For Better Or For Worse

t h r e e

The next day, it turns out, was easier, minus a few small moments.

I woke up to Rachel's barely clothed body sprawled over mine. Her legs were tangled comfortably with my own, her head buried right under my chin and her messy hair covered my face making breathing slightly more difficult. I gently rolled her off of me and grabbed my phone only to see hundreds of angry messages from my friends and my sister about how not only I could I hide the fact I was in a relationship but apparently a relationship so serious they had moved in with me. Not wanting to deal with the drama, I copy and pasted a text to everyone I wanted to talk to saying that I would explain later and then went and jumped in the shower getting ready for the day.

When I came out of the bathroom, Rachel was no longer in sight but she the unmade bed suggested she had woken up so I assumed she had got up and gone downstairs. I got myself dressed and went to look for her, only to find her still in her oversized shirt, standing at the stove.

"Whatcha cooking hot stuff? I joked hoping she would smile but she just got all red and embarrassed.

"I found eggs in your fridge so I just decided to make omelettes for us. Is that okay?" She said, panic evident in her voice.

"The food in our fridge is ours to eat, an omelet sounds great. Coffee?" I asked as I poured myself a mug.

"With oat milk, if you've got please."

Over breakfast, I quizzed her again on the team I currently played for, if she could name any of my friends on the team, what number I wore on my back. Things she would be expected to know but I could tell she was getting frustrated doing it.

"If I don't know can I not just say 'I didn't know anything about soccer until I met you but I think you look hot when you play?"

"So, you think I'm hot then?" I smirked at her as I took another sip of my coffee.

"Kelley!" She whined childishly. "I'm not even gay."

"You're away to marry a woman, that's pretty gay Rachel. So that leads us onto something we probably should discuss, previous relationships. What's your history?" I asked casually. Again, this caused her to blush and look down. "Come on Rachel, we need to know this about each other."

"I dated this guy shortly after I moved to Washington, well kinda, but then my Aunt got too sick and needed me more at home. You?"

"Wait is that it? One guy? And what do you mean "kinda"?"

If I thought her face had looked red before it was nothing compared to how it was now. I noticed as she hesitated, playing with the food on the end of her fork.

"I don't have many friends, literally only Anna so I don't get out much. Anyway, I ran into this boy at the mall and I thought he was nice and we swapped numbers. We went for dinner a couple of times. He kept inviting me over but I didn't want to go. Then I felt bad for saying no so often when he was so nice to me so eventually I went. We umm, well, you know, and he never text me after so I don't really know if that counts as dating."

"Fucker." I replied angrily. "Clearly only wanted one thing." I took a deep breath noticing her surprise at my sudden anger. Just because she was shy and quiet, did not mean she deserved to be used and fucked over. "Umm so I'm gay if that wasn't obvious. I've dated a few girls but nothing all that long term. Mostly just casual acquaintances and hook ups really these days."

Rachel looked really shocked by that but our conversation was cut short by my phone ringing. Seeing it was my sister and knowing that she would persist until I eventually gave in and answered her, I decide to get it over with and pick my phone up.

I was instantly hit with her shouting abuse and questions down the phone that I was certain Rachel could hear without it being on speaker but I decided to put it on speaker anyway. The essence of it was that she was furious I had kept my relationship a secret from my own sister and she was demanding that she got to meet this secret girlfriend of mine right this instance.

"We already have plans today Erin. Actually, we're busy the next couple of days. How about you fly up on Friday and you can meet her properly then?" I suggested to which she eventually agreed on and hung up, not before letting me know how angry she was with me again and that I should be prepared for her interrogation,

"We have plans?" Rachel said once it was quiet in the kitchen again.

"No, we don't but Erin isn't stupid. She will expect us to act like a couple who has been together for over a year and if I'm going to propose soon, she'll expect to see a couple who is in love with each other. We need to be completely comfortable with one another so I thought we'd be better spending a few days just us before I let me tornado of a sister in."

I cleaned up our breakfast dishes, noting that we probably should head to the grocery store at some point while Rachel went to get ready for the day. After around twenty minutes I headed upstairs to make our bed. I was just finishing when Rachel entered only a towel wrapped around her body.

"Hey Rach, you find everything okay?"

Upon hearing my voice, the younger girl froze on the spot and tightened her grip on the towel covering her body. I watched her as he took a deep breath and I was convinced I heard her mumble 'only a body' just like I had told her yesterday before she walked over to me. I smiled at how much I could tell she was trying to be relaxed around me but now I knew how inexperienced she was with relationships it all made sense, especially when you considered that she didn't even have a close family relationship.

She was now stood right in front of me but avoiding my gaze so I decided to take the lead and lift her chin up so she had to look at me. As we made eye contact, I gave her a cheesy grin in a hope it would help her nerves settle.

"Hi." I said cheekily, trying to get a smile out of her. "How was your shower? Did you manage to find everything you needed?"

"I love your shower- it's amazing." She said finally giving me a glimpse of the small smile I had been searching for.

"MY shower?"

"I mean our shower." She stuttered out. "I love our shower."

"That's better. Now the only thing really need to do today is a grocery run because that fridge is running low especially now we're cooking for two." She agreed and knowing she was still nervous, I gave her some privacy to get ready while I waited downstairs.

During the car ride, Rachel's mood began didn't seem to change all that much. She was avoiding looking at all in my direction and hadn't said a word since we had left. it was clear she was still the shy, quiet girl I met in the coffee shop but now it was like it had turned up another gear. Even her body language imitated her feelings as she began to hunch over and play with her fingers. I continued driving but started panicking about whether she was okay and if I had made things worse. Not even twenty-four hours and this straight girl had me wrapped around her little finger.

"Rach, what you thinking about?" I asked, reaching over and touching her shoulder, bringing her back into my world.

"Just about being in public, with you. I'm just nervous."

"You don't have to worry. It will just be like when you go out to the shops with anyone else, except I'll be holding your hand and all we're doing is stocking up on some food, just like normal people. Anyway, bitch, I'm Kelley O'Hara, world renowned soccer player and Oscar-worthy actress." I said and I swear out of the corner of my eye I saw her smile.