AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘So how did it start? As someone said to me a while ago: unburden yourself.’
‘It was the first time I went over to watch films with her. You know I told you we watched some French film with subtitles?’
‘Yes.’
‘Have you heard of the filmBlue is the Warmest Colour?’
‘Vaguely. Didn’t it win a load of awards? Some sort of lesbian love story. There was a big scandal afterwards, because the actresses said the director had coerced them, or something.’
‘That’s the one. It won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It is beautifully filmed, I can see that, but I was surprised how graphic the sex was. That didn’t do a lot for me, but I was completely taken aback by how erotic I found it when they were kissing. We were talking about it afterwards, and I said that I’d never wanted to kiss another woman before, but I’d enjoyed watching Adèle and Emma kissing so much that I wondered if I had missed out on something. Bronwyn told me she’d known she was a lesbian from an early age, and she’d had a brief relationship with another girl when she was at school. It ended badly when the other girl’s mum found out and threatened Bronwyn with all sorts of stuff if she didn’t stay away. Anyway, we had a bit of a kiss, and things went from there. It’s not just about the physical stuff, though. I love everything about her, and being with her makes me feel alive, you know?’
‘You really have got it bad,’ I laugh. ‘Are you going to tell Nan and Grandad?’
‘I guess I ought to. How do you think they’ll react?’
‘They’ll be fine. I think they’ll just be pleased that you’re so happy.’
‘I hope so. I know they like Bronwyn, but they think she’s just a friend. I want them to carry on liking her as my girlfriend.’
‘They will, I’m sure. Bronwyn’s almost impossible not to like. You’ve got yourself a keeper there.’
‘I just wish Matt would come back so you could be happy again. Do you think he will?’
I sigh. ‘I don’t know. I still miss him so much that it hurts, but I can feel him slipping away from me. The reason I couldn’t sleep this afternoon was because I was thinking about what Bronwyn said, and that his mother will never let him go now that she’s got her claws into him. I’m trying to be generous, but I kind of hate her a little bit. Does that make me a bad person?’
‘Of course not! She may be his mother, but she was a pretty shit one when he was growing up, and so it’s doubly unfair that she gets to steal your happiness. If I pass my test next month, I’ll happily drive up to Peterborough and slap her for you.’
‘Bloody hell, is your test next month? Where has the time gone?’
‘Don’t worry about it. As I said, you’ve had other things to deal with. Yes, my instructor thinks I’m ready, and Grandad says he’s not frightened being in the car with me any more, so I’m hopeful.’
I reach out and pull her into a hug. ‘I’m really sorry that I’ve been such a shit sister lately. I promise to try to do better.’
She squeezes me back. ‘Nobody could ever call you a shit sister. You’re a bloody star and I love you.’
‘I love you too. One final question, though?’
‘Go on.’
‘I’m sure you said to me that you watchedFrench KissafterBlue is the Warmest Colour.’
Katie blushes. ‘It’s not a total lie! Okay, so we didn’t watch it that night, but we have watched it since, I promise.’
‘Hm. Too busy French kissing to watchFrench Kiss. There’s something almost poetic about it.’
* * *
Now that Katie’s term has finished and they’re out in the open, with me at least, we are seeing a lot more of Bronwyn. She and Katie have decided to take care of me, cooking me evening meals and clearing up afterwards. I assume she stays over in Katie’s room most nights, but as I go to bed long before they do and I’m up long before Katie surfaces, I confess I don’t actually have any idea. Now that I know about them, I’m amazed that I never noticed anything before. They’re patently crazy about each other and, although their happiness does make me more acutely aware of my own increasingly uncertain relationship status, a little bit of their joy does rub off on me. Enough to keep me going, at least.
Matt is totally unsurprised when I tell him on our now weekly calls. ‘It was obvious fairly early on that Bronwyn had taken a shine to Katie,’ he tells me. ‘I just didn’t know whether Katie would feel the same way.’
‘So you knew Bronwyn was a lesbian?’
‘Yes, she’s never hidden it. She had some sort of big bust-up with a previous girlfriend not long after she started and, being Bronwyn, she talked about it a lot.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I did! I distinctly remember telling you that I wasn’t her type the first time you came in to do a shift.’
