RomCom Cliché

Final Chapter

The first night was lonely, Rebecca staring up at the ceiling of Freen's bedroom, the pillows and sheets smelling like her even though she was absent from the space. 

Her mattress wasn't very comfortable and Rebecca had a shocking night's sleep but she was determined to stick it out. Besides, even if she moved in with Freen, that didn't mean she couldn't bring her mattress instead. 

Although the brand new super king bed wouldn't fit in Freen's bedroom, which it quickly became abundantly clear would not be big enough for all of Rebecca's things.

Even the clothes she'd brought with her for a month were unable to be contained in Freen's closet, but she'd never admit to all of that when Freen asked how she was going.

Rebecca disliked Freen's coffee machine and was annoyed by the fact she didn't have a housekeeper to drop off and pick up her laundry for her, a cleaner to change her sheets and dust and scrub the bathroom, didn't have a proper desk so she could work at night, or that she could hear the neighbours watching loud TV or stomping around overhead. 

She never asked how Freen was finding it, despite their daily dinners together, alternating homes, both of them keeping their cards close as the month progressed quickly.

Within that time came Rebecca's birthday and she was cursing out Freen's toaster after she burnt a second slice when there was a knock on the door. Yanking it open, she was confronted by a colourful handful of balloons and laughed as Freen poked her head through, smiling brightly.

"Happy birthday."

Cupping her face in her hands, Rebecca kissed her and mumbled a thank you against her lips. She pulled back, shaking her head and let Freen into her own apartment, watching as she wrinkled her nose, looking around.

"Is something burning?"

"Toast."

"Ah. You have to put it on the lowest setting and stick it down one and a half times."

"You need to get a new toaster. I took the liberty of ordering one already for my own use but you can keep it when I go home."

"Gifts for me and on your birthday no less," Freen replied, raising her eyebrows. "I have a gift for you here though. But we need to be quick."

"Urgent desire to get to work, huh?" Rebecca asked with amusement, arching an eyebrow.

Glancing down at her watch, Freen hummed distractedly and pulled out her phone, quickly typing out a text. 

"Something like that."

Cocking her head to the side, Rebecca studied her. "Everything okay?"

Raising her head, Freen blinked at her and let out a breathless laugh as her face softened. Touching Rebecca's cheek, she handed over the bunch of balloons and then a gift bag.

"Open your gifts."

"Oh, so it's plural now?"

Rolling her eyes, Freen tapped the bag. Smiling, Rebecca set the balloons down, a small weight at the end of the bundle of strings keeping them grounded, and then pulled out a wrapped gift from the bag. The paper was green and she smiled slightly, slipping her finger beneath the tape and tearing it open.

A bikini slithered out, maroon and from the same brand as Rebecca's other bikinis, the matching sheer sarong left in the paper. Arching an eyebrow, Rebecca smiled wryly as she held the top up.

"Are you mocking me? I'm banned from my own pool and this is how you taunt me on my birthday?"

"Ah, well, it's for a different pool."