Drawn To You (GirlxGirl)

Part 35

Allie's P.O.V

I woke up slowly, feeling the warmth of Jessie's arms wrapped around me. The soft rise and fall of her chest pressed against me, her steady breath whispering against the side of my neck. I smiled, sinking further into her embrace, not wanting to move. For a moment, everything felt right. Nothing else mattered but the quiet, intimate space we had created right here on her sofa.

Carefully, I peeled one arm free to reach for my phone on the floor beside the sofa, its screen faintly glowing in the pale light of the moon filtering through the window. I squinted against the brightness, trying not to disturb Jessie. It was 3 a.m. A text from Casey popped up at the top of the screen, sent just ten minutes ago.

'Hey, you okay? Just got up to pee and realised you haven't come home'

I chuckled softly to myself, shaking my head as I quickly typed out a reply.

'Yeah, I'm fine. I'm at Jessie's. Don't worry, I'll be back in the morning.'

As I set the phone back down, I turned to look at Jessie's face, illuminated by the soft moonlight. Even in sleep, there was something so beautifully peaceful about her that made my heart swell. A happy sigh escaped my lips as I snuggled back into her, resting my head in the crook of her neck.

In her sleep, Jessie stirred slightly, her arms tightening around me, pulling me closer. My heart fluttered at the small movement. How could someone make me feel this safe and alive all at once?

But as the warmth of her embrace enveloped me, my thoughts began to wander to the chaos that was my life. I felt it creeping in, the weight of it pressing on my chest even as I lay here in Jessie's arms. Where was I headed now? I didn't have a clue.

Since leaving Mark, my life had been a blur of uncertainty. I had no home, no job, no plan. Uni was starting again soon, but I hadn't even had the headspace to think about what came after. And what about Jessie? What were we? What did she want from me? What did I want from her? The questions rolled over me, relentless and heavy.

I hadn't planned for this. I hadn't planned for Jessie at all. I never thought I'd be here, in the arms of a woman, feeling more and more like I could maybe have feel- 'no, no don't think about that'. The thought of what this could be terrified me.

I liked what we had, the way it was. It was just for us—private, quiet, and uncomplicated. But how long could it stay like this? Sooner or later, Jessie was going to want more, and what if I wasn't ready? What if I couldn't give her that? Or she would get fed up of me and leave. That thought scared me just as much.

I let out a soft sigh, trying to shake the worries from my mind. I had to stop thinking about it so much. I had to let myself enjoy the here and now. That was all that mattered, wasn't it?

With that, I let myself sink back into the warmth of Jessie's embrace, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing. My eyes grew heavy again, and slowly, I drifted back to sleep.

The smell of fresh coffee woke me the next morning. It wafted through the air, warm and rich, instantly pulling me from sleep. I blinked my eyes open, stretching slightly as I noticed Jessie was no longer beside me on the sofa. My body felt the absence of her warmth, but the sound of her singing softly in the kitchen made me smile.

I sat up, peeking over the back of the sofa, watching her in the kitchen. She was still in her clothes from the night before, her black shirt unbuttoned and hanging loosely around her frame. She was dancing and singing along to the radio, her hips swaying slightly off-beat as she stirred the coffee. I recognised the song instantly - Sailor Song by Gigi Perez. Somehow the lyrics resonated more with me now and the sight of her made my heart swell. She was so unguarded, so real, and I couldn't help but feel this overwhelming warmth spread through me as I watched her move.

Jessie turned around, coffee mugs in hand, and froze when she saw me watching. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly tried to play it cool, but I could see the embarrassment in her eyes.

"How long have you been watching?" she asked, her voice light but teasing.

I smirked, leaning back into the sofa. "Long enough to see that you have absolutely no rhythm."

She laughed, a low, melodic sound that made my stomach flip.

"Guilty," she admitted, walking over to hand me one of the mugs. Her shirt hung open just enough to give me a view of her toned stomach, and I felt my cheeks warm.

"Good morning," she said, smiling as she sat down next to me, handing me the steaming mug.

"Good morning," I replied, taking it gratefully. "Thanks for the coffee."

"You sleep okay?" Jessie asked, her gaze soft but searching. It was like she could sense there was something I wasn't saying.

"Yeah," I lied, not wanting to tell her about the worries that had kept me awake in the middle of the night. "The sofa's actually pretty comfortable."

Jessie smiled, nodding as she took a sip of her coffee. "It is. I've fallen asleep on it more times than I can count." She glanced at me, her lips quirking. "It's basically my second bed."

We sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, sipping our coffees. I clutched my mug close to my chest, savoring the warmth and the smell. There was something so simple and perfect about this—about waking up with Jessie, drinking coffee together while music played in the background and the autumn sun lit up her apartment, feeling like for a little while, everything was normal.

Jessie cleared her throat, breaking the quiet.

"I, uh, need to head to the studio soon," she said hesitantly. "When can I see you again?"

My heart sank at the thought of leaving. I didn't want this morning to end.

"I start back at uni next week," I said, already feeling the weight of that looming over me. "So I'd like to see you before my life gets even more hectic."

Jessie smiled, her eyes soft. "We'll make it happen. Don't worry."

After we finished our coffees and Jessie got dressed for the day, we made our way out onto the cold street. The brisk autumn air nipped at my skin, and I pulled my sweater up around my neck, already dreading the moment we'd say goodbye.

"I'll text you, yeah?" Jessie said, her eyes searching mine, like she didn't want to leave either.

"Yeah." I nodded, but I didn't move. Neither did she. We lingered there, both of us hesitating, unsure of how to say goodbye.

I wanted to kiss her, but out here, in the middle of the street with people walking by, I hesitated. My nerves got the best of me, and I couldn't bring myself to make the first move.

Jessie took a step closer, leaning in for the kiss like she had before. But as soon as her lips touched mine, my body tensed. I hated that I couldn't just be in the moment. I kissed her back, but only for a second before pulling away, offering a sheepish smile.

"Bye, Jessie," I whispered, turning on my heel and walking away before the awkwardness could linger any longer.

As I walked down the street, I could still feel Jessie standing there, probably wondering what had just happened. I sighed, stuffing my hands into my pockets, the weight of my thoughts heavy again as I headed back to Casey's place.

I wanted nothing more than to be brave enough, bold enough to not care about anyone in the world seeing me kissing another woman. Seeing me kissing Jessie. But how could I when I wasn't ready to let the world into Jessie and I's private perfect world?