overtime | clark & martin

fifty-two.

"So, this is really embarrassing but I think I have feelings for Kate again. Or maybe I never stopped having them but I've concluded that I do have feelings for her and I'm embarrassed."

Jessica expects a reaction, but Maggie simply stares at her blankly.

"Mhm," Maggie says.

Jessica looks at her surprised, "You don't seem surprised by this information."

"I am not," Maggie says, "You may not have noticed it but when I asked if you ever thought of rekindling something with Kate you talked about her being uninterested, you never expressed your own disinterest."

Jessica sighs, "Well I guess it's more embarrassing because I'm probably the last person to find out that I have a crush on Kate."

"It's not embarrassing," Maggie says, "You're working through things so obviously you're not going to pick up on everything."

"I think it's worse because I can't do anything about it," Jessica mutters.

"Why not?" Maggie asks.

"I don't want to ruin my friendship with Kate. We just returned to a good place, and I don't want to lose her," Jessica states.

"Have you ever thought maybe there's a reason Kate's been there for you so much? And you don't think it's weird that Claire and Kate happened to break up right after you met her? I think you're stressing about Kate not having feelings for you when she probably thinks the same thing. And she'd never say anything. She wants you to be ready."

Jessica frowns, "That's a lot of pressure."

"Jessica, there's no pressure. The truth of the matter is that you are never going to know when you're ready to date again. This is one of those situations where you have to get your toe wet and see what happens. It's only a matter of who you trust to jump in the pool with you."

"Can we talk about Caitlin?" Jessica asks.

"Of course we can," Maggie says, "Where do you want to start with her?"

"The end," Jessica answers, "Or rather the beginning of the end. I knew that we had been too reckless and that it was a matter of time before the public found out. I was okay with being private. I was okay being a secret. It was Caitlin who said she didn't care. She told me she loved me and maybe that was true, but it's hard to believe that."

2024
WNBA All-Star Weekend
Phoenix, Arizona

Jessica was sitting in her apartment checking over her luggage when she heard the front door of her apartment open. She poked her head out of her bedroom to see Caitlin walking in wearing her Indiana Fever clothes. Jessica knew she'd just come from practice and the fact that she came straight to Jessica's warmed her heart. Caitlin carefully dropped her bag by the door and slipped off her shoes.

"Hey," Jessica greets as she steps out of her bedroom closing the door behind her, "How was the last practice before the break?"

"Fine," Caitlin answers as she walks over to Jessica, her hands immediately finding Jessica's waist as she draws her closer, "Lexie and Katie Lou invited me on vacation. Well us. It's a romantic couple's getaway."

"Yeah, I'm not going," Jessica says, "Someone is going to photograph us at the airport, or they'll be able to match wallpapers at the resort, or worse, Lexie will post and my big ass head will be in the background."

Caitlin pouts as she looks at Jessica's forehead, "But I love your big ass head."

Jessica laughs as she brings her hand up and snaps her fingers, "Focus!"