Tina held Bette’s gaze.  “If I didn’t believe that, I would never, ever have attempted to get you back.  I don’t ever want to hurt you again.”  Tina promised and sealed it with a kiss that caused both of them to have to force themselves to pull away from but they did.

When Bette moved away from Tina to get her purse, it hit Tina that what they just promised each other required her to have the conversation with Bette she promised she wouldn’t have.

“Bette” she started hesitantly and sat heavily on the sofa. “I didn’t want to tell you something because I didn’t want you to have to find out and be hurt, but I also don’t want to start out fresh with any secrets between us.”

Bette felt her stomach drop and sat next to Tina.  “What is it Tina?”

Tina took a breath and steeled her resolve and started.  “I had decided a while ago that I wasn’t going to try to win you back because I believed you were in love with Jodi and that she could make you happy where I couldn’t.”

“So what changed?”  Bette asked with a mix of curiosity and trepidation.

“Jodi.  Or rather, she didn’t change.”  Tina answered.  Bette didn’t responded but waiting, knowing there was more coming.

“The night of the Candace thing, Alice and I were walking home and happened by a bar where Jodi was…with another woman in an intimate embrace.  But then, I remembered you mentioning Jodi spending time with her sister than weekend and we determined the woman must have been Jodi’s sister.  But she wasn’t.”

“How do know that?”  Bette challenged with a surprising sharpness.

Tina looked sadly at her for a moment, wondering if she was wrong to tell her or wrong to feel that Bette was really in love with Tina.

“Please T.  I’m sorry its just that this woman meant a great deal to me and I find it hard to learn that she’d do that to me.”

Tina relaxed a little letting her mind drift back to her own feelings when she found out about Candace.  Granted the degree of betrayal and relationship investment in the two situations was entirely different but it still hurt to have someone abuse your trust.

Tina took Bette’s hand.  “She confirmed it.  The day I went to pick up Ang while you were in SF, I mentioned seeing her at the bar.  She had no way of knowing that I was just making conversation about her and her sister and she inadvertently corrected our assumptions.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?  You were desperate to make sure Kit knew about Angus.”  Bette pointed out.

“Because I thought I could keep you from getting hurt.  If I could win back your heart, then you weren’t meant to be with Jodi and her betrayal wouldn’t have mattered.  But if I wasn’t successful, I was planning on telling you and allowing you to handle it however you wanted.”

Bette released Tina’s hand and stood with her back to Tina.  Tina stared at her waiting for some indication as to what Bette was thinking.  Again, knowing the old Bette, she would imagine there was a storm brewing but she just wasn’t it sure if it would hit her or Jodi.

“Was I wrong Bette?”

Bette stood, breathing deeply for what, to Tina, seemed like hours – but minutes later she turned back to Tina with a look of resignation.

“No.  It hurts to have put my trust in someone who broke a promise to be monogamous until we decided our relationship no longer worked for us, but in the end, all that matters is that you love me enough to try to protect me.  Jodi doesn’t factor in our lives now, at least personally, and at least now I no longer have to feel guilty about breaking up with her.”

Bette put her hand out for Tina to take.  Tina stood up off the couch and into Bette’s arms, hugging her with relief.

After a moment, Bette pulled back and held Tina’s face in her hands.  “I love you, T. Thank you for being honest with me.”  She said as she gave Tina a passionate kiss.  “Now shall we get the Planet out of the way so we can get back here and make up for lost time?”

...The end