I curved my arm around her waist and leaned in for a kiss. Her lips, soft, parted slightly as my tongue found its way inside. I moaned at the long forgotten taste of her dreams. I squeezed her hip, leaning forward as she opened her mouth wider. Gaining me more access. I dived in. I ran my tongue along her cheek, then back to her strong muscle demanding my attention. We grabbed at one another hungrily.

Tell her.

The voice scared the ***** of me. I jerked back breaking the kiss.

Babe, whats wrong?

Tina stared at me.

Damn you, Alice, I muttered rolling my eyes.
What does Alice have to do with you?

I had to tell her.

Alice knows something about me that you dont.
I expect that Alice knows a lot of things about you that I dont. Shes known you longer. And not to mention its hard to keep a secret from her.
Tee, Alice knows something about me that you should know. Something that I want you to know.
Youre serious.
Um, yeah, I said wiping my the palm of my hand on my sweat pants.

My nerves were returning with avenge. My heart felt like an A-bomb about to explode.

Babe, whatever it is, it cant be that bad.

Bad, at one point I thought it was but I had Evan as a result of it.

Tina… youve havent asked me whose Evans father and I know that you want to know, cause if the roles were reversed, I would want to know. And I wouldnt pressure you for the information.
Do you feel pressure from me?
No, no. Its not that. Its…

I turned away from her and took a deep breathe. I could feel her hand on my back.

Bette, whatever it is, you can tell me. I will still be here. I promise.

The support I needed.

Okay…the reason I didnt want to go to dinner tonight with Helena…was cause she reminded me of a painful time in my life. A time that I want to forget, a time that I had buried long ago… Tina, seven years ago I was raped.

I waited for a reply.

Nothing.

And when I found out that I was pregnant, my father took me to the doctor. In that doctors office, I met Helena Peabody. She was the doctors daughter. She became the friend that I desperately needed. I had moved back in with my father and he was watching every move I made. I felt like a prisoner. And the only one he approved of over time was Helena Peabody. Of course he thought we were friends and we were but by the fourth month, I found myself falling in love with her. At least I thought it was love. I became so dependant on her and she lived off that. That by the time Evan was born and I didnt have a clue on how to care for a baby, Helena was right there by my side showing and telling me what to do. I just thought that she was helping me. But then I met Alice and she made me see that Helena was taking over me. I was becoming her puppet. And she didnt like Alice. She thought that Alice was trying to steal me away from her. But our relationship didnt happened to later. Alice made me realize that Helena was manipulating me into thinking that she was the only one who could make me feel safe and that I needed her to breathe. I mean, Helena had me thinking that I needed her to survive when in fact I didnt. I could stand on my own and raise my daughter. And if I needed help, I had a friend in Alice. And later on in Shane and Dana. And hopefully I have more than a friend in you, I finished bring myself back to face Tina.
Oh God. Baby, Im so sorry that you had to go through that, Tina said pulling me into an embrace.

I so needed that hug from her.

That *****, Helena , thinking that she could control you and make you into something she thought of as perfect, Tina continued separating briefly, I would never do that to you. I would never make you into something youre not. I fell and still am falling in love with the woman who made me forget anything else ever existed.

Only Tina could be so heartbreakingly honest.

Thank you, I breathed, thank you for loving me.
Always, she sighed holding me tighter.

*****