“Carmen you ready?” Andrew asked yawning
“What a complete shit day” Laura yawned
“I know tell me about and the serg is in a fucking mood as usual” Declan said closing his locker
“I just ignore him and get on with it” Carmen said lifting her bag “Let’s go”
Andrew opened the locker room door allowing Carmen to leave first
“Aww your such a gentleman” Carmen smirked
“You driving or am I?” Andrew asked
“You can, I just want to go home have a bath and go to bed, no sleep last night, spewed on was such an awesome night” Carmen said getting in the car
They drove home making useless chit chat, Andrew pulled into the drive. They both got out the car just as Carmen’s phone went off. She looked at the message.
“Andrew keys” Carmen said
“What where you going?”
“Jess wants to talk” Carmen said
“Carmen you’ve been working all day, you’ve had no sleep is that a good idea?”
“Don’t care” Carmen said catching the keys
“Give me your bag I’ll take it in” Andrew said
“Thanks” Carmen said kissing him on the cheek
Carmen stopped outside the studio and Text Jess. 2 minutes later Jess came out the studio. Jess got in the car and looked straight out the front window taking a deep breath.
“I owe you an apology” Jess said
“You owe me the decency to look at me when you talking to me” Carmen said locking the car door
“Locking me in the car good plan I like it” Jess said
“I won’t let you run you should know that by now” Carmen smiled
“Don’t I know it”
“Jess I don’t want to fight with you, I’ve had no sleep and been working all day” Carmen explained
“Yes sorry about that” Jess apologised
“Who is in the studio?” Carmen asked
“No-one Security and some other band”
“Do you have everything?” Carmen asked
“Yes why?”
“Ok you can come to mine and talk” Carmen said putting her seatbelt on
“Do I have a choice?” Jess asked
“Not particularly, we can do it at mine or yours I don’t care where but we are talking tonight”
“Yours is fine, I think I’m going to be down a sister if she doesn’t stay out my face” Jess admitted
“Only because she cares” Carmen said

They arrived at Carmen’s.

Carmen opened the door and walked in Jess followed.
“Hey” Andrew smiled at them “Shall I leave?”
“No its fine well go to my room” Carmen said
Jess followed Carmen upstairs and into Carmen’s bedroom.
“Andrew lives with me; he’s just out a messy divorce and is in the middle of a custody battle for his 2 year old son”
“Ouch” Jess said
“Breakups are never easy” Carmen smirked
“Yeah you don’t say” Jess said sitting on the edge of Carmen’s bed
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
“You make me nervous and I hate it” Jess admitted
“Why?” Carmen asked “It’s only me Jess”
“Because I hate how I treated you, I hate how you’re always there for me and I hate the fact I let the one person I’ve ever been in love with go!” Jess admitted
Carmen took Jess’s hand “Babe look at me please”
Jess took a deep breath out and then looked at Carmen
“I was arsey with you too, I’ll always be there for you, you’re a huge part of my life, and I’ve went nowhere, I love you, I’m in love with you and maybe that makes me stupid, but I can’t change that”
“It’s always been you” Jess said “My heart won’t leave you”
“I know that feeling and do you know what, you make me nervous too” Carmen said wiping the tears from Jess’s face “Stop being so hard on yourself, we both fucked up letting each other go but we can both fix it, I don’t want anyone but you, and if I need to wait till you realise I’m the one for you then that’s what I’ll do”
“I don’t need to realise it, I’ve always known it I just tried to hide it and sucked at it” Jess said “I need to sort my life out and I can’t do that till I sort the main thing that messed me up and that was losing you”
Carmen wiped Jess’s tears away again.
“I’m such a mess right now and I’m not a fan of myself” Jess admitted
“You’re not a mess and I’m a huge fan of you and so is plenty of other people” Carmen said “Not a fan of you spewing on me though to be honest” Carmen joked
“I am so sorry about that” Jess said “I feel terrible”
“Don’t worry about it” Carmen said
“I better go, you’re probably working tomorrow”
“I am tomorrow night, I’m nightshift” Carmen said “Why don’t you stay here tonight, I know you’re not sleeping at night because you’re scared, I watched you toss and turn all last night”
“Yeah nightmares don’t really help my sleeping routine” Jess admitted “But I don’t think it’s a good idea”
“I do I’ll even sleep in the guest room” Carmen suggested
“Oh yes because that will really help, me waking up a strange house on my own” Jess said
“It’s my house” Carmen laughed
“I’ll stay if you sleep in here with me” Jess said looking at Carmen
“Deal” Carmen said “Text your Mum and Mama so they don’t freak out”
Jess took her phone out and text Bette.
Carmen got up “I’ll be two seconds I’m just going to lock the door”
Jess sighed looking around the room. She got up walking over to the dresser seeing a familiar picture. It was the first ever picture of Jess and Carmen as a couple. She lifted it up and smiled. She didn’t even hear Carmen come back in the room. Carmen closed the door quietly making Jess turn.
“As if you have this” Jess said
“I love that picture” Carmen smiled
“I was happy then” Jess said putting the picture back
Carmen made a decision that was either going to go one way or another, She walked over to Jess wrapping her arms around her. She relaxed when Jess wrapped hers around her.
“I wanted to do this at my 21st but fear of getting the shit kicked out me stopped me” Jess said resting her chin on Carmen’s shoulder
“She will never lay another finger on you, no-one will ever hurt you like that again” Carmen said pulling back and looking at Jess “I promise”
“I missed you”
“I missed you too” Carmen smiled “I really want to kiss you”
Jess smiled leaning in and letting her lips touch Carmen’s. Carmen cupped Jess’s neck with both her hands.
Andrew knocked on Carmen’s door.
“Oh my god he better be fucking dying” Carmen said breaking away and opening her bedroom door
Andrew handed Carmen the phone
“Who is it?”
“Lisa” Andrew said
Jess closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Lisa, hi can I phone you back I’m in the middle of something” Carmen said “No Lisa I’ll call back, goodbye…Bye…Lisa seriously goodbye” Carmen smiled handing Andrew back the phone “If anyone else phones I’m sleeping, Jess isn’t here unless it’s Bette or Tina and goodnight”
Carmen closed the door.
“Ok let’s get changed” Carmen smiled she went to her drawers and handed Jess a pair of shorts and a tank top and then lifted some for herself.
Carmen and Jess got changed.
Jess got in beside Carmen, Carmen opened her arms letting Jess in.
“Things need to change this time around Jess” Carmen said
“Meaning?” Jess asked
“You can’t run when things get hard, and instead of telling me how you feel in a song tell me straight up at the time, not 3 years later” Carmen smirked
“That should never have been played on the radio I could kill Kelly” Jess said “I can’t help the running thing I do it automatically”
“Well you need to try babe because It absolutely does my head in” Carmen admitted
“Anymore rules?” Jess asked
“Not rules babe I don’t have rules and restrictions and dos and donts for you, you do what you want when you want” Carmen said “And before I forget”
“Uh oh here we go” Jess joked
Carmen moved so she could face Jess
“You are not ugly, not one bit, nor are you stupid okay?” Carmen said looking at Jess
“K”
“I’m serious Jess, you’re absolutely gorgeous and you make my heart pound, my tummy does summersaults when I see you” Carmen admitted
“Okay”
“I know your just saying that to shut me up” Carmen smiled
“Your right” Jess laughed
“Uh huh very good babe” Carmen smiled leaning down and kissing Jess again
“No-one kisses me like you do” Jess said
“That’s because I love you for you and not for who you are or what you do” Carmen smiled
“I know” Jess said
“Ok let’s get some sleep, I’m pretty sure we can both use some” Carmen said turning the lamp off and cuddling back in beside Jess. Jess clasped her hand in Carmen’s.
Lisa walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. Bette and Tina were drinking their coffee.