There was silence and then Helena felt Alice shift on the couch and the
light touch of Alice’s fingertips on her neck. She trembled at the
sensation and looked into brown eyes earnest and filled with concern.
“You know I’m your friend, don’t you?” asked Alice in a whisper, her
fingertips trailing down Helena’s skin in a comforting gesture.

“Yes, darling,” said Helena, her voice throaty and filled with emotions that she hadn’t known had even begun to form. “I know.”

“Good,” said Alice softly. They remained like that for several moments
then Alice let her hand fall away and gave an impish grin then
declared, “I want to lie in your lap.”

Blinking dimly, Helena watched as Alice proceeded to do just that,
reaching for a throw pillow and placing it in the brunette’s lap before
resting her head there. A long period of utmost squirming passed as the
writer tried to get into the best position possible and smirking at
this display, Helena said playfully, “Are we quite comfortable yet?”

“Quite,” said Alice, grinning largely and squirming one final time
purely to tease the British woman who rolled her eyes in response. She
stared up at Helena with a pensive gaze before she asked in almost
hesitant tones, “Why did you say what you did to Gabby?” When Helena
frowned, Alice quickly added, “Not that I mind! I mean, it was good
what you said because if you didn’t say it then I would’ve gone out
with her which would be bad for me because it’s always bad for me in
the long run and–”

“I didn’t enjoy how she treated you,” Helena quietly interrupted,
brushing back a lock of blonde hair from Alice’s eyes. She stared at
it, carefully curling it around her finger. “She acted as if it was
perfectly natural to assume that if she should beckon you with any of
her contemptible effort at romantic attention you would immediately return
to her. I found that… terribly disrespectful and I wanted her away
from you.” Forming a small and sad smile, Helena looked at Alice with
dark eyes and murmured, “I apologize if I’ve upset you by overstepping
my bounds, darling.”

“You didn’t upset me,” breathed Alice, shaking her head emphatically
side to side and causing the heiress to smile a little brighter in the
process. Her cheeks turning hot and blushing visibly, she admitted
sheepishly, “I kind of liked it. I mean, my friends always tell me not
to date Gabby and give me huge lectures about her but none of them have
ever just, you know, told her off or gotten rid of her like you did at
the club.”