Congratulations
Can't wait to see you in a white dress!
Finally! Congratulations Hol
Mom is going to be pissed that you didn't call her before posting it on fb
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ABOUT YOU GETTING MARRIED
Congrats
HOLLY STEWART EXPLAIN YOURSELF
I didn't think I'd ever see the day. Im so happy for you and your fiancée
Congratulations Holly. It's about time ;)
Congrats Holly!
I have to say, I'm hurt I didn't even know you had a girl. But I'm happy for you two (she's really hot too. Nice job)
And the list continued. Dozens of texts congratulating her on her engagement, an engagement she had no memory of. She couldn't even remember where she was, it certainly wasn't her apartment, nor was it a hotel room. It was a bed room, white walls and barely any furniture, but it was in fact someones bed room. Holly rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands and willed herself to remember the previous night. Her head was pounding, keeping her from thinking further than how bright the small stream of light was coming through the window curtains. Holly pressed into her eyes harder and concentrated.
She remembered flying to Toronto for a conference talk. She remembered very sweatily giving the talk, and the dozens of questions afterwards. Then... Blank. Holly was blank on the rest of her day.
She needed a plan. A way to go about getting out of some random apartment and figuring out who she was supposedly engaged to, where her night went.
"Oh, you're up."
Holly's head whipped up so fast she lost sight for a second. She knew that voice, God, she knew that voice. She blinked a few times and stuttered about to try and wrap her head around what was happening. Gail was standing in the doorway, fully dressed, topped off with tied laces and her signature leather jacket. "Gail what-"
"I don't know. I'm sorry-"
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Holly was very aware of the blondes nerves, how she shifted from one foot to the other and didn't hold eye contact. She was also aware for her own lack of clothing and mindlessly pulled the sheets tighter around herself.
Gail kicked the hardwood with the tip of her boot and gave a halfhearted shrug.
"How did-when did we?" Holly was having trouble finding words, stringing coherent sentences together when she was finally breathing the same air as Gail Peck again. And in what she presumed to be Gail's bed. Naked. Gail let the tiniest of smirks slip onto her lips and for a split second it felt like old times, like when she'd wake up to find Gail getting ready to head out to shift after spending the night at her place. But then reality came crashing back as Gail continued to stare at her feet. They weren't together, and it'd been over a year since they last saw each other.
"I don't remember much, and what I do is fuzzy. But I think we bumped into each other at some diner, somehow ended up back here, and I know there was a lot of alcohol involved, I just can't remember where it came from or what happened after." She trailed off at the end.
In all honesty it didn't surprise Holly that she'd somehow found Gail. She knew she was at risk of seeking out the blonde, even after all their time apart, even when she knew how destructive it probably would be, Holly knew she couldn't stay away when she was so close the woman that haunted her dreams. What did surprise her was the fact that she woke up in Gail's bed.
"I can take a guess at a few things that happened."
Gail finally met her gaze. "I'm all ears."
Instead of voicing it Holly just looked down at herself, disheveled and covered only in soft sheets, then back up at the blonde. Gail's faint shadow of a grin was back and the sight brought a flutter to Holly's chest. She returned the gesture. "And, um... If it's not you then this is-no it's you, it couldn't be anyone else."
"What couldn't be anyone else?"
Holly bit her lip. "I have about a billion texts congratulating me on my engagement."
"I guess that's what this is then." Gail moved the water bottle she'd been holding to her other hand and dug into her back pocket. Then she held up something between two fingers.
Holly squinted. She couldn't really make out what it was without her glasses, but by the subject at hand she guessed it was some type of ring. Her breath caught in her throat as the night before came rushing back.
After she'd done her talk and stayed for an appropriate amount of time for questions, all Holly wanted was food. She couldn't eat beforehand, not with the knots in her gut, she couldn't keep anything down. And she'd found herself at a familiar diner. The diner Gail had brought her to after they went to the batting cages.
Of course Gail had been there. And of course Holly couldn't have just turned back around and pretend like nothing had happened.
She'd slipped into the bench across from her, heart pounding and brain fogged. Holly wasn't thinking, couldn't think, all that she knew was Gail was right there in arms reach. That was all that mattered. Gail, right there in front of her.
It didn't take long, few words and a touch to the hand, before they slipped into Gail's car together. Neither wanted to go out but both agreed alcohol was needed so they stopped to pick up a few bottles on their way to Gail's, deciding that it was closer than Holly's hotel and closer was better.
After the initial awkwardness they slipped back into each other. Conversation flowed and Holly swore she hadn't laughed that hard since the afternoon Gail met her friends. Of course the burning liquid courage had a hand in it too. Then it turned into a game, shot after shot they took turns asking questions and answering, each drink bringing in harsher truths.
"I want to kiss you." Holly confessed as her companion poured them another round. They say on the floor, leaned up against the couch, touching thigh to thigh. She didn't bother to shyly look away, she'd had enough of not seeing the beautiful blonde.
Gail bit her lip. She finished pouring the Amber liquid and leaned back. "I can't."
"I know." Holly whispered. She knew, she really did. But. "But I really want to."
"I want you to too."
"Then-"
"I can't Holly." Gail growled and pushed up onto her feet. She stumbled a bit, her head rushed and overwhelmingly fuzzy from shots 3, 5, and 9. None the less she began to pace the expanse of her living room on the other side of the coffee table from Holly. "God, I shouldn't even be doing this!" She squeezed her eyes shut and covered them with the palms of her hands.
Holly watched her quietly. She fucked up. They were having a great night and she just had to throw it away by voicing her thoughts. But they were doing this anyway so why stop now? "Why not?"
"Because I can't do this with you, Holly, I can't be friends. We tried that already, remember? I can't-I just can't."
"I don't want to just be your friend, Gail." Holly slowly stood. "I want to kiss you."
"That doesn't change anything." Gail stopped her pacing and stared right into Holly's eyes.
Holly swallowed hard. The blue in Gail's eyes were nothing like she'd seen before, not with all of the layers of emotion swirled together like they were. She knew them individually. The vulnerability like that time she cut her hair. The heartbreaking, crushing knowledge that showed when they broke up. The yearning from the first time Gail had to leave her apartment way too early for their liking. And something else, something new.
"Holly," the way Gail said her name ripped her heart in two, made her close her eyes at the impact, "I want nothing more than for you to kiss me. It's all I want, always. But I can't let you, because if I do I'm not going to be able to pick myself up when you leave again."
"Marry me."
"I can't believe my grandmas ring fit." Gail shot her a look. "My grandmas ring, it fits you."
"Are you holding back what you know?" Gail questioned, stepping into the room.
"We got drunk, played a little truth game, talked and I proposed." Holly couldn't hide the delight in her voice. Gail had said yes after a little convincing and reassuring, but she'd said yes. Even if she changed her now clear and sober mind, Holly knew her truth and would fight for once.