A Snowball Running Ch. 03

The bedroom door cut down on the noise, but certainly wasn't soundproof. Alicia retrieved Rian's computer desk/folding table and turned up the speakers on an old episode of Frasier on autoplay to help drown out the screeching and pounding from outside. While in the living room, Alicia fought the urge have a confrontation with the selfish bitch herself, but figured that it wouldn't help anyone. Besides, Rian needed her more.

When she returned, Rian was crying.

The shaken tomboy looked up at Alicia's entrance, ashamed of herself for blubbering, and looked back down at her own wringing hands. "I'm not crying because I miss her. I'm just so," Rian exhaled through her snuffly nose and tried to articulate why she was crying, exactly. "not good."

Alicia put her arm around her girlfriend. "You're shocked to have seen Gretchen so unexpectedly. You're hurt over how she treated you. You're angry that she breezed back so cavalierly. You're worried over how I'm going to feel about all of it. And you're frustrated at having to face all those emotions instead of burying them. Hence the tears."

Rian gazed up at the amazing blonde as though she'd performed a complex and enigmatic magic trick. "Yes. How did you know?"

"I'm more in touch with your emotions than you are, honey," she answered affectionately and patted Rian's shoulder.

She drew back the covers, brought the suggestible and vulnerable Rian beneath them in a recumbent position with her, and stroked her hair as she cried herself out.

Rian knew she should talk to her girlfriend about it, but didn't want to. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"When you're ready. Not tonight," the perceptive blonde answered.

Rian nodded and laid her head back on Alicia's chest. But the silence got pretty loud.

"Is that 'Fraiser' on outside?"

"Yes."

"Can we watch it in here?"

"Yes." Alicia kissed her cheek and brought in the laptop and speakers, folding and unfolding the table to bring it in as well.

"Thank you." Rian expressed her gratitude sincerely.

"Of course, honey." Alicia crawled back into bed and they fell asleep watching the old sitcom.

All was quiet by the time they woke Saturday morning, so both women dressed, ate, and headed outside for their shopping trip. Rian was still mostly silent and reflective, so Alicia let her think in peace.

Rian felt her cheer rise at the absence of any Gretchen or u-haul outside, but her heart sank further as she saw "WHORE" scratched into the side of Alicia's big blue truck, along with a symphony of other keyed marks. "I'm so sorry." Rian felt on the edge of tears again.

"That's what insurance is for." Alicia hugged her precious girlfriend and kissed her forehead. "Let's go shopping."

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Author's Note: Feedback is very welcome. I'm trying to find time to write again and additions to my other chapter stories are also in progress.