"I know I'm not Quinn but I need you to work with me here. You're the one that decided to roll in mud, this is the price you have to pay."

Siberia's soft whine was her only response to Ava's pleas. The husky followed it up by granting the woman the wildest, fiercest shake she could conjure up, effectively soaking Ava with water from head to toe.

Without warning, the dog then darted out of the kitty pool that Ava—not so securely—kept her in, the sudden act making Ava fall into the water instead. Her red hair, along with her clothing, instantly clung to her drenched skin. Ava ran her fingers through her locks in attempts to keep any stray strands from sticking to her face.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh that even Siberia could tell was laced with anger once the diluted mud circled her in the small pool. Ava only opened her eyes once the husky nudged her with her snout, being careful not to step back into the water. Before the woman could regain custody of her, Siberia darted away once more, this time retreating to Paloma's side the second she stepped out of the house.

A hearty laugh escaped the depths of Paloma's throat at the sight of the writer and surprisingly, Ava joined in on the hysterics.

"Shut up," Ava demanded but the lightheartedness in her tone didn't go unnoticed by Paloma. "It's not that funny."

"It kinda is," she hummed. The brunette ridded the tears from her eyes and extended her hand to Ava who readily accepted it. Paloma hoisted her to her feet and chuckled yet again once the woman dragged herself out of the pool.

"I'm gonna kill that dog," came Ava's low contention. Siberia whined once more before hiding behind Paloma once the daggers Ava stared into her signaled her wrongdoing.

Paloma giggled and patted the dog on the head. "Yeah, she pretty much only sits still for Quinn."

Even though the brunette had informed Ava of that very fact prior to the incident, Ava decided to give it a go anyhow, saying that she 'had a way with animals'. Now, however, she wasn't so sure of the assertion.

Water quickly ran down the length of Ava's body, signaling her slim chances of being dry anytime soon. Her white shirt clung to her body and the sun didn't do her any favors as its bright rays made it incredibly easy to see through the thin material.

At this, Paloma averted her gaze, using her fingers as a small shield. "You might wanna do something about, "she blindly motioned to the other woman, "that."

Ava cursed under her breath and the brunette couldn't help but chuckle. She knelt down next to Siberia before pulling a weathered towel off her shoulder and wrapping it around the husky.

"I'm gonna take a shower."

"Good," Paloma snickered, her eyes still fixed on Siberia, "because you smell like wet dog."

Paloma grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and tossed her head back, welcoming its frigid temperature and savory taste. It was a taste she was starting to notice she needed a lot more of these days. Instead of pondering that unsettling fact, she rested her eyes and allowed the alcohol to settle her.

It wasn't long after that that Ava made her way down the staircase, sporting a fresh set of clothes. A towel sat atop of her head as she used the cloth to consume the dampness in her hair.

The brunette smiled once Ava joined her in the kitchen and mimicked her actions by popping the cap off of a beer, clinking her glass against Paloma's, and taking a long swig of the liquor.

"Do you wanna do something? I'm stressed as hell, I need to relax, unwind. Starting with this." Paloma lifted the bottle slightly in the air and chuckled, "I'm glad to have my drinking buddy back. I mean, Quinn's great and all but drinking alone is just, "she took another sip of her beverage as she searched for the right word, "depressing."

Ava granted the woman a counterfeit smile, the mention of Quinn instantly making her uneasy. It had already been a week since the teenager's incident at the movie theater. Once the two returned home, it took about twenty minutes of coaxing for Ava to finally get the girl to calm down. She then informed Quinn that the gutwrenching, heart-stopping, breath consuming feeling in her chest was none other than a panic attack.

It was Ava who decided that they had to tell Paloma, however, Quinn wasn't too keen on the idea. The teenager was beside herself with worry. She was nearly on her knees begging the woman not to tell her older sister, saying that the brunette would merely throw another one of her infamous 'Paloma freakouts' as Quinn put it, knowing that the other redhead was all too familiar with them. She knew that Paloma would then follow it up by never leaving her side, thus suffocating her entirely as if that weren't already the case.

Once Ava feared Quinn's tear-filled pleas would transform into yet another panic attack, she reluctantly promised to keep Paloma in the dark about the situation...for now at least. Quinn, on the other hand, had to promise to keep Ava informed of any and all updates concerning the dilemma.

They both agreed that if the girl failed to do so, Paloma would be notified of the circumstances immediately. It was a deal that they both accepted apprehensively, but neither redhead knew of a better solution, so for now, they decided, it would have to do.

Although the situation brought Ava a lot of anxiety, Quinn wasn't the only Sullivan she was worried about. Being the observant individual she was, it didn't take long for Ava to notice that Paloma seemed increasingly stressed, even more so than usual.

Once Ava discovered the source of the brunette's anxiety, Paloma—being the stubborn mule that she was—refused to accept the woman's assistance...no matter how much she needed it. This time, however, Paloma's stubbornness was really starting to piss Ava off.

"We both know why you're stressed," was the mahogany-haired woman's contention.

Paloma followed her gaze to the stack of mail that was sprawled messily on the island bar, many of which remained unopened due to the brunette's inability to face the growing pile. The majority of the mail, to Paloma's dismay, came from the Oakheart Memorial Hospital.

The brunette tensed her jaw, her lighthearted demeanor dispersing entirely. "Drop it, Ava."

"Why?" Ava pressed. "You can't avoid this forever."

"I'm not avoiding anything, I just—" Paloma shook her head and tangled her fingers in her hair. "I'm dealing with it, okay? Still, the answer was 'no' two days ago and it's still 'no' now. So you can stop bringing it up, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, I do."

Paloma shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the island bar. "Tough."

"Tough?" Ava scoffed. "...Alright." She nodded her head but Paloma could sense that she still wasn't going to drop the topic. And she was right. "Well, we're at an impasse, right? How should we settle this? Let the oldest decided? Okay," she concluded. "Oh wait, that's me, so I guess we're talking about it."

The brunette couldn't help but chuckle at this. "By a year."

"Try two."

"Just barely."

Ava hummed. "Still older."

"You can't always use that card. It's a bit unfair."

"Tough." Paloma rolled her eyes at the woman's attempt to mock her. "Why won't you let me help?" the redhead pleaded.

"Because you help enough," was Paloma's immediate affirmation. "You let me borrow your car, you take care of Quinn and Siberia...and me. You're here and that's enough. I don't need you to do anything else. Especially not this, that's outta bounds. This is my responsibility, no one else's and especially not yours."

"You're my best friend, Paloma."

The Sullivan in question rested a hand on her hip and let out a small sigh, "I know."

"I don't think you do," Ava countered. "It's always been the two of us—me and you, for years...and now's no different. So when something's up with you, it instantly becomes my responsibility to help fix it. No matter what."

"Ava—"

"You wouldn't let me float down shit's creek," Ava reminded. "You proved that to me three years ago. You remember...at the office? That whole editing fiasco with Martin?"

A small laugh slipped past Paloma's lips, "How the hell could I forget?"

Before she became the director of Ultimate You's fashion and beauty department, Ava had initially started off at the magazine as one of the companies many department editors. Martin, one of their fellow colleges, held the same position. However, one day, the man in question, like a myriad of other times, had one too many the night before one of the company's most rigorous, and not to mention crucial, workdays.

After dragging himself to work, his eyes still bloodshot from the booze, he edited—or perhaps a more accurate description, completely ruined—countless articles. All of which were shipped out to the public before the mistake could be appeased.

Being around for six or so months longer than the redhead, Martin pinned the mistake on Ava, stating that the newbie simply didn't have what it took to do her work properly or meet the companies intense deadlines.

Despite Ava having nothing to do with the situation, the dilemma left her in boiling hot water with corporate. However, to Ava's surprise, a tall, cut-throat brunette about her own age saved her skin by insisting that Martin's alcoholism was the cause of the predicament.

Ava was grateful to have someone in her corner, even if she didn't know the woman. Even so, she doubted that the shift in blame, from someone who hadn't been around long herself, would hold any weight. It wasn't until Paloma made a bold move by proclaiming that the man's 'water bottle' would instead be filled to the brim with vodka—a drink that Paloma somehow knew was his poison of choice.

To Ava's relief, the brunette was right. As a result, while Martin was told to clean out his desk and vacate the premises immediately, Ava got to keep her job.

Corporate then threw her a bone by granting her a halfhearted apology. It was Paloma who followed it up by telling the mahogany-haired woman that corporate was more likely to set their own children on fire than they were to admit to any wrongdoing on their part, so Ava must've been someone special.

Still, Ava was a lot more grateful to Paloma than the group of people that, not five minutes ago, were seconds away from stripping her of employment.

When she asked the other woman why she had done what she'd done, Paloma merely said that, like Ava, she too was observant and it didn't take a genius to know what Martin was up to. She then added that Ava was pretty, seemed nice, and didn't suck at her job which, apparently, was the perfect criteria for a good editor.

Following the incident and about a dozen more conversations and after work excursions later, Ava began to look at the oblivious brunette in complete and utter adoration. Even so, Ava hadn't anticipated that she wouldn't be able to stop.

"You saved my ass," Ava chuckled. "Without you, I would've lost my job. I probably would've had to move back in with my parents who are on the other side of the country if you've forgotten. I would've never worked my way up at the magazine, I would've been labeled a screw-up, destined to work at some shitty fast food joint for the rest of my life. If it weren't for you, I would be a woman a couple months shy of her thirtieth living in her parents' garage. You legit saved my life."

Paloma smirked and took another sip of her beer. "I did, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Ava nodded. "So why the hell do you think I'm gonna let you deal with this by yourself?"

The brunette looked away once Ava's eyes took on a level of sincerity that she simply couldn't deal with. She chuckled in hopes to chase away the pensive demeanor the atmosphere suddenly took on.

"In all honesty, I only saved your ass because you were pretty much the only eye candy at the office. So, I did it for selfish reasons. You really shouldn't thank me."

"Was?" Ava scoffed before letting a grin overtake her lips. "I still am the only eye candy at the office." After a few moments, her smile dispersed. "Seriously, Paloma." She looked at the brunette earnestly and hoped she wouldn't try to joke her way out of the earnest situation. Paloma finally met Ava's gaze at the sound of her dangerously low voice.

"You're drowning," Ava affirmed. "You said it yourself, I heard you. The other day? You said it because it's true. Let me help you."

Ava narrowed her eyes once Paloma hardened her expression and shook her head stiffly. "No. I'm gonna figure this out."

"Consider it. That's all I'm asking. Just consider it, please. If not for yourself...then for Quinn. This isn't something that'll just go away."

Paloma grimaced at Ava's plea. She was well aware that the situation didn't just affect her. Had it just been herself she had to worry about, she could handle the daunting dilemma, but knowing that there was even a slim chance of her sister getting dragged into the same anxiety-filled boat she was in somehow made the situation even worse. The girl was just that—a child and she already had more than enough to deal with.

Even though Ava took on a more gentle tone in attempts to reach the other woman, it wasn't until she heard Paloma's immediate response that she realized her efforts were futile.

"I know that," the brunette hissed. "Don't you think I know that?"

Ava inhaled softly through her nose before starting up again, "Then let me help."

"The answer...is 'no'," Paloma's assertion held just as much conviction as it had a moment ago. "So, drop it."

"You are so damn infuriating," the redhead hissed through clenched teeth.

"I know."

Ava's anger grew when the brunette shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Paloma, I swear to God—"

"I'm not talking about this anymore, Ava." The quiet present in Paloma's contention contrasted vastly with Ava's rising voice. "Just leave it alone...please."

Ava pressed her lips together in a thin line before taking a long gulp of her beer. Her frustration didn't go unnoticed by Paloma who smiled in response.

"You wanna help? Then let's hang out," Paloma suggested. "Quinn's at Charlie's and I have no one else to spend time with. If you haven't noticed, you're my closest friend. And if you won't do something with me, I'll have to call Hal."

"Hal?" Ava frowned. "As in Human Resources Hal?"

Paloma simply nodded, her arms crossed over her chest as she wore a smug smile.

"Ugh." Ava's nose crinkled as if she got a whiff of a horrid scent. "He's thirty-six, has a rat-tail, and not to mention a massive crush on you."

"All of those things is exactly why I've been avoiding him. But, he's been begging me to grab drinks with him and some others from work and if you won't hang out with me, then that's what I'm gonna have to resort to. Is that what you want? For me to hang out with Human Resources Hal? The guy with a hairstyle that hasn't been in since the '80's? Because, if so, just say the word." She pulled her cell phone from her back pocket and eyed the woman incredulously. "I'll do it."

"You have his number?" Ava chided.

"Why?" It didn't take long for a smirk to make its way onto Paloma's lips. "You jealous?"

"Hell no," came Ava's curt response.

Paloma decided to test her theory by proceeding with the phone call. However, before she could get to her contacts, Ava restlessly shifted on her feet and grudgingly interrupting, "Fine. I'll drop it...for now. This conversation is far from over."

In all honesty, the brunette had no idea how to get ahold of Human Resources Hal, but, then again, she didn't need to because her theory checked out. With her sly smirk still lingering, she returned her phone to her pocket. "I'm still counting this as a win."

"Are you kidding me? He's way hotter than her."

Ava's eyes grew monumental in size as she scoffed in astonishment, "Are we looking at the same human beings? She's so much better looking than he is."

After spending a good half hour debating how to spend the remainder of their day, Paloma and Ava decided to eat their weight in rocky road ice cream and watch a new episode of their latest obsession—a British cooking competition entitled 'A cuppa' in which each contestant had to create their best dish within the limitations of that week's episode that would best accompany Great Britain's most popular drink—a cup of hot tea.

The women always spent the majority of the episode creating extra commentary and whining about their inability to create a five-star meal as the contestants managed to do every week. Once Ava found out Paloma deemed Henry, the male host, more visually appealing than Monica, Henry's co-host, the two instantly became the topic of discussion.

"I'm right," Paloma maintained. "You know how I know that? Because I'm not biased like you."

At this, Ava giggled, "Just because I'm not attracted to guys doesn't mean I can't see when someone's good looking."

"Eh, I beg to differ. Besides, he has a British accent. I mean, how could he get any sexier?"

"Everyone on this show has a British accent!" Ava exclaimed with a laugh. "Including Monica. Your claim holds no weight."

"Yeah, but everyone knows that British accents are hotter in guys." Paloma raised her eyebrows, giving Ava a pointed look. "Everyone."

The mahogany-haired woman playfully rolled her eyes. "There's no fact behind that."

Paloma shrugged. "Whatever helps you sleep at night." She clicked the television off because, before they knew it, the competition was over, not that they cared all that much about that week's winner.

Ava looked on as a heaping scoop of ice cream collided with Paloma's tongue. The brunette hummed at the sweet taste before finally glancing at the other woman. She knitted her eyebrows together and chuckled, "What?"

It wasn't until Ava pulled away that Paloma realized the woman had pecked her on the lips at all. Paloma drew her bottom lip into her mouth, once her tastebuds recognized the sweet flavor Ava always managed to leave behind—freshly picked apricots, in spite of their frozen treat—she realized the kiss had been real.

After the fact, Paloma's eyes strongly resembled the moon, the gesture taking her entirely by surprise. She swallowed the ice cream that was slowly dissolving on her tongue before blinking her eyes a few times.

"...Um," was all she could muster out.

Ava further silenced the brunette by capturing her lips with her own yet again and this time, she lingered in the embrace. Even though the gesture stunned Paloma, she didn't fight the woman when she grabbed her chin in attempts to deepen the kiss and give it a sense of balance and direction. Paloma blindly placed the carton of rocky road onto the coffee table. The silver spoons that remained within the container clinked against each other as a result.

Paloma's hair spilled onto a nearby pillow once Ava climbed on top of her. Their lips only parted for a moment when Paloma shuddered in ecstasy as Ava's hand made its way under her shirt, her nails grazing across her bare stomach. Once anticipation got the better of her, Paloma aided the woman by hastily yanking her top over her head and flinging it across the room.

The action did nothing more than prove the desperateness present in the brunette's rapid kisses. Her breathing grew impossibly heavier once Ava's fingers gingerly danced their way down her body, the redhead's lips still nipping away at her own.

The air in the living room dissipated, the heat radiating between them consumed the oxygen entirely. Even so, Ava hadn't noticed or cared. But as enthralled as Paloma was by the other woman's ability to caress her in all the right ways, she couldn't seem to get out of her own head. Not only did the moment feel off but, unlike ever before, it also made her feel unbearably antsy.

A thick coat of anxiety weaved its way in and out of her thoughts as their lips collided. It didn't take long for the affection to lose its passion entirely, Paloma, however, seemed to be the only one who noticed. For the first time ever, she was relieved when Ava's lips, without warning, left her own.

Nevertheless, to Paloma's dismay, the woman only momentarily ceased the intense make-out session long enough to nimbly rid herself of her own t-shirt before finding her lips again, this time, an amused grin accompanied the affection.

Paloma wanted more than anything to ignore her apprehensive thoughts and relish the sensual rendezvous instead because, really, she had gone a frustratingly amount of time without it and Ava's touch was just too damn good. But, as much as she longed for it, her conscience simply wouldn't let her yield to her desires.

The encounter felt incredibly licentious and her anxiety was rising by the second. It was all just plain...wrong. Paloma couldn't quite understand why Ava, who remained overly occupied with the encounter, hadn't felt the same.

Before Ava, who now was stripped down to nothing but her underwear, could unfasten the metal button to Paloma's jeans, the brunette pushed her long digits away and abruptly tore herself from Ava.

"Wait," she breathed. "What are you doing? What am I doing? What are we doing?" Paloma rambled.

Ava looked down at her. Much like the other woman, she struggled to catch her breath, even so, she had just enough oxygen to let out a soft chuckle, "Well, when two people really like each other—"

Paloma shook her head, disregarding the playful response. "No, Ava, I mean this. What are you trying to do?" She used her palms to push the woman away, Ava finally sat up at this. "I mean, I was just starting to get over you and used to this..."

She scampered towards her top, that had somehow made its way onto the lampshade, and tugged it back over her head. "...arrangement we have set up. Seeing you every day and sleeping right down the hall from you." Paloma gritted her teeth in frustration, mostly at herself. "I was almost getting used to the fact that we'd never be a thing again, which was incredibly hard by the way, and now you pull this?"

Paloma sighed and looked away from the woman. She snatched Ava's clothes off of the floor and tossed them to her. "I can't focus when you're like that."

Ava frowned but began tugging her pants up her thighs nonetheless. "...Are you seeing someone else?" Human Resources Hal, perhaps? Ava thought to herself.

"...No," the brunette scoffed, "But you are." She crossed her arms over her chest once Ava ran a hand over her face and reclaimed her seat on the couch.

"You mean Sandra."

"Yeah," was Paloma's curt response.

"She and I aren't—"

"—Serious," Paloma finished. "I know. You said that a million times already and if I hear it again, I just might blow my fucking brains out. The two of you are still something and as long as that's true, we can't be. I mean, I've done a lot of things, but other people's girlfriends have never been one of them."

Ava swallowed thickly. "You didn't let me finish." Paloma finally met her gaze, her eyes still filled with reluctance. "We're not together anymore." She shrugged. "I lied. The night I offered to stay here and help you guys out? I said that we weren't serious and that was true because...I dumped her."

Paloma's lips parted but she let Ava finish nonetheless. "You were right, I couldn't be with her knowing I still loved you. It was wrong and I just couldn't deal with it anymore, plain and simple. So...I ended it."

"You ended it?" the brunette tested again, this time a smile tugged at her lips. "The woman that runs ten miles in the other direction when confrontation hits?"

"Yeah, well, you got into my head," she affirmed with a smile. "As always."

Paloma couldn't stop the goofy grin from making its way onto her lips once Ava pulled her back down onto the couch.

"You guys are done?" She tore her teeth into her bottom lip and looked at Ava incredulously, studying every inch of her face. "You swear?" she whispered.

Ava nodded. "...Yeah."

"Well," Paloma started up again, "if that's the case...Quinn's probably not gonna be home for another hour or so if you wanna, I don't know, watch a movie or cook dinner or...you know...something else."

"I think 'something else' would be the route to go. Maybe exercise? There's a full body workout that's apparently been around for centuries and it requires two people," Ava teased. "I heard that it's a lot of fun and quite rewarding actually. We could give it a go if you really wanna—"

Paloma silenced Ava with a kiss, effectively ceasing the playful banter. The passionate gesture alone reminded the redhead why she fell in love with the woman in the first place.

It was an embrace that Ava welcomed, one that, much like the first time they met, made her heart skip several beats. It was that kiss that made Ava realize that being with the brunette would forever be second nature.

Hope you enjoyed the update. Don't forget to drop some comments, I'd love to know your thoughts! Be sure to nudge that vote button if you liked this chapter. As always, thanks for reading! 🤗