If there was one thing that Agnes did not like seeing, it was seeing her friends and loved ones going through a tough time. Agnes knew the absolute worst that the world had to offer, and while that had initially made her quite the cynic, these days she wasn’t quite that same person. She knew that flaunting that she had lived through much worse was not the answer, but instead knew that others needed comfort and kind words. She wasn’t a push over, but she was willing to be sweet and caring and understanding whenever someone needed it. For the last few months, that had been River, but her fiancée was less than receptive to assistance. Now it seemed that Rebecca was the latest victim of this unfortunate self-deprecating thoughts; she wasn’t going to let that stand for long.

Rebecca had poured out her heart to her, admitted that moving to Oxford was probably a mistake because it was not the “right choice” according to her. Whether or not Agnes believed that, she didn’t say, but instead just continued to survey the redhead with a sad look. Even though the two of them were not together anymore, all it took was one meeting for Agnes to begin to feel protective again. She didn’t like that Rebecca doubted herself so much and, in regards to her decision, well, Agnes would set her straight as best she could.

Despite how much it stung to think about how that one decision completely changed their lives, Agnes knew that they couldn’t dwell on it. Rebecca admitted that it was a bad choice but Agnes pointed out that there was no use in crying over the past. Deep down part of her had always wanted to hear acknowledgement from Rebecca that it was a mistake, but really what as the point of it now? Years had passed and the both of them had moved on. There was no point in hearing it now.

Thankfully it would appear that Agnes’ words had a bit of a sobering effect on the redhead. After a sigh and a forced smile, she admitted that the violinist was right and that she was good at talking her down. That opened Rebecca up to admitting that she was just lacking direction and that she was still getting used to not having Agnes in her corner; she put a stop to that thought right there.

”Rebecca Grey,” Agnes announced. ”We may not be together anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m not in your corner anymore, hon. Our relationship has changed, yes, but I will always be rooting for you.” She gave Rebecca an encouraging smile when she caught her eye. ”I’ll always be in your corner.” Maybe it was a bit naïve for Agnes to say something like this but at the moment it was one-hundred percent true.

Rebecca seemed to take this into consideration for a moment and then agreed that she at least wanted to remain as friends with Agnes. That made the young violinist nod and smile a little, but she paused when Rebecca continued, saying that she wanted to always be there for Agnes. She tilted her head, watching the redhead curiously as she dipped her hand into her back pocket and fished something out. It looked like a rectangular piece of elongated paper. A curious “hmmm” escaped from Agnes lips as she eyed the paper and listened to the redhead; that was when it was revealed what it was.

Anges didn’t know why but it touched her especially deep. Even before Rebecca explained, Agnes recognized the seal on the ticket and knew the show time it was set for. The sweetness of the gesture was just too much for Agnes to really contain herself. She smiled, covering her mouth briefly, the good feeling causing the wings on her back to flutter involuntarily before stopping. After a second, she placed her hand over her heart as she turned back to Rebecca and sighed. The smallest of tears sparkled in the corners of her eyes but she managed to keep them in as she nodded her head.

”That’s…absolutely fine. I would love for you to be there,” she grinned, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully. ”Though you should have told me. I probably could have got you in for free.” Just one of the many perks with this job.

There was a deep sigh that issued from her lips. Looking over her ex-girlfriend, rolling her mind over everything that was said and the confession that had been uttered. She had only come here to have a small discussion, to clarify some things, and see if there was any chance of salvaging a friendship. Sadly things were still awkward between them, to the point that Agnes could feel it settling into her bones. As she did, her eyes drifted over to the kitchen where the wine she had brought was sitting. Maybe just a small glass to help settle both of their nerves? As she watched Rebecca, it was clear she was still struggling with her feelings. This would help.

Domino, done with his nap, stood and stretched out before offering Agnes another meow and slipping off of her lap. Free from his clutches, Agnes took a second to consider how good an idea this really was before she convinced herself to stop overthinking. Standing up, without a word, Agnes moved towards Rebecca’s kitchen, picking up her bottle of wine and, as luck would find it, discovering a wine-opener nearby. With a resolute nod, and taking it as fate, Agnes returned to Rebecca’s side, and started to uncork the bottle.

”Come on, get some glasses,” she said to Rebecca. ”I think after…well… all this the both of us could use a drink.”

Rebecca Grey. Hearing her full name off Agnes’s tongue sent a shiver up Rebecca’s spine. It was something the bug girl never did unless she had a reason to be serious, (or to scold her for saying something snarky.) It certainly got her attention, but her rigidity eased as she listened to Agnes remind her that, relationship or not, she would be there as her support. Always.

It felt too permanent to trust given the period of silence they had just endured, but Rebecca chose to be hopeful in spite of the evidence. Having Agnes in her life was important, and Agnes wanted to be there for her through the tough times was all she could want, given the circumstances. They would have to learn how to be there for one another in a new way, adjusting to their new dynamic, but this would still be better than walking away again.

Support was, of course, a two-way street, and Rebecca was graciously in the position where she could show through actions that she still had Agnes’s back. The reveal that she would be attending one of the concerts at the Lincoln Center drew an overjoyed, appreciative reply from the musician. She was happy to give her blessing to Rebecca’s attendance, but reminded the impulsive Scot that it would have been wiser to let her know so she could comp a ticket. Rebecca shook her head and grinned. ”Nae chance. Catchin' 'at look oan yer face was worth th' tickit price.”

Domino stood from his lap-bed, stretched, and hopped to the ground, his fluffy fur brushing past her ankle as he walked by, and Agnes followed suit. (Not brushing up against Rebecca, but getting up from her seat.) Grabbing the gifted bottle of wine and a bottle opener, (because Rebecca kept leaving those around the apartment,) she proposed a glass of wine to ease their tensions.

Her initial reaction was hesitant, since many delicate moments could be derailed by the introduction of alcohol. After her admission and the emotional weight of their conversation up to that point, however, it was hard to deny that a drink sounded like exactly what she wanted. Earl Grey was not taking the edge of like it promised, so new measures would have to be tested. ”That's th' best idea Ah've heard in a while,” she agreed, getting up to get wine glasses. ”We'll poor a glass an' ye can teel me stories abit yer time as a wanderin' bard.”

---

They indeed poured a glass, and another after that. The mood of the evening improved with the intervention of alcohol and stories. Agnes had plenty of experiences to share, as Rebecca would expect from a woman who lived on the road for over a year, and despite her hermit-like lifestyle, the former Grad student had a story or two of her own.

Rebecca was halfway through her second glass, holding the stem delicately in her hand. Feeling the warm buzz gifted by wine, she was sure her cheeks had a permanent blush attempting to hide her freckles. Her smile felt permanent too, as the evening just felt… easier.

The mood was not the only thing to change; so had seating positions. At some point, Rebecca had stood up from her armchair and plopped herself down next to Agnes on the loveseat so she could share a video on her phone of a mutant street performer in Piccadilly Square. After the laughter, it never occurred to Rebecca that she had to move back, so she did not.

Initially Agnes seemed to be avoiding stories involving River, but as the wine loosened them up, Rebecca caught her hesitating. ”Ye can brin' 'er up,” she granted with a sigh. ”She was part ay these stories, an' she's nae Voldemort. Ah'll be a big lass abit it, tryst.” If they were going to be friends, it would not be right for Rebecca to avoid the topic of Agnes’s fiancée. She was not going anywhere, and her mood was good enough that she felt she could handle at least one or two River-centric stories.

Maybe alcohol wasn’t the smartest of choices but at the moment, it was the only thing that the violinist could think of to help alleviate some of the nervous symptoms that were plaguing the two of them. Agnes didn’t like the idea of their reunion only continuing to get more awkward so maybe just a little bit of alcohol would actually help in this instance. Agnes wasn’t normally a big proponent of turning to the substance for assistance in breaking the ice but right now she was running out of any other ideas. It was clear from the direction the evening was taking that the two of them needed just a little bit of help.

Wine was poured and the evening started to take a dramatic turn for the better. Agnes found herself smiling a bit more easily, relaxation loosened all the muscles of her body, at some point she had started to feel warm so she removed her upper layer of clothing and was dressed in just her shirt and jeans. And some point Rebecca found a spot next to the lovely brunette and she had been absolutely fine with that. Normally she would have shied away subtly but she actually allowed the redhead to sit close to her. Somewhere, deep in her brain, buried under the glass-and-a-half of wine she had, she knew she had to be on her guard but she didn’t pay attention to it right away.

As the evening pressed on, Agnes weaved the tales of her adventures while with the Little Traveling Symphony. Everything from her first embarrassing performance to the time that she and the orchestra were forced to flee a venue do to some drunken brawling that had erupted out of nowhere. Her stories were entertaining, factual, and painted the perfect picture of the life that Agnes Nicholas lived outside of the one she was supposed to have with Rebecca. However, there was on noticeable absence from her stories – those concerning her fiancée, River Red Fish.

River, of course, had a hefty role to play in Agnes’ life – she was going to be her wife, after all. But even under the influence of alcohol, Agnes was finding herself shying away from the subject. She didn’t want to ruin the fun that she was currently having with Rebecca by bringing up so a sour subject. It proved to be unsafe for the two of them and instead just stirred up the resentment and regrets that the two of them shared. While Rebecca was regretful for having left Agnes, Agnes was having more recent regrets concerning River’s behavior. However, those were stories that weren’t appropriate for said company and the last thing she wanted was to make things worse.

Finally, after telling the story of how she and a cellist were stuck in the wrong city thanks to a mistake in bullying and had to hitchhike across the state carrying her giant-ass cello in order to make a show on time, Agnes found herself particularly relaxed. She smiled a bit thoughtfully, he mind drifting as she casually swirled the wine within her glass, running her fingers soothingly along her own neck in thought. Anyone else may have thought she was being casually flirtatious, though that really was the furthest thing from her mind. She was just…relaxed.

After a moment of this, Rebecca raised her voice again and Agnes found her eyes drifting over to her. Of course the lovely Scot was being sweet again. She had seemingly figured out that the one topic that Agnes was being elusive about was River herself. She knew the jist of how the two of them had met but but there were no recent stories about her. Nothing to indicate anything about her fiancée save for the ring that still sparkled on her finger, a ring that Agnes found herself peering at every few moments or so before averting her gaze mysteriously.

She had to smile when Rebecca said that she could talk about her, that she wasn’t some fictional villain whose name it was forbidden to utter. Agnes turned her sapphire eyes onto Rebecca and sat there, staring at her for the longest time, her free hand still idly playing with the thin chain of the necklace that was hanging around her neck. Her had the sheen of someone who wanted to talk, she even started to open her mouth to say something but there were still some inhibitions that the alcohol hadn’t fully disabled.

In the end Agnes just sighed a bit in frustration before she shook her head, smiling sweetly at her ex. ”But why bring that up when we’re having such a good time?” She took another sip of her wine. ”I mean, I’m…happy…but talking about her is just going to bring everything down.” Without really even knowing why, Agnes set her wine glass down (it was mostly empty by this point) and just leaned over, resting her head softly against Rebecca’s shoulder. The alcohol was doing wonders to her. ”I love her. But, god. She needs to just admit she’s unhappy so we can figure it out, you know? Just…” her eyes closed, she snuggled into Rebecca’s arm with a soft coo. ”…get over it already. We moved. You can’t find a job. Don’t take it out on me, okay? Fucking rude.” Her head was starting to swim as she wrapped her arm over her friend’s shoulders and clumsy patted her arm. ”You…heh…you would have said something, right?”

Agnes never could hold her alcohol.

Rebecca was not a heavy drinker, but she did enjoy her wine. It provided an easy way to unwind after a long day, and every day was starting to feel long for the struggling writer. Now, wine was letting her cast aside her concerns and issues with being around Agnes. Her attitude was more open, and she wanted to celebrate the good in Agnes’s life, and if she thought of River in the same way she thought of the Travelling Company and the Philharmonic, it was easier to stomach accepting the new love of Agnes’s life. Her greatest hope was for Agnes to understand the types of stories to ease Rebecca into this; the last thing she needed was a story about the two lovers being caught backstage in a state of undress. (“Caught in a state of undress” stories were their thing, she thought, trying not to giggle when she remembered their first time in the library and the trouble that followed.)

Even with permission to talk about River, Agnes was visibly hesitant, like she was beginning her sentences but the words never made it past her lips. It seemed she thought bringing up her fiancée would only ruin the mood of the evening. Rebecca was ready to object and remind the other woman that she was an adult and could control her emotions, (lying, basically,) but was stopped when she suddenly found herself in a position she had not been in for a long time. Agnes rested her head on Rebecca’s shoulder, but the redhead reacted calmly. The wine was reminding her how this was nothing out of the ordinary, because it felt familiar. If it was a problem, she would have felt out of place, and she did not. Having Agnes’s head resting against her was natural, and natural was okay.

Instead of saying anything, Rebecca followed with her own natural instinct, with the fingers of her free hand playing with raven hair, twirling locks around, and providing a comforting touch while Agnes vented a little.

Agnes was happy and in love, but all was evidently not perfect. She was convinced her fiancée was not happy, struggling with her own career, and taking out that frustration on the home front. Rebecca was surprised to find she was in a position to empathize with River, with both women apparently dealing with challenges along their chosen career paths.

It was hard to deal with feeling lost, useless, or inadequate, but that did not mean it was alright to let that affect a relationship with someone you love. Rebecca was naturally inclined to agree with Agnes, given her closeness to the woman (emotionally, historically, and currently physically,) especially when, in this case, she was right.

Not only was she right, she was wrapping an arm around Rebecca, keeping her even closer. Still seeing this as nothing but a natural progression of events, she smiled and put her (empty) glass on the table so her hand could rest comfortably on Agnes’s knee. ”Ay coorse! Communication is important. She needs tae learn 'at. Ye hae tae be open wi' hoo ye feel coz 'at is hoo ye wark as a team. Insteid ay bein' rude, she shoods be gettin' things aff 'at giant chest an' ventin' sae ye can make 'er feel better coz yoo're pure sae guid at 'at.”

Rebecca finally stopped and took a breath. She looked down at the eyes of the woman nuzzled against her, biting her lip to deal with a wave of fresh embarrassment. ”Sorry, Ah’m sic' a rambler.” In her defense, her rambly, ranty videos were her most popular content on the internet. And in her defense… she was getting tipsy.

Deep down, even in her state of inhibreation, Agnes knew that what she was doing was wrong. She shouldn’t be cuddling with this woman; she wasn’t River. But there was something for familiar and, yes, comforting in the act that she couldn’t quite make herself not do it. She didn’t want to pry away from the tender caresses of the loving redhead, nor should she have to. After all, despite how happy Agnes seemed, some things were just absolute shit right now and shouldn’t she be able to revel in those things that made her feel good? Everyone else got to feel good, why not her?

She sighed contentedly when she felt Rebecca begin to toy coyly with her locks of raven hair. It harkened back to many such evenings that they used to share together. Whether it was after a tough day of studying or just wanting to have a lazy day, the pair of them could normally be found in this state. There was a spot on Rebecca’s shoulder that Agnes loved to nestle into it, it was practically made for her for and made her feel so very safe. Right now she felt safe and that was all she wanted in the world. ‘

She shouldn’t have been venting about River. Agnes was struggling to convince herself that she shouldn’t say anymore and, even with Rebecca’s assurance that it was fine, she held back. She loved River, she really did…well…it was more she loved the woman that River used to be. Back when they were in the Traveling Symphony together, River always had a smile on her lips. Even though life on the road was hard, River could always find the bright side and Agnes thrived alongside her. Sadly it was looking more and more like River was having a probably being nailed down to one place. New York, as it was quickly becoming apparent, was just not the place that River could settle comfortably into.

That was the most frustrated. As much as she loved River, as much as she wanted to help her, she couldn’t. Agnes did everything in her power to ensure that River could be happy, she tried passing her name along, getting her auditions where she could, and generally kept her name and talents on her lips whenever her boss came around; but that was the limit that she could do. Agnes didn’t have the ability to just snap her fingers and get River a job to keep her happy; yet with River’s attitude lately, that was almost what it felt like the young Sioux wanted from her.

Agnes was a mutant but that was far beyond her ability to grant her.

Before she knew it, and spurred on by alcohol and the comforting warmth of her ex, Agnes’s lips began to loosen. She started on a bit, not going into too many details but stating a couple of the problems that she and River were having. She shouldn’t have started but A.) it was hard to stop her once she got going, and B.) she could feel the weight in her chest beginning to lighten more and more. It was clear that she needed to do this, she needed to release this sadness out into the ether so that she could begin to heal. But there was the added benefit that Rebecca herself was agreeing with her.

Finally someone did.

Agnes smiled a bit weakly as shre turned her blue eyes onto the other woman, tilting her head into the redheads touch as she stroked her hair. With a nod of agreement to each statement that Rebecca tossed out there, Agnes felt justified in her feelings. River did need to be more open, she had to communicate, and if she was unhappy, then she just needed to fucking say it. That’s all there was to it. But while Agnes agreed with everything, Rebecca herself felt that she had been rambling.

The brunette turned her gaze up and found that Rebecca was looking directly into her eyes. The two of them had shared this instance before, one that was followed by a quickening of the breath and the pulse beneath their skin. Her eyes searching the other’s Agnes subtly moistened her lips giving the pink colors a glossier shine. Guilty she chewed on the bottom corner of her lip, her eyes connecting yet freckle on Rebecca’s face before she found her gaze again. It was a comforting feeling – too comforting.

She shook her head.

”No. Not rambling. You’re right. You get it…” Before she could stop herself, Agnes reached up, her palm cupping Rebecca’s cheek gently. ”…you always get it…”

It was nice, just resting comfortably on the couch with Agnes, getting the opportunity to be there for her as she voiced some of the concerns in her relationship. Maybe a small part of her was uncomfortable hearing about Agnes with another woman, but that feeling was overpowered by the need to be there when times got tough. It was important for her not to just badmouth River, which would have been easy while Agnes was airing her grievances with the woman. It was not Rebecca’s role to be petty, even if, in a corner of her mind, she found it incredulous that River could be taking Agnes’s support for granted.

Maybe Agnes’s lovers had more in common than expected.

Agnes was thankful for the supportive words. It was nice being at her side figuratively and literally, just like old times. Almost exactly like old times, in fact, as Rebecca took in the subtle details. She saw Agnes moisten her lips in the corner of her sight, instinctually urging the redhead to do the same. The nervous bite of Rebecca’s lip prompted a lip bite in response, like they were mirroring each other’s habits. Agnes could probably hear her heartbeat hastening.

You get it… you always get it…

They understood each other. There was a connection that was underlying through their entire relationship, before and after they were together. When Agnes’s hand cupped her cheek, Rebecca knew what they were both waiting for. It was the natural conclusion to every moment of contact and affection. Slowly, Rebecca leaned down into the kiss.

She felt warmth. Her whole body tingled and buzzed at the reintroduction of Agnes’s soft lips upon hers. Her hand was already hidden in wavy black hair. There was a tickle in her nose as she breathed in the familiar honey and cherry blossom scents of Agnes’s favorite perfume. It was a scene out of any of their best nights in the old apartment, and as long as they were still wrapped up in this long first new kiss, there was no reason to think.

Thought only returned once they slowly pulled away, breaking the kiss. Looking down at Agnes, she remembered that, as familiar and right as the kiss might have felt, she was not Rebecca’s girlfriend. She was River’s fiancée. Her mouth hung open as she tried to process the shame of what she just did. She kissed a taken Agnes again. After how she intruded on the relationship with Jasmine, Rebecca knew, even if the chain of events ended with her and Agnes together, that did not make it right.

And yet here she was, making a cheater of Agnes and a trollop of herself. Struggling to find the words, she eventually spat out in a hushed voice, ”Aggie, whit ur we daein'?”

Despite the time that had passed, through the years, the tears, and silence that have settled over the life of both girls like an impenetrable haze, there were some things that felt exactly the same. Even though Agnes had kissed other lips, pretty regularly thanks to River, they never felt like Rebecca’s. Though she may have forgotten the exact sensation, feeling those lips again brought back an absolute flood of memories. She easily fell into the comforting practice, her hand cupping Rebecca’s cheek, her thumb grazing against her freckled skin, her lips pressed tenderly against hers, it was the first time in months that Agnes actually felt like she was home.

It was strange. In the back of her mind, Agnes knew that this was a mistake but the flood of alcohol that had saturated her brain urged her to continue. When Rebecca had leaned in, pressing her lips to hers, Agnes should have recoiled as she was engaged; however she didn’t. Agnes was actually quite receptive to Rebecca’s kiss, even pushing back against her, the scent of the soap her ex had used filled her nostrils with each breath. It felt so beautiful…and so wrong.

Several seconds had passed. The violinist was even sure she had uttered a wordless groan of appreciation not long after they had started to kiss. But while only seconds passed, it felt like hours of betrayal that Agnes had committed. Though they parted from the kiss equally, it was Rebecca who was the first to come to her senses. Her eyes fluttering open, Agnes looked into those mismatched eyes, searching them for meaning behind what had just happened, a means of explanation or justification, but there was none there. Rebecca didn’t know what Agnes was going through (not completely); besides, all that mattered the sickening feeling that sat nestled in the pit of her stomach.

She was a whore…again.

They two separated in tandem and paused, looking at one another imploringly in the eyes. Agnes’ eyes had fluttered open, momentarily struck dumb by what she had just done. When they opened fully, those sapphire crystals in her eyes looked over the young woman, seeking justification or forgiveness in the eyes of the other – but it wasn’t her that could grant her that. With every passing second, the violinist could feel her sobering up and the realization of what she had just done dawned on her further and further.

This wasn’t the first time that Agnes had been in this position. Many, many years, ago, when she was ust a teenager and still learning about her sexuality and dating in general, she was in a real and wonderful relationship with an amazing girl by the name of Jasmine Honey Blossom. She had been the best thing that ever happened to her; so sweet and caring; she never did anything wrong. And still, despite Jasmine’s innocence, Agnes still managed to completely ruin the whole thing. Rebecca Grey had come into her life and through a series of unfortunate events and just time spent over and over together, the two had developed feelings for one another; feelings that dug just as deep as Agnes’ feelings for Jasmine, but far quicker.

Time passed and Agnes eventually forgave herself for what she had done, chalking it up to inexperience and her just being a teenager. People rarely find their first love when they are kids, after all. But youth was no longer an excuse. Agnes was in her twenties, there was no reason for her to be caught in such a situation yet again. Despite whatever she and River were going through, the young Sioux didn’t deserve this – Rebecca didn’t either.

The Scot, staring into Agnes’ eyes, asked the inevitable question – what were they doing? Agnes could feel the weight of those words nestling down into her chest like a massive boulder seeking to crush all the air from her body. Though she wanted to sound wise or collected, all that came from her throat was a sad, almost unheard squeak. Shakily, the alcohol almost burning off by the second, Agnes turned away from Rebecca as tears stung the corners of her eyes. She ground her teeth, closing her eyes and settling into darkness for awhile as she carefully pulled herself away from the aching comfort she found in Rebecca’s side.

Agnes sat there in silence, shaking her head and refusing to look at Rebecca again. Instead she fought hard to keep her tears in and to find the strength to do what she needed to do next. Meanwhile, mentally she called herself every name under the sun, and there was no denying that she deserved it. A shaky gulp and Agnes opened her eyes to see that she was still in Rebecca’s apartment; her last hope that it was just a bad dream went up in smoke.

In silence she moved to her feet, pushing herself off the couch slowly. She walked in a haze to where she had left her coat, picked it up, tucking hair behind her ears as she grabbed her clutch. She didn’t look at Rebecca – she couldn’t. But she wasn’t going to leave wordlessly.

”I’m…I’m sorry…” she whispered tearfully. ”B-but I can’t…I can’t do this again.” It was at this point that she turned to face the young Scot. ”I can’t…I refuse to let what happened with Jasmine happen all over again, Rebecca.” Standing there, staring at her ex through the coat of tears over her eyes, she found herself getting angry; most at herself but some was directed at the lovely redhead too. ” We’re not…teenagers anymore. I moved on. I’m…getting married...”

Sniffling, panic nestling into her chest, Agnes moved towards the door, ignoring the soft mews from Domino who requested her attention again. Instead she grabbed the door handle, pulled it open and stopped just before she exited. Without looking at the Scot again, she said something that she was sure she would regret later, but the words were out before she could stop.

”…and you’ve already abandoned me once.” It was a low blow. She knew it even before she had finished the sentence. But hurt feelings, anger towards herself, and alcohol made the thought so much easier to voice. Stepping out the door, she could only hope that when she woke up, she wouldn’t remember any of it.

Rebecca was dumbfounded, listening to Agnes once the engaged woman came to her senses. They both clearly felt regret for what they allowed to happen, and neither participant was blind to the parallels their behavior was drawing to their early relationship and the pain they caused for Jasmine. She was not upset when Agnes sad they could not continue this, because Rebecca knew that before she even spoke. A part of her wished Agnes did not have the integrity to make this choice, but she would not have been the woman the Scot fell in love with if that were the case.

What surprised Rebecca was the tone Agnes was taking with her. If she did not know better, she was pretty sure she was feeling the brunt of the blame for what happened being thrown on her shoulders. She “refused” to let it happen again, but was she not the one who rested her head on Rebecca’s shoulder? Pulled her in closer? Sure, the kiss was Rebecca’s doing, but she felt no recoil or hesitation from the receiving end.

”I’m… getting married…”

Ah know, she wanted to spit back, but she held her tongue. She watched wordlessly as Agnes gathered her belongings and composure, making her way to the door. The handle turned and she looked away, assuming her ex was walking out of the apartment. Her neck snapped at the direction of the door at Agnes’s last parting shot.

It hurt. A fucking lot. There was so much she wanted to say in response, but wine kept her from forming the words quickly enough. By the time she shouted, ”Ye gae up oan me!” the door had already closed and her words only reverberated through an empty apartment. She received her only reply in the form of a sad cry from Domino as he scratched at the closed exit. ”Ah know, boy…” she grumbled.

Rebecca retreated to her room in a huff, changing her outfit for something more presentable and grabbing her purse and heels. She grabbed her phone, against her better judgement, and left her apartment. She needed a drink. Badly.