if i could tell her || dianetti

2

I like Gina.

The words echoed in her mind. Her heart begins to beat out of her chest and her head begins to spin.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," she says, making sure there is no recognizable panic in her voice. She quickly excuses herself from the table and makes a beeline for the restroom.

Once inside, she leans against the sink to brace herself. She takes slow, heaving breaths as she tries to steady her heart rate. Slowly, she lifts her head to the mirror and locks eyes with her reflection.

"This isn't like you," she says firmly to herself. "You don't...panic over girls. Especially not girls you can't even be with. Get it together."

She reaches down and pulls the handle of the faucet. She splashes her face with cold water once, then again for good measure, and exits the bathroom. She takes her place back at their table, making an effort to look as unbothered as possible.

The rest of the night runs smoothly, aside from Gina catching Rosa staring at her once or twice (which, luckily, she was able to play off).

The next morning at the precinct, Amy approaches Rosa at her desk.

"Rosa," she starts, "you seemed a little uncomfortable last night and I don't know if it was something I said or-"

"It's fine," Rosa says, cutting Amy off. "I'm fine. It wasn't you just- don't worry about it."

"Oh...okay," Amy responds. She wants to ask more, but figures it's best to leave the subject alone for now. She smiles and walks back to her desk.

About an hour later, the elevator chimes and Gina steps out.

"Sorry I'm late, but we all know I had somewhere better to be," Gina announces as she enters the bullpen.

Rosa's eyes follow Gina as she makes her way to her desk. She intently watches the woman's figure as she crosses the precinct floor. She catches herself just as visions of Gina begin to dance in her head.

"Get it together, Rosa," she says hushedly to herself. "You can't keep letting her distract you like this."

She refocuses on the case in front of her, silently hoping none of her fellow detectives had noticed her lapse in focus.