**Claire POV**
"Good morning baby" Reneé says, pressing her chest against my back and wrapping her arms around my waist. This is my favorite part of every day.
"Good morning" I whine, half tempted to doze back off to sleep in her arms.
"Can we actually talk about you and Ali now?" she asks, sitting up against the headboard and intertwining her fingers with mine. I roll over to face her and the situation from yesterday, I guess.
"What about it?"
"You guys really didn't do anything?" she asks, her voice low and curious.
"No, we just had dinner and talked. I already told you, I wouldn't cheat on you" I tell her for the second time.
"Why did you meet up with her? How did you guys even start talking again? Like I'm just so confused about the entire situation"
"Well, I ran into her on my way to work like months ago and she told me she'd text me so we could catch up. It was actually the day after you stayed the night for the first time, so we weren't even dating yet" I look up at Reneé, she looks upset.
"But then she didn't text me literally until the day you left. I decided to just go but I know I shouldn't have and I'm sorry"
"Why did she wait so long to text you though? That's what I'm not understanding" she asks, looking slightly annoyed.
"Her uhh..her grandma died and she asked me if I wanted to go to the funeral" I admit.
"That's kind of weird, Claire" Reneé says in a judgmental tone.
"No, I was really close with her grandma when we were together. Both of mine died before I was old enough to really know them, so she was kind of like a grandma to me too" I explain.
"Oh..." Reneé starts but pauses for a second, clearly feeling bad for being a bitch before "why didn't you go then?"
"Because her funeral was the day I moved here, I told her I had a work trip so I couldn't"
"Oh, didn't have the heart to tell her you have a new girlfriend?" she pesters, just trying to get a reaction out of me.
"No, I did later in the evening. Just not right after she told me about her grandma dying" I tell her simply.
"Sooo, can you do me a favor and like...not do that again?"
"I won't do it again, promise" she nods as we exchange an understanding glance. I sit up now beside her, leaning in gently to rest my head on her chest. I want to fall back asleep but I know she has plans for us today so that isn't going to happen.
"Want me to make you coffee?" she exclaims.
"Sure" I smile. We step out of bed and she leads me to the kitchen. She fills up the espresso machine while I open the curtains in the living room. The autumn sun shines brightly, casting a warm glow over the entire apartment. I open the sliding patio door, letting the fresh air inside. I breathe deeply, enjoying the smell of the fall air. Being in LA for so long, I've missed this weather.
"Close that baby, I'm cold" Reneé whines from the kitchen, her nipples poking through her tshirt.
"I can see that" I giggle as I close the door. She rolls her eyes at me, crossing her arms.
"Sorry, I can't help it" I admit, looking her in the eyes now.
"Go get dressed, we've got so much to do today" she instructs.
"Yes, Mommy" I pout and march into the bedroom to get myself ready for the day.
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"What do you think about going to see my family for Thanksgiving?" Reneé asks, looking over at me in the passenger seat.
"Like, to North Carolina?"
"Yeah, to my parents house" she reaches over the center console, resting her hand on my upper thigh.
"I mean, sure, yeah. We can do that" I concur.
"I haven't been home in so long" she starts "my mom has been begging me but it's just so far from LA"
"She knows about me, right?" I question, just to confirm.
"Yes Claire, she knows about you" she rolls her eyes at me, pulling her hand away. She is so sassy today.
"Just making sure" I exclaim, throwing my hands in the air. No one knows about me.
"My family knows, baby. I'm just not ready for the world to know yet, ya know?" she explains and I nod at her. We've had this conversation so many times before.
It does bother me a little bit that Reneé has wanted to keep our relationship private for so long. I don't need her to post me constantly or anything like that, but I would like people to know she's off limits at least. Sometimes it feels like she's hiding me and I don't like the way that feels. But she promises me that it's for the better and a small part of me kinda believes that. I don't know how I would handle hate on the internet if I ever got any, and I'm sure I would. I don't think I would like every date to be constantly interrupted by fans and paparazzi. I know eventually we'll tell the world, but for now I kind of like that our relationship is something just between us. It's more intimate that way and I'm not sure I'm ready to give that up just yet.
"I'm like..." she hesitates for a moment "kinda nervous for you to meet my parents"
"What? Why?"
"I don't know, my mom is just weird about the whole me being a lesbian thing" she admits, looking slightly defeated. I think for a second about whether or not to pry, but I decide it can't hurt to try.
'What do you mean, babe?" I ask, slightly concerned now. I thought her parents were cool with her being gay?
"Well, I was bi for a while as sort of a cover up. She didn't really believe me though. Her and my dad always told me I have to pick a side, that I can't like both or whatever. But then once I did, she didn't believe me then either" she explains.
"They didn't believe you?"
"I guess I don't know if it was that or that they just didn't want to believe it"
"But they are okay with you being gay, right?" I ask, trying to confirm that we are not about to show up hand in hand at Thanksgiving to her homophobic parents.
"Yeah, now they are. Right at first they weren't but once I booked College Girls that helped a little. And then I started growing more of a following, you know. And now all the sudden they're just like fine with it"
"Well, that's good though, isn't it?" I question.
"Now, yeah. But I just wish they wouldn't have been so hard on me when I was still figuring myself out, ya know? Like, I hated myself for so many years and felt so ashamed to admit that I liked girls because I didn't want to disappoint them. And now all the sudden it's just fine? I don't know, I just hate that they made me feel like shit about it for so many years"
"No, I get it. They're only okay with it now because it's palatable to them, I understand" I sympathize, letting her know I understand what she's saying to me but unsure if I worded it correctly.
"Yeah, exactly. Everything looks good on paper but my childhood was such a shit show"
I nod at her understandingly, wondering if I should continue to pry but I decide not to. She will get into it if she feels like it.
"I get it" I start, reaching over into her seat and grabbing her hand. I rub my thumb against hers while she drives "but either way, I'm excited to meet them"
**Author's Note**
I kinda hate this chapter! Sorry it took so long for me to get this out and sorry it kinda sucks. I will have a few more this week, just needed to get this little filler chapter out. Almost to 8k reads and still at #1 for #Reneé, you guys are awesome!
Thanks for reading :)
xoxo
M
