I Will Always Come Home to You (Ally and Stevie)

12. Rock the Boat (They said)

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(Stevie Said)

Ally spent the next few nights at my place. We were discovering each other's quirks, comfort food, morning breath, ticklish parts, scars, pet peeves and all other intimate details. Everything was going great, no expectations, no commitments. This was true until this morning.

She insisted we go to work together, which I accepted under one condition—she had to drop me off a block away from Pab's.

"I do not understand why you would want to walk a thousand steps when I could deliver you at Pab's doorsteps," she finally snapped, as we were getting closer to my unloading point. I was trying to understand her temper that morning. Maybe she was prickly because she had little sleep due to her filming schedule. Maybe I was being annoying, complaining about the rain. Or, maybe she just had her period. Anyhow, she raised her voice and I could not help it, I retorted.

"I do not want them to know I am sleeping with a co-worker again, okay?" The cat was out of the bag.

"Wow. You could have at least told me that on DAY ONE. But thanks for defining our relationship on your own. At least you let me know."

"I am sorry if my instruction manual doesn't include that warning. And what do you expect from a week-long affair? Feel free to look for a real girlfriend at the shooting. I am not capable of those things." I took off, not expecting a kiss or even our I-know-you-will-make-me-proud-so-do-well-with-work-and-I-will-see-you-tonight three-day old morning routine.

"I think I kept your tag, I hope there is a return and exchange policy so I could get a better one," she managed to have the final word. A good one, actually. After I slammed the door, she stepped on the gas, probably without looking back.

It was a good thing that she was filming at a faraway location so I would not be seeing her in the halls. I am not mad. I am just disappointed—not of Ally but of myself. I should have told her about my baggage. I was being unfair to her since the beginning. I felt the urge to text Ally but I was too afraid that I would make things worse.

I could not concentrate with work. My boss told me to brush it off because we will be working on a big collab and the director wanted me specifically.

****

(Ally said)

I was not feeling well at all and that fight with Stevie just made me weaker. I already knew the answer but I thoughtlessly provoked her, mostly because of my jealousy and insecurity.

I heard that Stevie's ex-fiancée is back in town, shooting a musical film. She is a big shot movie director now. The ex-fiancée partnered with Pab's and invited Danny and Ali Spag to perform cameos. She also asked the assistance of the Creatives department and obviously Stevie will be on it. They are about to meet later today.

Three months ago, Stevie told Batgirl their great love story. They used to work together. Despite the forbidden office romance, everybody accepted their brilliant artistic alliance. The two were a power couple. All their projects together were hits. They were happy until they realized they lost their individualities in the process. They were both in denial that the spark had extinguished. They agreed that they just had to take their relationship to the next level so the ex-fiancée proposed. But, the engagement made them further apart.

Stevie also told Batgirl that she still has feelings for her ex-fiancée. Back then, she was hoping of a deus ex machina that would solve everything, or just a defibrillator that would revive whatever they have left for each. I guess up to now, she still is. And that is also perhaps why she had not let others in, including me.

I should not have rocked the boat earlier. I should have tried harder.