your boots beneath my bed | JENLISA

Chapter 13

we love grown up jenlisa that communicates w etch other <3

As February made way for March, as clients filtered through the property, as the snow melted and the promise of spring lingered in the air, things remained... awkward at best. Polite smiles, cordial conversations, the occasional wave. That was all that existed between Jennie and Lisa as they occupied the same sixty or so acres.

Lisa was pretty sure that the awkwardness felt worse than the anger. Sure, she was upset that this had exploded the way it had. She was hurt that Jennie hadn't told her earlier. But more than anything, she missed the other woman. She missed making her laugh and spending time with her, just the two of them. She was also sure that she had to be the one to bridge the gap since Jennie was convinced that everything was her fault.

So, Lisa took a deep breath before knocking on the front door of the house, not just walking in like she used to.

Jennie pulled the door open, her eyebrows lifting a bit in surprise when she saw Lisa on the porch.

"Channing's at the cabins," Jennie said softly, certain that Lisa wouldn't be here for her.

"You need anything from town?" Lisa asked, lifting her lips in a small smile.

Jennie felt her heart leap into her throat at the question, at the promise and the nostalgia it held.

Just because she'd explained things, just because Lisa decided not to be angry anymore, didn't mean things went back to normal. It also didn't mean her feelings went anywhere.  So instead of turning her down, since she had no idea what the hell they would find to talk about after a month of awkwardness, Jennie found herself nodding.

"Yeah, I think I do," she replied, stepping back and grabbing a light jacket and her purse. "Umm... I can take the truck and meet you there," she offered, hesitating before closing the front door.

"We can take mine," Lisa said, stepping back to let Jennie join her fully on the porch. "No sense in taking two."

"Oh, okay," Jennie said, setting the truck keys back inside before closing the front door.

Lisa headed down the steps to the truck and pulled open the driver's side door. She took the time to knock her boots together, getting any excess gravel or mud off of them since the snow was still melting and everything seemed soaked and muddy. She waited for Jennie to join her in the cab of the truck before she put her keys in the ignition.

It only took Lisa two minutes of awkward silence to mention how nice the warmer weather was and drum her fingers along the steering wheel.

"Yeah. I missed the sun," Jennie murmured, keeping her shoulders turned away from Lisa and her eyes looking out the window.

"I bet," Lisa hummed, trying to figure out what exactly it was that she wanted to say.

"We never used to talk about the weather," Jennie said softly, her voice tinged with sadness as her hands fidgeted in her lap.

"Can I ask you a non either-or question?" Lisa asked.

"Only if you want to."

"Do you think you would have told me if I hadn't heard you and Channing?"

"Yes," Jennie replied with a quiet conviction. She wasn't exactly sure when that would have been, but it wouldn't have been much later than the day Lisa had found out. She had asked her not to hide, and she had been terribly close to deciding not to hide herself any longer, and then Lisa had walked in on her and her sister's conversation. 

"Okay," Lisa nodded. "I've been wondering that for a while."

"I would have told you," Jennie promised, knowing her words didn't take away anything that had happened, but choosing to promise anyway.