Exposition

D+24 (Friday)

Addie didn't know what she was doing. It was as if her fingers had a mind of their own as they dialed Brienne's number. She told herself she'd hang up after three rings but she stayed on till the other line picked up on the seventh ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Brienne, it's me. Addie."

"I know," Brienne replied in an amused tone and Addie was kicking herself. "What's up?"

"I hope I wasn't disturbing you," Addie began tentatively. She had no plan for the call.

"No, just finished dinner."

Addie looked at the digital clock on her night stand. It was 11:15 at night. "Is it a bit late for dinner?"

"Well, my mom got off work at ten so I was waiting for her so we could eat together."

"That's nice," Addie said, straining to come up with something to say. Brienne wasn't helping either. She just remained quiet on the other end of line, brushing her teeth from the sound of the tap running and water gurgling in the background.

"You should use a cup instead of letting the water run like that," Addie scolded.

Brienne laughed. "I know you didn't call to lecture me about water conservation."

No, I didn't. There was a shuffling sound and a ruffling of sheets on Brienne's end of the line. Addie figured she was probably getting into bed now. She starting wondering what Brienne wore to sleep; if she let her hair down; what color were her sheets. She still wasn't saying anything but Addie could hear her smiling.

Ah! What the heck! "Brienne, am I gay?"

The other girl rinsed her mouth before answering. "I can't answer that for you."

"But you must think I'm gay because you like me."

Brienne chuckled. "I'd like you whether or not I thought you were gay."

Addie was satisfied with the answer. She was hoping that there was some sign she could grasp at to tell her what all these feelings inside her were. "But you're gay, right?"

"Pretty much," Brienne replied, and Addie envied her certainty.

She wanted to ask the other girl why she liked her but she felt too self-conscious about saying the words outright so she went about a roundabout. "So remember when you said you liked me in more than a 'let's be friends forever' kind of way?"Addie began. The smile at the other end of the line widened. "In what kind of way do you like me?"

"Do you really want to know?" Brienne asked after taking a breath in and letting it out slowly.

"I asked, didn't I?" Addie was surprised by the bravery in her tone.

"I like you in the 'kiss you breathless while I ran a hand up your skirt' kind of way."

"Oh!" Addie didn't expect the answer to be that direct.

"You said you wanted to know."

"I did," Addie replied slowly, imaging Brienne's hand going up her thigh and fingering her birth mark.

"You're imagining it, aren't you?" Brienne teased, bringing her out of the image.

"No I wasn't," Addie vehemently denied but from the chuckle Brienne wasn't buying it.