This made Tina look up. “Does that mean…”

Bette swallowed and felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She took a deep breath. “I never said this to a girl before, but yes… I…”

“You…”

“I love you, Tina. I love you with all my heart and I can’t imagine my life without you. I’ve been a complete and total jerk, a moron, a douchebag, whatever you want and I don’t even deserve to have you back but I don’t think I can go on without you. It’s just, this was my life and it’s always been like that, ever since I discovered that I didn’t fall in love with guys. And you know, my dad never appreciated anything I did or achieved. Nothing was ever good enough. I was top of my class, top of my year but he never said ‘well done’, he never expressed any kind of pride. He always disregarded me and always said that I’d never be anyone and nobody would ever want me. So I began seeing all these girls to somehow make a point, to prove that there were people who desired me. Then seeing them turned into just sleeping with them, to prove that I wasn’t as ugly as he told me I was – he always said that I reminded him more of my mom than was good for him, but that I would never be of the same kind of beauty. I brought them home a lot, just for the chance he’d see them in the morning and know that people wanted his daughter. It made me feel terrible at times, but it was all really about some wicked sort of revenge. And I guess I don’t even need you, because you know I don’t believe in needing people – otherwise we wouldn’t live on after our beloved die – but I just really want you in my life. I realise that it may take some time for us to get back to where we were, but I would give my life for the chance to try.”

Tina looked at Bette, not quite knowing what to say. After some time, she found the words.

“Why didn’t you tell me before? Why did you never tell me why you were a player? I might’ve dealt with it better if you had. I mean, we were best friends before we started dating…”