Turn to Me
By Wonko
Part 14
"I still don't see why I can't stay at The Beacon," Olivia said, watching the town pass by at a sedate twenty-five miles per hour through the passenger window of Natalia's car.
"I need your rent money," Natalia quipped.
Olivia rolled her eyes in response. "Seriously, it would be easier wouldn't it? I'd have room service and a hotel full of terrified staff to do my bidding."
Natalia smiled wryly. "Terrified is right," she muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing." Natalia glanced over at Olivia and smiled. "Doctor Rick said you'll be more likely to get your memories back if you're in familiar surroundings. The farmhouse has been your home for months." Olivia pulled a face and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'Doctor Rick talks out of his ass'. Natalia feigned deafness. "Besides," she said, "this way I'm on hand to look after you."
Olivia began to scratch at the edge of her arm cast, trying to get her fingers underneath it. "I don't need you to look after me - I can hire a nurse."
"Yeah, 'cause that's a good use of money," Natalia snorted, and swatted at Olivia's hand. "Stop that."
Olivia stared at her. "Are you going to be like this the whole time these casts are on?"
Natalia's face was the picture of innocence. "Like what?"
"Like a mother hen," Olivia explained, as if she were talking to a two year old.
The last thing I want to be is your mother, Natalia's mind piped up, causing a smirk to leap to her lips. Olivia turned away to look out of the window again.
Actually getting Olivia into the farmhouse was something of an ordeal. She couldn't put any weight at all on her left leg, and the casts made her heavy and awkward. None of that stopped her from trying to shoo away Natalia's attempts to help, but the younger woman would not be dissuaded.
"Home sweet home," Natalia breezed as she finally wheeled Olivia into the living room.
Emma and Natalia had spent the previous night making a few welcome home decorations - a banner here, a few streamers there, plus a chocolate cake for good measure. Olivia's sharp eyes took in everything in one glance. "Very...homey," she said neutrally. Her eyes strayed to the cross on the far wall.
"Emma made you a card," Natalia said, striding over to the table by Olivia's bed to fetch it and hand it to her. It was made of pink card, and had a drawing of Olivia, Natalia and Emma on the front, holding hands in front of a house. There were some cows and a few ducks off to the side.
"Oh," Olivia breathed, running her fingers softly over the picture.
Natalia watched her carefully. "Emma loves living here," she said. "You know, the animals, and the fresh air and the space."
Olivia looked up at her, pursing her lips. "You don't play fair," she replied, but with no real venom in her voice. Natalia smiled.
"Never claimed to," she said as she manoeuvred Olivia over to the chair and helped her into it. "Okay, so I got you sweatpants and t-shirts and some zip up hoodies for when you get cold. Emma picked out some books for you in case you get bored, and there's always the TV. You've got orange juice and cranberry juice by the bed, and I've got tons of bottled water. Is there anything else you think you might need?"
Olivia looked up at Natalia, amused. "Chocolate?" she suggested hopefully.
Natalia shook her head. "It's not good for calcium absorption."
Olivia's jaw dropped open. "You are a mother hen," she grumbled.
Natalia rolled her eyes. "I'm going to pick up Emma from Jodie's house," she said. Knowing that she needed to get Olivia settled into the farmhouse Natalia had arranged for Emma to go to her friend's house after school. "Here's the TV remote - sit tight till I get back."
Olivia looked down at the cast on her leg after Natalia had left. "Not exactly going anywhere," she muttered, and turned on the TV.
When Natalia and Emma returned to the farmhouse they found Olivia fast asleep on the chair, a soap opera droning away in the background. Natalia put a finger to her lips to hush Emma as she shooed her upstairs to change out of her school clothes.
As soon as the little girl was upstairs Natalia took the opportunity to simply look at Olivia without trying to stop anything from creeping into her expression. The last few days had been a kind of slow torture for her. She hadn't realised just how much feeling Olivia gave away in ordinary conversation and casual eye contact until it suddenly wasn't there anymore. Before her declaration in the gazebo - God, was it only four days ago? - she had been trying so hard not to acknowledge how Olivia was feeling that she'd ignored the long looks, the slight lowering of the voice, the way her body angled itself towards her whenever they were in the same room. How she longed for some of those signals again now.
The swelling and bruising from where Olivia's face had hit the road was subsiding nicely, tinges of yellow beginning to appear in the black of the bruises. At that precise moment her hair was covering most of it, her head lolling loosely on her shoulder. Natalia's fingers tingled with the desire to touch her, to slide through her hair possessively, cup the back of her head and wake her with a kiss just like in a fairy tale. She actually began to reach out before she stopped herself, curling her open palm into a tight fist.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she chastised herself in a whisper, turning and fleeing into the kitchen to start dinner. A few minutes later she heard voices in the other room. Obviously Emma had woken her mother. A warm, sleepy laugh floated to her ears, washing over her and shuddering down her spine. "Dear God," she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight shut. "Give me strength. And if you could stop her being so ridiculously sexy for five minutes I'd really appreciate it."
She lost herself for a contented half hour preparing a simple meal for the three of them - salmon for her and Olivia, cod for Emma, with new potatoes, broccoli and carrots. Every item on the menu had come from a list of foods Rick had suggested to promote healthy bone growth. She also vaguely remembered that fish was good for the brain and, well, she'd try anything at this stage.
"I hate broccoli," Olivia groaned when Natalia wheeled her over to the table.
"It's good for you," Natalia insisted, pouring her some grape juice. Olivia made a clucking noise, causing Emma to giggle. Natalia bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
She sat down at her own place and instinctively reached for the other diners' hands. Emma's hand found hers instantly. Olivia's didn't.
Emma peered at her mother. "We have to say grace, mommy," she said, pulling her arm up and slipping her hand into her mother's. She smiled up at Natalia and began to recite. "Bless us oh Lord as we sit together, bless the food we eat today, bless the hands that made the food, bless us oh Lord, amen." She dropped the adults' hands, oblivious to the look of shock and anger Olivia was directing at Natalia over her head.
"Emma, sweetie," she said tightly. "Could you go and get me my black cardigan, you know, the one with the silver buttons? I'm a little bit cold."
As soon as the girl was out of earshot she rounded on Natalia. "What the fuck was that?" she spat viciously.
Natalia reeled back a little, shocked at the venom in Olivia's voice. She hadn't heard that for a very long time. "What?"
"That!" Olivia exclaimed. "That little holding hands and praying thing."
Natalia frowned, shaking her head helplessly. "Uh, grace before meals?"
Olivia's face reddened. "And how long exactly have you been indoctrinating my daughter into your medieval religion?" she demanded.
Natalia felt a surge of anger rise in her throat. "Indoctrinating!"
"Well what do you call it?" Olivia replied instantly, the words falling from her lips like bullets.
"I call it saying a really simple prayer just like we do every day we eat dinner together!" Natalia answered, breathing hard. She hadn't felt so angry at Olivia in what felt like forever. But still, it was a familiar sensation. Her face was hot, her muscles were clenched as if for a fight, she was breathing heavily...
...and oh God, she wanted to kiss Olivia so bad her blood was screaming out for it.
Her hand flew to her mouth as a sudden image flashed before her eyes - straddling Olivia's hips as she pinned her wrists to the bed...a low moan escaping the other woman's parted lips as she ground her hips down, pushing her hard into the mattress...a rush of heat as she explored that luscious, intoxicating mouth...
A wave of liquid fire thundered through her veins, and she knew her desire must be written all over her face. Olivia was looking right into her eyes - she had to see it. The woman was much too perceptive to miss this. Dear God, was this why they had always fought so much? How long had the seeds of this been germinating in their subconscious minds? How long had unacknowledged passion been forcing them to keep pushing each other closer and closer to the edge?
"Are you two fighting?"
Emma's small, sad voice distracted them, breaking their eye contact. The girl was holding her mom's cardigan in slightly trembling hands.
"Of course not sweetie," Olivia lied smoothly, taking the cardigan and clumsily slipping it round her shoulders.
Natalia managed a smile for Emma before she looked down at her plate and began picking at her meal. They ate in silence.