"I owe you. I owe you patience and pushiness. I also need to make amends for interfering in Billie and Vero's relationship. I'm trying not to interfere," Domino added.
"Well, you could have fooled me with the protective older sister talk over breakfast with her this morning," Zoey said, rolling her eyes.
"Listen, I may be a year younger than you but I am very good at being your protective older sister when necessary," Domino said with a grin.
They settled on the couch and Sabrina walked back in with a very generous pour of wine.
"Okay, I just want to ask a few questions," Sabrina said, looking excited.
"You can ask, but it doesn't mean I'll answer them," Zoey said with a skeptical eyebrow raise, reaching for her La Croix and the bowl of peanut butter M&Ms.
"How did you meet?" Sabrina asked, her eyes wide with interest.
"At a party," Zoey said with a shrug.
"When did it start?" Sabrina asked.
"It?" Zoey asked, almost laughing.
"Yeah, the... tell me about your first kiss," Sabrina said, looking as though she might explode from the anticipation.
Ha, well, that they already knew. They all knew the song she had written about that kiss, about their first meeting.
"Wait, I have a theory," Domino interrupted.
Zoey's stomach somersaulted. Well, the cat was about to be out of the bag now. "Oh?"
"I think it started when we went on her show," Domino said. "You were hitting it off so well that day."
"Were we?" Zoey asked, raising a brow.
The flashback memory of seeing Pia again after months of thinking about her... Zoey's insides swirled at the mental image she had of that moment. How Pia's eyes said everything Zoey needed to hear. That their kiss wasn't going to be a one-time thing.
"Oh, maybe not?" Domino asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"I have a theory," Sabrina said proudly.
Zoey blinked, waiting to hear Sabrina's analytical mind had already concocted one of those conspiracy boards with the string and pictures.
"I think it was before the show," Sabrina said. "I could feel your chemistry the second you guys were in the same room together. I think something happened before that."
"Oh, good point," Domino said, her hand moving to Sabrina's knee as though to signal their unity.
"Do you guys just want me to tell you or is this more fun?" Zoey said, her brows knitting together.
"This is fun," Domino said. "This is the super fun part. The excitement and the newness."
"Shush, let her tell us," Sabrina said.
"You already know the whole story," Zoey said. "It's in the song."
Sabrina tilted her head, a confused look on her face.
"Oh my fuck—" Domino gasped, her eyes wide, her hand coming to cover her mouth.
"Midnight?" Sabrina asked.
Zoey nodded.
"You told us that song was about a mystery guy you met while being terribly bored at that party," Domino said.
Recognition dawned on Sabrina's face. "That makes perfect sense."
"Of course it makes sense, I wrote the song," Zoey said flatly.
"No, I mean, you were different after that. You wrote that song in like, what, an hour?" Sabrina said.
"Oh, good point, baby," Domino said to Sabrina. "You must have been very... inspired." Domino waggled her eyebrows.
Zoey laughed, rolling her eyes. "So, now you know. And I think I'm going to go to bed," she said.
"Oh, okay. Sure," Sabrina answered, getting to her feet and running upstairs past them. "I'll grab the extra pillow cases."
"Extra?" Zoey asked, glancing to Domino.
"She has to make sure they match the sheets on the bed," Domino said, shrugging.
"Wow," Zoey said. "Well, there are stranger compulsions, I guess."
"Like kissing strange women at parties?" Domino teased.
"You know what they say about glass houses," Zoey joked.
Domino reached out, taking Zoey's hand gently in hers. "Okay, I promise to only be serious for a moment, I should have seen it happening. I should have been there for you. You're one of my best friends, and this must be such a confusing time for you," she said.
Zoey's throat grew thick with emotion and she swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry as she willed herself not to tear up. She nodded, not knowing what to say.
"I love you, no matter what. I love you as the straight friend. I love you as the straight friend who had a fling with one of the sexiest lesbians alive. I love you as a bisexual friend. I love you as a label-less friend. I love you as a lesbian friend. No matter what you are going through and who you are at the other end of this, I love you, and I'm here for you," Domino said.
Tears began to slip down Zoey's face in earnest. "I don't know what I am," Zoey said. "I don't know how to figure it out."
Domino smiled. "Well, I don't know how to figure that out, either. I'm still figuring it out. Wouldn't it be so boring if we were never growing or evolving?"
Zoey sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Thanks, Domi," she said.
Domino reached, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm serious. You deserve someone who will make you feel like magic, and if Pia's that lucky, lucky person, what does gender or sexuality have to do with it?"
Zoey let her head rest on Domino's shoulder, wishing above anything, that taking her friend's advice was that easy.
"And also, I'm giving you the card for my new therapist. Sabrina has... encouraged me to start seeing her, and I think it might help you. No pressure. But the card is already in your purse," Domino said.
Zoey laughed, but the sound came out warbled with the other intense emotions battling inside her. "I didn't know you were seeing a therapist," she said, wiping at her face again.
"Sabrina's stance is that the world would be a lovelier place if we all just had a professional to sort out our feelings," Domino said.
Sabrina called from upstairs. "And I'm right!"
Zoey woke up to a missed call from their PR agency, two missed calls from Micah, three missed calls from Pia, and texts from Micah, Billie, and Pia.
She opened Pia's text first.
Pia: Hey, I'm at work all day, but I do want to talk to you about all of this. Call me anytime and I'll call you back as soon as Mark and Kelly allow it.
Zoey's brows snapped together in worry. Well, that was a cryptic message.
She opened Billie's text.
Billie: Hey babes, Micah is looking for you. Dom said you're at her place. I love you and we're all here for you no matter what.
Zoey shot up, a feeling of dread growing within her.
Micah: Call me when you get this.
A knock came on the door. "Zo, you up?" Domino's voice came through the door. "We have that Instagram Live thing today and I want to give you ample time to get ready."
"What's going on?" Zoey called to her, and Domino opened the door, looking confused.
Zoey held up her phone. "Why does Micah want to talk to me?"