Previously:

“I’m still mad at you,” Tina added.

“I know.”  Bette rocked back onto her heels.  “And is it… at all possible that you feel something for me too?”

Tina stared at the ground and spoke hesitantly.  “I don’t know what I feel for you, Bette.  I thought I knew but…”

“But what?”

“But I’ve never seen you act like you have in the last 24 hours.  And that leads to me to believe that maybe I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

“I just… I don’t know if I can be around you right now,” Tina said, still gripping the doorknob. 

Bette slowly moved in placed a gentle kiss on Tina’s cheek.  She lingered there for a few seconds, taking in her scent and the salty taste of her tears. 

“I’m sorry,” Bette repeated softly.  She took a step back and, with a final glance at Tina, walked down the hallway and out the door of Shane’s house.

###

The afternoon turned into night and all was fairly silent between the two households.  Shane had ordered dinner to make sure the women were eating.  She sat and ate with Tina, who went back to the guestroom immediately after dinner. When she was sure Tina wouldn’t be coming back out, she snuck over to Bette’s with the food she had gotten for her. 

Both Bette and Tina were sulking too much to even want to talk about it, and Shane was left in the dark about the situation.  Alice had been calling her cell phone all day asking for news, and threatened to come over when Shane said she had none.  Eventually, Shane was able to talk her into giving it one more day before she got involved.

Bette had effectively cried herself to sleep in the early evening.  Tina, however, was still lying awake even as the early morning hours arrived. She had spent the entire day mulling over Bette’s words.  A large part of her was immensely overjoyed at hearing Bette express her feelings for her.  But she also knew that those sentiments were somewhat tainted now, after the way Bette had lashed out at her.  Was that a side of Bette that she had previously kept hidden, yet was nonetheless a part of her?  If Tina was able to move on from this, would it only happen again down the road?  It was impossible for Tina to deny her feelings for Bette.  It was her love for this woman that made her icy words even more painful to bear.