The One to Hold Your Hand, page 17
“Lucky for you, I don’t settle for anything less than the best, so it looks like we better get to practicing.”
Without hesitation, Reese brought their bodies back together and kissed Bette once again. It was going to be a great night, and hopefully, an even better summer.
Chapter 15: 2.5 Years Later
21 Years Old
Reese caught Rachel’s reflection smirking behind her as she looked at herself in the full length mirror in their bedroom.
Rachel laid her head on Reese’s shoulder and batted her eyelashes. Reese could only imagine what she was about to say. “So, how long do you think it will take before you and Bette sleep together again? My bet is that you guys sneak off before the Christmas Eve party even ends.”
Reese rolled her eyes at Rachel. Sure, it wasn’t crazy to think that she and Bette would hook up. Since their first time, anytime Bette was home for a break, they would end up falling back into bed together, as long as they were both still single. That happened to be the case most of the time since neither of them could seem to stay in a relationship. It was different this time though, because Bette was dating someone and had been since the end of their junior year, which was probably the only reason their relationship had remained completely platonic over the summer.
“I don’t think her girlfriend would appreciate that.”
“No? Who knows, maybe she’s into it. Could be your lucky night. Threesomes are awesome.”
Reese wrinkled her face in exaggerated disgust. “Ew, come on. You know I hate hearing this stuff.”
Rachel shrugged and backed away from her. “Gotta live life while the living’s good, sis. Speaking of living life, have you thought about my idea?”
“About getting an apartment together?” Reese loved the idea of living somewhere other than the house she grew up in, and sharing a place with Rachel would definitely be fun, but she worried about Rachel being away from home. What if something happened? What if she got sick again? She hated to think like that, but she couldn’t stop her mind from going there.
“Obviously. If you get a job where you had your internship this semester, we can get a place around there.”
“That’s an hour away. I was thinking if we got a place, it could be about halfway between here and there.”
“So you can be closer to your girlfriend?”
Reese turned away from the mirror to glare at her sister who had a proud smile on her face. “No. So we can be closer to Mom and Dad.”
And the hospital.
Rachel’s smile immediately dropped into a pout. “You’re so boring.”
“We’ll talk about this later. For now, we need to head out.”
“Yep. Can’t keep your girlfriend waiting.” Rachel flashed Reese one more smile before sauntering out of the room.
Reese shook her head as she followed her out. She was wrong. This holiday was different. Nothing was going to happen between her and Bette.
***
An hour into the Christmas Eve party confirmed that this holiday was indeed different. But the difference wasn’t in the relationship between Reese and Bette. It was the way Bette was acting overall. The girl who was normally a social butterfly was glued to her girlfriend’s side, barely interacting with anyone else. The few conversations they did join seemed to be controlled by her girlfriend, Meredith. Bette could barely get a word in, even when questions were directed toward her. She seemed strangely content with letting Meredith answer for her, which was very strange.
None of this sat right with Reese, and she waited all night for an opportunity to get Bette alone. She kept an eye on the couple and saw her chance when Meredith excused herself to use the restroom.
She placed a hand lightly on Bette’s forearm and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. She tried to ignore just how intoxicating her perfume was. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Bette frantically moved her eyes around the room as if she had to seek permission to have a conversation with her oldest friend. “Um… yeah sure. What’s up?”
Reese pushed her hands deep inside her corduroy pants and rocked back and forth on her feet, suddenly feeling oddly nervous. “I was hoping we could go somewhere more private.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Meredith said as she walked up behind Bette and slipped an arm around her waist before judgingly scanning her eyes over Reese. “You know, given your history and all.”
Reese hated the way she emphasized history as if that’s all she and Bette were, just something from the past. She also didn’t understand how she would have gotten back from the bathroom so fast. Unless she had seen Reese walking over to talk to Bette and refused to let that happen so she skipped out on the bathroom.
“That’s fine. I’m sure we’ll all find plenty of time to talk at the New Year’s Eve party,” Rachel said when she joined them.
“About that. We’re not sure if it’s happening anymore.” Meredith squeezed Bette’s side in a way Reese didn’t appreciate, almost as if she was prompting her. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Bette stared at the ground as Reese tried desperately to make eye contact with her. She stared at her feet looking weak and sad and so very un-Bette-like. “My dad is really excited for it. He already bought the food and everything. I don’t think we can cancel.”
Meredith smiled through gritted teeth. “It sounds like we will be seeing you on New Year’s Eve. I guess that means there’s no reason for you to speak now.” She moved her hand in a shooing motion. “So, run along.”
Run along? Had she really just said that? Reese really wanted to give this girl a piece of her mind, but doing that right in the middle of the Mitchells’ Christmas party didn’t seem like the best plan. Rachel must have taken notice of her anger because she put a hand on her arm and started to pull her away. “Let’s leave them be. We’ll finish this at the New Year’s party.”
***
In the days following Christmas Eve, Reese hoped what she saw at the party was a fluke. That maybe Meredith wasn’t really as bad as she seemed, and hopefully Bette wasn’t as sad. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case. Just like Christmas Eve, Meredith took complete control over every conversation.
“So, Bette, you’re coming back to work at the shop after you graduate, right?” Rachel asked when Meredith finally let them close enough to her to hold a conversation.
“That’s the plan,” Bette answered, much too hesitantly for a girl who had always been confident about what her future plans were.
Meredith placed a hand on her arm as if she was a mother about to lecture her young child, making Reese want to deck her across the face. “We’re still discussing it. Working at her family’s little store is a cute idea, but we might have bigger plans.”
“It’s not worth it,” Rachel whispered in Reese’s ear as she gritted her teeth, trying to keep herself from saying anything. Instead of acknowledging what Meredith just said, Rachel gave them a pleasant smile. “So, Meredith, I’m sure it’s been nice spending Christmas with the Mitchells. They sure know how to celebrate.”
Meredith smiled sincerely in response to Rachel’s comment, and for a moment, Reese actually believed she might start acting human. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. “It’s been nice, but the real fun starts tomorrow. I don’t think anyone would argue that my parents’ winter house in Miami isn’t just a bit more exciting than middle of nowhere Pennsylvania.”
That was it. Reese couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t stand there and listen to someone be so unappreciative of the greatest family she knew. “I’m getting a drink,” she announced coldly before turning on her heels and walking away.
Instead of heading to the kitchen where all of the drinks were, she took a seat on the couch. Somehow, Meredith had even taken away her desire to drink. She felt like she needed to be in the right mindset just in case Bette needed her, because something told her she would.
Eventually, Rachel and Tabitha joined her, and the three talked and joked around until it was time to welcome in the new year. After the initial celebration ended, Reese excused herself to use the restroom and slipped away upstairs so she could get away from everyone. After going to the bathroom, she splashed some water on her face and prepared herself to go back downstairs and socialize. She wasn’t in the mood for any celebrating. The situation with Bette and Meredith made her too uneasy, and even though Rachel would probably claim she was jealous, that’s not what it was about at all.
As she walked out of the bathroom, the sound of an argument down the hall caught her attention. “I just think you could be a little nicer,” Bette’s voice said, still sounding more timid than usual.
“Nicer? I’m being very nice. You’re lucky I even agreed to come here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? We’re spending time with my family. That was the plan. Time with mine, then time with yours.”
“Oh, come on. I’m doing this because I love you, but you can’t actually believe that anyone would want to hang out with a family that acts like they were plucked straight from a sixties sitcom.” Oh no she didn’t, Reese thought. Her fist clenched as she continued to listen to Meredith’s ramblings. “It’s just like you continuing to tell people you want to come back and work at your family’s shop. You know we can’t be together if those are the types of dreams you have. It’s pathetic.”
That was it. Reese couldn’t take it anymore. No one had the right to talk about her favorite family this way, and there was absolutely no way she would let her get away with talking to her favorite person like that either. Without thinking, she walked right into Bette’s room. Two sets of eyes landed on hers as soon as she opened the door. One looked worried while the other was clearly annoyed.
She latched her own eyes onto Meredith’s annoyed ones. “I overheard your conversation, and I just want you to know that I don’t appreciate how you are speaking to her. You should feel so incredibly lucky to be welcomed into the Mitchells’ Christmas celebrations. If you think they act like they’re from a sixties sitcom, it’s because they’re seriously the nicest people in the world, and you honestly don’t deserve their hospitality.” She wiggled a finger at Meredith as if she was a mother giving a lecture and took a few steps closer to her so they were practically toe-to-toe. “Speaking of which, you don’t deserve this amazing girl that you’re dating. You have no right to tell her that her dreams aren’t good enough just because they’re different than yours. Bette is the most hardworking, dedicated person in the world, and if you can’t appreciate that, then you should just leave.”
By the time she finished, her voice was shaking from being so angry.
To her surprise, instead of taking anything she said into consideration, Meredith laughed. “You’re telling me to leave? I think you need to learn your place. Bette isn’t your girlfriend, she’s mine. That means that I decide how I speak to her and that I have more of a right to be here than you do. All you are is some stupid high school ex-girlfriend who can’t seem to learn when to let go. What you have to say means nothing at this point.”
Reese turned to look at Bette in disbelief. There was no way she was going to let this girl talk to her like this, right? Instead of looking her in the eye, Bette looked at the ground where she ran her foot across the carpet.
Reese scoffed and threw her hands in the air. “That’s it. I’m done.” She turned to walk out of the room, but spun around one more time when she reached the door. This time, Bette looked at her, so she spoke directly to her. “You need to think long and hard about the decisions you make. Not about your family, not about your future, but about the person you choose to share your heart with. You deserve so much better than this, and you know it. Don’t give up the person you are just for some stupid trips to Miami with someone who doesn’t even respect you.”
This time, she did walk out. She walked right out of the room, down the stairs, and straight to Rachel to tell her they were leaving. There was no way she was going to just sit around and watch this trainwreck happen right in front of her. She said her piece. Now it was Bette’s turn to decide what to do for herself. She just hoped she wasn’t in too deep to make the right choice.
***
The next night, after a day of complete silence, Reese was surprised to see a text from Bette on her phone. Could you come over? I need to talk to you.
She stared down at the words in disbelief. Aren’t you in Florida?
If I was, would I be asking you to come to my house? Sounds a bit counterproductive :-p
Even that text message sounded more like the old Bette. Did that mean that she had actually considered what Reese said? She didn’t know if that could be the case so soon after her flip-out, but she wasn’t going to wait to find out. I’ll be right over.
***
Bette paced around her room as she waited for Reese to arrive. She needed to apologize for not saying anything after Reese stood up for her, but she wasn’t sure how to explain the hold Meredith had over her. There was no way Reese was going to understand why she fell for a girl like that.
Even she questioned it at times, but she knew exactly what first attracted her to Meredith. It was just how much Meredith wanted her. Meredith spent their whole junior year pursuing Bette and trying to win her over. Bette was hesitant at first because of how dominant her personality was. She was much more outspoken than any of the other girls she had dated. But in the end, her persistence won out. How could it not? It felt good for someone to want her so much that they wouldn’t give up. It was more than she could say for… she shook her head at herself. She couldn’t think like that right now.
Her best friend had tried to stick up for her, and she just stood there like an idiot. She felt guilty as soon as it happened but didn’t have too much time to think about it since things got messy with Meredith right after that. She apparently didn’t appreciate being talked to like that, especially by one of Bette’s exes. Bette believed in being very transparent in relationships so Meredith knew all about her and Reese’s history, but no matter how much Bette reassured her that their past was the past, she didn’t seem to believe it. When Meredith went off about Reese, Bette couldn’t keep her mouth shut anymore. There was no way Bette would let someone talk about her that way, even if it was her girlfriend. Well, now ex-girlfriend. Meredith liked having the final word, and when Bette wouldn’t let her, they were as good as done.
Bette heard the doorbell ring and ran right downstairs to get it before her parents could intercept Reese and end up keeping her forever. Luckily, she was the first one to the door. She instinctively grabbed Reese’s hand, ignoring the way it felt much more natural than holding Meredith’s ever had, and dragged her up to her bedroom.
“Where’s the fire?” Reese asked with a laugh after they made it into her room.
Instead of answering, she threw herself into Reese’s arms and cried. She didn’t know if she was crying over losing Meredith or over feeling guilty about how she let Meredith talk to Reese. It was most likely a combination of the two, but for now all she could focus on was how good it felt to be in Reese’s arms. Reese held her as if she would never let go, and knowing Reese, if Bette asked her not to, she never would. It was safe there. It was like coming home after spending way too long in a strange place. When Reese kissed her lightly on the forehead, her body warmed in a way she had grown to love in all of their years of friendship and more.
“Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen,” she said softly before placing one more kiss right at Bette’s temple. “But I’m okay with this too. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
Bette broke the hug and wiped at her eyes so she could focus on Reese. Her eyes glistened with a combination of concern and sincerity in a way that always had the ability to take Bette’s breath away, even after all this time. “I’m not sure why you’re being so nice to me. I shouldn’t have let Meredith speak to you the way she did.”
“I’m going to assume there were a lot of things you let Meredith get away with that you probably shouldn’t have.” Reese looked around the room as if she was searching for someone. “But she doesn’t seem to be here now, so what does that mean?”
“We broke up,” Bette answered softly, unsure whether she felt more sad or relieved by that fact.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Are you though?”
Reese shrugged. “As you probably noticed, I wasn’t a big fan of hers from what I saw in the little bit of time I spent with her. But you clearly saw something in her, and if you’re upset, then I am sorry. Honestly, I feel guilty because I’m pretty sure it’s my fault.”
“It probably should have happened a long time ago,” Bette answered honestly. “Everything that happened the past few days gave me the push I needed.”
Reese blew out a breath and sat down on Bette’s bed, motioning for Bette to sit down beside her. “Are you okay?”
Bette slowly nodded. She wasn’t really sure how to feel. She meant what she said about the fact that she should have ended it before, but this one still hurt. “I will be. I think I just need some time. I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but Meredith was the first person I dated who I actually thought I could see a future with. Well, I mean, aside from…” Bette let her words trail off because she could tell by the way Reese nodded that she knew exactly what she was going to say. There was an unspoken understanding between them about what the two of them meant to each other, and it was clear every time they were together.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why? What was it about her that made her seem like the type of person you’d want to start a life with?”
How was Bette supposed to answer this? How did she explain it without sounding completely pathetic? She knew she couldn’t, and there was no sense being dishonest with Reese since she could see right through her. She might as well tell her the complete truth.
