I tried to whip up another outline... to see if I could get a little more out of my brain on this. and I got a really cute chapter out of this.

Clarity

Tori

I tucked Jade in, making sure the blanket covered her all the way up to her chin. She looked so small and fragile lying there, her dark hair a mess on the pillow. I stood by the side of the bed for a minute, just watching her sleep, her breathing soft and steady. I still couldn't believe what we'd just done—how intense it all was—and I felt a rush of guilt mixed with... something else. Something good. But I couldn't ignore how pale she'd looked afterward, how she started feeling nauseous.

Once she seemed settled, I slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut softly behind me. As soon as I turned around, I nearly walked straight into Dr. West. My heart shot straight into my throat. I mean, I'm standing there in just a t-shirt and panties, after... well, you know.

"Uh..." was all I managed to get out, my face burning with embarrassment.

Dr. West just waved me off like she didn't even care about how awkward this was. "How's Jade?"

I swallowed, trying to get my voice back. "She, uh... she threw up."

I braced myself for whatever lecture was coming, and I wasn't disappointed. Dr. West didn't even blink. She just handed me a bottle of electrolytes from her lab coat like she'd been waiting for this exact moment.

"I figured as much," she said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "Maybe next time, use your brain, since Jade's clearly lost hers."

I opened my mouth to apologize, to say something, but the words stuck in my throat. All I could do was nod and stare at the bottle in my hands like it had the answers to all the awkwardness in the world.

"Make sure she drinks that when she wakes up," Dr. West added. "And for future reference, cardio—especially the kind you two were engaging in—isn't recommended for someone recovering from a head injury."

Her words hit like a hammer. I knew we'd gone too far. My stomach twisted with guilt, but all I could manage was a mumbled, "I will."

Dr. West nodded, satisfied, and walked off down the hall like she'd just had a regular doctor consultation and not, you know, caught me in bed with her daughter.

I stood there for a moment, gripping the electrolyte bottle like a lifeline, and let out a long breath. So, yeah... not awkward at all.

I let out a long breath, the tension still tight in my chest but somehow a little lighter now that Dr. West had left. I stared down at the electrolyte bottle in my hand, my mind racing. Jade was resting, and I'd done everything I could for now, but there was still something gnawing at me. Something I'd been avoiding.

I pulled out my phone, letting out a long sigh. It was early—way too early to be calling anyone—but I needed to talk to Anya. I'd been putting it off for too long, and now, after everything that had happened, I couldn't avoid it anymore. I stared at her name on the screen for a second, hesitating before pressing the call button. I hoped maybe, just maybe, she'd adjusted to East Coast time and wouldn't be completely annoyed by the early call.

The ringing felt like it went on forever. Then, finally, a click. But there was no "hello" on the other end, just... breathing. And it was shaky, like she'd been crying or was about to.

I swallowed hard, suddenly unsure of what to say. So I listened to her breathe, and she listened to me breathe, and for a long moment, that was all there was. Just silence, thick and heavy, pressing down on both of us.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered. It felt like the thousandth time I'd said it, but it still wasn't enough.

Anya sniffled again, her voice soft and broken. "Why couldn't you love me?"

That question hit me like a punch to the gut. I closed my eyes, resting my forehead against the wall as I tried to find the words. "Anya, I... I did love you. In my own way. But... I always wanted Jade. From the moment I met her, I felt something. I guess... I fell in love with her practically at first sight."

The silence stretched between us again, and I could hear her breathing shift, like she was holding back more tears.

"I didn't do anything with her until after you left that night. I swear, Anya. I was drunk, and it just... it just happened." The truth felt ugly, even as it left my mouth. I wished I could take it all back, but I couldn't. All I could do was try to explain.

Anya let out a shaky breath, and her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "What you feel for Jade, that's what I feel for you. I loved you, Tori. I still do."

Her words hit harder than I expected, and I blinked back my own tears, feeling the weight of everything between us. I didn't know what to say, so I just listened, letting her get it all out.

"I almost stayed in L.A. for you," she added after a long pause, and I could hear the pain behind her words.

"I'm glad you didn't," I said softly, trying to hold back the emotions bubbling up inside me. "You deserved to take that opportunity. To go and be amazing. I'm really proud of you, Anya. I always will be."

We talked for a long time after that. About everything. About what went wrong, what we wished had been different. We cried together, the weight of our past finally hitting us both. But somewhere in all the tears and the hard truths, we found a kind of peace.

Maybe it wasn't the ending either of us wanted, but it was the one we needed.

Jade

I woke up to an empty bed, and for a second, panic hit me like a wave. Did Tori leave? The sheets were cold next to me, and the quiet felt... wrong. My stomach still churned from last night, but it wasn't just the nausea this time—it was something deeper. Memories, traumas, all the things I'd been shoving down for years, trying to keep my public life perfect while my private one was a mess.

The thing that nagged at me the most, though, was the way I used to treat Tori. The contempt I held her in for no real reason. I'd always acted like it was her fault, like she was the problem. But looking back now... it was me. It was the way I dealt with everything, especially my queerness. I'd spent so much time wanting control, wanting to shape my image, wanting *more* from life, but I pushed people away in the process. I did it with Beck, and I almost did it with her.

I threw on one of Tori's shirts and quietly slipped out of bed, making my way toward the hallway. My heart dropped a little when I heard her voice, low and broken, coming from the stairs. I crept forward, careful not to make any noise, and froze when I realized who she was talking to.

Anya.

There was this tight knot in my chest, a surge of jealousy, discomfort. It wasn't even that Tori was talking to her—it was what it represented. The past. The pieces of Tori's life I wasn't part of. But I wasn't gonna handle this like I did with Beck. I wasn't going to let this turn into another mess. I needed to trust her. I wanted to trust her.

So I stepped forward.

Tori looked up as soon as she saw me, her eyes puffy and red, but there was no guilt in her expression. No shame. She wasn't trying to hide anything. Instead, she pulled me down to sit next to her, holding out the electrolyte drink in her hands, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like she wasn't hiding me, wasn't covering up anything to make me feel better.

As she kept talking to Anya, I could hear the way she was handling it—careful but honest. She wasn't blaming me or sugarcoating the situation for Anya. She was just... being real. And that hit different. It wasn't something I was used to.

I took a sip of the drink, letting it settle in my stomach, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Thanks," I whispered, more for everything than just the drink. She gave me a soft smile, then went back to her conversation.

I stood up, feeling lighter than I expected, and headed toward the kitchen. I don't know why, but knowing Tori wasn't trying to hide me—wasn't playing games—made everything a little easier to swallow. This was real, and she was being real with me. For once, I wasn't fighting to be seen or understood. She just *got* it.

I walked into the kitchen, trying to shake off the last of the nausea, only to find my mom sitting at the counter, drinking her coffee and furiously typing on her laptop. Classic. She was probably juggling three different patients and still found time to catch up on emails.

She didn't even look up when she spoke, "You lied about feeling okay."

I froze. Damn, she really never missed a beat. I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a little guilty. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry." I sighed, moving to grab a glass of water. I didn't even try to argue. She was right, and I didn't have the energy to lie again. Not after last night.

There was this heavy pause, and I figured I might as well say what was really on my mind. "Mom... I just... I don't know. I feel different with Tori. Like, since the moment I met her, she's been this constant in my head, even when I didn't want her to be. It's not just some fling, y'know? It's like... she's the one I've always wanted."

My mom finally glanced up from her laptop, her eyes narrowing like she was trying to read between the lines of what I just said. Then she frowned, and I knew something was coming.

"Useless lesbians," she mumbled, shaking her head. "You could've figured all of this out years ago. She's been in there telling that girl the same thing for an hour now."

I couldn't help it—I laughed. The way she said it, so deadpan, like this whole situation was some cosmic joke she'd seen a hundred times before. And maybe it was, to her.

"You're probably right," I admitted with a smirk. "Would've saved me from a lot of bad sex."

She groaned, rolling her eyes, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Jade, for the love of God, get some girl I mean, Friends, you can tell this to."

I snorted, walking over to wrap my arms around her. "But Mom, You're my best friend," I teased, knowing exactly what I was doing. I felt her relax into the hug, and even though she tried to play it off, I could see the way she melted a little.

"You're impossible, you know that?" she said, shaking her head, but she didn't push me away. If anything, she pulled me in closer, like she didn't mind that I knew I had her wrapped around my finger.

And honestly? I loved that about her. We may clash, we may argue, but at the end of the day, my mom was the one person who had my back, no matter how messy things got.

Tori

As I wrapped up my call with Anya, it felt like I had just unloaded a mountain of weight off my chest. I stepped into the kitchen, hoping to find some calm after the storm, but what I found made me pause. Jade was hugging her mom tightly, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Look at you, Jade," Dr. West teased, pulling back to look at her daughter. "You've found a girlfriend who's objectively hotter than Beck. Just be careful; can you handle the jealousy?"

Jade rolled her eyes, a grin spreading across her face. "Mom, I trust Tori. She could've easily covered up this emotional chat she was having with Anya when she walked by, but she didn't. That says a lot."

My heart fluttered a bit at that. I stepped further into the kitchen, making my presence known with a shy smile. Dr. West caught my eye and nodded knowingly, taking it as her cue to exit. "Well, I have an early appointment," she said, closing her laptop and slipping it into her bag. "You two behave."

As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, the warmth of the moment settled around us like a blanket. Jade looked at me, her expression shifting from playful to serious. "So... breakfast?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "You don't have to. I can make something if you want. Just sit down, okay?"

"Seriously, let me help. I'm the one who should be feeding you," she countered, but I could see the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.

I chuckled softly, pulling out the ingredients. "How about we compromise? I'll whip up some avocado toast. Light and easy, just in case your stomach can handle it."

Jade nodded, her eyes lighting up as I grabbed a ripe avocado. I mashed it with a fork, adding a sprinkle of salt and a dash of lime juice. The process felt calming, grounding me in the moment. I sliced some bread and popped it into the toaster, glancing over at Jade, who was leaning against the counter, watching me with a curious look.

"So, um, what are we now?" she asked suddenly, her voice breaking the comfortable silence.

I turned to face her, my heart skipping a beat. The question hung in the air, thick with uncertainty. "What do you mean?" I replied, trying to keep my tone casual, even as my pulse quickened.

Jade pushed herself off the counter, stepping closer. "I mean... now that we've crossed that line, what does this mean for us? I don't want to pretend like it's just some fling."

I set the bowl down, taking a breath. "I don't want that either. I care about you, Jade. I've cared about you for a long time. I just... I didn't know how to say it."

Her eyes softened, and I felt a warmth spread through my chest. "Then let's figure it out together."

I smiled, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. "Together," I echoed, as the toast popped up and we jumped away from each other. We laughed and she took my hand, pulling me close. The kiss was deep and slow, and oh my god so good and if it wasn't for that brain injury, I wouldn't have pulled back. We stood there, our foreheads touching, as the toasted bread filled the room with a comforting smell.