Selena studied Tara's sleeping face, unsure if her whispered plea was a confession or merely sleep-talking. She felt Tara's hand moving, drifting gently down to her waist, causing a ticklish warmth that made her catch her breath. She tried to wriggle free, but Tara's grip was too strong. Giving up, she leaned close, whispering like she would to soothe a child, "I'm not leaving, but you're running a fever. I'll get you some medicine, all right?"
Tara only scoffed, her sleepy voice slightly irritated, "I don't believe you. Better if you stay put, so you don't go running back to that awful man again." Before Selena could react, Tara's arm tightened around her, pulling her close, pinning Selena into the embrace with a possessive firmness.
"Now you can't leave me."
Selena felt herself sink back into the bed, Tara's breath warm against her neck. The fresh scent of laundry and the subtle woodsy notes of Tara's cologne filled her senses, stirring an unexpected urge to close the remaining distance between them. But as soon as this feeling rose, Selena mentally scolded herself for letting it take root. Here was Tara, deeply feverish, and yet all she could think about was leaning in closer.
Caught tight against Tara's side, Selena gave up any pretense of escape, deciding to wait until she'd fallen into a deeper sleep. When Tara's breathing evened out, Selena finally managed to slip away carefully, brushing her mussed hair back into place. Oddly, her skin felt warm—too warm, almost. She sighed, stepping out to prepare Tara's medicine and took the chance to change into an off-shoulder sweater, feeling slightly more composed.
Selena lingered, quietly smoothing her hair as she thought over the night's events and Tara's words, still hearing the faint echo of the way Tara had said, "Stay with me…" Selena bit her lip as she wondered. Perhaps Tara did care for her, even if only a little.
As she replayed Tara's words in her mind, her thoughts soured. "That awful man…" That must mean Ken. He would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
But just as she was thinking of how to handle the situation, she sensed movement. She looked up, only to find Tara approaching her with steady, graceful strides. Without a word, Tara bent her knee slightly, stepping close until Selena's back was pressed to the wall. Selena's eyes widened as Tara lifted her chin, forcing her to meet her gaze, intense and slightly hazy with emotion.
Tara's thumb brushed lightly over her lips, as though distracted by the hair tie held between them, and with a quick flick of her finger, the tie flew from Selena's mouth, vanishing somewhere onto the floor.
Selena's hair fell loosely over her shoulders, but she barely noticed. The soft tingling where Tara's fingers had grazed her lips held her attention captive. Beneath Tara's dark gaze lay a depth of emotion, unfamiliar and intoxicating, far from the gentleness she knew.
"Didn't I say not to leave?" Tara's voice was low and serious, a subtle rebuke. "Why do you keep trying to go? Why are you still leaving me to run back to him?"
Tara's intense eyes bore into her, and Selena realized this was a side of Tara she hadn't seen before—one that brimmed with a raw, unguarded need. Tara's body pressed against hers with a quiet strength, an arm bracing Selena's back protectively from the cool wall.
Then, in a swift, impulsive motion, Tara's lips brushed softly against Selena's, tentative at first but soon growing bolder. The kiss was almost clumsy, but it was insistent, carrying a pent-up frustration that took Selena by surprise. Just as she caught her breath and tried to speak, Tara's mouth found hers again, sealing any sound in her throat, turning her words into a barely audible hum.
Selena felt a strange liberation, finally able to express the long-buried emotions she'd guarded all these years. She responded without reservation, basking in the warmth of Tara's touch, the lingering certainty that, at least in this moment, the feelings between them were undeniably mutual.
At last, Tara pulled back, her expression softening as her fever ebbed. Selena guided her to sit down at the table to take her medicine. Tara pouted, refusing to go to the hospital, convinced that if they left, Selena would abandon her for someone else. Instead, she insisted on staying in their small apartment, as if these walls alone could protect their newfound closeness.
So Selena stayed. She pressed a cold patch to Tara's forehead, settled her back in bed, and watched as Tara finally fell asleep beneath layers of blankets.
The next morning, Tara woke with a slight fog over her mind and a strange warmth on her lips that made her blush. She tried to remember exactly what had happened last night but could only recall the faintest images of a hazy, wonderful dream. She'd dreamed of Selena, whose lips had been warm and eager as they'd met hers…
Puzzled, Tara touched her lips, her fingers brushing over a faint, tender ache. She reached for a fresh change of clothes and headed to the bathroom, noticing the faint scent of sweat clinging to her, a reminder of her feverish night.
After a quick shower, Tara spotted the empty medicine box on the table, with a note: No work today—I took care of your leave.
The note was written in a neat, flowing hand, slightly rushed. Tara couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. Selena had cared enough to make sure she didn't need to go in. She wanted to repay Selena somehow for taking care of her, to show that she truly cared. Maybe it was time to stop beating around the bush and tell Selena exactly what kind of person Ken was.
Selena was too smart to be blinded for long, Tara told herself. She would see the truth soon enough.
With a free morning ahead of her, Tara decided to venture out to pick up a treat for Selena—a grape cheesecake, Selena's favorite. She'd found a charming café by the river the other day, known for its custom cakes, so she planned to place an order there as a surprise.
But Tara's steps faltered as she reached the café's large windows, catching sight of a familiar figure sitting across from a man.