Entranced~ I.L

~19~

"If I open up to you right now, I want to know that you're willing to do the same to me. Or at least try," Isabelle seized this opportunity as she took her place on Talia's bed, Talia pulling up a chair and sitting with her legs around the backrest.

"What do you mean?" Talia's brows furrowed.

"I mean that you're a very closed off person Talia and I want you to let me in," Isabelle responded.

"I do let you in, you're probably the only person I trust with everything,"

"Then I want to talk to you, about everything," she specified.

"Of course." Though Talia was dreading the conversation, Isabelle had a right to ask about it. She knew immediately what Isabelle was going to ask and she'd just have to deal with it and respond whole heartedly.

"I know we've spoken about this already but it was so vague and it feels like a fever dream because I still have no idea what we are but we're pretending we're friends," Isabelle sighed, leaning back with her arms supporting her weight.

"Are we not friends?" The question rang true in her head, she was not sure whether they were or not.

"I don't know."

"Do you want to be friends?" Talia asked, a moment of silence having passed before she spoke.

"Why is it only up to me?" Isabelle asked. "What about you, what do you want?"

"Whatever you want Izzy."

"Natalia." Isabelle eyed her down, Talia releasing a sigh. "This isn't up to just me. It should be a mutual decision."

"I truly want whatever you'd like."

"So if I wanted to be friends, you would too?" It was silent for a moment.

"No."

"No?"

"I want more than that but I'd take whatever I could get with you, so long as I'm near you," Talia confessed and it suddenly felt like a weight was off her shoulders. A warmth filled Isabelle, swarms of butterflies suddenly making an attack on her stomach as she withheld a smile.

"Do you like me? I have to clarify."

"Yes."

"I like you too," Isabelle smiled softly.

"I hoped you would," Talia chuckled, a rush of joy filling her.

"So what does that make us?"

"I'm not sure."

"Girlfriends," Isabelle easily spoke, full of confidence now.

"I'd love nothing more than to be your girlfriend," Talia had began, her tone wavering as all the reasons why they shouldn't flashed through her mind.

"Then it's settled."

"No, it's not Isabelle." Talia watched the smile drop from Isabelle's face and Talia released a sigh as her own posture dropped in disappointment. "It's not that easy."

"Nothing ever is Tali," Isabelle started, her mind now set on coming out of this conversation as lovers. "But we'll get through it."

"Your family-"

"My happiness should be the most important thing to them otherwise their love for me is not unconditional and I don't need them."

"You can't disown your family Isabelle."

"If they hate me for who I love then their 'unconditional love' has been a lie. It wouldn't be on account of you."

"Okay, well there's things about me that I'm not ready to share. That's not how lovers work."