“What’s wrong?” Bette asked in surprise, stumbling backwards.

“Nothing…oh this…this is what’s wrong! I can’t do this!” Helena exclaimed painfully, crossing over the sofa backrest to stand behind it.

She held her forehead with both her hands and looked into Bette’s eyes to make her point but she couldn’t keep them there…

“What? I…I don’t understand…what’s wrong?” Bette looked totally confused.

“I can’t do it Bette…it’s…it’s…not easy for me…” she said looking away.

“You can’t do what? Us? For God’s sake, just tell me what the hell’s wrong?” Bette said impatiently.

“This is moving too fast for me…we’re moving too fast!”

“What? Ok…then…then we’ll move slower!” Bette said confusedly.

“No…it’s not that easy…”

“Well…” Bette interrupted, sighing deeply then shrugging in puzzlement, “We’ll make it easy then!”

“No…it’s not that easy Bette…you don’t know what I’ve been through, what I’m still going through…”

Bette looked over at her and her heart softened.

“Look, sit down…” Bette suggested calmly, starting to walk round the sofa.

“No, I’m fine, thank you; I don’t want to sit down…” Helena said moving a few steps back turning to lean on the sofa instead.

“Right,” Bette sighed again, “so…lemme see if I understand this…we’re moving too fast but you don’t want to move slower and this is hard for you but you don’t want help…have I got it so far?”

“Yes, you have…it’s just been hard since Dylan Bette…this is sort of what it was like with her and I…we moved fast…and look at what happened…I fell too hard, too quickly…and too much for her…and she hurt me Bette! She hurt me a lot…” Helena said sadly to the floor then looked up into Bette’s eyes to see if Bette had understood any of it.

“Ok, I understand…fine…but I’m not Dylan!” Bette’s retorted raising an eyebrow.

“I know you’re not but it doesn’t detract from how scared I am of it happening again…”

“So you’re planning to join a convent?” Bette interrupted again.

“No! No, of course not! Don’t be silly! I’m just not ready yet…and that’s it…”

“That’s fucking it? So why didn’t you say something last night? Why did you let last night happen?” Bette said angrily walking over to stand in front of Helena, “Or haven’t I got feelings? Oh I get it…as long as you’re ok, you don’t give a damn about anyone else, is that it?”

“No! It’s not…I do care…”

“I’ve been hurt too in case you’ve forgotten!” Bette said with a pained look on her face.

“I haven’t forgotten!” Helena insisted and was surprised at how affected she was by the look on Bette’s face, “Bette, it’s just hard for me! Why can’t you understand that?” she said in a softer tone…

“Oh I understand all right! People’s feelings have always been just a game to you! You’ll never change! I wasn’t asking you to fucking marry me, I was asking you to give us a chance to see if something could happen! But you know what?”

“What?”

“Don’t play me for a fool Helena, you’ll find that I don’t like games either! Good evening.” Bette said holding Helena’s gaze angrily before turning on her heels to leave.

They were such beautiful eyes, weren’t they? The intent eyes that had played with her last night were so beautiful and they had looked at her as if she was the most stunning woman they had ever beheld…last night…and only moments ago…this couldn’t be a mistake could it? It just couldn’t. Bette wasn’t Dylan…she wasn’t!

But Dylan had made her feel like this too…

“What do you bloody want from me?!” Helena shouted over at Bette, her eyes filling with hot tears now.

“You know what I want, I just told you…” Bette said coldly continuing to walk towards the door.

Walking quickly, Helena moved in front of Bette blocking her way.

“Is this what you want?” She looked at Bette, her tears obstructing her view.

She wiped at her eyes, “Is this what you bloody want?” she repeated angrily, grasping Bette’s arms and leaning forwards to crush her lips against Bette’s feverishly…pressing her body into her…

One hand moved up to press Bette’s curls against her neck and the other held her into a tight embrace…Helena’s tongue hungrily parted Bette’s lips and she purred when it slipped inside and finally touched Bette’s…

Her hands moved urgently to grab the front panels of Bette’s already open jacket to peel it back over her shoulders before fumbling with the buttons on the shirt underneath…

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TBC!