What happens in between

02 - baby, it's 3am i must be lonely

Listen to Matchbox Twenty - 3am

"Mia!" Charlotte whispers.

"Mmm? Yes sweetheart?" I say, half asleep.

"You fell asleep again."

"Sweetheart, it's 3am..." I sigh.

"I know, your music is still playing and this song is called 3am".

"What? Have you just been watching me sleep?"

"Pretty much, and enjoying your music. I am wide awake." Charlotte looks a bit sheepish. "Plus I have not stopped thinking about, about, um, the kiss."

I smiled but kept my eyes closed. I think Charlotte will say more if I'm not looking at her.

"This is new to me. This. The kiss." Charlotte continued. "I mean, I liked it, I just..."

I leaned over, briefly opened my eyes to check, then kissed her hard. Cupping her head in one hand, pulling her in. I could feel her kissing me back and she somehow had her arm half around me pulling me in too. Stop Mia, you have to pace yourself. I drew back and watched, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Mia..." Charlotte began as she opened her eyes, "that was, um, well," she took a deep breath. I smirked, looking at her intently and dropping my gaze to her lips and then back to her eyes. My hand was now resting in the small of her back, underneath the tshirt.

"Sweetheart, I don't want to move things too quickly for you," I started to say, "I care about you, I want this to move at your pace. I loved kissing you and it feels right, but this has got to be on your terms."

"Thank you, Mia, this is just nice, it feels right and I'm happy. I feel safe here with you, I'm not alone." She started to cry.

"Sweetheart, no tears, hey..." I said softly.

"I'm sorry," more tears fell.

"Hey, it's ok," I drew her in so her head was as on my chest, I rested my chin on her and let her sob, holding her tightly. Charlotte's crying went on, she obviously needed to let things out.

"I'm sorry, Mia, it's just... it's been a while since I've been kissed like that, at all really," Charlotte's voice sounded shaky.

"I know, sweetheart, I'm sorry if I've opened the floodgates," I felt awful. I should have taken it more slowly. I knew she was fragile, I knew this was a first.

"It's not you. I want this, god I've never wanted it more, but I think we just need to take it slower."

"Sweetheart, I will wait for however long it takes for you to be ready. Even if you decide maybe you're not ready at all, it's ok." I said, just in case she was maybe having second thoughts on this, whatever this was. "It's a big thing, coming out of a long term relationship, I know." I said, hugging her tight. After all, I had been on and off with Reece since we were teenagers.

"Of course you know, you were with Reece..." Charlotte pulled back so we had a little bit of distance between us. "When did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That you didn't love him? That you liked women?"

"I guess I always have." I reached over to get Charlotte a tissue. "I mean, I was into boys as a teenager, Reece was there. We didn't have a great childhood. We lived together, we comforted each other, Autumn too, I protected her."

"Do you want to talk about this? I don't really know much about the siblings growing up, I don't want to pry." Charlotte asked.

"Wow, well... we were close families as kids. I guess our dads did some sort of work together, I don't really know, my parents worked away a lot, they would come and go. I grew up with a nanny, the nanny was more of a parent to me than my actual parents. Even birthdays and Christmas, sometimes it would just be me and the nanny."