Spider's Sting
I own nothing except the air I breathe.
The alarm clock started ringing when 7:30 clicked onto the screen. Lena immediately slammed her hand on the off switch before leaping out of bed. The covers were still in the air as she raced across the room to burst through the double window pane. Lena hung the top half of her body over the threshold and took a deep breath of fresh air. This was her favorite part of the day: still groggy enough that she believed she was flying through the skies. The excitement made her heart beat. She felt alive. Crossing her arms and using them as a pillow, Lena gazed off into the horizon to greet the bright orange sun beginning to shimmer over the horizon. She looked back to the bed with a childish grin on her face. "Emily, come have a look. It's a beautiful day!" Usually, a pillow came crashing at her face before the redhead would twist herself deeper into the soft blankets. Unlike her lover, Emily was not a morning person. Lena's head tilted in confusion at the passive silence. She leapt onto the bed to rouse her girlfriend. "Oi, Emmmily! Time to wake up! Emily?" The brown-haired girl searched through the mass of sheets until she realized that the other girl was nowhere in sight. She felt a stroke of panic jolt through her chest. Hearing a groan nearby, the young woman bounded for the bathroom. She didn't bother knocking before bursting through the door. "Emily?"
The stench of vomit pricked Lena's nose. It stopped her for a moment before she rushed to her lover's side. Emily was sitting on the floor next to the toilet, her hair pulled back in an unruly ponytail. "Hey, Sweetie. I think I caught the flu that was going around."
"No worries, Love." Lena fetched a glass from the sink and filled it with water. Emily graciously accepted it. "How long have you been in here?"
"I don't know, maybe an hour?" She reached backwards with a shaky hand to put the empty glass back on the counter. "You should probably stay back a little. I don't want you catching this."
"Bollocks. No man left behind, I always say." Lena carefully lifted her arm over her shoulder and started directing her to the couch.
"We're both girls…and you never say that." Emily weakly giggled. She immediately put a hand over her mouth. Lena stopped dead in her tracks. The two of them panicked for a moment before Emily swallowed hard. The brown-haired girl sighed in relief before continuing their quest. She slowly leaned her girlfriend on the couch, running around the small apartment gathering up a small garbage can, a clean comforter, water and a bottle of 7-UP they were lucky enough to have. "Before you say it, I'm fine and you should go to work."
Lena paused in front of the toaster. "I can take a day off for this."
The toast popped up. "We can't afford for both of us to skip work this month. I swear I'm better than I was two hours ago. And," she started playing sheepishly pulling at a loose thread on the comforter, "I don't want you to see me when I'm all gross like this."
Lena's face suddenly appeared in front of her own. She gave her a quick peck on the forehead before pulling back. "Only if you're sure." She placed a small plate of toast on the coffee table before handing her the remote. Emily blushed at the warm feeling in her stomach combating the aches. "You sure you're not just pregnant?" Lena called from the bedroom. Emily immediately threw an extra pillow at her face. The chipper girl blocked it by slamming the door shut in a fit of giggles. Lena appeared a few minutes later wearing her barista uniform: a pair of black pants that modestly showed off her curves and a bright yellow polo. She propped the pillow under Emily's feet. "Give me a ring if you get any worse. You need anything while I'm out?"
Emily glared at the toast in front of her, weighing her options. "Maybe some crackers? I feel like they'd go down easier." Lena gave her another grin, blowing her a kiss. She was almost out the front door before Emily called out to her. "It's going to rain later. Don't forget your coat."
Lena darted back inside to grab her weatherproof overcoat. "Thanks, Love. Don't know what I'd do without you. I love you, bye." Emily watched her run out the door and heard the lock click an instant later. Laying back, she once again wondered how anyone could be that energetic even without any coffee. She felt her stomach lurch again.
The twenty-six-year-old ran down the stairs floor by floor, greeting any of her neighbors she saw as she passed: Mr. Green rattling his doorknob to make sure his door was locked, Linda getting ready for her morning jog and Mrs. Krepes while scolding her children for trying to play hooky from school. When she reached the last flight of stairs, she took the first six before leaping over the rest to the lobby below. She stopped for an instant to pet the Thomson's cat sitting on the front steps. The sun was out in full force now, unabated by the dark clouds that were already starting to gather in the western sky. Lena basked in the glorious morning, jogging her way across town to the business district. She stopped by a convenience store to grab an apple and an energy drink before her jog turned into a full-blown sprint. The young woman always enjoyed pushing her body to its limits. It made her feel like she wasn't living with any regrets. Checking her phone, she chirped in surprise at the time. It was going to be close today. Rounding the final corner, Lena did a baseball slide into the café, leapt over the counter and clocked in a few seconds before 8:31. "Yeah!" She began cheering to herself, tying on her apron. Clair, one of the bakers who had opened the door at the sight of her approach, could only stare at her in bored amazement.
"You do know that there's this great new invention called the bus?" She relocked the front door, so no customers could sneak in before nine.
"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Lena dabbed her forehead with a few napkins. "Nothing like a good run to get yourself pumped up for work."
Clair started heading back to the small kitchen. "Working out before you come to actual work make no sense at all." She let out a yawn. "I'm lucky I can drag my ass out of bed at all."
"Just gotta get your metabolism working, Love. You'll have so much energy you can run for miles."
Clair started pushing croissants and muffins out of the small window for Lena to set up for display. She took a long whiff of the fresh smell of the various pastries. "If that were true we'd be out of a job, Lena. That's why we're so busy in the morning." She glared at the other girl practically drooling over her morning's labor. "Are you even listening? Those are for the customers!"
"S'all right, lazy bones, nothing bad could possibly happen on a morning like this one."
Time slowly ticked away for Clair while it only sped up for Lena. The young woman zipped across the back of the counter, taking multiple orders at once so she could fill them out faster. Clair swore it almost looked like there were four of her running around at times. It didn't bother her, though. No one wanted to take the morning shifts besides the two of them and, if she didn't need to leave the kitchen, she could leave Lena by herself until reinforcements came in near lunchtime. The younger girl would actually give her pep talks as she called out orders for any of the pastries that were getting low. Lena's enthusiasm and fast-pace lifestyle did at least make the day seem like it was going faster. Sure enough, Lena called out "The carvery's here!" before either of them realized it was noon. It was Clair's signal to take her last break while Lena got her first one. It took two baristas to cover Lena as the mild brunch crowd was replaced by the lunch rush. The two of them sat in the small break room making small talk, drinking (what else?) coffee and snacking on the bread that Clair had accidentally burned near the edges. After just a few minutes, Lena stood up and stretched. "Bout time to get back out there."
Clair looked at her phone. "Are you nuts? It's been like five minutes at best." She sighed into her cup. "You keep this up you're going to crash sooner or later."
She could only giggle in response. "Emily's a bit under the weather. I gotta get outta here ASAP to take care of her. May only take half a lunch while I'm at it."
Clair could only sigh deeper. "Why can't I find a guy like you?"
"Trick is not to find a guy." She winked. "Cheers!" Lena returned to the front lines, cleaning tables and bussing the trays and mugs left on top of the trash bins. She made a move to turn but nearly crashed into another person. "Sorry, Mate." A mug slipped out of her grip. She watched it descend in slow motion before a hand shot out to snare it before it hit the ground. The figure she bumped into gracefully stood up to her full height. Lena's heart nearly stopped. A pair of golden-brown eyes met her own.
"Careful now, Cherie." Amelie took a step closer to Lena. She could feel the softness of the French woman's skin as she returned the mug to her outstretched finger. She was wearing her usual business attire, tanned stockings under a tight black skirt that stopped right above her knees and a purple button-down shirt, opened just enough to show her impressive cleavage but still remain professional. For being in her early thirties, she had the toned body of someone ten years younger than herself. Lena knew it with intimate detail. She looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Lena suddenly felt ashamed of her unruly hair and the smell of her abused antiperspirant. "You don't want to break anything would you?"
"W-Amelie? When did you get back in town? I thought you had to go back home for two years? The company needing you there more than here?"
Her black hair was kept in a long, sharp ponytail. It swung around like a light whip as she walked around Lena, admiring the sights Great Britain had to offer. Her long heels clicked sharply with every step she took. "Well," she purposely began, speaking just outside of the other girl's blind spot, "What a man was supposed to do in two years I managed in eight months. You are looking…stressed. Is something the matter?" Her voice was soft, drawn out like a silken sheet running over a naked body. Lena had to suppress a shiver.
"Oh. No…I've been working a lot lately. Keeping busy, ya know?" The pile of dishes in her arms suddenly felt very heavy. The energetic woman's normally chipper personality had frozen in an instant. She was now the shy, awkward girl she had been growing up. Amelie always had that effect on her. From the first moment they met, she felt completely powerless, nearly ashamed to have such an exotic beauty speaking to a rugged tomboy as herself. "I…I met someone." Lena didn't know why it was so important to say that all of a sudden. It was a natural conversation topic, but Amelie gave her a look like she had just served her the wrong expresso.
With a blink of an eye, her smile returned, slightly stiffer than before. "Is that so, Cherie? I shouldn't be surprised. You are quite the charmer after all." She slid a finger down from Lena's wrist to the end of her pinky. "With such strong hands. What was her name again? We met briefly at that get together last March did we not?"
"That's not really import-" Amelie traced her finger back up Lena's finger. She finally shivered, goosebumps covering her body from the other woman's electric touch.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Of course, it's important. Any girl good enough for you deserves a name."
Lena unconsciously started looking at the floor, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "E-E- It's Emily."
"A beautiful name." Amelie practically purred. "Somewhat familiar, no?" Lena felt her stomach drop. She wanted to protest that it was just a coincidence, but her voice refused to make a sound. She felt one of those silken fingertips hook under her jaw. Despite having the equivalent of an "office job," the older woman kept herself in excellent shape, participating in exotic yoga classes that made her as strong as she was flexible. Many overconfident men learned the hard way that the petite hourglass figure was actually a front for a body of pure muscle. She forced Lena's head upwards until their eyes met once again. "Why won't you look at me?"
The younger girl started biting her lip. She wanted to look away, but Amelie's strong fingers kept her in place. "I don't know. We're really busy right now and I have Emily and…things didn't really work out too well last time, did they?"
A fingertip slid up to press Lena's lips together. Amelie began shushing her with a soulful tone. "I know, it's alright. We have many unresolved issues, you and I? I can tell by your body language. If I did not know better, I'd say you were almost afraid of me." Amelie's hand slid along Lena's jawline to cup her cheek. And then tickle down her neck. "You're still wearing it." She fingered the intricate necklace around Lena's neck. It was the Valentine's Day gift Amelie had given her after their first year together. A strong silver necklace long enough to rest between Lena's modest cleavage. It had a blue jewel at its core, surrounded by three layers of shimmering silver circles that rotated on different axes. When they were all in motion, it made the blue stone to flicker with the small reflections passing over it. Lena was known to absent-mindedly play with it when she was deep in thought…usually about her own self-doubts. The necklace had slid out from behind her apron somehow in the chaos of her darting about the coffee shop. Amelie chose to tuck in inside the other woman's shirt instead. It felt icy cold against Lena's flesh. She shivered once again. "I also would like to get some things off my chest." She produced a keycard and slid it into Lena's front pocket. "I'm in room 719 of the Overlook on Broad Street. Please come by…to talk. Perhaps we can obtain some closure together." The normally chipper girl attempted to open her mouth, but a slender finger pressed against her lips once again. "There's no need to say anything now. Think about it." She started walking towards the door. Her hips swung melodically, practically hypnotizing Lena into a stunned trance. "Adieu, Cherie."
The hours passed, leaving Lena in a dizzy spell as her body went about her duties completely on autopilot. Before she knew it, she was hitting the time clock and putting on her overcoat. Black clouds had been steadily engulfing the skyline. The light pitter-patter of rain had already started drizzling down. Lena looked down at her phone. It was still relatively early, for her anyway, so she went through the glass doors and ran the opposite direction of her and Emily's apartment building. Broad Street was only a few blocks away. Amelie would probably get tin trouble if she didn't return her key. Besides, Lena had always wanted to peek inside the Overlook. The light drizzle had transformed into a downpour by the time she reached the mild skyscraper. The man at the front desk shot her a disapproving look as she charged inside, practically bringing the storm in with her.
"This is a private establishment, Miss. You'll have to wait out the weather outside."
Huffing, she walked right up to the desk and pulled out the keycard. "I'm expected. And no I'm not a hooker." She raised her eyebrows, silently daring him to challenge her.
He could only shrug his shoulders. His meticulous suit didn't even wrinkle in the slightest. "Elevator is in the back."
"Cheers." She grinned before turning away, puffing out her cheeks in a quiet raspberry. She hesitated at the threshold. Her hand drew back. 'I'm just going to hear her out, wait out the rain and then go home. No muss, no fuss no chicken butts.' Lena punched the call button, ignoring the quiet huff that came from the front desk. Stepping into an elevator nicer then her apartment, Lena made a mental note to actually look around the lobby before she left, possibly putting her butt on as many things as she could before the wanker behind the desk could throw her out. Lena jumped in place and shook out her hands. The soft music playing over the speakers somehow made her more anxious instead of relaxed. The bell rang. The elevator stopped. The young woman stepped into the lavish carpet. She almost felt guilty letting the salty mix of sweat and rainwater dribble all over it. She pinched her cheek. It was better to get it over with quick, like ripping off a band-aid. She marched straight to door 719. She didn't even pause before rapping her knuckles against the polished wood.
"Yes?" Amelie called out.
"It's me."
"You brought the key, yes? Come in, Cherie."
Lena attempted to fix the wild mass that was her hair before dropping the card into the slot. The door opened without so much as a squeak. She couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her. Most of the hotel rooms she had crashed in could barely hold two people, she never imagined a hotel room like this where someone could park four cars without even noticing they were there. The first room was full of plush chairs and couches that were positioned around a large TV with an intricate desk tucked in the corner by a series of large windows. To her right was an adjoining bedroom behind a wall that could be retracted by a switch on the wall. The bed, itself, could easily house five people comfortably. If not, one or two people could curl up inside the walk-in closet. 'How can people afford to live here for over a week at a time?' The room smelled of Amelie's overbearing perfume. Lena could never pronounce it: La Soie D'araignée? "Spider's Silk" in the Queen's English. The only thing she could remember was how it always overwhelmed her senses before leaving her in a drunken trance of ecstasy. Lena had brief image of Amelie dancing around in her underwear spraying a $200 bottle everywhere before she could even think to sit down. The image caused her to stifle a laugh…then a blush. Amelie had opted to lay on one of the plush couches with her laptop instead of the desk. She finished typing something and then looked up with a grin.
"It's is homey, yes?" Lena didn't know if the older woman was making fun of her or not. In the absence of all other knowledge, Lena stood awkwardly by the doorframe. Amelie seemed to read the seriousness in the air. She let out a sigh and a brief pause. "Things didn't really work out well when you left me, did they?" She closed the laptop and tossed it on the cushion next to her. She was wearing a lavender silken robe that flowed like a current as she stood. Her hips swayed as she slowly closed the distance between them. She picked up the damp overcoat before tossing it on the heater by the window. She flicked a few loose droplets from Lena's hair. "We have a few…explanations we owe one another."
Lena gently nudged Amelie's hand away, giving the older woman a chance to take her hand in her own. "I remember you constantly being away on business trips. Insisting I don't need to work or get my hands dirty. That I stay inside to be your pretty little housewife, your pretty little secret."
"I wanted to take care of you. To take care of us. I hated being away from you for so long. Leaving you alone while I attained business conferences, rubbed elbows with filth and smiled at fancy parties where old men tried to grope me. My old boss never wanted to spoil our company's image by letting me bring you along." The corner of her lips tucked higher into her cheeks. "But all that is different now. There was a…resignation and now I am in a position of unshakable power. We can finally have the life we always wanted, out of the shadows."
Lena pulled her arm back. "Amelie. You know what we had was special. No one can replace what we had. But…but…things are different now. I have Emily. Money can be a bit tight sometimes, but we manage. We work together for our comfortable existence. We make an effort to see one another every day. And we don't keep any secrets."
"Oh? I'm surprised she let you come here so easily with our past." Lena visibly twitched. "She does not know? You said you keep no secrets."
"I-she. Well, you surprised me. I didn't wanna worry her. She's a bit under the weather."
Amelie turned around, her hips sharply pivoting as she walked back to the couch. She stopped after a few steps, turning her head back. Her robe shifted slightly, exposing a bare shoulder. "So, you purposely went out of your way to come here, in the pouring rain, did not simply drop the card downstairs and leave. You came all the way up to see me. And still you remain." She made a slow motion in front of her body. Lena froze. She stared bug-eyed as Amelie raised her arms and shoulders to drop her robe. Instead, she relaxed her upper body before fixing the material back over her pale flesh. She licked her lips. The younger woman suddenly realized the position she was in. Her entire body was quivering with the erratic pounding of her heartbeat, sweat was pouring down her neck and her stomach had curled in a knot. She was suddenly out of breath.
"I- can I use your bathroom?"
"Of course." A, long, elegant finger pointed to a door inside the bedroom. Lena practically ran to it. She whipped her gaze back to find Amelie staring hungrily at her ass. Amelie shot her attention back up Lena's eyes, letting out a pleasant grunt before the younger woman dashed through the door.
Two tanned hands gripped the edges of the porcelain sink. Lena immediately turned on the cold water before splashing her face. Turning off the water, she had no choice but to lift her head upwards. Her face was unrecognizable. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked out of breath. There was a slight cloudiness over her eyes. 'Less than six hours.' She thought to herself. 'She's been back in my life for less than six hours and I look like a horny schoolgirl again.' Lena had never really admitted it out loud, but sex with Emily was incredibly dull. No, that wasn't entirely correct. Emily tried, she really did, but they always ended up in one of two positions doing the same routine over and over again. Amelie, on the other hand, was a sex goddess. She was spontaneous, adaptive and had constantly surprised Lena with something new. The two of them had amassed a wardrobe department worth of lingerie and costumes that Lena didn't have time to go through the night she had left. She still couldn't buy girl scout cookies without turning red. Life was a hot mess with Amelie, but Emily offered her warmth and stability. 'What the fuck are you doin here, Love?' She set her jaw. She couldn't look back. Not anymore. She steadied her nerves. It was time to put Amelie in the past…and maybe get her to ship her sexy girl scout uniform to the apartment.
Marching out of the bathroom, she was finally ready to put her foot down. "Listen up, Amelieeeeeeeeeeeeeee." Her voice trailed off.
The older woman lay on the bed in a classic Venus position. She had Lena's overcoat draped over her pale body and her favorite purple teddy. The offending material could barely be called a teddy, being comprised of vibrant strings and a few pieces of sheer fabric that made the lingerie's basic shape. Her round breasts, luscious ass and shaven pussy were completely exposed. Lena could smell her wetness from across the room. "Yes, Cherie?" Lena whimpered. It wasn't fair. Her resolve began crumbling like a paper boat in the rain. All she could do was point at her coat while pouting, hoping she could just make it out of the room with her dignity intact. "Oh, this? I thought I would help dry it with my body heat. No need to thank me. I know how generous I am." Lena didn't trust her mouth, so she continued to whimper lightly. "You want it back?" She nodded her head. "Come take it, then."
Lena let out an uncharacteristic roar as she pounced Amelie, hoping to catch the other woman off guard. She was met with her overcoat being thrown into her face. Lena had forgotten: Amelie was never off guard. She took full advantage of her being off balance by pulling her on the bed. She rolled onto her back, linking her legs around Lena's neck and forcing her face in her pussy. Lena tried to pull away. Amelie dug her fingertips into the back of Lena's skull. The smell of the pale woman's musk was starting to drive Lena crazy. Each time she was forced back inside, her strength began to fade. 'Fuck.' Her eyes fluttered shut. The temptation had overcome everything else. Lena relaxed her muscles, actually wrapping her arms around Amelie's thighs so she could get a better angle. A moan escaped form full lips as Lena's tongue went to work fluttering across her clit. She knew that there was no need for foreplay, she was practically drinking Amelie's juices from the moment her mouth touched her folds. She could feel the older woman coming close. She gasped suddenly before pushing Lena away. Despite crashing to the other side of the mattress, Lena couldn't help but smirk. It had been a while since her tongue had gotten a good workout, but she had almost made Amelie cum in record time.
There was no time to celebrate. Amelie had leapt on her like a jungle cat, circling her body around before Lena had time to move. She pinned her arms around her legs, leaving her pussy a few inches from Lena's face. The younger girl was breathless. "Something, wrong there, Love?" She was trying to be smooth. To make Amelie believe that she wasn't as infatuated as they both knew she was. Amelie merely grunted at Lena's sudden barrage on her pussy. She had wanted to make this last, but the barista had almost made her cum faster than a man. It vexed her. And made her even hotter. Amelie had peeled Lena's pants off in an instant. The younger woman's own wetness betrayed her, making her longing for Amelie obvious for them both to see. Holding Lena's soaked panties over her shoulder, Amelie smiled triumphantly before flinging them across the room. She immediately leaned down to start eating the brunette's pussy. The electric feel of the other woman's tongue caused her to shriek with pleasure. Regaining her composure, Lena's competitive spirit refused to let her give in that easily. She craned her neck to bring her mouth back up to Amelie's swollen lips. The two women continued to suck and lick the other's folds. Their moans only vibrated their tongues and further increased their ferocity. The race between them became a frenzy of forcing pleasure on the other rather than accepting mutual pleasure.
"BLOODY FUCKIN 'ELL!" The tug of war finally ended with Lena's climax. Amelie was quietly chuckling to herself when she rolled off the other woman's slim frame. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! Piss…" Lena's string of curses trailed off. They both fought to catch their breaths. Sweat covered their bodies. Lena became captivated watching the beads of sweat rolling down Amelie's large, heaving chest. Long, spiderlike fingertips reached out to intertwine with strong, callused ones. Amelie raised Lena's hand. She began playing with her fingertips. Lena ran her free hand through her untamed mane. The weight of her day was finally catching up to her. Sore muscles called her heavy eyelids to fall shut. Amelie bit into one of her fingertips.
Lena's eyes shot back open. Reality hit her like a sledgehammer. She sat up straight, looking around to find a clock. "What's the time? Piss!" She leapt out of bed to scrounge around for her clothes. Amelie's expression was unreadable. She let the hand that had been holding Lena's flop down to the mattress. Twisting around in the sheets, she let out an annoyed moan. Lena looked up at her with her eyes wide open. Amelie merely gazed over her forehead through narrow slits. She didn't have to say a word. Her wide smirk spoke volumes that the younger woman wasn't ready to read. She'd fucked up. She broke her promise. Let an old flame play her while her current lover was home with her head in a toilet. Tears started to spill down Lena's cheeks. She hated everything: her job, her desires, Amelie, the jerk in the lobby, the rain…but, most of all, she loather herself. Amelie turned onto her stomach. The venomous look was gone. It was replaced with one that almost looked sincere. She held out a hand. For a moment, Lena reached out to grab it. Their flesh nearly connected once more. But Lena ran. She turned to sprint out of the room as fast as her trembling legs could take her. They carried her back out into the hallway before she could even redress. She put her pants back on in a terrified frenzy, stuffing her soiled panties into her pocket before yanking on her shirt and tossing her overcoat on like a cape. Ignoring the elevator, the barista made way for the stairs, taking them two at a time before she reached the lobby once more. The man was just getting off the phone. He made eye contact as if to tell her to wait, but she refused to give him the opportunity.
Lena ran back out into the storm. It had finally reached its peak as lightening streaked across the sky. Lena didn't care. Nothing mattered. If some stray god chose to strike her down, then she had already accepted it. She deserved it. She pulled out her phone, completely forgetting that it had been on silent during her shift. A string of text messages greeted her. She ignored them all to call the one marked 'Home': Emily's personal cell. She brought it to her ear, but two shrill beeps made her look back to the screen. She saw the battery symbol blinking red before the screen went blank. She had enough sense to put the device back into her pocket, ignoring the overbearing urge to smash it on the street. Her mind went blank. She concentrated everything into the pounding of her legs and swinging of her arms. 'If I can just get home.' Was the only thought resonating in the core of her heart. 'If I can just get home, everything will be all right.' It was a childish notion. But it was all that was keeping her going. She dashed around a tree before a stroke of lightening sent its tree branches splashing over the sidewalk behind her. Headlights cut through the darkness right behind her heels. The driver pounded on their horn as Lena reached the other side of the street. This wasn't her usual sprint through the city. She didn't feel like she was flying. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.
After what felt like an eternity, the young woman had finally made it home. She took the stairs two- then three at a time, leaving a small river in her wake. Practically slamming into the locked door, she fished her keys out and bolted inside. Emily was standing in the hallway with a baseball bat in hand and a blanket over her shoulders. Seeing her panting partner, she immediately dropped the bat before running into her arms. "Lena, I was so worried. Where were you?" She had to fight back the urge to grip the redhead with all her might. Emily was sick as it was, she didn't need the extra chills. Soft tears fell on Lena's ruined shirt. "I called and called."
"I…I'm sorry, Emm. My battery died this afternoon and I-I got caught in the storm. Really pounding out there all day." She felt her heart wrench in her at every false syllable.
"Yes, yes, of course." Emily stood back, wiping her eyes. "Honey you must be freezing. Get in the shower and I'll get a mop."
"No." Lena hissed. "I'll shower then clean it up myself. Go back to the couch and sit down. Please?" All Emily could do was nod. Lena sped around her, slowly trotting to a walk by the time she reached the kitchen. Her legs were running on steam at this point. She was beginning to wonder if she would even be able to walk tomorrow. She hung her overcoat and sneakers near the heater. She threw her wallet, keys and phone into a bowl on the counter to dry. The barista immediately stripped down by the washing machine, stuffing her clothes inside and instantly starting the cycle. She had made a terrible mistake and wanted to rid her home of any haunting trace of Amelie's presence. The very last thing she needed right now was for Emily to smell her distinct perfume on her…again. She jumped into the shower without a second thought, letting out a yelp when she realized there would be no hot water.
"Everything ok in there?" She could hear Emily stumbling in the broom closet despite her protest.
"Fine. Yes! I'm fine, Love." The word felt like a razor caressing her tongue 'You stupid, stupid, IDIOT' She screamed in her head. The young woman continued to berate herself as she scrubbed herself raw with the loofa. Light scratches started forming over her body from how hard she washed herself. The icy liquid cascading over her body was good medicine. She needed to clear her head, to put out the fire Amelie always set ablaze in her stomach. Their relationship was full of passion, but was also toxic. Like getting bitten by a snake: feeling a sudden warmth spread inside of your body before you realized you had been poisoned. Tears began to flow, mixing with the soapy water. She cracked her head twice against the hard shower tiles. It was over. She was over her. Today was a mistake. A terrible mistake that she would have to live with for the rest of her life. No matter what, she had to make this up to Emily. To never stray from her again, no matter how high the temptation. Turning off the water, she watched small droplets fall from her ruffled bangs. "Fuck!" She whispered, suddenly remembering the crackers she had forgotten. Lena slapped herself hard across the face. Her resolve was set 'Never again.' She quickly dried off and rand to the bedroom to put on fresh clothes. Stopping at the mirror, she noticed the faint blue bulge under her shirt. She plucked the charm in her right hand. Her left reflexively moved to flick it, to watch it dance hypnotically before her eyes. Her right hand snapped shut around it, yanking it from her neck. The silver chain cut into her lightly as it broke. She threw it into the waste bin before grabbing a pair of bright fuzzy socks from the dresser. They were one of Emily's first gifts to her. She folded them over in her hands as she walked back to the front of the apartment.
"Just wait a tick and I'll go fetch you…" Her words trailed off as her damp feet padded into the kitchen. There stood Emily, on shaky legs, her face engulfed into Lena's overcoat. The dripping garment clutched against her quivering frame. Lena's mouth twitched as she searched her brain to try and find the right words. Her eyes still itched from the salty tears she had been shedding. She didn't dare move an inch forward or backward. A stifled hiccup came from behind her overcoat. The unmistakable scent of Spider's Silk lingered in the air between them.