Chapter Text
The music was too loud.
At least, that's what Lisa kept telling herself. Too loud. Too many drinks. Too many people packed into the tiny apartment celebrating a friend's birthday. Too much alcohol clouding her judgment.
None of it changed what happened because Carla had still seen it.
Seen Lisa kiss someone else.
Just one kiss.
A stupid, drunken, meaningless kiss.
And somehow that made it worse.
—
Three days later, Carla still wasn't answering her texts.
Lisa: Please talk to me.
Lisa: I know I messed up.
Lisa: Carla, please.
Lisa: I love you.
Left on delivered.
Every single one.
Lisa sat on her bed staring at her phone until her eyes burned. Twenty-three years old and she'd never felt this miserable.
The kiss hadn't meant anything. She barely even remembered how it happened. Some girl had been flirting with her at the party. Lisa had laughed it off. More drinks followed. More bad decisions.
Then suddenly the girl leaned in and Lisa hadn't moved away.
Just for a second.
A single second.
Long enough for Carla to walk through the door and see everything.
The look on Carla's face haunted her.
Shock.
Confusion.
Then heartbreak.
Lisa would have rather been punched.
—
Carla was sitting in her apartment when someone started pounding on the door.
“Alright! Jesus I’m coming!”
She opened it and Michelle stormed inside.
"What happened?"
Carla sighed.
"Michelle—"
"No."
Michelle crossed her arms.
"What happened with Lisa?"
Carla looked away and that was all the answer Michelle needed.
"Oh my God."
Her expression darkened.
"What did she do?"
Carla hesitated and Michelle's eyes widened.
"Did she cheat on you?"
Silence.
Michelle immediately grabbed her keys from the table and Carla blinked.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to beat her ass."
"What?"
Michelle was already heading for the door.
"I swear to God, Carla."
"Chelle-."
"She hurts you and thinks she gets away with it?" Michelle yells out shaking her head.
"Michelle!"
Michelle stopped at that. Carla rubbed her face.
"It was one kiss."
Michelle stared.
"One kiss?"
"She was drunk."
"That's not an excuse Car."
"I know."
Michelle's anger softened when she saw tears gathering in Carla's eyes.
"Oh."
Carla looked away.
"I know she didn't sleep with anyone."
Her voice cracked.
"But she still let someone else kiss her."
Michelle immediately sat beside her. And for the first time since the party, Carla started crying.
Meanwhile, Lisa was standing outside Carla's apartment building.
Again.
She'd been there every day.
Sometimes she brought flowers. Sometimes coffee. Once she'd shown up with Carla's favorite takeout.
Every attempt failed.
The gifts stayed untouched.
The texts unanswered.
The calls ignored.
And somehow Carla's silence hurt worse than being yelled at. Because if Carla screamed at her, at least she'd still be talking to her.
—
The next afternoon Lisa finally saw Carla leaving the building. Her heart jumped.
"Carla!"
Carla froze and then immediately started walking faster.
"Carla, please."
Lisa ran after her.
"Just let me explain."
"What is there to explain?"
The words stopped Lisa cold because Carla finally turned around. And she looked exhausted.
Red eyes.
Dark circles.
Like she hadn't slept and Lisa felt sick.
"I wasn't thinking."
"Clearly."
"It didn't mean anything."
Carla laughed bitterly.
"You think that makes me feel better Lisa?"
Lisa opened her mouth but nothing came out because Carla was right. Of course it didn't make it better.
"If it meant something," Carla continued, "at least I'd understand."
The tears were already falling.
"But you threw away two years of us for something that meant nothing."
Lisa felt her chest cave in.
"Carla..baby..."
"Don’t call me that.” She says while holding her hand up at Lisa. “I'm not enough for you."
"No."
Lisa stepped forward immediately.
"No, don't say that please."
"Then why?"
"I don't know."
Lisa hated how pathetic the answer sounded. But it was true.
"I don't know."
Her voice broke.
"I wish I did."
Carla wiped her eyes and neither of them spoke for a moment. The silence was awful because despite everything, they both still loved each other.
That was the problem.
If Carla hated her, maybe this would be easier.
If Lisa had fallen out of love, maybe she could move on. Instead they were both standing there completely shattered.
A voice suddenly echoed from behind Carla.
"Hey!"
Both women turned.
And coming at them..Michelle.
Oh no.
Lisa immediately knew from the look on her face that she was seconds away from becoming a crime scene.
Michelle pointed at her with venom in her voice.
"You."
Lisa swallowed.
"Hi, Michelle."
"Don't 'hi Michelle' me."
Carla groaned.
"Michelle."
"No."
Michelle kept staring at Lisa.
"I spent three days comforting her."
Lisa looked down.
"You have any idea what you've done?"
"I know."
"No."
Michelle stepped closer.
"You don't."
"Michelle."
"If Carla wasn't standing here, I'd beat your ass."
"MICHELLE."
The glare Carla gave her finally made Michelle back off. Barely. Lisa couldn't even blame her.
If someone hurt Carla, she'd probably react the same way.
After a long silence, Michelle sighed. Then looked between them.
Two miserable idiots.
Both crying.
Both clearly still in love.
Both too hurt to fix it.
She rolled her eyes.
"I hate this."
Carla sniffled.
"Then leave."
"No."
Michelle pointed at both of them.
"You."
At Lisa.
"You cheated."
Lisa nodded.
"I know."
Then at Carla.
"And you."
"What now?"
"You still love her."
Carla immediately looked away which was answer enough.
Michelle groaned dramatically.
"I hate being right."
An hour later the three of them were sitting in a coffee shop.
Awkwardly.
Painfully.
But talking, actually talking.
Lisa apologized.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Not asking for forgiveness. Not demanding another chance.
Just apologizing.
Sincerely.
Carla listened as Michelle sat nearby like an angry bodyguard making sure nobody did anything stupid. By the end of the conversation, nothing was magically fixed.
The trust was still broken and the hurt was still there. Carla still wasn't ready to take Lisa back.
But for the first time since the party, she looked at Lisa and didn't immediately walk away. And for Lisa, that tiny crack in the wall felt like hope.
A fragile one.
A painful one.
But hope nonetheless.
As they left the coffee shop, Carla paused.
Lisa looked up.
"Can I text you?" Lisa asked quietly.
Carla hesitated for a long moment. Then nodded once.
"Okay."
It wasn't forgiveness.
It wasn't reconciliation.
It wasn't a happy ending.
But it was a beginning.
And for now, that was enough.