Chapter 7.

Seeing Amy shivering, with panic in her eyes made things clearer for Karma. She didn't want Amy to be scared of anything, least of all her. So come what may, right here, she would lay everything out on the table and hope that her Mother was right about Amy's feelings for her. If she was wrong, she would lose her best friend, but at least Amy would be free. She wouldn't need to be afraid of Karma anymore.

She held Amy's hands gently, taking comfort in the fact that Amy hadn't pulled away. She was still shaking like a leaf, but she hadn't pulled away.

"Stop apologizing Amy. There is nothing you have to apologize for. I'm the one that needs to beg forgiveness. This is all my fault." Amy looked confused, but didn't respond. "I made you pretend to be my girlfriend. I made you 'come out' to your Mom and go through all the crazy with her, when you didn't need to. And as for the whole threesome thing, I don't think I can ever apologize enough for that. I was totally out of line. All through this I have been thinking about me. And not about you and what you have sacrificed for me."

Amy's eyes were filling with tears now, not happy "Yay I am getting my friend back" tears. Sorrow filled ones. It became too much for her and she slipped to the floor, letting her hands fall from Karma's.

Taking a deep breath Karma tried to get her thoughts back in line to continue. She sat down beside Amy, turning to face her. Unsure if she was permitted to comfort Amy with a hug, she went again for holding her hands, that had been acceptable before.

"Every mistake, has been mine to make and I hurt you in doing it. I am the worst best friend in the world. While you are the best. You did everything for me. And I was too blind to see it. I've been blind to a lot of things."

If Karma had been looking at anyone else, she would have missed the almost imperceptible flicker of Amy's eyes. But she knew this woman, she knew everything about her. Including her tells. And Karma was sure she had hit on something that Amy had been keeping from her.

"Amy, I wanted Liam." Again a flicker, but this time Karma knew this was Amy wincing. "I wanted him because I thought he was what I was supposed to want. The cool, hot guy." Amy's eyes had grown cold. But still she didn't speak. "I wanted him for all the wrong reasons. That wasn't fair to him. And it wasn't fair to you."

Amy shifted slightly and whispered "He makes you happy."

Karma couldn't control a laugh that escaped. She let go of Amy's hands and brought her own up to cradle Amy's face, turning it towards her. "No. You make me happy. You always have."

Karma was staring into eyes that held more hope and sadness than her heart could take. She couldn't stop now. "It's over with Liam. He was great and we have agreed to be friends. But he isn't what I want. And I'm pretty sure you don't want him to be what I want."

The faintest smile brushed over Amy's lips. It was torture not to kiss them but Karma knew that this couldn't be her move. She would say her final piece and then it would be Amy's move. Amy's decision was what would decide her future.

"The only good thing to come from all of this was that the illusion was washed away when you kissed me the other night. It was different from before. It was real… Like, really real. I saw you for the first time. A lot more of you than before. You looked incredible by the way… But when you kissed me, I felt you in that kiss. Or I thought I did. Then I saw Liam kiss you and I freaked. It was like he was taking something that was mine and I didn't like it. And you kissed him back and I felt like I had found you and lost you all in one minute. I'm sorry, I had this whole speech in my head and it's not coming out as movie romantic as I planned."

"Your plans never work. You should stop planning."

Karma couldn't believe how melodious Amy's voice was. So soft and tender, yet teasing and playful. She was smiling at her, a weak smile that showed she was beginning to understand that this wasn't an end but a beginning.

"I should totally stop planning, I suck at it. I promise, from now on you do the plans. It's your show, your rul…"

Her sentence was cut short by the softest lips on earth laying upon hers. Amy's arms were around her neck, fingers trailing through her hair. It was like heaven had descended upon her. She could feel the wetness of Amy's tears on her cheeks, the salty taste of them falling on her tongue as she gently pressed it against Amy's. Begging for permission to take their tender embrace deeper. Instead of receiving that permission however, Amy pulled away, looking shocked and somewhat embarrassed.

"Crap, I'm sorry. I keep on doing that. Lunging at girls and laying it on them. It's a bad habit. I mean you never said whether you wanted that, or what we are or aren't. I'm over thinking again aren't I…. Rambling? I have no idea what I'm doing…"

Karma raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "Girls? Just how many girls have you been 'laying it on'?"

Amy paled and squirmed. " I guess if we are being all honest here… Ok, so I may have let Shane take me to a lesbian coffee shop so that I could see if I was just attracted to you or if it was a whole… lifestyle revelation thing…"

Karma blushed and chewed her lip, then laughed softly, running a finger across Amy's jaw line. "And?"

"It's you. It's always been you." Amy was blushing now and Karma felt her heart flutter in response. Amy really was perfect. Karma just had been blind to it. But now, here she was in all her glory and things were going better than Karma could have hoped.

"So if I asked you to be my girlfriend, for reals. Would I need to go to a lesbian coffee shop and lunge at you to make that happen?" Karma was smirking now at Amy's obvious embarrassment. It really was too cute.

Amy looked up, her eyes wide, then suddenly softening. Almost seductive. It was such a dramatic change that Karma could barely believe that it was possible from a person such as Amy. Innocent, sweet Amy. The look she gave Karma now, made Karma glad that she was already seated or she may have fallen to the floor.

It was Karma's turn to feel like a cornered animal as Amy leaned towards her slowly, a tigress stalking prey. It was a thrill unlike anything Karma had ever known. There was the faintest hint of hesitation in Amy's eyes, but it was a mere shadow compared to the look of need, craving and desire that Amy was sending Karma's way. This was an Amy that Karma had never seen. One that Karma hoped she would see a lot more of.

Amy was over her now, Karma pushed back onto her elbows, almost to the floor. Blonde hair fell over them both like a curtain, shielding them from the world. Karma could hardly breathe. She had never felt such incredible anticipation before. If Amy didn't kiss her soon, she may well stop breathing entirely. However, before Amy could give Karma the vital kiss of life that she needed, Amy's bedroom door flew open.

"Amy this is an intervention! You need to get up, stop crying and get your life back together!" Shane was nodding in agreement with Lauren. Both seemed to be dressed like Project Runway attacked them with a glittery baseball bat.

It took them both a second to realize that Amy wasn't on her bed, but laying frozen on top of Karma in the corner of her room, arms wrapped around Karma's waist and a clear look of unfulfilled lust in her eyes.

Lauren shrieked and spun on her heels, fleeing the room. Shane stood for a moment and rolled his eyes. "Clearly we need to arrange some sort of sock on the door system in this house…"