The Baby Doll

There were so many feelings- hurt feelings- and unsaid words between them and he couldn't focus on any of them. Without meaning to, he'd abandoned his dropped cup and the guest it had hit. His feet were carrying him towards her whether he liked it or not, as if she was a beacon. What was he going to say? What could he possibly say? Jesse's stomach was flipping and his heart was aching. Months and months of denial and distraction, of picking himself up and pretty much gluing back what he could.

This was such a bad idea but he needed to see her. He needed to make sure she was real even if he barely felt that way right now. When he finally made it over to her, he let out a breath, feeling suddenly lightheaded. His throat was going dry and the last thing he wanted was to cry. Jesse wasn't ready for this. "Soph-," he started but even that felt too much, her name on his lips. He tried again. "I- I didn't know you were here."

There were so many things that came to her mind to say, mostly a stream of sorrys. But as Jesse walked over to her, all her thoughts were leaving her head. The two of them pulled together like magnets, it felt like the most natural thing in the world, even after months of not seeing each other. She was holding her breath as they were face-to-face. She wished they could just go back to being themselves, forget it all. But she knew that wasn't fair to Jesse, he was entitled to feel however he felt.

She didn't know what to say when she looked up at him, the rest of the party was gone right now. All she could focus on was Jesse, all the people staring at them now didn't matter. "Yeah, it wasn't exactly planned. But I had to come." She couldn't think of what to say right now, she unclenched and clenched her hands. "I'm sorry to just show up like this here, I needed to see you."

Sapphire nodded as she held onto her hands. "Okay, agreed. You're always way too good to me, you know that? There's nothing you can ever do that would make me love you any less too. I'm just glad you're here. I missed you," she smiled. Shit, she really didn't want to cry either. There was an obvious question to ask, though. Kinda awkward actually, the more Sapphire thought about it. "Um... Did you... I mean, did someone tell you about this party?"

"We are sisters. If we aren't going to forgive each other, who will?" Sophia wished Sapphire were easier on herself, she wished that Sapphire could see what she saw in her. "I missed you, too." She smiled at Sapphire. She had heard about this party and what was happening, she couldn't be mad at anyone for it but herself. "Yeah, Gunnar called me. I couldn't stay away, I have to try. He's the love of my life, even if I ruined that."

There was no one he'd really gone beyond a few flirtatious comments with. Dancing with Tabby had been the highlight for his heart rate and he was content to just survive the rest of the night. Gossip Girl had been in full form which he hated but was trying to look past. He was worried about Juliette but just a little too drunk to take over and look after her. She'd left with Freddie Redlynn which was okay in Jesse's book, and he was here for when she came back inside. That was okay. And he was worried about Sapphire too. He was sure there was more to the story but that would have to wait. When his phone went off again, he was annoyed, almost neglecting to read the latest post. But he did.

At the same time his eye caught her name, he looked up and across the pool. Red dress. Blonde hair. Same sweet smile she always had. He looked up and he forgot to breathe, his red solo cup falling from his hand. The shock was enough to cause him to break eye contact, shaking his head and frantically apologising to who had been hit with the business end of his cup's contents. All the while his head was spinning. Was Sophia really here right now? @sophia-vandervort

She wanted to go up to Jesse and tell him every single thought she had over the last couple of months, be back to who they were before she had run. No matter how childish or impossible that was right now, she wanted to just be them again. When she saw the post about Sapphire and Sam, she knew that staying hidden was no longer an option. She needed to find Jesse first. Then, if she managed to survive that, she would find her big sister.

She felt her phone buzz in her hand as she walked around the pool. She had spotted Jesse before he saw her. He looked like he was having fun, enjoying himself probably for the first time in months. For a moment, she considered walking away, just leaving and never coming home again. Letting Jesse move on from her and be happy with someone much better than her. But before she could decide, he had looked up, and they saw each other.

Sapphire finally closed the gap between them, pulling her baby sister into a tight hug. Whatever came next, they'd just have to face it. Together. "It's okay, Soph," she said softly, not used to being the one who did the comforting. "There is nothing you could do that would make me think that about you. It's not like I don't know all about it, you know? I left you first... Fuck, I left you first. I'm sorry-," she pulled back from her, holding tightly to her hands- "I'm sorry, Soph."

Sophia wrapped her arms around her big sister, she needed this. Someone who could make her feel okay before she walked into the party. "It isn't." She knew she had hurt a lot of people by leaving like that, by ignoring so many people. She was ready to face it all. "Well, you get to be the only one who might feel like that right now about me. It's okay Saph, I think I more than made up for it." She held onto her sister's hands. "Okay, no more sorry's. You are gonna make me cry, and I feel like I have enough of that coming tonight. We are both forgiven, and there is nothing you can ever do that would make me love you any less."

Her heart was sitting somewhere in her throat as she hesitated at the door of the guest house. She had to go in. She had to bite the bullet. With a deep breath, she pushed the door open and headed in there. There she was... She was really here. Sapphire was hit with a wave of unexpected emotion then. She'd really missed her sister. "I, uh, guess your RSVP got lost in the mail."

She knew she had to start with one of her sisters, and Sapphire would be easier than Scarlett. The butterflies in her stomach only got worse as Sapphire walked in. She looked gorgeous, definitely drunk. "Yeah, along with the invitation." She looked down as she walked closer. "I'm sorry, Saph. I have been a horrible sister to both you and Scarlett."