Lessons on Love

Until The Sun Comes Up

"I hope you two have a beautiful life together."

The words rang in her head again and again, bouncing off of the walls of her mind and simply refusing to fade while she watched Althea make her way to the door, leaving Jade with a very confused-looking David.

She spots Batchi talking to Pearl, her back turned to Althea while Lauren was busy talking with Uncle Lucky. Neither of them sees Althea exit the hall and Jade knew she had to do something before Althea does anything stupid that could get her hurt.

She takes the first step forward but, with fate being the omnipotent bitch that it was, David decides to block her path, "Babe, do you mind telling me what just happened?" he asks quietly, his hand closing around Jade's arm tightly.
Slightly irritated at the question and the way he held her so possessively, She yanks her arm free. "It's none of your business, David."

Fueled by the fear that Althea would actually drive home, Jade ignores any protest from David and pushes past him to get to the door. Fortunately, she had noticed where Althea's CRV was parked while they were making their way into the building so as soon as she stepped out into the cool evening air, Jade turned left towards the parking lot.

She sees Althea just as the woman closed the driver side door, "Althea! Wait! Wait!" she calls out as she stands in front of the car to block the short-haired woman in her spot.
Althea looks up from the steering wheel and when she realizes who I was, she raises both hands in the air. She then shakes her head and steps out of the car unsteadily slamming the door closed, the sound causing Jade's heart to skip a beat in surprise. "What the hell do you think you're you doing?"
"I won't let you leave."
"I can always run you over."
Despite the slight sting that her answer caused, Jade held on to the knowledge that it was just the unfiltered effect that alcohol brought, "No you won't."
"Oh yeah? Yeah? How would you know I wouldn't?" she barks,the muscles on her jaw, neck and shoulders tensing.
"Because you love me." Jade answers simply, a sad smile on her lips because as much as she tried not to, she could feel it and she felt the same way for Althea.

Leaving Althea's apartment that morning was the single hardest thing she ever had to do. After a beautiful day where she was surrounded by love and was free to love Althea in return, Jade knew it was all she could ever want. She knew nothing would compare to feeling Althea's lips and hands and warmth; but as their highs descended from the heavens late that night and she lay awake in Althea's arms, she also knew one thing.

Her family would never accept her if they found out about Althea. She was hardwired to despise and be disgusted with this world that she had just dived into, that even she had trouble accepting the fact that she was in love with another woman, how much worse would her mother react? What about her father? What if they disowned her? What if he hurts Althea?

Jade found herself fearing the last one more than anything else. She has seen what her father was capable of doing when he found out about Paul's sexuality, she saw how Oscar had her brother's boyfriend taken and beat so that he'd never go near Paul again. Jade couldn't let that happen to Althea.

She wouldn't.

So as much as it felt like she was ripping her own heart apart, she slipped out of the safety of Althea's arms before quietly getting dressed. Not knowing what to say or how to say goodbye, Jade simply scribbled a pathetic 'I'M SORRY' on a blank piece of paper and left; her chest feeling empty and void of any feelings or emotions aside from pain with every step she took away from Althea.

The same feelings that swirled in her heart as she watches Althea's body deflate in response to her answer. Her slender shoulders slump forward and she sighs in defeat. "That's not fair." she says quietly, like all strength had seeped from her as she shakes her head. "You can't-- you can't use that against me. That's not fair."
"Nothing about this is fair." Jade replies. "Althea, I love y--" "Don't. I don't wanna hear it b-because I'll only believe you and it'll hurt more so don't."