It started off as neutral and professional. Alisa Ortega was simply just Avery’s lawyer and Libby was just Avery’s sister and legal guardian. That’s how it should have been. Unfortunately nothing ever goes as planned for these two. It started off small, Alisa would occasionally glance at Libby and notice her small habits like her tendency to bake while stressed or the way she fidgeted with her ring. She brushed it off at first, assuming it was simply because Libby was quite…unique to Alisa with her striking blue hair and alternative gothic fashion.
Oh how she wished it had stayed that way.
She remembers the night she actually got to know Libby. It was a stormy night around Hawthorne manor. Alisa had been checking up on Avery due to her getting into trouble in the media’s eyes again and it was too risky to drive at night due to the dirt road leading out now being muddy and making the ground soft so Alisa had to retire for the night in a guest room like she had done many times before when she’d sleep over as a child. Unfortunately, that meant she was away from her insomnia medication so she was pacing around, mumbling to herself and letting her mind run wild and so she went to the library where a certain blue haired girl also was. At first they didn’t even interact besides the occasional glance but that’s how they ended up interacting.
“…So…why’d you choose to be a lawyer?” Libby asked curiously and Alisa responded surprisingly enough, putting down her book. “Umm…because my father was one and I took an interest in law.” Libby nodded along, “That’s cool…I wanted to be a nurse.” Alisa was about to start reading her book again when she noticed Libby’s wording. “Wanted to be?” Alisa asked curiously and Libby chuckled although it sounded quite sad.
“Yeah, I was around a year or two into college when Avery’s mom passed. Wasn’t too bad though, it got me away from my own mom.” Alisa mumbled a quiet “oh” before looking at her again. “Couldn’t you have finished your nursing school instead of working in a retirement home?” Libby shook her head, “Nah, we were…alright with what we had and I was already working to get rid of my debts from college. The only reason I don’t have more is because I didn’t finish it.” They were both quiet after that but small things did change.
Alisa was now a bit more attentive to Libby. Noticing her habits, when she walked into the room, and now she was paying more attention to her than Avery sometimes. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING???? On the flip side, Libby was now also starting to notice her more. Remembering the sound of her footsteps on the floor, noticing the small mannerisms of her using her hands as she talked, just normal things.
Eventually though, this would all come to a head. It was a normal gala night. The guests were chattering, talking about their lives while Alisa was in the bathroom fixing her make up. Stupid allergies causing her to have stupid watery eyes when Libby came out of one of the stalls. “Oh, hi Alisa” Alisa paused, not really expecting her to say hello but she mumbled a quiet hi as she tried to fix her make up. Libby was next to her, washing her hands when she looked up at Alisa.
“Need some help there?” Libby asked, offering to help. Alisa glanced at Libby, “Sure, I’m willing to take anyone as long as they’d help me.” What Alisa didn’t expect though was how forward Libby was. She grabbed her chin and tilted her head to the side to get a better view as she started to help with her lashes. This is officially where everything went off the rails for both girls.
Alisa was now dealing with thoughts of Libby’s almost on a fault. Thoughts on how close Libby’s face was from hers, her lips covered in black lipstick and bright blue hair tangled in her fingers was driving her mad. What else was driving her mad was how this would absolutely wreck her. Alisa is her father’s good Catholic girl, his daughter who had follows every expectation and role perfectly and she does not want to lose him due to her identity.
Her nights are now filled with fantasies of something she wants but can’t have. Of a life she now wants, thinking they aren’t reciprocated back when in fact they are starting to be reciprocated, bit by bit. Libby notices this distance in Alisa, though they’re not close at the moment she notices how Alisa now avoiding her and she’s clearly not doing so good. Alisa woke up one day to a small box of cupcakes outside her office with a note from Libby, encouraging her and letting her now she can text anytime. Alisa swallowed hard when she saw this but decided to take a chance.
They started to chat more, texting late into the night, now talking freely as friends and the feeling starts to creep up on Libby. Unfortunately for Alisa, Libby was a risk taker, the one who’d air out their emotions not long after realizing them. She took that risk but Alisa wasn’t ready. She paused and read over that text.
> I like you
Alisa froze when she saw those words typed out on her screen. She wanted to give in. To tell her that she likes her too but…what if this would be bad for her? What if this leads to her being abandoned or disowned by her father? Alisa was an utter wreck the days that followed but she got her answer soon. She was quite close with her father, texting him daily updates and scheduling time with him whenever she was free so when no texts came for a whole week he came over where she broke down yet instead of anger…there was reassurance.
She remembers crying like a child. Getting everything off her chest and being reassured, it ended quite happily. The day after, Alisa picked up her phone. Her phone was unlocked, that was odd, maybe her dad used it? She opened it and…oh god dad! He scheduled her fucking date. Avery’s gonna kill her when she finds out which was quite quickly. The girl could solve a mystery in seconds if she could but now, Alisa could now freely express what she wanted with Libby.
Now in her bed, holding onto her torso was someone she’d want to spend her life with. A woman who she had kissed and touched. Someone she’s gotten to known for only a portion of her life but now she can’t live without her. She loves her. She loves her so much.