*1 week later*

It had been a frustrating week of secret looks, subtle touches and endless phone messages. The day that they had almost been caught, Annabelle had barely got back to her room when Colins fell through the door asking breathlessly whether she had gotten her message. The girl was startled when Annabelle grabbed her in a bear hug, thanking her endlessly for the quick warning.

What was that for?” Colins asked, blushing furiously.

Annabelle just smiled. “Nothing. Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up.”

Colins smiled shyly. “Cat was going to try to make a scene about why you weren’t at breakfast.” Suddenly frowning, she looked at Annabelle. “Where were you?”

Annabelle lowered her eyes, feeling guilty about lying to the girl who had unknowingly saved both her and Simone from disaster. “I fell asleep in the basement.” Looking back up at Colins who had gone to pack her school bag she inquired “What did Cat do?”

Colins flushed a bright red. Hiding behind her hair she replied, “Cat thought that there was something going on between you and Miss. Bradley. I think she wanted to get back at you by going to tell Mother Immaculata that. But…”

Annabelle’s curiosity rose at Colins’ unfinished sentence. Walking over to her friend, she gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “But what?”

Colins took a deep breath. “I stuck out my foot and tripped Cat. She fell on her face and ended up with a massive nose bleed. Kristen is with Cat at the nurse’s right now.”

Annabelle’s heart went out to her friend. Pulling Colins up so that the girl faced her, she pulled her into another hug. “Thank you for everything.”

Cat had then returned with Kristen to the room with a white gauze plastered over her nose. Annabelle suppressed a snigger whilst Cat glared at her. When asked where she was, Annabelle replied that it was none of her business. With the incident over they had gone about their daily routine of classes and homework.

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Now with only a few minutes left to go before her last exam, Annabelle was lying on her bed, staring blankly at her textbook. Her mind was going over the last message Simone had sent her. Not even bothering to suppress the urge to read it, she grabbed her phone. ‘Meet me at the beach house?’ was all the message said. Annabelle smiled dreamily and glanced at the clock. In five hours time she would be out of here, driving down to Simone’s beach house. Last Wednesday her mom had sent Annabelle a car as an early birthday gift. Annabelle knew this was compensation for not being able to make it back home from Washington before September but after Simone’s message she didn’t mind at all. Looking at the time again, she got ready for to go down for her last exam.

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Annabelle ran up the stairs, intent on packing as fast as possible. Flinging open the door, she seized her suitcase and began throwing clothes into it. Kristen, whose last exam finished an hour earlier than Annabelle, cast her roommate an amused look. "What’s the rush?”

“I just want to get out of here,” Annabelle replied. Grateful that she didn’t have much to pack, she finished by taking down her poster and rolling it up. Placing it gingerly on top of the messy pile in her suitcase, she shut it and placed it next to her guitar case. Turning back to both Kristen and Colins, who had just entered the room, she gave each of them a quick hug. “Keep in touch?”

Assuring her that they would, the three roommates said their final goodbyes.

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Annabelle drove down the windy road, enjoying the wind in her hair. Tilting her head slightly up, she bathed in the sun’s warm light, soaking up the rays. Turning round a corner she drove down the now straight road running alongside the beach towards Simone’s beach house. Arriving at the top of the stairs Annabelle maneuvered the car to a stop. Getting out of the car, she popped the trunk and hauled out her suitcase and guitar case. Locking everything, she proceeded down the flight of steps, almost skipping despite the weight of her luggage.

Simone caught sight of Annabelle walking toward her as she was sitting on the beach. Her breath hitched in her throat, she watched as Annabelle’s cerulean blue eyes sought out her own. In a trance, she kept her eyes glued on Annabelle, her heart racing faster with each step Annabelle took. When Annabelle came to a stop in front of her, Simone was at a loss for words.

Annabelle set her luggage down, highly aware of Simone’s silence. Lips curling into a grin she bent down and circled her arms around her lover’s neck. “Hi.”

Simone broke free of her paralysis the moment she felt Annabelle’s embrace. Wrapping her hands around Annabelle’s waist, she pulled her into her arms, reveling in the feel of their bodies together. Turning her head slightly she said softly, “welcome home.”