Jen sat on the bench. The bench where she'd sit and sketch, think about Tilly when they were apart and meet up with her when they were together. It was a bitter sweet place for her. She had some good memories there but when she thought about them the excruciating pain in her chest vanished the smile that threatened her lips. The bad outweighed the good and Jen couldn't stand it. She needed to get away for a bit, clear her head and get over Tilly. She remembered how she'd secretly been pleased that Tilly had enrolled in her class. Although she knew it was wrong the thought if seeing her everyday excited her. Right now she'd do anything to not have Tilly in her class. She was also angry at herself for the way she'd treated Lexie. Although she would never admit it out loud she was jealous of her. She could make Tilly happy. No complications. No sneaking around. They could just be... She was also angry at herself for lying to Tilly. Of course Jen hadn't really met anyone else but she was trying to make it easier for Tilly. If it meant Tilly had to hate her for it to hurt her less then Jen was willing to be hated. Anything to avoid hurting Tilly. With this in mind she looked down at the text Tilly had sent about an hour ago. It read: "I can't believe you Jen. Trying to blame me for this and all the time it's you who had met someone else? You have broken my heart" A tear rolled down Jens cheek as she replied "So hate me for it."

Tilly threw her phone across her bedroom and screamed with frustration at Jens text. The sadness and empty space inside her normally ached with how much she missed Jen but no more. Now that was filled with anger which rose inside her until furious tears fell down her face. That was the moment it changed. She no longer had the patience to deal with this. All she wanted was to zone out, forget all about Jen and have fun. She wasn't about to sit around and mope over someone who obviously didn't give two shits about her. She picked her phone back up and searched through her contacts. She hit dial, took a deep breath and put the phone to her ear. "Hey... Fancy a drink or twenty? Cool be there in 5." She grabbed her bag and headed out.

Diane sat across from Jen at the dinner table. Jen was sketching but kept looking up and observing Diane nervously biting her lip and picking at her nails. It was starting to annoy an already agitated Jen.

"Ok... What's up?" Jen reluctantly asked.

"Oh... Erm... Nothing" Diane frowned clearly wanting Jen to ask again.

"Come on... Spit it out" Jen rolled her eyes.

"First you've gotta promise that you won't kick off?" Diane crossed her fingers.

"I do not like the sound of this..." Jen winced.

"Go head... Swear down you won't be mad at me?" Diane smiled mischievously.

Diane practically jumped for joy as there was a knock at the door.

"Wonder who this could be..." She smiled and winked at Jen.

Jen just ignored her and went back to sketching. Completely lacking patience or interest in what ever it was. Who ever it was it wouldn't be the one person she wanted to see... It would never be Tilly.

"Jen... Meet Mel... Mel, this is Jen." Diane introduced a bit too enthusiastically for Jens liking. Jen sighed and tore her eyes away from her sketch to look up and politely acknowledge Diane's friend. Mel had long auburn hair and big sparkly green eyes. Her small mouth raised at the sides as she smiled nervously at Jen.

"Hi. Lovely to meet you. Got to say I don't do this often.." Mel nervously giggled. Jen nodded with a confused smile. She doesn't do what often? Get out? Meet new people? What was she going on about and why was she still hovering around the table instead of sitting down with Diane.

"Go sit in the living room for a min Mel. Make yourself at home" Diane passed her a glass of wine. Once Mel was out of earshot Diane whispered to Jen "So... What do you think? She's gorge isn't she?"

Jen shrugged not really listening.

"Well I met her at yoga... She'd noticed you used to come with us before you binned it off and she asked me where you'd got to." Diane nudged her and wiggled her eyebrows up and down cheekily. "She thinks you're well fit."

"Please don't tell me you got her around here for me." The penny suddenly dropped and Jen closed her eyes with an annoyed tut.

"Oh come on Jen. It's about time you had a date!"

"No Diane. Absolutely no way. How dare you do this to me." Jen said a little too loudly as she started to pack away her sketching stuff.

Mel stood up nervously. "Erm... Look it's fine... You obviously don't want to do this. Blind dates are a bit risky. You are totally out of my league anyway. I said that to Diane."

Jen felt guilty as Mel blushed. Obviously mortified. Thinking that Jen had known about the date but backed out once she'd saw Mel.

"No it's not that it's just..." Jen racked her brains. She couldn't tell the truth that she loved someone else. Diane was stood waiting expectantly.

"You're with someone?" Mel smiled cooling down slightly. Diane looked Jen in the face with a suspicious glare.

"No I'm not." Jen sounded more sad than she'd wanted to. As she remembered that was the actual truth. She's not with Tilly anymore.

"Then lets just go for a drink as friends. Listen, I'm here now aren't I?" Mel thought she'd give it one last go before she gave up.

Diane raised her eyebrows at Jen. Jen realised she didn't really have a choice.

"Oh go on then.." Jen didn't sound very enthusiastic but Mel smiled anyway. At least it was a start.

In a bar in Chester Tilly sat with a drink. Maybe this had been a bad idea. She was fuelled up with rage before but now she was out all she could think about was Jen and how furious she was at her. Tilly swilled the wine around in her glass.

"Hey" Lexie smiled down at Tilly with her hands behind her back.

Tilly returned the smile. Genuinely pleased to see her. Just to stop her from moping around if nothing else.

"Thought you weren't coming! Looked like a right saddo sat here on my own" Tilly laughed feeling slightly nervous and deep down a little guilty.

"Yeah sorry about that... Got us these to make up for it" Lexie winked and pulled two shots from behind her back. Not waiting for Tilly she banged it in the table and downed it in one without even wincing. Tilly copied her and instantly regretted it as she heaved.

"Ew!" Tilly grimaced much to Lexie's amusement.

"So..." Lexie started

"Guess you wanna know why I decided to call you last minute. Bit weird I know but-" Tilly tried to think of an excuse.

"No. Not at all. Was just going to ask what you wanted to drink?" Lexie gestured towards to bar. "I'm not bothered why you asked me to meet you... But I'm glad you did." Lexie shrugged headed off to the bar. Tilly smiled. That was exactly the reason she had asked Lexie and not one of her actual friends. She knew she'd have to explain herself to them and couldn't be bothered. Right now she wanted to get drunk and forget about Jen. Tilly looked up and blinked hard as she saw Jen sitting in a booth at the other end of the bar. No, surely just because she'd been thinking about her she was imagining it... She blinked hard again and breathed slowly as she reopened her eyes... She wasn't hallucinating. It was Jen... She was with another woman.

TBC