“Shay, come here!”

Shay walks out and Shane kneels down to meet his eyes.

“I need you to pack up your Xbox and go over to Bette and Tina’s for a bit, Ok? I’ll come get you after dinner.”

“Why, What’s going on?”

“I need to talk to Carmen alone, ok? I promise to come get you.” Shane gets up and is packing the Xbox into a backpack. Shay looks confused and a little hurt but he follows his big sister and puts on his shoes. Tina is waiting on her front porch to watch him walk over and Shane kisses her little brother and says she will see him in a couple of hours.

Shane turns to see Carmen standing in the living room looking upset.

“Shane what the fu—”

“Cherie came into the salon today. She kissed me but nothing happened. I told her to leave and she did. I’m not going down that road again but I need you to know that she came to the salon today, ok?”

Carmen’s eyes filled up with tears and she clenched her jaw. Shane went over to give her a hug but Carmen pushed her away.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’m trying to be honest! You’re the one—”

“Did you kiss her back?”

Shane froze. She suddenly saw a vision in her head of Carmen packing her stuff and leaving and never seeing her again. She started to cry as she shamefully dropped her head.

“Only for a second, and then I remembered how much I loved you and I stopped. I’m so sorry! Please you have to believe me!”

Carmen stared at the woman she loved who was rocking back and forth and looking at her with pleading eyes. She knew Shane would never lie to her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t upset that the kiss had happened or that she didn’t worry that Shane would cheat in the future. She wiped away her own tears and looked at the ones falling from those beautiful green eyes.

“I don’t think I can handle you cheating again,” She whispered.

Shane nodded and sniffed back tears. “I know. I’m not going to—I promise. You’ve got to believe me. I love you, Carmen.” She hesitantly walked towards Carmen and waited to see if Carmen would let her touch her. Slowly the Latina laid her head on her lover’s flat chest and let herself cry. Shane scooped her up and carried her to the bedroom. She laid her on the bed, took her shirt off to feel close to Carmen, and snuggled next to her.