Before Us (GirlXGirl)

Chapter 13

Jess and Lainey arrived back at their campsite and began making tomato soup and grilled cheese for their dinner. And unlike those countless nights they sat away from or glanced across at each other, this night they sat leg to leg as they slurped their soup and dipped their sandwiches.

The silence still deafening without their friends, they knew they would have some explaining to do after the stunt they pulled at the party only the night before when Jess rocked her world. Then in the morning all of them stirred about, the two secret love birds had escape the judgement they'd endure from their friends.

Jess giggled softly to herself, but Lainey snapped out of her trance of tasty goodness and looked over at her.

"What's up?" She smirked, watching a girl who she wasn't even sure would be here next week slurp her soup.

"I know I stayed silent on the trail when you said I love you. But... I think I'm in love with you too." She smiled, softly blushing and placing her empty bowl on the log before scooting over towards Lainey

Lainey didn't think anything about the "I think" part of that, but she did impulsively reach her hand out to Jess's face and pull her in for a meaningful kiss.

"I love you too." She said only in a whisper between their lips before kissing her again and placing her bowl on the log as well.

They made out a while longer before turning into their tent together. This was a whole other scene for Lainey. She loved camping and hiking, even more so with Jess by her side the entire time, not afraid to be more herself than she ever had. She loved kissing Jess, but she wasn't sure if Jess had remembered kissing her drunkenly and pulling her into a bedroom in front of their friends before rocking her world.

Lainey laid there with the girl she fought so hard to get, like it was still only all a dream. She had to pinch herself a few times when Jess had fallen asleep after a long day. She laid there in Lainey's arms fast asleep and Lainey laid awake. She couldn't live in Lexi's house forever. She would eventually have fo return to her father's house or find a place she couldn't afford on her own, not in San Fransisco anyway.

She looked at the sleeping girl in her arms and her life flashed before her. From the first moment she saw her to their night of studying in the coffee shop. Every camping trip, especially the one they kissed. The party last night. Lainey tucked Jess's hair behind her ear and Jess softly moaned and rolled over in her sleep. With her arms still around her, Lainey pulled Jess into her shape, her face muffled in Jess's hair, Lainey inhaled her scent.

She wasn't sure how long this night would be if she only laid there to remember the woman she loved. Jess smiled in her sleep feeling Lainey spoon her. As Lainey tried not to drift off to sleep, she continued to imagine what it must be like to lose someone when you know they're slipping away. She truly did love Jess, whether she loved her back honestly or not.

When Lainey lost her mom, it was sudden. Her dissociation causing her not to realize at such a young and impressionable way how her mother really slipped away until she could fully understand. But to lose someone knowing you couldn't change the outcome was harsh. As she stressed, it felt like only a blink before the cool air and morning sounds filled the little tent they had managed to keep warm with their body heat until now. Jess stored awake happily from her full night's rest.

The two of them packed up the car and hauled out for what was equally their favorite thing in the morning; coffee.

As the two of them sipped their coffee, Lainey quickly shifted her focus at Jess and Jess peaked back over at her from the driver seat.

"Yes?" Jess smiled.

"So if your dad moves, you're moving then? That's it I guess?" Lainey asked with no emotion, no wonderment. Lainey already knew the answer to that and she dreaded all night hearing it from Jess, but it needed to be said. She needed to hear it.