February Night

Chapter 31

"Oh, my god, I can't believe you're really here!", Lucy squealed as she pulled her best friend into a tight hug. Weeks ago, Lucy and her best friend Tessa had agreed to finally see each other again after months of being apart. And ever since Tessa had said she'd come to D.C., Lucy had been excited. She had told Spencer and Luke about it and now she had just waited almost half an hour to finally embrace her best friend again.

"I missed you so much!", Tessa laughed, still laying in Lucy's arms. The two young women were just standing there in the middle of the arriving hall at the airport for at least five more minutes until they finally managed to let go of each other.

"Come on, I'll show you my apartment!", Lucy excitedly said as she grabbed Tessa's hand and dragged her out of the airport and to the car. While they drove back into town, Lucy asked Tessa about New York. And while she listened to her friend telling her all the news, Lucy realized that she missed New York sometimes. But for her, there was no possibility to go back and live there. She had her life here now. Spencer was here. And Luke too. But it felt good to have someone from her hometown here again.

As soon as Lucy and Tessa had arrived at Lucy's apartment, Tessa started to walk through it, looking at every room until she stopped in the living room. "Wow, that apartment is gorgeous", she said with a smile and Lucy beamed at her.

"I know, I love it." She let herself fall on the couch and Tessa sat down too. She grabbed Lucy's hands.

"You're happy here?" Lucy could see that her best friend was worried. She didn't know what had happened back in New York and why Lucy had left from one day to another. Sighing, Lucy decided to tell Tessa everything. The nightmare was over and she felt as if she could talk about what happened now. Tessa had a right to know the truth.

"Why...why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you keep such an awful thing to yourself?", Tessa quietly asked when Lucy had finished her story. She looked shocked; Lucy wasn't surprised. Everyone was when she told them what had happened to her. Now she shrugged and remained quiet for some seconds to search for the right words. Why didn't she tell her best friend? The one she had always told everything? She didn't know...

A sigh escaped Lucy's mouth and she wrapped her arms around Tessa, pulling her into a long hug. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But I was so shocked myself and I was scared. I didn't dare telling anybody. I thought...they'd call the police and I'd be the one to blame in the end", she explained. Tessa nodded.

"I understand. But I'm glad you told me now. Better late than never, right?" Tessa pulled away and smiled at her friend. "Now...let's change the topic to something more pleasant", she then grinned and Lucy laughed. The two best friends ordered some take-out food while they chatted and laughed a lot. It was after midnight when Lucy and Tessa fell asleep on the couch, with the TV showing some old Supernatural episode.

Groaning, Lucy woke up in the middle of the night and she felt like every muscle in her body was aching. "Oh, dear god", she murmured as she sat up and shook Tessa's shoulder. Her friend finally woke up too and the groan that came from her mouth was the same as Lucy's. She chuckled. "We should go and continue sleeping in a real bed or we won't be able to move anymore in the morning."

Tessa agreed and followed Lucy into the bedroom. They snuggled under the duvet and fell back asleep almost immediately, feeling comfortable with the presence of each other. Lucy had really missed her best friend and she would have loved for her to stay longer than just the three days Tessa would be here. But Tessa had a job and couldn't take any more days off now.

~

The next morning, Lucy and Tessa grabbed some coffee and pastry and brought it to Lucy's bookstore. Lucy was excited to finally show her best friend what she was currently working on. She was proud of the store and forever thankful to Miss Willoughby for giving it to her.

"Oh, wow!", Tessa exclaimed as soon as she had stepped into the store. Lucy smirked while she closed the door behind her and went to her desk to put down the paper cup filled with coffee. "It looks so comfortable in here!", Tessa continued while she strolled through the shelves. Lucy chuckled and after watching her friend walking around, she decided to follow her. It filled her heart with joy to see Tessa's reaction.

"I totally need to buy a book or two", she said and turned around to Lucy, a beaming smile on her face. Lucy laughed.

"I'd love that", she confessed. "Listen, I've got plans for the bookstore", she then started. She wanted her best friend to know about what she wanted to do. "I want to put some more armchairs in here and some beautiful small tables, where people can have their coffees and foods while they are reading. Just a place to stay at for a while. A place to escape to, you know?", she explained while the two of them eventually had sat down to eat their breakfast and finish their coffees.

Tessa nodded. "That idea is great. It already looks lovely in here but I'm sure with some more furniture it will become even cozier and will attract even more people." Lucy agreed with her best friend and beamed at her. "Guess what? Why don't we just start right now with the changings?", Tessa suggested and Lucy literally jumped from her chair.

"Yes! That's a great idea!", Lucy exclaimed excitedly.

~

Hours later – it was already dark outside – Lucy and Tessa sat on one of the armchairs and looked around. They had changed a lot in the bookstore but still weren't finished with it. A loud yawn escaped Tessa's mouth. "We did a lot today", she quietly said.

"Oh yes, we did", Lucy sighed, feeling tired. "What about going back home and having some take-out food again?" Tessa was totally up for that idea, so the two women made their way back to Lucy's apartment to take a shower and then get some food.

"Alright, we've spent almost two days together now and you haven't told me about Spencer yet", Tessa said with a challenging look in her brown eyes. Lucy smirked and placed a fork full of pasta in her mouth. "Come on, don't leave me here all excited and curious! What is he like? Tell meeee!"

Now, Lucy had to laugh at her best friend. She put her plate away and leaned back, snuggling into the pillows. "Well, he's...he's wonderful", she then started. It wasn't easy to put her feelings into words. She loved him dearly. Were there even words for those feelings? For this love? She quietly sighed.

"He supported me after I confessed what had happened in that February night to Spencer and Luke. He...he never judged. He was just there. And we've got a lot in common. He makes me laugh. And when he looks at me with those brown eyes and that cute smile...my heart always skips a beat." She chuckled and immediately thought that she must be sounding childish. Like a teenager that was in love for the first time. But Lucy just couldn't help it.

And Tessa just leaned in and hugged her friend tightly. "I'm so happy for you, Lu. You deserve having a nice man by your side. He sounds as if he's a good one. And I hope I'll get to meet him before I'll leave again!"

Lucy laughed. "Oh, you will, I promise!"