Chapter 15

The wind blew outside, and Betty could hear it outside her window. In the time she had spent in Maine, she still hadn't gotten used to the noise of the wind or the waves. Sometimes it was comforting to her, a reminder that she was safe, and tonight, while it did comfort her, it stopped her from being able to sleep.

She couldn't shake the embarrassment she felt at what she said at the bonfire. She had talked to Rose, and Rose understood exactly what happened, and just wanted to make sure that she was okay. Still, she hadn't talked to Liza, or explained what happened.

Liza. Just thinking about her made Betty's head spin. She knew she was attracted to her, she knew they had almost kissed before the wedding, but that was it. Liza probably wasn't attracted to her; hell, she probably wasn't attracted to women. Betty just had to let this go and move on with her life.

You never know until you try.

Jack's words echoed in her ears as she thought about what she would do. She wished she could tell Liza how she felt, but for her, there was the risk of the person not understanding or being open minded.

This was Liza, Betty reminded herself. She had protected Betty for months, she promised Betty that she could trust her, and she also seemed like she wanted to kiss. Finally, Betty silenced her thoughts, climbing out of bed and walking to the living room.

Liza was sitting on the couch, holding a book. "Hey," she smiled at Betty. The smile made Betty dizzy, causing her to lean back against the wall. "What are you doing awake?"

"Couldn't sleep," Betty answered, rolling her eyes. "Listen, there's no reason for you to be sleeping on the couch. My bed is big, we could both fit comfortably. I just can't stand the thought of you sleeping out here."

A moment passed, and Liza looked up at her. "Are you sure?" She asked, and Betty nodded. "Okay, thanks." She closed her book and stood up, following Betty into her bedroom.

They both sat on the bed, laying down and facing their own sides. After a moment, Betty rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. A moment later, Liza rolled over, facing Betty. She watched Betty for a moment, her profile eclipsed by the light from the window. Her eyes were closed, but Liza knew she was still awake.

"Betty," Liza said quietly, and Betty turned her head to the side, looking at Liza. "Can we talk?" Betty nodded, rolling over to face Liza. "Why did you get so upset when you thought that I was dating James?"

There was no good answer to this question. Betty didn't know what to say. "I guess I was just a bit jealous," she said quietly. "I've never… never dated anyone. No one that I've ever been attracted to has been attracted to me before, so seeing that you had that, I was jealous."

"There is no way that's true," Liza objected, and Betty's heart pounded nervously, worried that Liza knew she was lying. "You're beautiful, Betty. You're incredible. Any man would be lucky to have you."

Betty's eyes flitted down, avoiding Liza's gaze. She wanted to tell Liza the truth. "That's the thing," she said quietly. "I'm not attracted to men." She looked up at Liza. "I know people don't talk about this, I know this isn't something people understand, but I trust you, so there it is."

Liza smiled at Betty, unable to hide it even a little bit. "What?" Betty asked. "What are you smiling about?" Liza continued to smile, but inched closer to Betty, gently touching her lips to hers. Her hand moved from Betty's cheek to her hair, feeling the soft waves beneath her fingers. Betty pulled at Liza's waist, deepening the kiss, their legs tangled and their tongues dancing.

Pulling away too soon, Liza stared at Betty, both of them dazed from the kiss. "So…" Betty swallowed hard, trying to gather her thoughts. "You've felt this way too?"

"Of course I have," Liza smiled. She touched Betty's cheek, feeling the softness beneath her finger. "It's hard to tell someone you're attracted to that you have feelings for them, but it's even harder when telling them could put your life at risk." Betty nodded, understanding perfectly. "I never told my parents. I knew they wouldn't understand or they would send me away. No one knows, other than Rose and James. But it's also different for me, because I'm attracted to both men and women."

Betty knit her eyebrows. "But, if you're attracted to both, why not just… be with a man?" she asked.

"There are not a lot of people I have been attracted to. The list is very short. But most of them would never have felt the same way about me as I felt about them. And I was fine with that for a while, but I started to get lonely," Liza explained. "And it was only once you came here that I realized just how lonely I was. I wanted to live with someone, I wanted a life to share with someone. So… I decided that I would maybe try to date James. It would work with him, he was kind, he knew about… all of this."

"Why didn't you?" Betty asked.

Liza smiled at Betty. "No one, not even James, made me feel the way you made me feel," she admitted. "When I was attracted to people in the past, it was nothing like the way I feel about you."

Betty smiled at the compliment, knowing she felt the same way. "I've never had feelings for anyone, ever," she explained. "I knew I was attracted to women, but I didn't have any women that I was attracted to. So when I met you, I tried to ignore them for a while. I tried to convince myself that I only felt that way because you were taking care of me." She pulled at Liza's waist, pulling her closer. "But I can't pretend anymore."

They connected once more, pulling each closer and fighting for dominance. Betty won, climbing on top of Liza and straddling her hips. She dipped her head down, taking Liza's head in her hands and holding her as close as she could. Liza's hands grabbed her hips, holding them as they continued to kiss. "Betty," Liza fought for breath, and Betty finally pulled away. "I don't want to move too fast. I don't want to rush this."

Betty nodded, climbing off of Liza, pecking her lips just once. "I don't either," she whispered, pulling the blanket over her. She rested her head against the pillow, facing Liza. "I'm just glad I don't have to hide anymore."

Liza smiled, kissing Betty one more time before wrapping her arms around her, holding her close while they drifted off to sleep.

xXx

"I can't believe you're my wife," Jack whispered. He had his arms wrapped around Rose, his hands on her stomach. Her back rested against his, and she leaned back, closing her eyes blissfully. "I love you so much, I don't think I can even put it into words."

"Me neither," Rose smiled. She had her hands on top of his, her bare back rested against his bare chest. Their legs were a mess of limbs, their arms wrapped around each other, and both sets of hands were on Rose's stomach. "And I love you too. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." She felt Jack's lips on her shoulder and smiled. "So… when are you going to tell me where we're going on our honeymoon?"

Jack chuckled quietly. He had planned their entire honeymoon without telling Rose a single detail. He had decided that after everything she did for all of them, saving Betty, taking care of Jack, planning the wedding, and carrying his child, the least he could do was surprise her with a honeymoon he knew she'd love. "Not until we get there, Rosie," he said quietly. "But you'll love it. Don't you worry."

"I'm not worried, Jack. I'd just like to know what I'm packing for," Rose answered. She rolled over in Jack's arms, now facing him. "Fine, you don't have to tell me where we're going. But tell me one thing."

"Anything," Jack agreed.

Rose placed her hands on Jack's cheeks, placing a light kiss on the lips. She didn't know if she would ever get used to the fact that she got to spend her life with him. It felt like a dream. "There are no ships, right?"

Jack laughed. "No, Rose," he smiled at her, his blue eyes glowing happily. "No ships."

He saw Rose sigh in relief, then lean against him. "Good," she whispered, closing her eyes. "Wherever we go, whatever we do, it'll be amazing. Because we're going to be together. That's all that matters to me."

Smiling happily, Jack kissed the top of Rose's head, smelling the lavender scent of her soap. "Me too," he whispered, tightening his arms around her and closing his eyes. "Good night, sweetheart."

A/N: This chapter's a bit shorter, but only because I'm trying to tie up some of the loose ends before continuing on. Sorry for the shortness, but I promise the next one will be longer!