Chapter 3
'Right today's the day' Jackie thought to herself as she pulled up outside Catherine's townhouse. It had been two days since Jackie arrived in Bloomington it had taken that long to pluck up the courage after what Amanda had told her. Sitting outside Catherine's house now, filled with a range of emotions from excitement to fear she couldn't help but remember the first time Catherine had brought her back here and how terrified she was, kinda like what she was feeling now. Jackie took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, turning to walk up the path she couldn't help but notice how run down the house looked, the paint was peeling in places, the grass hadn't been cut in quiet a while and for some reason all the curtains were drawn. Jackie paused as she began to climb the front steps, this was her last chance to turn and run back to LA but instead she took another deep breath and knocked on the door. "Who is it" a voice sounded quietly almost like a whisper from behind the door. "It's Jackie" she said relieved to hear the locks click and a shuffle of feet. When the door opened and Catherine stepped into view Jackie was shocked to see the state she was in. Catherine's luscious blond hair, hung all straggly and looked like it hadn't been brushed in a while, she had huge black bags under her eyes and even though she was dressed in an oversized sweatshirt and jogging bottoms, Jackie could tell she had lost quite a bit of weight. In fact the only thing that hadn't changed in the slightest was Catherine's huge brown eyes that still had the ability to bore holes into Jackie's soul. "Jacqueline, what are doing here" Catherine said nervously but still managing to look Jackie over seductively biting down on her bottom lip. "I had to see you" Jackie replied "Can I come in" Jackie stepped closer to the doorway, Catherine stepped to the side allowing Jackie in still staring at her long lost lover in shock as she closed the door behind them. Jackie was immediately greeted by Ethan, Catherine's dog who has faithfully been standing beside his owner the entire time. As Jackie bent down to make a fuss of Ethan she could feel Catherine watching her closely. When Jackie stood back up Catherine spun her around forcefully and said quite sharply "what are you doing here Jackie". Jackie couldn't tell if it was fear or anger emanating from Catherine but somehow knew that her dream reunion with Catherine, you know the kind of ones you see in the movies, were you turn up on the doorstep and your lover takes you in their arms before whisking you off to the bedroom where they make wild and passionate love to you for hours on end, wasn't going to happen. Stepping back, shrugging off Catherine's firm grip on her shoulders Jackie repeated "I needed to see you" "You already said that" Catherine slammed back as she turned and walked away from her. Jackie followed Catherine into the Kitchen, there was empty wine bottles and take out cartons everywhere, and this was definitely not the same house that she left a year ago. The only hope Jackie had left was that somewhere inside Catherine the woman that she loved and was till there because the Catherine in front of her pouring a large glass of scotch she didn't even recognise. "Catherine, I..." Jackie hesitated "I came back here because I haven't stopped thinking about since I left, every time my phone rang prayed it was you. You are the most amazing woman I've ever known, you mean the world to me" Jackie paused looking for some show of emotion in Catherine's face but there was none. Jackie looked down at her feet nervously, took a deep breath, looked Catherine straight in the eyes and said "I love you Catherine, I left you once and it was the biggest mistake of my life, so please don't ask me to do it again because I can't".