FEELS LIKE ✷ KATE MARTIN

𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢. bathroom confessions

✧˖*°࿐ CHAPTER EIGHTEEN!
❪     in real life     ❫

⎯⎯⎯ 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄,

KATE HAD YET TO GET OVER THE SHOCK OF ISABEL INVITING GEORGIA ALONG. Four hours ago she hadn't even know her name, and now she was laughing with her like they've known each other for years. And to only make things worse, no one except Kate seemed to be bothered by the fact that Isabel invited her. She tried telling herself it was because Georgia was apart of the team they just competed against, but Kate could feel herself drowning in jealousy.

The past few weeks had been nothing short of confusing for Kate. Ever since Isabel and Austin broke up the two of them had been spending a significant amount of more time together. At first Kate thought that maybe her feelings were reciprocated, but the lingering question of if Isabel even liked girls haunted her mind.

Would she ever like Kate the way Kate liked her?

Kate certainly didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, so she chose to keep her feelings to herself. If she kept everything in, nothing could go wrong, right? Her and Isabel could continue being friends without an awkward tension hanging between them knowing one of them felt a little too strongly for the other. Kate had been trying to convince herself that that would be enough for her, but she couldn't help the feeling of wanting more, and she caught herself almost telling the girl exactly that on multiple occasions.

Isabel laughed as Caitlin tried her hardest to blow the paper off her straw to hit Gabbie, who was sat across from her at the table. Georgia leaned into Isabel's side, her mouth dropping when Caitlin finally succeeded in hitting Gabbie. It ricocheted off her cheek and dropped onto the table. Caitlin quickly looked down at the menu in front of her to try and make it seem like she wasn't the one who had done it.

Gabbie picked the paper up, waded it into a ball and flicked it into Caitlin's lemon water. "Gabbie!" Caitlin whined, fishing it out with her straw.

"She's such a baby," Isabel whispered to Georgia, making the girl stifle another laugh.

Kate's jaw clenched at the interaction, now experiencing the same burning feeling in her stomach that Isabel had earlier. It was obvious that her feelings were not going away. They were only getting stronger. Kate was beginning to get hit with the guilt of entertaining something that was never there with Allie.

"Kate?" Allie said, pulling the blonde from her transfixed stare on the other end of the table. "Are you listening?"

Kate blinked, watching as the girls smile slowly began to fade from her face. She couldn't do this. She couldn't sit there and watch the girl she was in love with be hit on by another girl. And she couldn't stomach stringing on Allie any more than she already had.

"I'm sorry, I'll be right back," She said quietly, the chair screeching against the floor as she got up abruptly. Everyone's heads snapped over to the sound, watching an off balanced Kate basically sprint towards the restrooms.

Allie turned to Julie with an annoyed expression, pissed off that she had not been paying any attention to her. Brooke only shook her head, muttering something underneath her breath.

"Is she okay?" Georgia questioned, her eyes still lingering on the bathroom door. Caitlin shrugged, a worried look in her eye.

Isabel bit down on her lip angrily as she watched Allie make no effort to run after her. It was like she wasn't even the slightest bit concerned. She just sat there whispering with her friend. "I'm gonna go check on her." Georgia nodded, before falling back into conversation with Caitlin and Gabbie.

Isabel slowly pushed open the bathroom door, announcing her presence. "Kate? Are you okay?" She heard a sniffle come from one of the stalls, followed by the sound of Kate tearing off a piece of toilet paper.

Isabel stood by the sinks, playing with the rings on her fingers as she waited for Kate to come out. Kate opened the stall door a few seconds later, holding her head down. She walked to the garbage can, throwing away her tissue.

"Kate.." Isabel whispered, softly grabbing her wrist, and pulling her closer. She felt her heart stop at Kate's tear streaked face and red rimmed eyes. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Kate laughed quietly, though it was empty of any emotion. She covered her face with one of her hands out of both frustration and embarrassment for crying in front of Isabel.

"Nothing, Issie, it's stupid," She tried to shake it off.

"If you're crying about it, it's not stupid." Isabel sighed, bringing Kate's hand down from her face.   "Just tell me. You know I won't judge you."

Kate laughed in irony. "I don't know, Is, you might."

"Did Allie say something?" Isabel fumed, feeling her face already starting to heat up. The fact that the girl had not bothered to come and check on Kate already had her pissed off. After all, Allie was her date, not Isabel, so why was she the one to chase after her?

Kate shook her head, "No."

"Then what is it Kate?"

Kate's thoughts ran through her mind. Was now the right time to tell her? In the bathroom of a restaurant when they were both here with other people? But would there ever really be a right time to tell your best friend you like her in more ways than one?

She took a deep breath as she prepared to finally say what she had been feeling for so long. Maybe it would work in her favor and maybe Isabel would never want to talk to her again. Either way, she had to at least try.

"Isabel.." She started slowly. Isabel stood anxiously, her hands now beginning to shake. "You don't have to say anything back right now, and I definitely don't want a response out of pity. I feel things for you that I don't feel for our other friends."

Isabel breath hitched. Was this happening right now?

Kate took her silence as an answer, even though she told her she didn't have to say anything. "God, Issie just forget I even said anything. I told you it was stupid. I'm sor-"

The words in Kate's throat died out as Isabel took Kate's face in her hands and pressed her lips against hers. Clearly, it took both of them by surprise that Isabel had actually done it, as their bodies were both tense.

After the shock wore off, Kate immediately began to move her lips back, snaking her arms around Isabel's waist to move their bodies flush against one another's. Isabel giggled as she, too, melted into the kiss.

They pulled away for air a few moments later, both smiling lazily. Kate felt all of her frustrations and worries leave her body the second she saw the blush cover Isabel's face.

"Still think it's stupid?" Isabel teased.

Kate rolled her eyes playfully, pulling Isabel back into her.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞,
first kiss in the bathroom?
how romantic. 😃