Chapter 107

Things got messy before they got better.

First, Sabrina started crying. Not sobbing or anything, but thick tears as you explained that you and Gemma were saying ‘I Love You.’

Then Gemma was upset that Sabrina was upset because it was obvious that Sabrina was in love with you as well and that wasn’t what this deal between the three of you was supposed to be about.

“I’m sorry,” you said to both of them. Gemma had pulled away from you and was sitting with her back against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest and the sheets keeping her modest as they draped over her legs. Sabrina had also pulled away in the opposite direction, now sitting on your desk chair with your shirt back on her like last night. “Sabrina, I wanted to tell you right away, but you wanted to wait for when the three of us could talk. I- I suggested it to Gemma first, and we decided that we wanted to say it to each other as a code for all the things we were feeling for each other. Gemma is supposed to leave in a couple of months, and neither of us wanted to wait or dance around to tell each other how we were feeling. I said I wanted to tell her I love her because I’m completely attracted to her physically, emotionally and mentally despite the time limit on us. That’s what Love means between us.”

You turned to Gemma now, “And Gemma, I know this might be the worst thing for me to say, and I am so fucking sorry if this hurts you. What you’ve already been through - God, I don’t want this to hurt you. But I’m in love with Sabrina as well. It’s different between the two of you, I feel different things, but it boils down to the same word and it’s not fair to you at all but I love her.” You looked back to Sabrina. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Sabrina said quietly.

Gemma was silent, her forehead resting against her knees as she looked down and away from the two of you.

You wanted to tell her you were sorry again. That you loved her. That you wanted to find a way to make this work or to make it right. And God, thinking about what Gemma had been through with her fiance, you were fucking sorry.

But ... you loved Sabrina, too.

It was better not to say anything at all. If you tried prompting her, it could have the exact opposite effect as what you wanted. You could end up pushing her away instead of bringing her closer.

So you waited quietly. Letting her think.

“I’m going to go,” Sabrina said, standing and reaching for her underwear that was still on the floor. “I’m- Gemma, I’m so sorry. I know I promised it wasn’t supposed to be like this. I’ll go. I’m sorry. I’m so fucked up, I can’t even keep a single promise.”

“Wait,” Gemma said, lifting her head. She was crying as much as Sabrina was, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Sabrina hesitated, her thong panties in her hand.