Chapter Eleven – The Questions

It was nearly an hour later when Jessie awoke from her spontaneous slumber. She didn't open her eyes straights away, she groaned and stretched slightly, feeling a certain warmth against her cheek. At this point she opened her pale blue eyes slowly, focusing on the sleeping form of her lanky girlfriend beneath her. She smiled immediately, a smile that spread rapidly across her face. Just the thought of Katie made her grin like a mad thing, with the girl so close to her, Jessie could barely contain herself. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around Katie and pull her more tightly to herself, instead opting to remain still and wait for Katie to wake naturally.

Jessie didn't have to wait long. Just a few moments later she felt Katie's chest shift under her, she felt long fingers move from their resting place on the side of her stomach and trail softly through her blonde hair. Enjoying this sensation, Jessie let out a contented sigh, she couldn't believe how happy she was with Katie and how quickly this had all come about. This time two days ago we weren't even speaking she thought to herself in amazement. It was then that Jessie had that horrible sinking feeling when you just know something isn't quite right but you can't put your finger on it. She thought for a minute then felt her body chill. Sarah. The turmoil that had worn her out a couple of hours earlier came flooding back. She remembered the state she was in when sleep overtook her, the doubt she was beginning to feel creeping back around her veins.

Katie felt Jessie lift her chin so that their eyes could meet. She saw Jessie's still sleepy features peering at her from their place nestled into her chest.

"Hey you" Katie whispered, a serene smile plastered across her face.

She studied Jessie for a moment, taking in the beauty that she had noticed the first time they had met. And remembering that it hadn't taken long at all for her to realise that the beauty Jessie possessed went far deeper than what could be seen on the outside.

After several seconds Katie realised Jessie had yet to respond. She brought herself back from the daydream she had drifted into and considered Jessie's expression more closely.

"Billie?" Katie questioned.

She was feeling a bit unsure now, Jessie was not smiling. Their gaze remained locked on each other, but the younger girl hadn't said anything at all. Maybe she's freaked out again, maybe it wasn't cool for me to just curl up with her whilst she slept...but it was okay last night, eventually... Katie thought to herself.

"Jess? What's going on?"

Jessie parted her lips slightly. It was clear to Katie that the girl was about to make the automatic response to that question, she was about to say "Nothing." But as Katie continued to watch, Jessie closed her mouth. She licked her lips quickly and Katie forced the butterflies that had began to scatter around her stomach at the sight of Jessie's tongue to land again. Jessie furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth once more.

"Who's Sarah?"

It was strange how two short simple words could have such a massive effect of someone but Katie felt her stomach drop what felt like several hundred feet, the butterflies now no-where to be found. Katie's mind was racing. How was she meant to answer that question? Who was Sarah to Katie? Should she attempt to explain this now? Or just brush it off? And more to the point; how did Jessie know about Sarah?

Jessie too felt the abrupt change in Katie. She felt Katie's entire body tense, from the roots of her caramel coloured hair to the tips of her sock-clad toes. Jessie's stomach was now chasing Katie's into the abyss. Why was her girlfriend to put off by the mention of a name? Did this reaction suggest that Grace may well have been right? Katie had used this girl, got bored of her and dumped her? Was that the same fate that Jessie herself was now facing?

"What?" Katie let out. It was the first time Jessie had her sound so nervous.

"Who is Sarah?" Jessie asked again, her resolve to uncover the truth strengthening.

"Why do you ask that?" Katie shot a question right back, beginning to sound quite defensive now. She gently pushed Jessie off of her and sat up on the bed.

Jessie mirrored her older girlfriend's movements and faced Katie on the bed.

"Grace mentioned something about her and you earlier and I just wanted to hear it from you?" Jessie explained herself trying to remain reasonable in her interrogation of the girl.

"Me and Sarah? Well what did the all-knowing Grace tell you about me and Sarah then?" Katie asked, the volume of her voice rising a little.

Yep, thought Jessie She's definitely getting defensive. What Grace said must have been true, or what's with this reaction? Jessie looked down at her hands that were twisting nervously in her lap before continuing.

"She said that you were a couple, that Sarah was totally in love with you but you got bored and broke her heart." Jessie said simply, preparing herself for Katie's confirmation of the events. Only after she had spoken these words did Jessie look up from her hands. She glanced nervously at Katie's face but her gaze lingered when her she saw what appeared to be pure rage in her girlfriend's eyes.

Katie leapt from the bed and ran her hands through her hair roughly, she paced towards the door and Jessie was certain she was about to walk straight out when she turned around and marched back to stand near the bed.

"You believed her?" She questioned quietly at last. She had been studying the floor but when her dark bluish green eyes finally met Jessie's slightly shocked ones, Jessie was surprised once more. The anger that had been encompassing Katie's usually laughing eyes had vanished and now she saw only pain thinly veiled by the tears that threatened to escape.

"I..." Jessie found herself stuttering now, entirely taken aback by Katie's drastic reaction to her line of questioning.

"You did." Katie said simply. She appeared stunned now. Jessie looked on speechless, not knowing how to deal with the tempest that Katie had all of a sudden become. However, as quickly as the anger had disappeared, so did the look of pain. Katie wiped her eyes, evaporating any trace of tears, ran her hands through her hair once more and fixed Jessie with a stare. Jessie was sure she was being studied. Katie narrowed her eyes and sat back down on the bed. She took Jessie's hand in her own.

"So you're worried that you didn't know me as well as you think you did?" She asked softly. Jessie nodded. Katie continued to look at Jessie with the same expression someone would wear when they tried to figure a rubix cube.

"No." Katie corrected herself. She shook her head in dis-belief.

"You're worried that I'll do the same to you." She finished. This time Jessie just looked at her and allowed Katie to see her vulnerability, and in turn determine that her suspicion was correct. Katie's expression finally softened. She stroked her thumb across the back of Jessie's hand.

"Jess, me and Sarah were just friends. We were close around the same time that kids at school discovered I was gay. You know what high school is like, everyone just kinda put two and two together and before I knew it Sarah and I were Upton Sinclair's prime gossip material. Anyway, when she left school it was decided that we had broken up and I was the cause. It was nothing like that, we were never even a couple."

Jessie felt really dumb now. She looked up at Katie who sat smiling at her after finishing her explanation, she smiled back. It was the first time Katie had seen that smile grace her girlfriend's face since she arrived at the manning house, and she was relieved.

"I would never hurt you." Katie whispered.

Jessie felt her heart melt; she couldn't believe she had doubted this. She had doubted her Katie, Clearly the sweetest and most caring girl on the planet. Of course she wouldn't hurt her. Jessie leaned in and brushed her lips against Katie's, grateful for the contact that she had momentarily worried she would never possess again.

"I'm sorry." Jessie said against Katie's lips. She felt Katie shake her head and then felt her lips being captured by Katie's once more, this time in a deeper kiss.

Katie pulled back.

"We're okay?" She asked Jessie

"We're okay." Jessie confirmed before continuing.

"Can you stay?" She asked Katie quietly hoping her girlfriend would agree.

"Actually, I have to get home." Katie replied sadly, giving Jessie one last kiss then standing somewhat abruptly.

"Oh." Jessie let out, a little taken aback. She had never heard Katie say she needed to get home before. The only times Katie had mentioned her home or her parents was to jokingly suggest that no-one would notice if she was late, or skipped school. She watched as Katie pulled on her converse, neglecting to lace them and instead shoving the already muddy laces into the shoes.

"I'll see you tomorrow alright?" She asked on her way to the door.

"Okay." Jessie answered slowly.

She studied Katie's retreating form for a moment before leaping from the bed and taking several strides across the room to meet Katie just as she put her hand on the door handle, she grabbed Katie's elbow.

"Wha-" That was all Katie manage to get out before she felt Jessie's lips crash onto hers. She stood, slightly shocked as Jessie ran her tongue along her bottom lip before taking it in her teeth and nibbling it gently before pulling back.

"Sorry." Jessie said with an apologetic smile. "I just needed one more." She added sheepishly.

Katie remained speechless as Jessie grinned at her before opening the bedroom door and playfully shoving her out of it.

Katie stood just outside the door for a moment in a happy daze. She smiled geekishly to herself before shaking her head. She moved off down the stairs as her mind drifted back to her earlier rather tense conversation with Jessie.

By the time Katie had exited the house climbed into the driver's seat of her car, shut the door behind her and turned her key in the ignition, her body was wracked with guilt.