“Wanna stay? It’s been a long night and I’m worried about you driving home. I have a guest room upstairs.” Reagan didn’t answer right away and Jill immediately began second-guessing herself. Am I being too forward? She understands I’m just worried and have no intention of sleeping with her, right?

Finally, Reagan nodded. “Okay. That’d probably be best.”

She led Reagan up the stairs, stopping at the first door on the right. As she pointed into the room, she said, “There’s an attached bathroom through that door. Let me go get you something to sleep in.” When she tried to turn away, a firm grip on her wrist stopped her. As she met Reagan’s eyes, she saw an almost desperate look in them, and fresh tears threatened to spill over.

“I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” she whispered.

“Okay.” She kissed Reagan’s forehead and pulled her down the hallway. “Follow me.”

Once they were in her bedroom, Jill handed Reagan a T-shirt and a pair of shorts from her dresser and nodded behind her to the bathroom. “Go ahead and get changed. There should be a new toothbrush in the top drawer.”

Reagan wordlessly accepted the clothes before heading to the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Jill stared at the closed door for a moment before grabbing a change of clothes for herself to take into the guest bathroom.

As she finished brushing her teeth, she stared at herself in the mirror. She could never imagine the amount of pain Reagan had endured the past few months. She didn’t know what it felt like to have that deep a love for another person. She shook her head, aware of how unsettling that thought was when it came to what she wanted with Reagan. While she wasn’t well-practiced in the intricacies of relationships, if that’s what Reagan wanted, then she was ready to try. She’d been on her own long enough. Being around Reagan had given her a glimpse into what it would be like to be close to someone—and not just physically. Although that was definitely a perk, she was curious about what Reagan saw in her and what made her ask Jill on a date. But that would have to be a discussion for another night.

Jill returned to her bedroom but didn’t see Reagan. The bathroom door was still closed so she knocked twice. “Reagan?” No reply so she knocked again. “You okay?” This time she heard a whimper. Oh shit. “I’m coming in.”