Chapter 23 - The Comment That Breaks Ginny
The studio smelled like eucalyptus and hot glue.
Ginny Nakamura stood in the middle of organized chaos, clipboard pressed against her chest while assistants rushed past carrying centerpieces shaped like floating lanterns. A bride was crying over the shade of blush pink. A groom was arguing about table placements.
Normal. Fine. Manageable.
What wasn't manageable was the memory of Jayna's mouth on hers.
It had been three days.
Three days since that impulsive kiss outside the café. Three days of silence. No calls. No teasing messages. No "Good morning, fiancée."
They were back to pretending nothing had happened.
Which was worse than fighting.
"Ginny?" Janhae's calm voice cut through the haze. "You okay?"
"I'm fantastic," Ginny said too quickly, adjusting a ribbon that didn't need adjusting. "I thrive under emotional instability."
Janhae gave her a look but let it go.
By evening, the event was in full swing. It was a charity gala-lots of sponsors, polished smiles, cameras. Ginny moved gracefully through the ballroom, fixing details, greeting clients, performing competence like a well-rehearsed monologue.
And then she saw Jayna.
Across the room.
Navy suit. Sleeves rolled slightly. Hair tied low.
God.
Jayna wasn't even doing anything. She was just talking to a guest-probably someone from the sports rehabilitation foundation she volunteered with. Calm. Composed. Beautiful in that effortless way that made Ginny want to both kiss her and run away.
They hadn't spoken properly since the kiss.
Jayna noticed her looking.
Their eyes met.
For a second, everything stilled.
Then Jayna gave her a small, polite nod.
Polite.
Like they were colleagues.
Ginny's stomach dropped.
"Wow."
Ginny turned. Two women stood near the bar, both sponsors' wives. They weren't whispering. They weren't trying to.
"That's the sports therapist, right? Jayna Stewart?"
"Yes. She's incredible. My cousin went to her after surgery."
"She's also apparently engaged to the stylist running this event."
A pause.
Then a soft laugh.
"Really? Huh. She deserves someone serious though."
The other woman hummed in agreement. "Exactly. She's very grounded. That stylist girl... she seems fun, but-"
"But flighty."
"Yeah. Like she'd bolt if things got real."
They weren't cruel.
They were casual.
Which made it worse.
Ginny's fingers tightened around her clipboard.
Flighty.
Bolt if things got real.
The words lodged somewhere deep, hitting a nerve she tried very hard not to acknowledge.
Because wasn't that exactly what she did?
She'd blurted out an engagement at a reunion like it was a party trick.
She'd ghosted Jayna after a drunken kiss months ago.
She'd kissed her again last week-and now she was avoiding the aftermath like a coward.
She forced herself to move, to smile, to keep working.
But the words kept echoing.
Jayna deserves someone serious.
Someone steady.
Someone who doesn't treat her like a backup plan.
Ginny risked another glance across the room.
Jayna was laughing at something someone said, hand resting loosely at her side. Relaxed. Strong. Unshakable.
And suddenly Ginny didn't feel worthy of standing next to her.
-
Later that night, after the guests left and the staff began dismantling décor, Ginny stayed behind.
She said it was to supervise.
It was actually to avoid going home and thinking.
Jayna lingered too.
Of course she did. Responsible. Reliable.
They ended up alone near the stage, fairy lights dimmed to a soft golden glow.
The silence between them wasn't comfortable anymore.
It was heavy.
Jayna broke it first. "Event went well."
"Yeah." Ginny nodded. "You handled the donor with the knee brace nicely."
"That's my job."
Another silence.
Ginny swallowed.
Ask her about the kiss.
Say something.
Instead she heard the sponsors' voices again.
She deserves someone serious.
"Jayna," Ginny started, her voice thinner than she meant it to be.
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think..." She hesitated. "That maybe this whole engagement thing was stupid?"
Jayna's expression shifted-just slightly. A flicker.
"It was your idea," Jayna said evenly.
"I know. I just-" Ginny laughed nervously. "Maybe people are right. You deserve someone more... stable."
"People?" Jayna asked quietly.
Ginny looked away. "It doesn't matter."
Jayna studied her for a long moment.
"Do you think I'm incapable of deciding what I deserve?"
The question wasn't angry.
It was hurt.
Ginny's chest tightened.
"No. That's not what I-"
"Then stop speaking for me."
The firmness in Jayna's tone made Ginny flinch.
They stared at each other under the dim lights.
So much unsaid.
About the kiss.
About the way Jayna's hands had trembled afterward.
About the way Ginny hadn't reached out.
Jayna exhaled slowly. "If you're looking for an exit, Ginny, just say it."
The words hit harder than the gossip.
Exit.
Like that's all she ever did.
Ginny opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Because the terrifying truth was-
She didn't want an exit.
She wanted Jayna.
But wanting meant staying.
And staying meant risking everything.
"I should go," Ginny said instead.
Jayna nodded once. "Okay."
No argument. No chase.
That hurt the most.
Ginny grabbed her bag, walking past her, the scent of Jayna's cologne brushing her senses like a cruel reminder.
As she stepped outside into the cool night air, the comment replayed again and again in her mind.
Jayna deserves someone serious.
Someone who won't run.
Ginny leaned against her car and let out a shaky breath.
Maybe they were right.
Maybe Jayna did deserve someone better.
And maybe Ginny's way of loving had always been selfish.
Inside the ballroom, Jayna remained still for a long time after Ginny left.
Then she quietly helped the staff pack up the last of the lights.
Alone.