Stacie woke up in a haze; both physically and mentally. It took her a couple seconds for her to realize where exactly she was and why it was so wrong that she was there, due to the complete fog that enveloped her mind. She shifted under the arm that was draped around her and slowly came to terms with the fact that Jaiden was nestled into her side; sleeping soundly.
The memories of the previous night were blurry at best. Stacie could recall walking into the party and being approached by a blonde after a few minutes. She had debated whether or not she wanted to be with a girl again so soon; but her suitor had been persistent and she figured that it would at least be a distraction. After the girl-Amber-had given her the first drink, everything started to get fuzzy.
And now somehow she was here, with Jaiden. Stacie was certain she hadn't made it to the apartment on her own will; considering she recalled not being able to get to her feet. So, now she was left to wonder whether Jaiden had come to pursue her, or if someone had just dumped her off at the apartment; unaware that the two had broken up.
Stacie drifted in and out of a light morning sleep for the next hour or so; too nervous about the inevitable conversation she'd have to have if she woke up Jaiden by moving. It was around 9 when the younger girl stirred. Her arm tightened around Stacie slightly for a second and she yawned tiredly. The taller brunette watched anxiously as Jaiden got her bearings and slowly locked her gaze on Stacie's face. Neither girl volunteered to speak for a few seconds, and it took Jaiden struggling to sit up to finally force Stacie to.
"Are you okay?" She asked. The brunete's eyes sparked with concern and she straightened up, ignoring the bout of nausea the small action brought.
"I'm fine," Jaiden paused, realizing how silly the words sounded when they left her mouth. "Actually, I'm not. I'm so sorry, Stace. I know I can't keep pushing everyone away anymore, and I should have realized that before I lost you. But I love you, and if you give me a second chance, I promise I'll stay, no matter what. I want to be with you." She reached over and took Stacie's hand as she waited for her response anxiously. The idea that she could get up and walk out the door sent a bolt of panic through Jaiden's chest and she squeezed Stacie's hand a little tighter.
"I love you too. You know that." Stacie said finally. Jaiden released a held in breath and rested her forehead down onto the older girl's shoulder. Warmth spread to her cheeks as she felt Stacie press a kiss to the top of her head. "But Jaiden…I slept with someone else." The 18 year old froze at the admission and she felt the blush in her cheeks dissipate.
"Who?" Jaiden asked quietly. She felt Stacie sigh under her and forced herself to look up and meet the older girl's gaze.
"I don't know. Some guy. I was just so upset the night we broke up and…you know I'm just a whore-"
"Don't say that about yourself. I broke up with you. It was my fault. It's not like you cheated." Jaiden cut her off and shook her head firmly. The reality of the situation still stung, but she didn't feel blame for anyone but herself. She had driven Stacie away and she couldn't blame the older girl for coping with old habits. Sex for her was like bailing for Jaiden.
"It feels like I did. The whole time, I just felt…it felt so wrong." Stacie admitted. And if she was being honest with herself, she felt sick when she thought about the boy's lips moving sloppily up and down her neck.
"I can't say I'm not relieved to hear you say that." Jaiden said. She rested her head back down onto Stacie's shoulder and draped her arm around her waist tightly.
"I'm just…so sorry." Stacie sighed.
"Well, I forgive you. So you can stop being sorry." The younger girl told her sincerely. Keeping her eyes locked with Stacie's, she gingerly got to her feet and then held out her hand. Stacie took it and followed her lead, though a bit unsteady on her feet due to the serious hangover she was suffering from. "I'm going to run across the street and get some breakfast. There's coffee in the kitchen and I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Jaiden kissed her newly reinstated girlfriend on the cheek as they made it into the main area of the apartment. She let go of Stacie's hand somewhat reluctantly and watched as the tired brunette shuffled into the kitchen and began to brew herself a mug of coffee. Jaiden was just about to turn towards the door when she remembered the promise she had made the night before. Not wanting to chance throwing Beca into another breakdown, Jaiden pushed past her own discomfort and knocked on the main bedroom's door lightly. Getting no answer, she quietly let herself in and observed the two sleeping girls in bed. Chloe and Beca were intertwined tightly with each other, and Jaiden couldn't help but smile a tiny bit at the way the older girl held her sister so closely. She found herself hoping that she and Stacie would work together as well as they did someday. She knew there was potential for it. They just had to get to know each other more.
Not wanting to disturb Beca's much needed sleep; Jaiden knelt down by their nightstand and opened the drawer. The brunette pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and then jotted down a quick "Went to get breakfast from that place on the corner. Be back soon.". Satisfied that the note would suffice if Beca happened to wake up while she was gone, Jaiden stood up and walked quietly back out of the room. She shut the door behind herself and headed towards the front door. The 18 year old grabbed her purse from one of the hooks by the doorway and headed out into the hallway. Jaiden kept her pace quick as she hurried down to the first floor and out onto the street. The moment she stepped outside, she immediately regretted not grabbing a jacket. The mid-October chill sent goosebumps up and down her arms and she suppressed a shiver as she jogged across the empty street. Dark clouds sprawled across the sky and from the look of it, it could rain any second.
"I can help you whenever you're ready." The cashier behind the counter of the vacant café greeted Jaiden as soon as she got through the door.
"Yeah, um, could I get four breakfast platters to go?" Jaiden asked. She pulled her credit card out of her wallet and laid it down as the middle aged woman typed her order into the cash register. She took her receipt and stepped to the side as the woman turned and stepped back into the kitchen. Jaiden waited impatiently for the food to come out, wanting nothing more than to get back to the apartment and spend the day with Stacie. She had been thinking long and hard on her walk over about the changes she needed to make, and finding more ways to show the older girl how much she wanted her in her life was one of them. And although it hurt to think about the fact that Stacie had been with someone else during their short breakup, she was determined not to let it come in between them. She just had to prove that she was the one Stacie belonged with.
"Order up, sweetie." Jaiden was pulled out of her thoughts by the worker setting four Styrofoam to-go boxes on the counter. She thanked the woman politely and grabbed the food. The warmth of the boxes did nothing against the cold fall wind the hit her when she got outside again, and she hunched against the chill. Jaiden glanced both ways and raced across the street, back into the apartment complex. With one fleeting glance at the elevator, she opted for the stairs and nearly ran up to her floor. She fumbled for her keys and let herself in once she finally managed to get the door unlocked.
"Jaiden?" Beca's voice called out seconds after Jaiden shut the door behind herself. The small brunette poked her head around the corner and visibly relaxed when she spotted her sister kicking off her shoes. Jaiden offered her a reassuring smile and met her at the end of the hall.
"Morning. I grabbed breakfast for everyone. You found the note I left, right?" Jaiden replied calmly. She handed her sister one of the boxes and then gave the older girl a one-armed hug, which Beca returned tightly.
"Yeah. Thank you." She murmured.
"Good morning!" Chloe sang, stepping out of the bedroom just in time to catch the siblings hugging. She had been watching Beca carefully ever since the brunette had woken up and found the note beside the bed. The fact that Jaiden had left the explanation for her absence actually struck a chord with Chloe, and she was rather proud of the younger girl for starting to step up. Ever since the incident with Ted, the relationship between the two sisters had been strained as each of them attempted to cope with what had happened. And for some reason, even though she had a palpable excuse of where she was and why she had left the apartment, Beca had still seemed nervous.
"Morning. I turned the tables a bit this morning and grabbed breakfast. Don't get used to it though; you're still the alpha food supplier." Jaiden chuckled as she handed the older girl her box.
"Aren't you sweet," Chloe landed a quick kiss on Jaiden's cheek when she took the food, and the 18 year old feigned disgust as she wrinkled her nose and wiped at her face.
"Gross," Jaiden groaned. "Where are your crutches? Should you be putting weight on that so soon?" She turned her attention to the fact Beca was using her ankle and then looked over at Chloe for backup.
"It's not broken. No use babying it." Beca shrugged. Her sister watched anxiously as she limped into the kitchen and stiffly lifted herself onto one of the stools at the counter. Chloe rolled her eyes, but followed her either way. Satisfied that her sister was alright for now, Jaiden grabbed two forks from the kitchen and then found Stacie exactly where she had left her in the living room.
"Hey," Jaiden greeted her cautiously and peeked over the back of the couch as she neared it. Stacie jumped a bit, waking from her light slumber, and sat up in an attempt to make it look like she wasn't just sleeping. Jaiden couldn't help an amused smile, and handed the tall girl her breakfast.
"Thanks," Stacie said. Jaiden sat down next to her, a bit reserved, and opened her own box. Stacie could tell that the younger girl was immensely uncertain about what page they were on, and although she was too, she didn't want to make Jaiden feel isolated. So, Stacie scooted across the cushion between them and rested against the 18 year old comfortably. She pulled the blanket off of the back of the couch across her legs, and then draped it over Jaiden as well. "Can we stay like this all day?" She asked hopefully.
"I'd love to." Jaiden replied. Stacie felt the younger girl relax underneath her and found the pounding headache she was dealing with much more bearable as she rested against her. "You can put on Netflix if you want. I just started watching Grey's Anatomy."
"Yes! Finally!" Chloe's voice caused both girls to jump and the redhead grinned excitedly down at them from her unnoticed position behind the sofa. Jaiden breathed out a startled sigh and shook her head as the redhead plopped down on the end of the couch and grabbed the remote. Beca followed a few moments later, limping along, and lowered herself slowly down into the space between Chloe and her sister. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Jaiden for a brief second, and the younger brunette picked up on her still apprehensive demeanor. With an explanatory glance at Stacie, she shifted under the older girl until she could rest her head on Beca's shoulder. She was a bit concerned about jarring her still healing injuries, but that worry faded as Beca reached over and intertwined her fingers with Jaiden's.
"So, Grey's Anatomy it is then?" Chloe spoke up from her end of the couch. The other three girls nodded in agreement and settled in for what would be a very lazy day.
So this chapter was actually almost happy! Still stalling a bit in the inspiration department, but thank you all so much for the suggestions. I'm willing to continue the story with a more positive vibe, or throw in some more angst. Whatever you guys want!