As a month passed, Helena’s relationship with Alice had become less awkward.  Though they didn’t talk about Helena’s budding relationship with Bette often, Helena was able to tell her when she was going to see Bette.

Her relationship with Bette was a lot more complicated.

She’s an easy lover.  She’ll take your heart but you won’t feel it. —Phil Collins, Easy Lover

It was obvious to Helena that Bette had her heart.  She was her first thought every morning and the last thing she thought of before she fell asleep.  She didn’t want her to have it, but she took it anyway.  It happened so suddenly—so quick that Helena didn’t even noticed that her heart was missing when she realized that Bette had it.  The worst part about it was that she didn’t know if she had Bette’s.

Bette was cryptic in the way that she treated Helena.  She said sweet things; things that would lead Helena to believe that she could be falling in love her.  But there were other times, when Bette wouldn’t answer her calls or even acknowledge her existence.  It was strange.  Helena wondered what it was that kept Bette from really letting her in, because the sweet Bette was whom she believed, not the recluse.

For a month, Helena had spent several nights at Bette’s place, in many occasions, not having sex; rather, they would spend the evening talking, cooking for one another, and watching movies.  Helena had never been this close to someone and yet so far away from them.

Helena wrapped her arms around Bette’s waist and kissed her bare shoulder while they stood outside Bette’s apartment.

“Do you know that you’re beautiful?” Helena asked, whispering softly.  Bette turned in her arms.

“If I’m beautiful, than you’re gorgeous.”

“You really think so?”

“I do.”

Bette did find Helena beautiful, gorgeous, and any other synonym of those words.  She was beginning to feel things for Helena she had never felt before.  Helena was smart, funny, cute, and sexy.  She was all that Bette had ever asked for in a woman.  She had the prettiest eyes and greatest smile and she loved waking up beside her.  She wished she could keep Helena for life, but she knew that was absolutely impossible.