Quantum Entanglement ~ Tamber

Chapter 8

The days were ticking down, closer to the date she knew she'd be forced to relive one of the most painful experiences of her life: September 23rd. Amber was still talking to Richie, and Tara knew it. What she didn't know, though, was if the girl was faking with her or with him. She was such a convincing liar that it was hard to pick through what was real or not – an obstacle course of falsehoods. She had always been that way, though. She'd told fibs for as long as Tara had known her – just never to her.

Tara had to weigh whether or not it was worth throwing away everything for. Yes, she knew Amber could be manipulating her. She knew the girl she loved would soon be attacking her. Any reasonable person would give up and run, avoid all the pain. Maybe she should. But love wasn't reasonable. Whatever was to happen in the future didn't negate that it had been the happiest month of her life. Having Amber back and getting to be with her in a way she never even dared to dream about before all this was worth the pain. She'd do it all over a million times, because now she knew what it felt like to be in love and so freely loved in return. She was happy, but she was still cautious.

Tara had started hiding or stealing all the hand sanitizer in her house. The taller girl would let out a frustrated groan and go get another bottle from the basement; she must have known her girlfriend was a kleptomaniac for hand sanitizer at that point, but she didn't complain. Tara just needed it all gone, and she needed to unplug the stove on the day of the party. Maybe it meant Sidney and Gale would have a harder fight, but at least it lessened the odds that she'd have to kill her for the second time.

If Tara didn't know what was coming, she would have been the happiest she had ever been. If only she could wipe the future from her memory and live in the now, live in her girlfriend's arms.

"My arm's asleep," Amber whispered.

"Five more minutes," she grumbled.

"If I have to amputate, I'm forcing you to take care of me for the rest of our lives."

"Oh no, what a punishment," she said sarcastically.

"You say that now, but I'm very high maintenance."

Tara looked up at her girlfriend for the first time that morning, who was watching her with intense hazel eyes. She looked so innocent that it was hard not to just immediately melt.

"You know I love you, right?"

Amber raised an eyebrow. "I would hope so. Where's this going?"

"The other day I learned that you snore, and I forgot to make fun of you for it," she replied with a pout.

The taller girl rolled her eyes. "Okay, even if I snore, you literally sound like an earthquake."

"You love it."

She nodded. "I do. I can't sleep without my little asthmatic princess sleeping next to me anymore. It's too quiet without you."

Tara smiled and kissed the taller girl, who hummed her appreciation.

"I took a picture of you sleeping on your back with your mouth wide open. Want to see?" Amber asked a moment later after regaining feeling in her arm.

"No! Delete that!"

"I'm making it my wallpaper."

"Don't you dare!"

"Too late. Oh, look how cute!" She shoved the phone in Tara's face, who was mortified to see herself with her mouth so wide open that it looked like she had unhinged her jaw like a snake.

"I hate you."

"Not what you were saying last night," she said coyly.

"Is my girlfriend really bragging about sex like a 15-year-old boy?" Tara scoffed, sticking out her lower lip.