Drawn To You (GirlxGirl)

Part 31

Allie's P.O.V

I sat cross-legged on the bed in Casey's spare room, my phone gripped tightly in my hand.

The room was small but nice—a soft grey carpet, walls painted a gentle cream, and a single window letting in the afternoon light. The bed was covered in a navy-blue quilt, neat and tidy, and there was a chest of drawers across from me that I hadn't even opened yet.

Boxes cluttered the floor—clothes, shoes, jewellery, makeup, all the pieces of my old life packed up and shoved into this tiny space, but I couldn't bring myself to unpack. Not yet.

The past few days had been a blur of packing, driving back and forth between the house and here, trying to gather the last of my things. Casey and Lola had helped, timing it so we only went when Mark would be at work. It felt like a covert mission, sneaking in and out, avoiding any chance of running into him. I didn't think I had the energy for another confrontation. The last one had left me drained, emotionally and mentally exhausted.

But it wasn't just the chaos of leaving Mark and the house that had me feeling like this. It was something else—someone else.

Jessie.

I couldn't stop thinking about her, about the night we spent together. It had been four days since I walked out of her apartment, and even though everything in my life was turning upside down, Jessie's face was the one thing I kept coming back to. The way she looked at me, the way she touched me—Jessie made me feel things I hadn't felt in years, things I hadn't even realised I was missing. It was like waking up after a decade of sleep.

Mark had never made me feel like that. Not even in the beginning. And as I sat here, staring at my phone, I wondered what that meant. What did I want? What did she want?

I hadn't texted her. Not yet. There had been too much happening, too much swirling in my head to even think straight. But as the hours turned into days, the urge to reach out grew stronger. I'd hover over my phone, fingers dancing over the keyboard, typing out messages only to delete them seconds later.

Now, I was doing it again. My thumb hovered over the screen, unsure if I should press send. My heart was pounding, and I felt like a teenager with a crush—nervous, unsure, excited all at once. I didn't even know what Jessie was thinking. Had she been waiting for me to text? Or did she want to stay as far away as possible from this mess?

My thoughts bounced back and forth between the memories of that night and the mess I was still trying to get out of with Mark. The chaos of my life felt like a storm, but Jessie... Jessie had been the eye of it. Calm, steady.

That night, with her, I'd felt like I could just breathe. It had been a reprieve from everything else.

I didn't want to push her away. But I didn't want to pull her into my mess either.

And yet... I couldn't stop myself. I started typing, my heart racing faster with each word.

'Hey, is tomorrow ok for me to come into the studio?'

I stared at the message for a second, my thumb hovering over the send button. My nerves tangled in my stomach. What if she regretted what had happened between us? What if she wanted to finish the paintings without me? Maybe she was waiting for me to just disappear and not make things even more complicated than they already were.

But I couldn't stop thinking about her. So I hit send.

And then, all I could do was wait. I lay back on the bed, clutching the phone in both hands, staring at the screen. My heart was thumping in my chest, and I felt like I might explode with nerves.

'Come on, come on' I thought, my eyes glued to the screen.

A minute passed. Then another. And then, finally, the little three dots appeared at the bottom of the screen. My stomach did a flip. She was typing.

My heart practically leaped into my throat as the reply came in.

"Same time as always. See you then."

I stared at the message, my pulse still racing. A giddy smile spread across my face, and before I even realised what I was doing, I kicked my heels against the mattress like a schoolgirl who had just been asked to prom.

The relief, the excitement—I hadn't felt this way in years. Maybe ever.

I was grinning like an idiot when there was a knock at the door.

Casey poked her head in, raising an eyebrow at me. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk. "I'd ask who's got you acting like a lovesick teenager, but I guess it doesn't take a genius, does it?"

I let out a laugh and my cheeks flushed a deep red. "Shut up."

"Mhm," she hummed, stepping inside and glancing around the room, her eyes landing on the boxes scattered everywhere. "So... Jessie, huh?"

I shrugged, unable to wipe the grin off my face. "She just... It's hard to explain."

Casey's smile softened, and she came over to sit beside me on the bed. "Hey, you don't have to explain anything. I've seen the way you've been since you met her. It's a good different."

I nodded, biting my lip. It was a good different. But it was also terrifying. How could something that felt so right also be so scary?

"Anyway," Casey said, giving me a playful nudge, "the kettle's on, I'll make us some tea while you try and get the red out of your cheeks".

I laughed again, shaking my head as I stood up.

As we walked out of the room, I glanced back at my phone, the smile still tugging at the corners of my lips. Tomorrow. I'd see her tomorrow.