My Next Door Love

Waiting for the taxi to come to a complete stop, Hannah ran her hands through her hair. She sighed, "It feels weird being home after so long". Handing the money to the driver, Hannah gathered her bags and made her way to the main apartment buildings door. 

Finally reaching her apartment door inside, Hannah fumbled for her keys and unlocked the door, and calling out for her girlfriend Oliva whom she regularly called Liv. "Liv are you home? Liv?". 

Walking around the apartment she noticed that the place was unusually messy with clothes strewn around and all over the floor. Hannah frowned. Liv was usually a neat freak constantly nagging Hannah to clean up either one of her messes or her gear off of the floor. 

Hannah began to hear soft noises coming from their shared bedroom in their apartment. "What the hell?". Hannah opened the bedroom door and was immedately hit with instant regret. 

Hannah saw her girlfriend currently in a mess of tangled limbs with another woman, naked in their bed. 

"Liv! What the hell?!" Hannah screamed. 

Startled, Oliva jumped up and threw a blanket over herself. "Hannah you're home early! I thought you wern't supposed to be home for another six months?!". 

Hannah fumed. "What. The. Fuck. Liv." 

The other woman stood up angry and naked. "Who are YOU?"

"I'm her girlfriend. This is our apartment. Who are you?" Hannah nearly yelled.

"I'm Casey, Oliva's girlfriend or at least I thought I was." The woman glared at Oliva. 

"Liv, seriously?" Hannah snapped.

Oliva stood there red in the face like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar before dinner.

"So much for the engagement then." Hannah didn't even hesitate. She quickly grabbed her bags and slammed the front door locking it then throwing the key under the front door. 

Sliding down the wall Hannah fought back tears. It wasn't supposed to be like this. This was her fourth failed relationship within the last five years. When was it going to be her turn to be married and happy like her sisters?

Just then a door across the hall opened and a dusty blonde haired woman poked her head out of the doorway. "Oh hello there, I heard some banging are you alright?"

"Well I came home after a deployment and found out that my girlfriend was cheating on me. I should of known better." Hannah weakly smiled. 

"Well soldier, my name is Grace and you sitting there is most definitely not a proper homecoming. Would you like to come inside?" Grace offered.

"Actually that sounds nice, Would it be alright if I brought my bags with me?" Hannah asked. 

Grace nodded and stepped aside while Hannah brought her bags with her into Grace's apartment. 

"You can set your bags by the front door, While you do that could I offer you a glass of wine?" Grace smiled. 

Hannah's mood instantly brightened. "That sounds like an offer I couldn't refuse."

Grace nodded and headed into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine from her wine rack. 

"Thank you for your hospitality and for the drink I greatly appreciate it." Hannah smiled.

Hannah joined Grace on the couch in the living room. 

"I do apologize, I don't even think I told you my name. It's Hannah Stanford." Hannah apologized. "I usually have better manners than that."

Grace smiled.

"Well to be fair you've had a pretty shitty day honestly I don't blame you."

The two women smiled at one another and began to talk about nearly everything and anything they could think of. Pretty soon the hours had seemed to fly by and before they knew it, when Hannah looked up it was dark outside.

Grace broke the silence between them. "I know it's late and that we've somehow managed to drink two full bottles of wine but I was going to ask if you'd like to stay the night?" "That way you don't have to worry about trying to find somewhere to sleep for the night."

Hannah chewed her lip and thought about Grace's offer. Then smiled. "Hey why not? It's not like I have any other plans."

And so she stayed.