But if I come to you, tell me will you stay or will you run away.

Bette remembered Tina saying, “I will never run away.”

Bette shut her eyes tightly.

“Alexa, stop.”

Silence.

She thought about jumping in the pool and swimming hard and fast but she remembered what Tina’s note said about eating more. She hadn’t eaten much today. Bette exhaled deciding to wait until tomorrow.

She sent a text to the group.

Bette: No Sunday gathering tomorrow. I just got home and I’m tired.

***

“Did y’all see this text from, Bette?” Alice said as she joined Kit, Shane and Dana at their regular table.

“Yep,” Shane replied.

“Well, we are still going.” Alice said plainly.

“Al, it sounds like she wants to be alone,” Dana chimed in.

“Fuck that. Something went down in Vancouver and I’m sure Bette is not in a good space. Tina called and ripped me a new one.”

“Alice is right. My Baby Sis needs us right now. Tina sent me and Shane a text threatening us if we didn’t make sure Bette ate.”

“Really?” Dana asked.

“I don’t know, guys. We all know how Bette gets when she’s dealing with Tina drama. Do we really want to get in the middle of it?” Shane asked cautiously.

“We are already in the middle of it, Shane. The status of their relationship affects us too. Bette told Tina about the meat tagging, about Claire and who knows what else they talked about. Oh my God! Do you think they had sex?” Alice asked a little too excitedly.

“That’s none of our business if they did,” Kit chastised.

“Not everything is about sex, Al,” Dana rolled her eyes.

“Have you met those two?” Alice said and the group laughed.

James walked in scanning the room. He got an urgent text from Alice telling him to get his ass to The Planet.

“James! Over here,” Alice yelled.

Kit, Shane and Dana looked at Alice in disbelief.

“What? He was there. He’s the only one that can tell us what happened and what kind of mood Bette is in. You know you want to know.”

Alice wasn’t wrong and they knew it as they all glanced at each other.

“Hey,” James said slowly as he sat down. The looks on their faces told him they wanted information and he wasn’t sure what he should or should not say.