QUARANTINE LOVE STORY

9. we all have that friend who messes things up

CAITLIN

I feel my brain going numb: the power couple that are Leah Williamson and Jordan Nobbs are staring at Lia and I, on the couch across from the one we are seated in. If I never endured a police interrogation so far in my life, I am pretty much convinced that it would look like that, and that I would feel as pressured as I do right now. 

Lia, too, is highly uncomfortable. 

"So..." Leah starts, not-so-subtly, "you guys are a thing ?" 

Great, we only kissed two days ago, and now everybody is pressuring us, I think to myself, quite annoyed by the captain's question: I mean, how was I supposed to find the right answer when Lia and I haven't even talked about us yet?

At my great surprise, Lia speaks up first:

"Um, let's say whatever this is (she gestures to show me and her), it's pretty recent... So..."

"Okay, I have a confession to make" Leah blurts out, worried. As Lia frowns, Jordan throws her girlfriend a defiant look, before the blonde adds: "Please, don't be mad, Lia: we really thought it would help..."

I feel my throat turning sore: for some reason, I had an idea what this fuss was all about... or rather, who it was all about.

My fears become reality when Jordan says:

"Tabea wrote to me sometime last week, asking Leah and I if we could help bringing you two in contact again..."

Lia seems struck by lightning. 

"W-what?"

Leah sighs, not daring to look at me, as it could be seen on my face that I was not reassured at all right now. 

After a while, the blonde explains herself:

"Yeah, so, thinking that you weren't over her, Lia, we agreed to arrange a meeting... tomorrow, via Zoom... it was supposed to be a surprise..."

I was a fool to think I stood any chance, I think to myself, reacting - as always - in the heat of the moment without really thinking first. Clinging my fists and setting my jaw, I just get up and walk straight to my room, while Lia seems too shocked to even move. Of course she isn't over her ex-girlfriend... she told me she wasn't ready. I am fucking stupid. Feeling nauseous - I know I've made a fool out of myself - I close the door behind me, while I hear the entrance door closing, meaning that Leah and Jordan departed. 

It takes Lia a few minutes to dare knocking at my door, and when she opens it, I realize she was utterly confused. 

In complete silence, she makes her way inside my room, as I sit down on my bed, tensing up. She sits down next to me, probably choosing her words carefully - I mean, I expected something like you need to move out, or even it didn't mean anything to me, or something like that. When she realizes my fists are still clinged together, she lets a small sigh out, before turning her face toward me, with the hope that I would do the same - but I don't. 

So she slowly reaches for my hand, before saying:

"I'm sorry" she carefully breathes out, squeezing my hand. 

"For what?" I sarcastically ask, truly broken. 

Lia feels the sudden coldness I have toward her, so she says:

"I'm sorry you had to hear this."

"It's... whatever. You told me you weren't ready, I should've listened to you and guarded my walls up."

"It's not like that..." the brunette starts, but I don't let her finish, asking her coldly:

"Are you going to go to the Zoom meeting?" 

"Yes" Lia honestly says, "but-"

"Then I think it would be better if you just leave me some space" I insist, setting my jaw. Lia's eyes suddenly seem quite emotional, as I continue: "It's okay, really. I just need some fresh air."

With that said, I walk out the apartment, not even dressing up, and start running around the building next to a park, out of anger: it was finished before it even started properly... so much for forming a meaningful relationship for once...

I didn't come home until 7 pm that day, breaking all COVID protocols.

*** 

LIA

I nervously play with my hands - and have been for the past hour, reminding my two-hour conversation with Tabea over and over again - until I hear the door open, and see Caitlin coming in. She seems distant and cold, but still sits down on the other couch, the farthest away from me possible. 

Setting her jaw, she just asks:

"So, how did it go with your ex?"

Sighing, I just start explaining:

"She told me she made a huge mistake and wanted to get me back."

"And what did you say?" Caitlin asks, staring right into my eyes.

Her stare takes my breath away, as I feel a sudden outburst of emotions going over my whole body. 

Taking a deep breath, I just tell her the truth:

"That I met someone in London."

This time, Caitlin seems deeply surprised: her big blue eyes widen a little bit, as her body language shows that she is both on the restraint and insecure. 

She hesitantly asks:

"Really?"

"Really" I say softly, before adding: "I told her I wanted to see where this thing with that person would go, and that I considered her as my past, and not my present and future anymore."

I could see, from the face Caitlin had now, that she was both surprised and still on her guards. So, when I slowly get up and walk toward her, I could see her small reluctance soon go away when I sit down next to her. 

I stare right into her eyes, our faces only inches away from each other, before she asks:

"You just... closed the page with her, then? Is that it?" 

I nod.

"Like I said: someone else is on my mind, and even thought it is still very fresh, I want to give that someone a chance, because there's a feeling between us."

Caitlin smirks. 

"A feeling, uh?" she asks, obviously teasing me.

Slowly turning my face toward hers, I just softly grab her jaw with both my hands, before gluing our foreheads together, staring at her while she does the same. 

After a while, I just say:

"I am not ready to display my personal life to the rest of the team just yet, and I may not be the most expressive person in London, but know I don't take things involving feelings and stuff lightly. So, if you wanna get the hell out of here while you still can, now is your chance."

Caitlin cracks a smile, before whispering, her warm breath brushing my lips:

"You're not gonna get rid of me that easily, Wally."

With that said, she kisses me wildly, before we get down to business once more... there are worst ways of quarantining than this, I think to myself, happy for the first time in months.