Diane's Fall Ch. 08

After another minute of silence, Diane finally got to the heart of the matter.

"Ah told me how you only intended to turn this woman into another submissive, and I could tell she really believed that. But that isn't the truth, is it? Because if that was true, there would have been no reason to hide it from me at the start."

Kayla simply shook her head.

"Is that no, you're wrong or no, what you told your friends wasn't a lie? You always insisted I use my words, so why don't you follow your own advice," Diane said.

The knowledge that it felt fundamentally wrong to be so flippant with the Domme gnawed at Diane's insides. She would have never considered doing so in the past and really wasn't quite sure why she was doing it now. The older woman knew she wasn't doing it out of spite, though she did feel anger towards Kayla.

It took another few seconds of silence for the reason to hit Diane. She wasn't still mad over Kayla's affair or even the lies as she had dealt with all of those emotions. No, what she was feeling angry about was that the raven-haired beauty was making no attempt to either apologize or reclaim her.

And that was unforgivable in Diane's mind.

Kayla only stared across the table at Diane, her forlorn gaze seeming to look through the older woman instead of at her. It struck the mother of two that Kayla's guilt had her caught like an animal in a trap, desperate to get out but quickly losing hope.

"Well?" Diane said, becoming further flustered with the entire scene playing out in front of her.

Her question seemed to snap Kayla out of her near fugue-like state. Her dazed eyes coming back into focus and finding Diane's, the look in them was one of fear and confusion. And at once, it struck the pretty blonde that Kayla wasn't trapped, she was lost.

"It didn't...it started out just like I described. It wasn't meant to be anything cruel to you or to Ciara," Kayla said, that name coming off her lips stinging Diane's heart. "She was leaving at the end of March to head back overseas, and I thought she was our best chance at finding something that would give us leverage over Ms. Archer."

Diane felt her gut wrench at Kayla's first sentence but said nothing. She'd asked for this, and as bitter a pill as it might end up being, she now had to swallow it.

"I didn't tell you because I realized early on that it would have to be a straight relationship type of affair. The reads I was getting off of Ciara said that she wasn't submissive and maybe even a little dominant. I wasn't sure how you would feel about me doing this and not being the one in charge, so I decided to hide it from you."

Diane could see the shame of her admission on Kayla's face. It was such an odd sight to see on the usually confident young woman. There was a sheen of tears in the Domme's eyes as they flinched away, unable to meet Diane's gaze.

Diane thought about what Kayla said, weighing what her reaction might have been, had she known beforehand what the Native American beauty wanted to do.

"You're right, Kayla. I wouldn't have liked it, but not for the reason you probably think," Diane said, though she didn't bother to elaborate. "For some reason though, I don't think it worked out the way you thought it would."

Kayla's eyes finally found Diane's once again. The pain in them was very evident, telling the blonde mother all she needed to know.

"Fuck..." Diane said, the hurt in her voice apparent. Her stomach revolting at the thought even as she spoke it. "You fell for her. Didn't you?"

Kayla's eyes went sharp at that, her eyes narrowing, her high cheekbones seeming to elevate more, her face squinching up as if she found the idea revolting. She tried to reach across the table to grasp Diane's hands but stopped when Diane flinched away from her as if repulsed by the thought of the raven-haired beauty touching her.

"No...God, no, Diane. I swear it. I liked her well enough. She was sweet, fun, and very pretty, but I swear to you, Diane that you are the only woman I have those types of feelings for," Kayla begged, her hands opening and closing as if pleading to feel Diane's touch.

The sight of it made Diane ache inside. She yearned to reach out and feel Kayla's touch. The blonde beauty was desperate to pull Kayla to her, comfort her, hold her, and melt into her embrace. But Diane knew she wasn't ready for that, at least not yet.

"Then what, Kayla?"

"She fell in love with me," Kayla said, her voice cracking and the disgrace she felt at what she'd done evidently eating at her soul. "It broke her heart when I ended it."

"Well, of course, it did," Diane said as she leaned forward against the table, her voice filled with exasperation. "You played games with both of our hearts. What did you think was going to happen?"

Kayla flinched.

"Please tell me that you didn't lie to her and tell her you loved her."

Kayla shook her head vehemently. "Never, Diane. I swear to you that I didn't. I knew instantly when she told me that I'd overplayed my hand. It left me feeling panicked and dirty inside. I knew then that I had to end it, but I couldn't think of a way to do it without breaking her heart."

"Yeah, having your heart broken really sucks, trust me," Diane replied, instantly regretting her words when she saw the look it brought to Kayla's face. It was as if she'd stabbed the woman she loved in the heart.

"I'm sorry, Kayla. That wasn't a very nice thing for me to say," Diane said, her hand reaching across the table and grabbing Kayla's, the contact instantly sending a shiver up her arm.

"I deserved it," Kayla replied as she stared down at where Diane held her hand. "I'll never be able to forgive myself for the hurt I caused you or her. I'm not that person, I swear that I'm not. I just got so caught up in trying to help Ah, I didn't stop to think about all the consequences of what I was doing."

Diane squeezed Kayla's hand, wanting to stand and go to the raven-haired beauty and wrap her in a hug, but knowing their location made that a completely inappropriate thing to do.

Both women sat in silence, oblivious to the chaos going on around them. Diane's heart raced as she stared down at where their hands were clasped on the table, relishing the contact between them. She wasn't over her hurt; the pain of what Kayla had put her through was still present. But Diane was ready to move on with her life, and she wasn't sure she could do that without Kayla.

Something caught Diane's attention over to her left. She cast her eyes that way to see two thirty-something-year-old mothers watching them as they whispered to one another. Diane felt her back stiffen in response to the way they stared back at her with contempt. She could only imagine the salacious nature of things they were saying.

"Let's get out of here and go somewhere more private," Diane suggested as she gave the two women a dirty look. She slid out of the booth and waited on Kayla to join her.

When the pair reached the parking lot, Diane reached for Kayla's hand out of either need or an innate instinct. She felt the Domme's fingers almost flinch before accepting her touch, their fingers intertwining.

"Aren't you afraid of someone seeing us doing this?" Kayla asked, holding up their hands.

Diane shook her head and said, "The girls already know. Several weeks ago, Lana admitted that she'd seen us kissing in your office that first time we invited them over to your place to swim."

"Are they okay?" Kayla asked, the concern in her voice endearing to the twin's mother.

Diane smiled, nodding her head. "For the most part, they are. They were accepting of me being gay, though they hated that it meant me divorcing their father."

"Do they hate me?" Kayla asked.

Diane couldn't help but laugh. "No, no, they don't hate you. Lana could see how bad I was hurting and kept encouraging me to talk to you. Lena has been a little monster because of our breakup. It seems me no longer being involved with you or your new business has damaged her social standing at school and for her that is an unforgivable transgression."

"Why do they think that?"

Diane stopped just as they reached her car and looked at Kayla; with just a hint of mirth, she said, "Uh, well, we did break up, and I did step aside so Dana could run things. I was in way to much pain to be dealing with you over things about the business."

"Oh, I realize all of that, silly. But that still doesn't mean you won't be involved with things. After all, you are part owner."

Diane, who had been digging through her purse for her keys, suddenly stopped what she was doing, shocked at what she'd just heard.

"What do you mean?" Diane asked, her hand going to her chest as if trying to still her suddenly pounding heart.

"I mean you own a fifty percent stake in the business. It was meant to be as a surprise to you for all the work you'd done, but then things went wrong."

Diane's mind immediately went to her previous thoughts about how Kayla would have to make some kind of gesture to bind them together permanently before she could begin to trust her again.

"When? How?" was all that Diane could get out.

Kayla laughed, reaching out to caress the back of her right hand down Diane's left cheek. The look of love and adoration in her eyes was like a light and steady rain after a long drought. The sexy mother of two's soul, which had felt dry and cracked, ready to crumble into dust at the slightest harsh treatment, was instantly soothed and nurtured.

But the hurt still in her screamed out in indignation, begging to be heard. And as much as Diane wanted to ignore it, she couldn't bury her head in the sand and pretend there weren't issues that needed to be addressed.

"This doesn't mean that I forgive you,"

"I understand that," Kayla said, a look of humiliation on her face. Diane assumed it was because she felt mortified over having dishonored their love. "But I hope it does mean you intend to give me the chance to try and rebuild our trust, and hopefully make you love me again."

The determinedly icy look that Diane had intentionally fostered to protect herself and keep a bit of distance between them broke at hearing Kayla's words. The frozen veneer thawed almost instantly, though Diane fought to keep her next words somewhat reserved.

"I never stopped loving you, Kayla. This would have been easy for me to get over if I wasn't still in love with you. I would have just moved on with my life instead of wallowing in misery all this time."

Diane could tell her words made Kayla want to smile, but she could also see the Native-American beauty wisely trying to hold it back. Despite the dramatically dumb lack of judgment she'd shown with how she handled things with Ciara, Kayla was anything but stupid. The stunningly beautiful young woman had to realize that right now wasn't the time to show anything other than how contrite she felt for what she'd done.

"The issue is that the trust between us has been broken, and I'm not sure of how to get it back. You once told me that trust between a Domme and her submissive was crucial, maybe the most critical part of the entire relationship. And I don't trust you anymore, Kayla."

Diane's words were a knife in the raven-haired beauty's heart, that much was apparent to the Blonde switch. But they were necessary if the pair had any hope of having a future. Diane still wanted that desperately but wasn't sure how to get to that point without risking her heart again.

But wasn't love always going to be a risk? Whether it was with Kayla or someone else, the risk would always be there that Diane would get hurt.

"I can't be your submissive, Kayla. Not until I know that I can trust you again, and how long it will take that to happen I couldn't say."

"I understand," Kayla replied, her eyes going down to the ground between them and the sudden hope that had been present moments before suddenly dissipating in an instant.

Again, Diane was struck by the lack of confidence Kayla showed. This wasn't the same seductive creature that had seized control of her mind and heart that Saturday afternoon at the twin's cheerleading camp. The young woman presently in front of her was a shell of that dominant creature.

"But," Diane said, pausing for effect, "that doesn't mean we can't date and see what happens from there."

Kayla's head came up at that, her eyes finding Diane's, searching them as if looking for some sign that she didn't mean what she'd just said.

"Be at my house tonight at six for dinner with the girls and me. Don't be late and don't pack an overnight bag, you won't be spending the night."

Kayla smiled, nodding her head and reaching for Diane's hand. The mother of two took it and stepped in closer to the younger woman she was so in love with. Cupping Kayla's cheek with her free hand, Diane gave her an ultimatum.

"This is your one and only chance, Kayla. I won't risk hurting the girls or myself again if you let me down. So decide before you show up tonight whether you're all in because once you do I expect you to commit fully to us being together."

"I'll be there," Kayla said, nodding her head briskly. "I don't even have to think about it."

Diane then leaned forward, slowly bringing her kiss starved lips to Kayla's. She'd thought about this moment for months, aching to have it happen but never truly believing it would. Their lips melded together perfectly, sliding over one another tenderly and almost cautiously. It was as if both women were afraid to completely let go of the backed-up passion that had been dammed up for so long.

When their lips finally separated, Diane took a step backward, the interlaced fingers of her's and Kayla's hands stretching out between them. Praying that she was doing the right thing, she let go of Kayla's hand and walked to her car. When she reached the driver's side door, she turned and looked back at Kayla, who still stood in the same spot watching her go.

"Remember, six o'clock, and don't you dare be late," Diane said before sliding into the driver's seat and closing the door behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The girls arrived home from their weekend visit with their father with the typical flourish and bustle of activity Diane had come to expect from them. The house rapidly went from quiet and peaceful to the sounds of slamming doors and excited voices. Both girls yelling her name as they made their presence known.

The pair would be turning fourteen soon, and as identical as they were in appearance, they were markedly different in personality. Lena was impulsive, quick-tempered, and at times sullen. But her fiery personality and sharp wit served her well, particularly in social settings. Those around her were drawn to her charisma and intellect. The girl had the potential to be a natural leader if she could only learn to curb her baser instincts and sand off the rough edges.

On the other hand, Lana was measured in her approach to nearly everything, while being calm and empathetic towards others. Lena would tear you a new one and leave you in a broken heap, while Lana would be there to pick up the remains and eagerly try and piece them back together.

But Lana could also be withdrawn and a loner, almost timid at times. And as brilliant as she was, Lana tended to fade into the background purposefully, never striving to show her full potential.

Neither twin was perfect, and neither was totally flawed. They were opposite sides of a two-headed coin. No matter which way life flipped them, one of the two would always manage to rise to the occasion with the other there to support her.

"I'm in here!" Diane called to the pair from the kitchen, happy to have them home despite the uproar it caused. She was also eager to tell them her surprise, knowing that they would both be thrilled but likely for very different reasons.

Lena was the first to appear, her blonde hair piled up on her head and held by a clip. She wore a bathing suit cover over a bikini top and a pair of cutoff jeans. Her skin was flush with signs of time spent in the sun. Diane assumed the two had been taking advantage of the pool at their father's condo.

"Hey, Mom," Lena said, giving her a brief hug before making her way to the pantry to look for a snack.

"Keep your snacking simple," Diane said sternly. "We're going to eat dinner in about an hour and a half and we're having a guest."

"Who?" Lana said as she entered the kitchen to join in the conversation. She went to her mother and wrapped her arms around her, giving Diane a good squeeze as she laid her head again her mother's chest.

"It's a surprise," Diane replied, drawing a moan from Lena.

Lana, however, looked up at her mother, studying her face. Diane was reasonably sure that the youngest of her twins would one day clean up as a professional poker player if she chose. Lana seemed to possess an uncanny ability to accurately read those around her, and her perceptive blue eyes were now focused on her mother.

"Do we really have to do this tonight?" Lena complained behind her. "We already had to meet Dad's new girlfriend today and now you want us to entertain some other old fart?"

"Lena!" Lana said, her voice carrying instant disapproval. Diane wasn't sure whether the younger twin's chastising tone had to do with calling her dinner guest an old fart, or the revelation that their father was dating.

"Ooops," Lena said, bringing a hand to cover her mouth in feigned regret at her verbal slip. "I guess I forgot not to say anything about Daddy's blonde bimbo."

Lana turned back to her mother, her face a bit red, and said, "Sorry, Mom, but Dad asked us not to say anything."

Diane gave her daughter a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay. I want your dad to be happy and if he's met someone new that can do that for him then I'm glad."

"She's kind of cute, though Mom. You might want to steal her from him," Lena joked irreverently as she plopped down on a barstool next to the kitchen island. "Although I guess you're more into dark-headed girls, huh?"

Ignoring Lena's retort, Diane said, "You two go grab a quick shower and put on something clean and casual." Looking over at the older of the two, she added, "But not your pajamas. A pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt will be fine."

Lena rolled her eyes, and with a groan, stumbled out of the kitchen. Lana hugged her mother, giving her a kiss before following in her sister's wake.

Diane barely had time to get dinner finished and placed in the warmer before heading upstairs to get herself ready. She had just finished putting the final touches on her makeup when the doorbell's sound drew her attention.

"I got it!"

Diane slipped on the three-inch heels she'd chosen to wear with her outfit, a rather demure looking pale blue sundress that ended just above her knees. She didn't want Kayla to incorrectly believe she'd invited her over only for sex, which so much of their passionate relationship had centered around so far. Diane loved the sexual component of their relationship, but now she needed more, much more.

If they were going to be together as a couple, then Diane no longer wanted to hide it. And for that to happen then, Lena and Lana deserved to be a part of their life together. Diane would insist that the dominant/submissive side of their relationship stay hidden, not because she was ashamed of it but because the girls were still too young to understand such things.

And Kayla would have to be willing to make time for the twins. The pair worshipped her, particularly Lena, and Kayla would have to be willing to accept that responsibility. Diane wanted things between them to go back to the way they were, and yet be so much more.

If they were going to be together as a couple, she eventually wanted them to be a family. Her girls deserved that, and if Kayla couldn't accept that, Diane didn't know what she would do.