“Tina, please say something. I know you don’t love me at the moment, but in time you will. And you and I could be great together. You just have to get over that psycho bitch. Bette is not good enough for you. She’s not like us. But we, we have so much in common. We’re so much alike…”

“Yeah, we are.” Tina stops to think. She looks at Helena and sees her for the very first time. She frowns. She sees a little of herself in Helena too. “We’re both fucked up, insecure, manipulative, selfish, spoiled brats. We’ve never known love, true and unconditional love. We’ve never let our guard down and we never trusted anyone enough to love back completely.”

“Yes darling, that’s true. But we can find love together. Don’t you see? We’re perfect for each other.” Helena smiles as she steps closer to her sweet, beautiful Tina.

“There’s just one thing, maybe two.” Tina looks at Helena, her expression is unreadable.

“What is it, darling? Whatever it is, we can work it out. Oh Tina, we’re going to be so happy together.”

Tina smiles and takes Helena’s hands. She looks directly into her eyes

“I’m not as fucked up as you are…and I’m madly, deeply in love with Bette Porter.” Tina drops her hands and walks out the door. She stops suddenly and turns around. “What you did, all those pathetic attempts to break us up, I would never go to those lengths. I would never fuck up someone’s life like that. I would let you be happy and pick up the pieces if I had to. What you did was cruel and hurtful. You never gave us a chance. You never gave me a chance to be happy. Stay the fuck away from us, Helena. We are no longer friends.” Tina marches out. Her head held high.

She races home, maneuvering her custom black Mercedes through the busy traffic. She is preparing a speech. She’s ready to beg, to grovel, to crawl on her hands and knees if she has to. Whatever the circumstance, whatever the reason for the check, it’s still Bette, it’s still the love of her life.

She parks her car and runs inside. She stops suddenly and drops her keys on the table. She walks cautiously to the couch and sits next to Bette, folding her nervous hands over her lap. Her heart is beating rapidly and her mouth is dry. Bette has her arms crossed. She’s obviously been waiting for her. Her eyes are red with anger and hurt. She’s been crying. It breaks Tina’s heart.

“Bette. I’m…”

Tina doesn’t finish as Bette throws a script on the coffee table. Her eyes widened with shock and fear as she realizes what it is.

“I was packing. I found this in your desk. Is that all I ever was to you? Is that why you kept me at a distance? So you could get my fucking story then throw me away like a wet paper bag?”

“No Bette. It’s not like that. I swear.”

“That script is about my affair with the Senator. With all the dirty intimate details, it’s everything I ever told you. I don’t care about myself, Tina but you’re going to ruin her. She has a daughter for Christ’s sake. God, I hate this town. All you fucking Hollywood assholes! Have you no morals?” Bette stands quickly. She starts pacing the room.

“That’s a bit rich coming from a mafia pirate like you.” Tina stands up. She steps in front of Bette. She’s taking the attack on her industry very personally.

“I never lied to you.”

“How do I know Bette? You never told me the truth either.”

“We all have our little secrets.” Bette points to the script with her eyes. “I never used anyone to advance my career.” Bette says plainly.

“Yeah well, I never killed anyone to advance mine.” Tina returns sharply. She realizes what she just said and her heart drops to her stomach.

Bette looks at Tina. For a split second, she wants to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of that statement. She shakes her head, her heart aching.

“You really think the worst of me.” It wasn’t a question but a foregone conclusion. Her eyes fill with tears.

Tina stares, her mouth opening and closing. She stands frozen. She is paralyzed except for her heart thumping painfully in her chest. She doesn’t know what to say or what to do. She has no idea how to fix it, how to take back everything.

“Goodbye, Princess.” Bette picks up her bags and walks out.

:(