"What?"

"Don’t do that" Bette sighed as her impatience began to surface, "Please don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about"

"But I don’t!" Tina exclaimed defensively, "Nothing’s happened to us, Bette. We’re fine. Everything’s fine"

"Are you seriously going to play that card Tina? Are you going to stand there and tell me that everything has been good between us? That you haven’t been avoiding me for the last month?"

Tina pinched the bridge of her nose, "I’ve just been tired Bette. I told you that. I’m up half the night with Angie"

"And I’m up the other half so why don’t you try some other excuse?"

Tina was usually able to handle Bette’s stubborn streak with ease, at times she had even found the trait kind of cute. Now was not one of those times. Maybe because Bette was finally calling her on her shit.

"What do you want me to say?"

"For starters, how about what’s really been going on with you?"

"I – Bette . . there’s nothing going on"

"That’s bullshit Tina"

"Bette!" Tina’s eyes widened in surprise. Bette had never cursed around Angie. Granted, the baby was in her room fast asleep in her crib but still. The blonde knew that Bette had to have been pretty pissed off to let it slip.

"I’m sorry but there’s no other word I find appropriate right now. I know you’re lying to me, I can see it in your eyes"

Tina looked away, shaking her head as she struggled to stop her tears from forming in her eyes. She looked everywhere but at Bette, feeling more vulnerable by the second. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides.

Bette was becoming desperate as she watched Tina’s reaction and slowly took the steps to close the distance between them.

"Please just tell me" She spoke softly and whether Tina liked it or not, the words soothed her in a way she’d never felt before.

Tina still refused to meet the brunette’s gaze as she continued to shake her head, "I can’t"

The whispered words were not lost on Bette, neither were the tears that had fallen from Tina’s beautiful eyes. She watched as Tina frustratingly wiped them away before creating some distance between them. She walked passed Bette, her back to the brunette.