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Marissa leaned back, her eyes closed, and she felt the warm air hitting her face through the open window as they drove. The music played low, just high enough to make sure that there wouldn’t be any awkward silence. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to come with Alex, but Marissa knew that it was the right decision to make. She needed a day away from Newport, and spending time with Alex was always time well spent. The road trip was for a good cause, too; they were going to get some of Alex’s things back. She opened her eyes and hummed along to the music. She watched the road stretch ahead of them. She glanced over at Alex. She really noticed the tattoo on her arm this time and how it moved when Alex’s muscles moved as she shifted her arm.
“A butterfly,” she said, “I didn’t really think that was something you’d get.”
“Yeah,” Alex began. She glanced over at Marissa before her eyes were back on the road. “It wasn’t my first choice,” she explained, “I told the artists what I wanted to get.” She laughed, and decided against telling Marissa what her first tattoo could have been instead of the butterfly, “and they asked why I wanted what I wanted, and I told them why I wanted that one, and the artist suggested a butterfly instead.”
“Okay,” Marissa said, she leaned her head back again, “I think I want to get a tattoo too, I’m not sure of what yet.” She tapped her fingers against her leg, “So why did they suggest a butterfly?”
“It can be seen as rebirth, transformation, or like personal growth,” Alex said, “or at least I think that’s what the artist said.” She smiled and looked over at Marissa, “I think you should get one,” she said, “and if you figure out what you want to get, we can stop on the way back.”
-||-
Alex was glad that she had had Marissa with her; if she hadn’t, she wasn’t sure if she would have gotten all of the things she did from Jodie. She might not have managed to leave without Marissa. Jodie always seemed to push her buttons and knew what to say to make Alex feel smaller than she was, but somehow, Marissa knew how to deal with Jodie, and Alex couldn’t have been happier. There was just one thing missing now, the necklace. She was sure that Jodie had it, but she wasn’t sure where it would have been.
“Thank you for coming with me,” Alex said as she started the car. The sun had been starting to set, and the sky was turning red and orange. If you looked closer, there was purple too, and there were still a few hours before they would be back in Newport.
“It was nice to get away,” Marissa said, she felt the necklace in her hand, “when you get a chance, can you pull over?” Marissa bit down on her lip. She hoped that she hadn’t overstepped, but the look on Alex's face when she had talked about the necklaces, Marissa knew that they meant something, and she would make sure that Alex got them back.
“What’s up?” Alex asked, and she turned to face Marissa. There was something about the way that Marissa looked at her; she couldn’t say what it was, but it felt like something was changing in the air between them. Alex leaned forward, and she brushed a few strands of hair away from Marissa’s face.
Marissa swallowed and wrapped her hand around Alex’s wrist. She made sure to open Alex’s palm, and she held on to her hand, “I thought you might want this back,” Marissa said, as she dropped what she held on to in Alex’s hand.
Alex looked down at Marissa and had a small smile on her lips when she saw the necklace in her hand. She lifted it up and held it, and she watched the heart dangle in the air; it moved a bit as it hung in the air between them. “You know,” Alex began, and she unhooked the small hook, leaned forward, and put the necklace around Marissa’s neck. “You can have it,” she smiled at her. When she pulled back, their eyes locked, Alex licked her lips, and she was close to leaning forward, closing the small gap between them, but the moment was interrupted by the headlights of a car that drove in the other lane as it came closer.
The moment had passed, but the air was still charged between them, and Marissa didn’t know what to do, how to deal with what had been about to happen. She knew that she wouldn't have minded if Alex had kissed her. She raised her hand and pressed it against the heart pendant on the necklace, “You didn’t have to do that,” she whispered, her heart beat faster under her hand as she looked at Alex.
“After what you did earlier, you deserve it,” Alex replied and smiled at her. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, but it felt like she had just handed Marissa her heart on a platter, and she had no idea what Marissa would do with it.
“You know,” Marissa said and smiled at her, “I think I know what I want to get tattooed and where to get it.” It might be a bit of a rushed decision, but it felt like nothing could stop her, and she wanted to do it tonight.
“You do?” Alex asked; she hadn’t expected Marissa to be ready for the tattoo tonight, or even this month.
“Yes,” she said and smiled, “so if you know a place where I can get, let’s go, and then you’ll drive me home.”
“Sure,” Alex said, she glanced at Marissa, “I mean, we can wait, it's not like you’ll change your mind.”
“I want it tonight,” she said, “and it will be a reminder of our day, and it will be something I can have all the time.”
It all sounded good, and Alex didn’t mind; maybe she would get something herself, something small, but it all depended on whether they would get to the tattoo parlor and if they would have time. “So what are you getting?”
“It’s a surprise,” Marissa replied, “but I promise you’ll get to see it later, but I want to keep it to myself for now.”