” I declare, entering the studio like I own it...which I do.

 

“Why hello there Jennie fancy seeing you here.”

 

“Jisoo.”

 

“Jennie.”

 

“Just tell me what you know Chu then I’ll be out of your hair.”

 

“I don’t even know what you're going on about.” Jisoo replies, while I signal the staff to give us some privacy.

 

“You know why Rosie’s been distant since our beach trip.”

 

“Distant? I literally just had lunch with her, Lisa, Seul, and Hyun.”

 

“Yeah that’s another thing I want to talk to you about, why have the five of you been hanging out so much lately?”

 

“Oh I don’t know Jendeuk...maybe cause we’re friends???” Jisoo sarcastically replies.

 

“That’s not what I mean Chu.” I roll my eyes, “Dating Lisa has made you even more insufferable than you already were.” I tease.

 

“Please if anything it’s me that tolerates you.” Jisoo half smirks.

 

“Stop trying to change the subject Chu. Tell me what you know.” I demand.

 

“I really don’t think Rosie’s been distant Jen.”

 

“Yeah with you guys...but she’s definitely distant with me.” I pout.

 

“Maybe she just thinks you're too clingy.” Jisoo replies without missing a beat.

 

“Excuse me! I am not clingy.”

 

“Right...not clingy at all.” Jisoo gives me a look.

 

“I’m only clingy with you.”

 

“And Rosie.” Jisoo adds.

 

“I...am I really?” I ask in a soft voice.

 

“Jennie...I’m just teasing..it’s definitely not because you’re clingy.” Jisoo senses my turmoil.

 

“So you do know then.”

 

Jisoo sighs heavily, “Look..I..can’t say if she is or if she isn’t. Because to me she’s still the same. But if you feel like she’s been distant...then talk to her like an adult instead of whining about it. Rosie can’t read your mind Jen.”

 

“Yeah...you’re right..but how can I do that if she keeps blowing me off?”

 

“Ask her to stay behind after a meeting...I mean you are her boss Jen, she can’t say no to you at work.”

 

“Right! This is why you’re my best friend! Thanks Chu!” I hug Jisoo.

 

“Jennie!” Jisoo calls out to me as I leave the studio.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Nothing, never mind.” Jisoo smiles, before the photographer calls her back to start.

 

~ ~ ~

 

“Rosie, I have some things to discuss with you. Meet me in my office.” My tone was authoritative, giving her no room to decline.

 

“Sure.” She nods.

 

A few minutes later, someone knocked on my office door.

 

“Come in.”

 

“You wanted to talk?” Rosie enters.

 

“Yeah, come and sit with me.” I smile, getting up and heading to the lounge chair in my office.

 

“Uh okay.” Rosie follows, taking a seat on the far side.

 

Of course…

 

“So what’s up? Is everything okay? Did you want to add more this month’s issue? I think I can talk with the others on that..” Rosie begins to blabber, something she does when she’s nervous.

 

“Why are you avoiding me?” I cut straight to the chase.

 

“I’m not avoiding you Jen.”

 

“Yeah you are.”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“Yes, you are.”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“Yes, you are.”

 

Rosie and I go back and forth a few times, before she finally breaks our childish back and forth.

 

“Look we won’t get anywhere like this, just tell me why you think I’ve been distant?”

 

“Well for starters, you’re literally sitting at the very edge of this couch.” I point to the huge space between us, and she scoots in a bit closer to me.

 

“Second, when we’re at work you literally keep it so professional with me people think that we’re not friends anymore.”

 

“Third, whenever I do reach out, you blow me off saying you already have plans or have some unfinished work.”

 

“And finally, whenever we are alone like this, I can sense you itching to leave...like now...you've been so jittery. So tell me what have I done so wrong for you to close yourself off from me like this?” I ask, scooting closer to her because it’s been so long since I’ve been within a foot of her presence.

 

“Jennie..” She sighs, knowing that she can’t lie to me about it, “I told you it’s complicated didn’t I?”

 

“What’s so complicated Rosie? Are you still thinking about what happened at the beach house?”

 

“Aren’t you?” She asked, looking at me with sad eyes.

 

“Every night.” I admit and she smiles, a faint blush on her cheeks. Cute…

 

“Me too…”

 

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ here.”

 

“But, we can’t act on whatever this is.” She gestures to us.

 

“And why not?”

 

“Because I know you're not completely over your ex. Do you really think you’re ready for a relationship?”

 

“Who told you I’m not over her?”

“I may not look it, but I did go to law school. And although we don’t psychoanalyze people, we know how to read in between the lines and find those tiny details. Since we met you’ve only ever kept to yourself, your circle of friends, and eventually to both Lisa and I. And I’d like to think that if there was someone, by now we’ve been introduced to each other, because you have become someone important to me. Also, instead of telling me you’re over her, you asked me who told me? Now do you see why we can’t act on us?” Rosie asked me, and her eyes looked so..heartbroken..

 

“Rosie...” I take her hand in mine, “I admit it was hard to get over my ex, because at one point in my life she was going to be my forever..and she was taken away from me so unexpectedly that I tried to do everything in my power to hold onto her. To not lose her anymore than I already have...but then you came along with your magnetic personality, your calming smile, and I just...you made me feel like things were going to be okay. In the beginning this scared me..it scared me because I felt like if I opened my heart up to you, I’d forget about her...but Chu helped me realize that I won’t ever lose my memories of her..that I’ll always have them.”

 

“Hey...it’s okay.” Rosie, used her free hand to wipe the tears from my eyes, “It’s okay Jenjen.” She pulled me close, holding me in her arms, as I laid my head against her chest, “You don’t have to say anything anymore….and if you really want to try this..then..let’s give it a shot.” She whispers, holding me tighter and I noticed how Rosie’s heart was beating so loudly.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“So are you guys together together or just like dating?” Nayeon asks as the girls, minus Rosie and Lisa, and I have Sunday brunch together a week after the sort of confession that happened in my office with Rosie.

 

“Uhmm I’d like to say we’re exclusive.” I smile at the thought of Rosie and how sweet she is.

 

“Are you sure about that?” Yeri asks, her gaze fixed out at the streets.

 

“Hmm?” The rest of us turn to look and we see Rosie and Lisa with 4 women that I know none of us at this table have seen before.

 

“Jisoo.” My voice was cold, eyes glued as one of the girls pinches my Rosie’s fluffy cheeks.

 

“Hey babe.” I heard Jisoo speak, putting the call on speaker while we kept our eyes on them, “Where are you?”

 

“With Rosie.”

 

“Okay...where?”

 

“Walking around.” Lisa vaguely answers, we hear commotion on the phone and see how a girl literally like half the size of Lisa wrestled the phone from her hand and stared at the screen.

 

“What is she saying?” Nayeon whispers, since we can’t hear what was being said but saw their mouths moving.

 

“Babe?” Jisoo calls for Lisa again, who managers to grab her phone back.

 

“Yeah I’m…” But that same girl reached over again and ended the call this time. This got Jisoo and me on our feets. Because while Lisa was practically wrestling with that girl, Rosie’s hand was still being tightly held by the other.

 

“Do you want us to come?” Joohyun asks, her face also dark.

 

“We got this.” Jisoo’s voice was cold, I nod in agreement and we make our way to our girls.

 

“I cannot believe you did that?! Chu’s so going to kill me now, look she’s not even answering my call!” We heard Lisa yelling in english, her Australian accent coming out.

 

“Chillax Manoban.” The girl laughs, while Rosie and her parasite chuckle.

 

“Lalisa.” Jisoo’s voice stops the laughters and if I wasn’t so pissed at Rosie too, then I’d take a picture of Lisa right now cause she looks like she’s about to her pants.

 

“C-C-Chu what are you..Jen you too.” Lisa stutters.

 

“What’s going on here Roseanne?” I ask.

 

“I told you the other night.” She answers, a slight tremble in her voice.

 

“You did? I don’t remember.”

 

“You said it was fine..”

 

“What was fine?”

 

I was waiting for Rosie to answer when the other girls who I honestly forgot were there began to laugh.

 

“Guys are these your girlfriends?” The taller one asks.

 

“Yes.” Jisoo and I answer together, grabbing our girls and pulling them towards us.

 

“Omg you guys are so cute!” The smaller one gushes, “Our Rosie posie is finally off the market and so is player Lisa.”

 

“I told you it was sus that she began asking you where you are.” The girl that ended the call chuckled, “I’m Dahyun by the way. Sorry about earlier, I just like messing with this dork.” Dahyun chuckles.

 

“Dahyun? So you’re Korean?”

 

“Yeah but I moved to Melbourne when I was young so my Korean , but I can understand fine.” She replies in English.

 

“Rosie, Lisa where are your manners?” The clingy girl hisses.

 

“Ah right sorry..uh Jenjen, Chu..this is Wendy, Joy, Dahyun, and Hyeri...they’re our friends from Australia.”

 

“Guys, this is Jisoo, Lisa’s girlfriend and Jennie, my uh girlfriend.” Rosie got shy and she looked so cute that I couldn’t stop myself from pecking her blushing cheeks.

 

“Awwwww so cute! We heard so much about you two from these kids.” Wendy smiles.

 

“Really? Cause we haven’t heard anything about their lives in Australia if I were to be honest.” I eyed Rosie,who pretended to look elsewhere.

 

“Ah then we are your go-to for that.” Hyeri, the clingy one, smirked.

 

“Hyeri.” Rosie looked at Hyeri with pleading eyes.

 

“Don’t worry Rosie Posie...I won’t spill all your secrets.”

 

“Secrets huh.”

 

“But how did you guys even find us?” Lisa speaks up.

 

“Yeri saw you, we’re actually having brunch with the girls.” Jisoo points to the restaurant.

 

“Ahh..well we were just about to eat. Have you guys just started?” Rosie looks at me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

 

“Actually we just ordered when we saw you..”

 

“Oh can we join then?”

 

“Absolutely.” Jisoo answers.

 

Rosie and Lisa’s friends go ahead, with the four of us trailing behind.

 

“Why didn’t you two just tell us your friends were visiting?” I ask, making sure I wasn’t speaking too loudly for their friends to hear.

 

“I told you over the phone last night Jen and I reminded Lisa to tell you Chu..but she probably forgot.”

 

“You could have reminded us this morning.” Jisoo speaks up, glaring at Lisa.

 

“I’m sorry babe...I was just excited to see my friends again.” Lisa pouts.

 

“We promise, next time we will keep you updated. So can we enjoy brunch with everyone in peace?” Rosie asks.

 

“Fine, but that Hyeri needs to stop being so clingy with you.” I huffed, leaning my head on Rosie’s shoulder as we walked.

 

“Goodluck with that Jen...Hyeri is worse than me when it comes to being overprotective of Rosie.”

 

“Don’t be jealous, Hyeri and them have been our friends since we were in primary school. Plus they’re literally all taken.” Rosie whispers in my ear.

 

“I was not jealous.” I deny.

 

“Right okay. I’ll pretend that I believe that.” Rosie chuckles.

 

“Rosieeeee.” I whine and she laughs...and I find myself falling for her even more…

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Hi, it’s been a while since I came here right Chae?” I smile, feeling proud that I can say her name without that breaking feeling in my heart.

 

“I’m sorry if I haven’t visited you in a while..” I trail off, letting the cool autumn breeze accompany me for a moment, “It’s officially been 8 years now Chaeyoung..” I sigh, placing the white orchids I only ever bring during her anniversary down with the other flowers already there.

 

“You know…” I sat down at my usual spot, “I’m seeing someone..” I confess, slightly feeling like I’m cheating even though I know I’m not.

 

“It’s Rosie...remember I told you about her a few times…” I trail off, seeing Chaeyoung’s happy smile in my mind, “Are you happy for me Chae?” I look up at the sky, at the trees whose leaves have turned red and orange, “Please be a yes, because I might love her..”

 

“Actually, I know I love her...and I also know that you did too even though you didn’t know it was her..Maybe one day, when we’re both ready...and when everything is finally settled...then we’d come to visit you together.”

 

“I love you…” I place my palm on her gravestone , before getting up and walking away.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A/n: It’s finally D-1 until Rosie’s solo and I’m so excited and happy and light! Like it’s finally here!!!

 

This chapter is like a filler, let’s get these two together kind of chapter..with a little bit of a twist at the end….

 

From here on out it’s going to be very bumpy…..I want to finish this in 20 or less parts..so we are near the end...thanks for staying with this for so long. I really do appreciate you guys telling me your theories, thoughts, opinions, because it really makes me feel like this is actually something worth reading and I do try and reply to everyone’s comments/DMs

 

Okay enough of me being lowkey sappy...I thought I’d share that yes Gone will have a part two!! Actually someone here recommended a plot that I was actually already considering and they kinda sealed the deal once and for all.

 

The title will be: -Gone- I’ll Put a curse on her and you. / -Gone-Postlude

 

Alrighty let’s all stream and support Rosie tomorrow.

 

Ciao~