Falling for a Girl Ch. 11

"Jessica, why are you being this way?" Cassie complained.

Hime leaned close to Cassie, making certain to avoid Cassie's lips. She whispered, "We shouldn't kiss in front of your parents. What will they think?"

"Oh." Cassie said. "But, they already know."

"They do?" Hime asked, noticeably relaxing.

"Well," Cassie continued, "they didn't know that you were the girl, but I think they do now."

Hime looked at Dan and Sarah. She bit her lip nervously. "I can find somewhere else to stay."

Cassie joined her parents in their look of confusion.

"Why would you do that?" Dan asked.

"I just, you know, I just thought that it would be uncomfortable for you guys if I stayed."

"And why is that?" Dan asked again.

"Well, I mean, you know that I'm her girlfriend. That she's my girlfriend. Shit," Hime hung her head. "Oh! I didn't mean shit, SHIT! I said it again."

"Jessica, calm down. Please." Sarah took over. "You make Cassie happy. She loves you. As long as she loves you, you are part of the family. You are welcome here for as long as you want to stay."

"Really?" Hime asked. Her eyes shifted to Dan, "Are you certain?"

Dan looked at Sarah. He knew something was up. It was like Jessica was seeking his approval for some reason. It didn't take him long to figure it out. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his own. She looked into his dark blue eyes, so much like Cassie's.

"Jessica." He spoke calmly. "I want you to feel welcome here. I see that you make my daughter happy beyond compare and that makes me happy."

Hime smiled at him.

"Furthermore," He continued, "I want you to know that to me, you are already a part of this family. We love you and accept you as you are. To us, you are perfect. You are another princess beneath this roof and that makes me, one lucky and blessed man." He saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Welcome home." Dan said, punctuating his words by kissing Jessica between her brows.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes. "Thank you." She whispered.

Dan stood up and took Sarah's hand. "Don't you girls stay up to late." Also, don't forget that the wine cabinet, with the combination; 23-42-50, is filled with stuff that is mine. You can't have any." He winked at them and got a smack on his arm from Sarah.

"Good night girls." Sarah said, kissing them both on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."

And with that, they left.

Hime looked into Cassie's eyes. "I don't deserve this."

"You don't have to." Cassie replied. "Welcome home." This time, the kiss they shared was filled with passion.

"Do you have anything to eat?" Hime asked.

"I love food!" Cassie replied. "Of course we have food."

"Yay." Hime replied half-heartedly.

"Yep. Now, let's find something for you to eat."

An hour and a bag of grapes later, the two girls were wrapped in one another's arms beneath the thickest, most plush blanket Cassie could find in her closet. They traded soft, green grape flavored kisses while enjoying the peaceful quiet of a country house at bedtime.

Cassie had spent the time talking to Hime about how her own break had been so far. How the days back at home made her nostalgic for her childhood. She missed the college life but there was something to be said about spending an afternoon swinging lazily on the porch swing; watching as the pale blue sky transformed with the explosions of burnt orange and lavender as twilight settled over the land. She hugged her knees to herself beneath the blanket.

"Are you ok?" Hime asked through a bite of grape. Juice glistened on her lip. If not for the large angry purple bruise beneath her eye, she would have looked irresistible. Now, she looked as if something were missing from her. It seemed that the light which made Hime so blindingly gorgeous, had been dimmed by this act of violence of which she would not speak.

"I . . . " Cassie chewed her lip thoughtfully. Hime popped the remaining piece of grape into her mouth and ate it patiently. "I want to know what happened to you."

"Cassie, please, I. . . " Hime started.

"That's just it!" Cassie returned. "It's not just about you anymore. We are in this together. You and I are in a relationship and that means that we share the most intimate parts of ourselves. Even the things we may not want to share."

"Cassie, please." Hime looked at the floor. "I really don't want to talk about it. It's over."

"It's not over!" Cassie pleaded. "Can't you see? Don't you feel that there is something missing from you? Whoever did this to you, they took something. They took whatever it was that made you, you. They should not just get to walk away from this!" Cassie grabbed Hime's hands.

"Cassie, please, this is not something I want to get into. Maybe this is something that I can never recover from."

"I refuse to believe that." Cassie replied. "You are one of the strongest people I have ever met. I know that you can come back from anything. I know this has been a bad day for you and I promise; I'll be patient. I just can't see you hurt like this and not feel compelled to do something about it!"

"Why?" Hime asked suddenly.

"Why what?" Cassie replied, caught off guard by the vulnerability in Hime's voice.

"Why do you care so much? Why would you want to be with me? Why are you even here?" Hime asked, tears trailing her cheeks.

"I, wha, I, wh- why would you even ask that?!" Cassie replied, scooting closer to Hime.

"Because, I'm not worth it. I'm not good enough for you. I'm not, whatever it is you see in me. I can't be."

"How do you know?" Cassie lifted Hime's face so that there eyes met. "You never give yourself a fair assessment."

Hime tilted her head back down. "I see the real me."

"You see the real you as reflected in a 'fun-house' mirror. Distorted. Misshapen. I see you as you are. Yes, you have faults, we all do, but your's are not as massive as you see them to be."

"You haven't known me that long."

"But, in the time I HAVE known you, you have made me happier than I thought possible. There were times I thought that I could not have made it through the day; then I would see you. You make me smile, you light up my day." Cassie tightened her hold on Hime, terrified a strong wind might pull her away. "That strength I see in you, I draw on it every time I feel that there is something I can't do. You inspire me."

"I don't see it. I just don't see how you can have that view of me."

"You don't have to. It is not about deserving something. There is no way to deserve something of another person. You get it simply because they want to give it to you. You have my heart because I fell for you. I gave it to you. There was nothing you could have done to make me fall in love with you any faster. Nothing. It was my choice."

"You don't believe in love at first sight?"

"Love at first sight may exist, but it is such a passive thing. I saw you, something changed in me, blah blah blah. I want to say, thirty years from now, that I fell in love with the woman I chose. I fell in love with her on purpose. You, Jessica Hadley, you, are that woman. I choose you."

***

Callie's hair hung heavy with sweat. Callie didn't know the first thing about fighting but thanks to the workout video, she could just follow prompts. She had awoken feeling lonely and thought that a fight workout would make her feel closer to Spencer. The only thing she felt close to, was throwing up. The strands stuck to her brow as she mirrored the MMA moves, throwing punches and kicks to the beat of some unknown dubstep artist. The metallic tang filled her mouth and made her stomach uneasy. She felt that at any moment she could burst into flames or vomit. "Surge of punches!!" The man on the screen proclaimed.

Callie's abs shifted as she moved her arms. Eight body blows, eight uppercuts, eight punches, speedbag for eight seconds. Again. Once more. She had been through the workout seven times since she had gotten home. Her father had been excited about showing off his brand new Xbox One. Though the gaming didn't get to her, the thought that she could workout to some of the most well-known regimes inspired her to become more active.

The kinect sensor watched her as she neared the end of the workout. Her body glistened with sweat and she was thankful she had chosen to wear just a sports-bra and some bicycle shorts. The cool breeze on her body was a welcome partner during this high-intensity session.

She heard applause as she finished the final surge and turned to see her father cheering her on.

"Great job, baby girl!" Her father beamed.

"Dad! I didn't even know you were there."

"Well, I just thought if you needed some coaching or some encouragement, I would be there for you."

"Well, thanks, Dad." The final score was tallied up and the screen proclaimed Callie to have achieved a greater score than her father. "Looks like you might need a cheering section more than me though." She flipped her hair and moved to take a shower.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, young'in." Clay Portman shook his head at his daughter. "So much like her mother." He said to himself. "God! I miss her every day." The smile on his face faded at the thought of his beautiful bride. 'I sure miss you." He said to her photograph.

He turned to the tv screen. Callie's score still shone brightly beneath 5 golden stars. He gritted his teeth. "I guess I'll just have to try a little harder if I'm going to beat her score." With that declaration he began the same workout, pushing himself harder and harder to try and best the score his child had set. He never had a chance.

The hot water poured over Callie's skin, tinting her fading tan with crimson. She danced under the stream of water, enjoying the way the heat made her muscles feel. She knew that she would be sore in the morning, but she didn't have anywhere to be so it wasn't really that big of a deal.

As she washed herself, the suds clinging to the soft tone of her abs, she thought about the messages she and Spencer had exchanged since going home. They had been innocent exchanges of their daily activities and undying declarations of love. The messages left her feeling love, but also, made her long for something more. She wanted passion.

She had thought about sending Spencer a lewd message but she did not know how it would be received. She had trouble writing things to begin with, but she was willing to try for Spencer. She turned in the shower, letting the strong blast of water wash the soap from her body. A wave flowed down her body, splashing freely across her clit. The familiar tingle spread through her body. An earthquake resonating from her core to her extremities and back again.

In that instant, the taste of Spencer was upon her tongue. Her hand found the toggle for the shower head and switched it from a constant blast, to the pulse/massage setting. She arched her back, straining to find the right angle for maximum stimulation. She pulled lightly at her nipples as the stream splashed against her pulsing sex. She moved her hands up and down her body, thinking of everything she would do to Spencer, given half a chance.

Her body began to shake. The orgasm she so desperately needed on the cusp of tearing through her like a bat out of hell. One hand pulled hard at her nipple while the other slid down her stomach, heading slowly toward the silky slit between her thighs.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

"Callie, you almost done sweetie? I need a shower too." Her father called from the other side of the door.

"Y-yeah." She called back. Her orgasm was so close. Her finger moved lower, getting closer to her clit, closer to release.

"Okay, honey. I just wanted to remind you that we have a small water heater." He called again.

"Oh, okay." Shit. she thought. So close. "I'm coming out now." She toweled herself off and gathered her clothes in her arms. "Sorry I took so long, Daddy." Callie kissed her father on the cheek and headed to her room to dress.

She thought about continuing her playtime in her childhood room, but the mood had passed. Something about being interrupted by her father really put her orgasm out of her mind. She picked up her phone and looked at the last text she had received from Spencer. "I love you, sooooooooo much! XOXOXOXO." She had replied in kind, but it all felt like a pageant. She needed fire.

"Spencer, I need you." She typed the message and pressed send before her body could betray her.

"What's wrong?" Spencer's reply was fast. She must think the worst.

"Nothing is wrong. Are you busy?" Callie waited for the response for what seemed an eternity.

"No. Home alone while Dad is at work. What's up? Are you ok?" Spencer replied.

Callie chewed her lip for a moment. She looked around the room as if anyone would be spying on her. "I thought of you today." Send.

"Awww. That's so sweet." The reply.

"You can do this Callie!" She said to herself. "I could taste you. Hot and thick on my tongue." She blushed deep crimson but willed her fingers to send the message.

"Oh?" Came the reply.

Callie's heart fell.

"Oh?" Send.

"Sorry. I just don't know what to say." Spencer replied.

"Any thought going through your mind other than, 'oh?'" Callie put her phone down and felt tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Callie. I wish I were better at it. I can try if you want me too." Spencer's text.

"Don't worry about it. It was stupid." Callie replied. She was glad texting didn't allow the other person to see you or hear your voice.

"No, really. Let's try."

"No, it was nothing." Callie replied. "Tell me about your day."

"Well, if you are certain..."

"I am."

"Today, I woke up, had cereal for breakfast, and now I'm watching Game of Thrones. Not my typical show, but it is pretty good. WBU?"

"About the same. I woke up, had breakfast, talked with Dad, and made a fool out of myself with you. Nothing too big. :)" Callie hoped her words were heard but at the same time she didn't want to hurt Spencer for something she couldn't control.

"Sorry, babe. I said I could try." Spencer replied.

"It's nothing. Just thought I would drop a line to you and see how you were. Nothing major. I guess I'll let you get back to your show."

"No. Talk to me. Please?"

"It's fine sweetie. Enjoy your show. We will talk later. Love ya."

"Love you." Spencer replied.

Callie put her phone down and pressed her cheek to her pillow. The bathrobe still hung around her shoulders, her hair a wet tangle on her head and neck. She wanted to cry but she could not explain why. Everything with Spencer seemed so perfect. Why couldn't she understand that all Callie wanted was for her to try without being pressed into it. How hard is it to say the private thoughts you have about your partner?

A soft knock on her door.

"Callie." Her father called.

"Yes, Daddy?" Callie replied.

"I'm heading out to spend some time with the fellas. You going to be ok by yourself?"

"I'm not 9, Dad! Geez."

"Well, my cell is on the fridge if you need me. Have a good night, baby girl. I love you." Her father said through her childhood door.

"I love you too, Daddy." She closed her eyes, but the sound of his receding footsteps made her heart thunder in her chest. What if he never came back? She flew from the bed, securing her robe around her nakedness as she called after him. "Daddy!"

"Wha-" Clay responded.

Callie stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his scruffy cheek. "I love you, Daddy. Be safe." She hugged him tightly.

He chuckled. "I'll be safe, Callie. I love you, baby." He ruffled her hair. "There's money on the counter for dinner as well."

"Thank you." She pressed her cheek to his chest, inhaling the scent of his skin, memorizing the way his body felt against hers. You just never know when the last time you see someone may be, her mind reminded her.

She had almost fallen asleep watching a re-run of How I Met Your Mother, when her phone exploded into the chorus of John Legend's "All Of Me," Spencer's ringtone. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she picked up her phone. The words "Text Message" were burned like a noon-day Sun in the near-dark of the room. She opened the message.

"I have trouble sleeping without you." Spencer said.

"Me too." Callie replied.

"Are we ok?" Spencer asked.

"Of course, my love. I was just frustrated."

"Will you think of me until I fall asleep?" Spencer sent back.

"Yes." Callie replied. "Sweet dreams."

"You too. Sweet dreams, beautiful." Spencer replied. "I'll see you there."

***

Jessica had developed a new habit of waking up early and doing little things around the house. She had started by making a simple breakfast of pancakes and bacon for the family. When that was well-received, she moved on to taking care of the dishes after the meals. Cassie watched her working herself harder and harder as she tried to "earn her keep".

It was like watching a war rage between Hime's pride and her recent victimization. She still would not talk about the incident but Cassie could feel the skin-prickling sensation of change coming across the land. It seemed to her, that a different storm was coming. A storm which would rage and blow in silent slashes of lightning and destruction. This storm would change the face of wherever it struck. For better or worse, some might say.

The storm made landfall, as these things are often said to do, in the middle of the night.

Cassie woke to the insistent nudging of Hime's nose against her jaw. She felt like she was being nuzzled by a dog. Hime kissed frantically at her cheek and neck. The smell of sex permeated the room and from the frenzied movement of Hime's hands, it was not hard to figure out why.

"Fuck, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck." Hime repeated over and over as her fingers vibrated against her body. "So close." Hime twitched, froze, twitched again, and groaned in frustration. "Shit!" She half-screamed.

Cassie watched, perplexed at the show before her.

"Oh, oh, oh yes." Hime cried, pulling hard at her nipples. Her hands trailed lightly over Cassie's body as Hime bucked her hips. "Yes! Right there!" Hime chewed her lip. "Fuck me. Yes, make me cum, make me cum all over your sex body. Take me!"

"Hime?" Cassie spoke softly.

"Fuck! Oh, oh, oh! Almost, almost." Hime rocked her hips back and forth. Then she kicked her legs, beating at the mattress in a tantrum. "Damn it!" She let her head fall back to her pillow with a thud. "I get so close and I can't cum. So close. Every time. Every time I get close, it just goes away."

"Hime." Cassie spoke again. "Jessica. What's wrong?"

Jessica was on her in the blink of an eye. She pulled at Cassie's clothes, nipped at the sweet skin of her sides. Cassie was caught in a furious struggle within Hime and it terrified her.

"Hime. Hime! Stop!" She pushed her girlfriend away. Hime's eyes widened as if she were about to be struck. "Hime, what has gotten into you?"

"I need you, Cassie. I can't cum. I can't, but maybe you can help me. I just need it sooo bad!"

"This is about your attack isn't it?" Cassie asked calmly.

"I don't want to talk about that!" Hime replied. "I want you. That's all."

"I'm sorry." Cassie replied. "It doesn't work that way. Now, tell me what is going on."

Hime looked down. She didn't want to talk to Cassie about what she saw playing in her mind. She didn't want her lover to know that every time Hime came close to orgasm she could see the cold look of disgust in her father's eyes. She could hear his words as she played with herself. "You disgust me. You are worthless. You are a whore. You are not welcome here anymore."

"Jessica, talk to me. I'm here for you, but you have to let me in."

Hime raised her hand from between her legs and licked her fingers slowly. "Don't you want to taste me?"

"I can't believe you! You would share something so intimate with me, but you won't let me be a part of your life. I'm not going to be part of this if you are only ever half-way in. I want more than fifty percent of you. It's all or nothing." Cassie said sharply.