If Jealousy Could Kill

Chapter 41: Changing

- 1 year later -

“Are you ready to go?”

The short brunette turned around, smiling at her girlfriend who stood behind her now. She looked down at the hands that clutched her bag, noticing the small ring that glistened in the bedroom light. The term ‘girlfriend’ wasn’t very applicable to them anymore, although she didn’t know if the word ‘fiancée’ was any more applicable either. At this point, Haruna felt the two girls were teetering in between the two. The ring Haruna adorned wasn’t necessarily an engagement ring; Tomomi had called it a promise ring to symbolize her love for Haruna. Tomomi really was very old fashioned. It didn’t matter though; they were both just silly titles. Haruna was together with Tomomi and that’s the only thing that mattered to her.

A lot had happened in the year and a half since the events with Rina. It had been filled with more chaos than Haruna could ever remember experiencing in her life. It was over a year ago that Haruna sat down with the police for the second time. She sat down with them only a week after she had been released from the hospital. She had visited Rina multiple times during that week and each time, it made Haruna realize just how sick Rina really was. She had to get better and to get better, Rina couldn’t hold anything back.

So she told them what was possibly one of Rina’s darkest secrets. She told the police about the murder and everything Rina had confessed to her. Haruna had felt guilty for days, even weeks, after she told the police but in the end, she knew it was the right thing to do. Tomomi had helped convince her of that. She knew in the beginning, Rina would probably be mad at her when she found out but in the long run, Haruna knew Rina would understand why she had told them. Haruna hadn’t done it for him; he didn’t matter to her anymore. Rina was what mattered. Even if it meant confining Rina to that hospital for months or even years, Haruna would be willing to do it for Rina to get better. She would be willing to do it so her little sister could come back to her.

Confining Rina was just what had happened too. Haruna and Mami had somehow managed to convince the police to grant Rina an insanity plea; Tomomi didn’t help out too much with that but it didn’t surprise Haruna that she didn’t. She couldn’t be mad at Tomomi for being upset with Rina after all that had happened. Even with the insanity plea, Rina had been given an indefinite sentence. She was kept, held at the hospital until she was better. But it had been a year and Rina was still there; Haruna had been told nothing of her possible release.

“Haruna?”

The brunette snapped out of her trance and her thoughts to look over at her girlfriend again. She laughed softly when she saw the concerned look Tomomi was giving her. She had gotten that look a lot in the past year; every little thing worried Tomomi these days. As annoying as it could be at times, Haruna wouldn’t change it for the world. Tomomi’s constant worries were a reminder of how much Tomomi cared for the older girl.

“Sorry, I’m just spacing out a bit,” Haruna said. She made her way over to Tomomi, wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s waist. Tomomi shook her head, clicking her tongue in a scolding manner before placing a soft kiss onto Haruna’s lips.

“Let’s go, slowpoke. Mami and Miyuki aren't going to wait forever, you know,” Tomomi told her, tapping her lightly on the nose. Haruna laughed and nodded her head, separating from Tomomi and allowing the younger girl lace their hands, pulling her out of the house.

Haruna’s body was fairing a lot better these days. The nurses had been right; it only took Haruna a few more weeks to completely heal. By the end of the second week she had been released, Haruna felt barely any pain in her abdomen. The only remnant of the wound was the scar she still carried where she had been stabbed. Tomomi was much like her, completely healed but she still had a light scar on her face from where the knife had sliced her.