This Love, This Hate (A Lesbian Romance)

TLTH Chapter Eleven

This Love, This Hate

Chapter Eleven

                An hour later, Zoe and Raine found themselves looking up at Raine’s ceiling and laying on her bed, completely breathless and void of clothing.

                “I’ve never done that before.” Raine confided as she turned to rest her head on Zoe’s shoulder and hug her waist.

                “So, all of that just came naturally to you?” Zoe asked in surprise.

                “I guess.” Raine answered with a giggle.

                The two laid silent a few more minutes, completely content as they listened to the muffled sounds of the party around them. After a while, they stood to change and Raine suddenly thought of the one thing Zoe hoped she wouldn’t; he fake relationship with Jesse. “Oh gosh, what about your boyfriend?”

                “Oh, about that…” Zoe trailed off, clearing her throat and focusing solely on changing, “I…am not dating him.”

                “Then why say you were?” Raine asked, keeping her eyes locked on Zoe’s back as she pulled on her dress from before.

                “I’m a lesbian. I didn’t want to scare you off or make you feel uncomfortable around me.” Zoe explained, her face flushing. She was hoping this conversation came up, or at least not for much longer. She never expected Raine to come around to seeing her romantically, especially so soon.

                “Why wouldn’t you…oh! You…you’ve liked me all along?” Raine asked, stepping around Zoe to look into her eyes as she shrugged into her flannel shirt.

                “You’re the most…gorgeous human being in the entire world. How could I not?” Zoe said, her face flushing even more—she wasn’t one to voice intimate things like this, or even have the ability to think of words to put her feelings and thoughts to justice in situations like these.

                “Zoe, that’s so sweet.” Raine murmured, reaching forward to tilt Zoe’s chin up. Zoe looked into her eyes and then away again, feeling unworthy. “Look into my eyes, Zoe. It’s okay.”

                “I’m sorry for lying to you.” Zoe said, looking back up into Raine’s unforgetful eyes.

                “It’s okay,” Raine repeated with a soft smile, “Let’s go back to the party.”

                Zoe nodded in agreement as she put her combat boots back on and followed her out of the room. She didn’t know what they were or if all of this was only happening because Raine was rebounding from Randall, but it didn’t matter…at least not right now. She could over-think it later. For now, she planned on enjoying it to its fullest while it lasted and hope that it wouldn’t end any time soon.

                Downstairs, they found Jesse and Malarie with each other in the living room, carrying on with some game about saying what they thought people around the party were saying to each other and laughing at what they came up with. Zoe sat next to Malarie on the sofa and Raine let herself onto her lap, smiling to herself as Zoe wrapped her arm around her tiny waist. “Hey guys.” Raine greeted with a friendly smile.

                “What’s going on with you two?” Malarie teased.

                “We had ourselves a little fun upstairs is all.” Zoe explained vaguely with a wink Jesse’s way.

                “Damn. I knew I should’ve thought more about what Henry suggested.” Jesse commented with a chuckle.

                Just when Raine was about to ask what they’d been doing while she and Zoe were away, Missy came over to them looking flustered and like she’d had a dozen too many drinks, “Raine, you have someone at the door who’s refusing to leave.” She slurred.

                “Who is it?” Raine asked, trying not to laugh at Missy’s inability to stand up straight as she clung to the leather recliner to keep her up.

                “R…Roger? Rogan…Ran…I don’t know. Some ‘R’ name.” Missy slurred, falling into the recliner and laughing at herself, “Oops! I fell!”

                “I better take care of this. It’s probably Randall.” Raine said, getting off of Zoe’s lap and sighing. It would be nice to go more than a few hours without Randall popping back into her life to interrupt one way or another. “Zoe, do you want to come with me?”

                “Sure.” Zoe agreed, getting up and wrapping her arm around Raine’s waist as the two of them headed over to the front door.

                Randall was waiting on the front step impatiently, looking like he was ready for a fight. Raine fought back the urge to roll her eyes and turned back around and instead placed her free hand that wasn’t wrapped around Zoe’s shoulder on her hip and shot him a judgmental look. “What are you doing here?”

                “Well aren’t you sweet to your guests.” Randall spat back at her, “What? You go the other way now? God, you could do better than this faggot.”

                “Excuse me?” Zoe demanded, feeling anger began to flood through her veins. She could be called names all day long, but ‘faggot’ and ‘dyke’ really got her blood boiling.

                “You heard me. A girl like Raine should be with a guy like me. And hey, if she wants girls, she should go with a girl like Missy, not some dyke she found off the street.” Randall went on with a cruel smile.

                “Do you want to fucking fight?” Zoe yelled, untangling herself from Raine and balling up her fists.

                “I think you forget who you’re talking to.” Randall reminded, stepping forward and roughly lifting Zoe’s leather bracelet to reveal the dark bruise, “I can do much worse than that, Charlie.”

                “You know good and well that it’s Zoe.” Zoe growled as Jesse came up behind the two girls and crossed his arms.

                “Do you got a purpose being here, lad?” Jesse asked as he raised his eyebrow and glared at Randall.

                “I was wondering where your little body guard was.” Randall said with a humorless laugh before looking back at Raine, “I’m here to talk to you, not your new little misfit friends.”

                “Then talk. I’m listening.” Raine urged irritably.

                “Alone.” Randall added.

                “What makes you think that I’d even want to do that? We’re done, Randall. I’ve told you a million times and probably a billion different ways. I’m not changing my mind and I’m sick of you crawling back time and time again like a lost, pissed off puppy.” Raine replied cruelly. “Leave me alone, Randall. We’re done. Got it?”

                “Oh yeah, I got it.” Randall growled, stepping forward to where he was just an inch away from her face. “Now you’re going to get it, too.”