Chapter Twenty-Two: Now is the Time  

Tina was surprised to see her letters in the drawer. “What are these doing here?” The stunned blonde flushed the drawer out and fell to her knees. She frantically searched through each letters to find they all belong to her friend. “How? I sent them to Eli. What are doing there here? What is going on?”

Bette called Tina from the kitchen. “T, breakfast is ready.” Her announcement was met with silence and immediately the brunette knew something was wrong. “Where are you T?” She cautiously searched all the rooms until she noticed her office door, which she told Tina it was off limit, was slightly ajar. “Fuck.” Bette mumbles as she pushes the door forward revealing Tina on the floor holding on to her letters.

Tina slowly raises the letters up for Bette to see. “Tell me.” Bette chocked. “I um. I can’t say.” Words were suddenly a stranger to Bette’s mouth. Tina finally looks up to see sorrow eyes staring back at her. “What do you mean? What are these letters doing here then? They belong to Eli! I wrote them for her! How? Why is it here?” Tina turned away from grieving eyes because right now she can’t let Bette through until she gets her answers.

“Where is she? Tell me! I’m worried about her; she hasn’t written back to me for two months now.” Tina pleaded. Bette shamelessly dropped her head. “I can’t say.” She whispered again.

“What?! Why are these in your possession Bette? Tell me!” Tina screamed; her mind was working overtime. She didn’t know what to make of this new discovery. Then it dawned on her that maybe they knew each other on a personal level. “What did you do to her, Bette? Was she another one of your causality? Did you hurt her? I swear to God, if you did I will never forgive you.”

Bette laughs out of anguish. “Stop T. Stop it. You don’t want to know.” Tina leaped up and pushed Bette against the cold wooden door. “Tell me, damn it! I need to know where she is! I want to see her!”

“I can’t tell you.” Bette rotates her head so she wouldn’t be across from shimmering eyes; they were breaking her heart. “I thought, I thought you were different Bette but everything is true about you. You don’t care about anyone, not even me….. You are a cold heartless bitch, Bette.”

Bette slowly turned to face her accuser. Those words cut her like a knife. She bit her lip. Should she tell Tina that she is “Eli”; the blonde’s confidant, mentor, and best friend? The thought when out as fast as it came because that was not an option. Bette thought she can’t reveal herself yet, not until she’s sure that Tina loves her for her, not because she wants to repay Eli.

“This is this end, Bette. You got your answer. She doesn’t love you. You heard her.” Bette’s thought caused the brunette to dismantle her emotions, and for the first time, she lets a single tear race down her soft cheek. “You’re right Tina. I’m a heartless bitch and you deserve more. Get yourself ready in ten; I’m taking you back home to your fiancé, to your place where you belong. I’m letting you go.” On that note, Bette left the room leaving the blonde in a state of confusion.

Tina swallowed hard; she knew she had hit a mark with Bette. She had crossed that line that can’t be uncrossed. She laughs a little because a couple days ago she was hell bent on getting Bette to take her back; now that she wants to stay Bette was kicking her out. “I belong with you.” Tina whispers in the air, the spaces between, hoping it would reach Bette’s heart.