Same But Different (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Four

"Damn, you're wet, Yuri," Sasha's voice resonated in the dimly lit room, dripping with sultry intent. It was a voice that stirred something primal deep within Yuri, so different from her own. She moaned against the wall, breath hitching in anticipation as a daring hand slid between her trembling thighs. "Sasha," she gasped, barely managing to push the name past her lips. "Yes, baby, I'm right here," Sasha purred, her whispers lacing through the air like sweet poison, perfectly timed with the teasing thrusts of her fingers. "I'm not going anywhere until you finish," she promised, the seductive echo of her voice wrapping around Yuri like a warm embrace. Yuri's breath quickened, and with a gasp, she surrendered to the rush, spiraling into ecstasy as she reached her peak. 

Her eyes shot open, heart racing as she startled upright in bed. A shiver crawled down her spine as she felt the dampness between her legs. It was a dream. A vivid dream of her and Sasha. What the fuck. What the fuck!

The events of last night were still blurry, but one thing was clear: Yuri was officially curious. The nagging questions in her mind refused to fade, and they lingered in every thought, every conversation with Jason.

What she felt wasn't convenient, nor was it easy to ignore. Not that her judgment had been great lately, but what had happened with Whitney in that closet—how she'd responded to Whitney's touch—wasn't something she could just brush off. The fact that she'd been imagining her alter doing those things to her made it all the more confusing. But more than that, it felt wrong. And it was even worse because, in Yuri's mind, Sasha would never be interested in her. Not after everything Yuri had put her through.

"Why her?" Yuri buried her face in her hands, feeling the weight of the question. Maybe it had been the heat of the moment, maybe because Sasha had been there for her—always there, protecting her, even when she didn't deserve it. The thought of that made her stomach twist. "She should hate me," Yuri murmured under her breath.

Six months. Six months had passed since Sasha first entered her life. "It's been six months..." Yuri whispered again, realizing how much had changed in that time. Six months ago, she'd had no true friend, no one who understood her, and she'd been lost, heartbroken, and completely hardened by life. She had been a mess, pushing everyone away, including Belle.

Yuri snapped back to reality, the weight of her thoughts grounding her in the present. She needed someone now, more than ever. She needed Belle. The person who had known her longest, who had seen her at her lowest. But she'd pushed Belle away so completely that it hardly seemed fair to reach out now. The guilt was suffocating. Still, Belle was the only one who would understand.

Without thinking twice, Yuri opened her laptop. Her fingers moved quickly, as if they had a mind of their own, searching for Belle's whereabouts. Facebook. She clicked on Belle's profile without a second thought.

"Guess Sasha got here first..." Yuri thought bitterly, glancing over the recent pictures Belle had posted. Coffee, sunsets, the Eiffel Tower. 

"Geez, show off much?" Yuri muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as she scrolled. Even though she needed Belle, the thought of Belle and Sasha infuriated her. But then she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. There it was. A picture of Belle with another girl. They were holding hands, looking closer than anyone should.

Yuri froze. Shit.

She had been so wrapped up in her own turmoil that she hadn't even thought to ask Sasha how she was doing. And now, this—finding this picture—would break Sasha's heart. After all, they shared a history. Yuri hadn't even been there for Sasha, not in the way she needed.

A message popped up in the corner of the screen, and Yuri clicked it, her curiosity piqued. It was a link to a dating website.

"Find your perfect female partner here at www.findyourmatch.com/. We match your interests and help you find 'the one'."

Yuri blinked, trying to process what she was seeing. Sasha had created an account? Online dating? Sasha?

"Why would she do this?" Yuri thought, bewildered, her mind racing.

"Because I was lonely." The voice pierced through her, so clear that it almost felt like Sasha was standing right behind her.

It was Sasha's profile. Her details were there—her likes, interests—and to Yuri's surprise, four girls had already liked her profile, wanting to connect.

"Pfft, let's see who's interested in Sasha," Yuri murmured under her breath.

"Emily Watson, 18. Loves pets, wants to be a veteran. So cliché..." Yuri clicked delete, almost laughing in disbelief.

"Mindy K. Jones, 18. Loves making others smile, wants to be a singer. Ugh, no way." Delete.

"Okay, who else is there?" Yuri clicked again, scanning the profiles.

"Penelope Mason. She looks like your type." A voice spoke.

Yuri froze, a chill running down her spine. She turned around to find Jason standing behind her, his arms crossed, his gaze amused.

"How long have you been standing there?" Yuri asked, her voice thick with nerves. She didn't know how to handle this conversation.

Jason grinned. "I was going to surprise you, but looks like you surprised me first. Your mom let me in," he said, walking over and sitting down beside her.

"I'm not going to bite, Yuri. I promise," Jason said kindly. His sincerity cut through her walls, but she still wasn't sure she could trust anyone, not with what she was going through.

"It's not what you think," Yuri replied quickly, feeling defensive.

"Then what is it?" Jason raised an eyebrow, glancing at the laptop screen. "Because it sure looks like you're trying to find a girlfriend."

Yuri slammed the lid of her laptop shut, desperately trying to change the subject. "I'm still not sure, Jason. I can't even wrap my head around this whole thing."

Jason gave her a warm, understanding smile. "Let me help you, okay? Bi-curious 101. The key to realization is always communication."

He scooted over, took her seat, and opened the website again. This time, it wasn't logged into Sasha's account. Yuri let out a breath of relief, but she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Jason, ever the impatient one, immediately started typing.

"Name: Riley Smith. Age: 18."

"Riley Smith?" Yuri shot him a look, her face scrunching up in disbelief. "Really?"

Jason shrugged. "Since you're not comfortable using your real name, we'll go with a decoy."

Yuri shook her head, her mind racing. "I don't want an account on this site, Jason. It makes me look stupid."

"Alright, alright," Jason said with a playful grin. "Interests: Sports, books, girls, having fun..."

"That's the exact opposite of who I am," Yuri interrupted, but Jason wasn't listening. He was already typing faster than she could process.

"What do you look for in a partner?" Jason murmured, filling in the answer for her. "Someone who shares my interests and really wants to know the true me."

Yuri rolled her eyes. "You know, if I wrote about who I really am, nobody would want to message me."

Jason chuckled. "Exactly. That's why we're doing this."

When he clicked "Enter," Yuri's heart sank. She was now officially on a lesbian dating site, seeking out potential partners. The reality of the situation was hitting her hard. She wasn't sure how to feel about it.

She had taunted Sasha for her sexuality for so long, and now here she was, in the same position. It was ironic, but it was also terrifying. She didn't know who to turn to for guidance. I guess having Jason around, is not bad, she thought to herself.

Yuri had too much on her plate already, but now, her own sexuality felt like the biggest problem of all. She didn't know what to make of it, and she wasn't sure how to move forward. The only thing she knew for certain was that it wasn't something she could ignore any longer.

Jason's support meant everything to her, but her pride and the mess she had made of everything still held her back. She had no answers—no easy path forward—but somehow, Yuri knew she'd find a way. 

She had to.