“Don’t Tell Me Twice”: Chapter Twenty-One

Weeks had passed since their concert in Seattle, and for the first time since she went on tour, Ziggy felt comfortable. She had gotten used to the everyday activities of the band and had even built closer relationships with Spike and Jemma. The drama that Olive had caused was long gone, and since then, Ziggy hadn’t heard from Viola. During this time, Buck seemed to have recovered from the chaos that Olive had caused and her and Ziggy had become the best of friends. They had yet to fully discuss the night of intimacy that they had shared, and Ziggy was careful to put a wall up around Buck when it seemed like they were growing too close so that she didn’t leave her heart unguarded.

Ziggy knew how she felt about the other woman. Her strong feelings hadn’t dissipated, but she promised herself to be patient and wait for Buck to completely heal before anything progressed with their relationship. She also thought that communication was important between them, and that’s why she had been waiting in the small, no-name diner for the other woman for the last ten minutes. Ziggy looked out the window, wondering where Buck could be. The other woman had insisted on taking her out to breakfast, and since the bus was parked so close to the diner, Buck’s absence was worrying her.

“Hi,” Buck’s voice said, and Ziggy turned around to look at the other woman.

“You’re late,” Ziggy said, teasing the other woman by tapping her watch.

“I know,” Buck replied apologetically. “Olive called me from the rehabilitation center, and I had promised to support her while she was going through treatment.”

“How’s she doing?” Ziggy asked, hoping the other woman was doing well. She had seen Olive at her worst, and she wouldn’t wish ill will on anyone that was trying to turn their life around.

“Good,” Buck said. “She said that she is almost finished with the program.”

“Good,” Ziggy said, taking a sip from her water. “So, I’m assuming that you had a reason for inviting me to breakfast.”

“Can’t a woman just ask another woman to breakfast without having a reason?” Buck joked.

“No,” Ziggy smiled. “What’s up?”

Buck looked at her for a moment and took a deep breath. “I have noticed how great things have been going between the two of us, and I wanted to know if you would be willing to give us another chance.”

Ziggy began to answer, but as she did, the waitress came to take their order. The two became temporarily distracted during this time and immediately got caught up in small talk about their menu choices. While this was going on, Ziggy took time to reflect on the last few months that she had spent with Buck. She was happier than she had been in a long time, and the other woman had brought an added sense of companionship to her life. Finally, Ziggy addressed Buck’s question again. “You want to try again?”

“Yeah,” Buck blushed. “I still have feelings for you.”

“Well, you better mean it this time,” Ziggy replied. “Don’t tell me that twice and expect me to stick around when you take it back.”

“I do mean it,” Buck said with a serious look.

Ziggy looked at the other woman, noting the sincerity in her eyes. “I have feelings for you too,” Ziggy replied, feeling vulnerable as the words escaped her lips.

“So, does that mean that we can try again?” Buck inquired, clearly nervous at this point.

“On one condition,” Ziggy said. “We need to start from the beginning.”

“Okay,” Buck agreed, extending her hand.

“What are you doing?” Ziggy laughed.

“Introducing myself,” Buck replied. “My name’s Buck. What’s yours?”

“I’m Ziggy,” she said, shaking her head at the other woman. They both laughed, and Ziggy looked into Buck’s dark blue eyes. “Maybe, we don’t have to go that far back.”

Buck laughed, and the two jumped into deep conversation, discussing past events, the present, and even the future. Ziggy watched Buck as they spoke, taking in every aspect of her beauty. She was in love, and though she knew it would take time for things to grow between the two of them, she knew that Buck was worth the wait.

Thank you!

I really appreciate that you took the chance to read my book, and I love being able to share my writing with you. I’ve been able to craft several novellas and a few novels since I began in 2015 and have had the opportunity to communicate with several readers since then. If it weren’t for readers like you, I wouldn’t be where I am today, so I am thankful that you took a chance on my work.

Also by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

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To the Beat of Their Own Drum

Finding a Voice

A Fan to Remember

Aspiring Affection

A Stepping Stone

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1–2

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 3–4

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 5–7

The Jems and Jamz Series Boxset

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ความรู้สึกถึงหัวใจ

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दिल को भाव

心への感情

두 번 말하지 마세요

Älä kerro kahdesti

İki Kere Söyleme

Moenie my twee keer vertel nie

Vertel het me niet twee keer

لا تقل لي مرتين

Не говори мне дважды

別告訴我兩次

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Eine zweite Chance

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Watch for more at Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue’s site.