Paradice Lost Pt. 08: Bait & Switch

Cheri smiled weakly as they wove through the ramps and back toward the interstate.

"Bitch was crazy, though," Laura eventually quipped to break the silence.

"Yeah!" Cheri laughed. It was her first real laugh in days. "I still can't believe some of the nonsense she was spewing."

"I don't know," Gwen said, "I think, at times, she was on to something."

"What? You think she was right?"

"She was sadistic and crazy," Gwen clarified, "But there was a bit of truth mixed in there, too."

"About what?" Laura asked skeptically.

"About us, and about the game," Gwen replied, "We were going too far, Laura. Playing so often, pretending the dice were deciding who did what when really, it was just us. We just wanted to play around and pretend we were following some stupid rules. Gabrielle was right: none of us wanted to take responsibility for what we were trusting each other with."

"Are you saying we shouldn't play it anymore?" Cheri asked with a hint of resentment.

"No," Gwen held her ground, "but maybe if we're going to play, we should do it for the right reasons. And maybe it shouldn't always be necessary."

Laura and Cheri weren't hostile to this or anything, but this was difficult to hear.

"Fine," Gwen said at last, "I'll just say it: I like bondage. Sometimes I like the idea of being tied up, and sometimes I like the idea of doing the tying myself. And I shouldn't need to play some game to act like it."

Cheri and Laura shared a look. Clearly this wasn't a revelation, but still...

"All I'm saying it maybe I should just talk to you both about something I like and want, instead of ignoring my chores on purpose."

Laura turned to face her.

"You did that on purpose?" Laura asked slyly.

"Oh, honey..." Gwen gave her a look.

"I like bondage too," Cheri piped up, her eyes engrossed by the dashboard. "I don't know about being Ms. Cheri-the-dominatrix so much, but being tied up tight...I like that a lot. More than a lot. And it sure as hell wasn't hard for Gabrielle to figure that out."

"I'm gay," Laura blurted out. She looked around nervously as they sped down the highway, bracing for the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah?" Gwen and Cheri both said together, as though Laura must have more to say.

"I'm...I'm gay? A lesbian?"

"Yeah, so?" Gwen watched the road passively.

"We know, Laura," Cheri said in a motherly voice.

"Wait. You know? But...how?"

"Who you talking to?" Gwen grinned.

"Why...why didn't you ever say something?" Laura stammered. She looked like she'd been hit with a brick.

"We wanted to let you be you. We knew yYou'd share that part of you when you were ready."

"Doesn't mean we couldn't figure it out, though." Gwen quipped.

Laura felt as though a weight had lifted from her body...except for one sharp corner. She turned to Gwen.

"Look, some of the things Gabrielle made us do—"

"—were very...intriguing, I have to admit, no matter how they happened," Gwen cut her off.

"But it wasn't—"

"Laura, even if I don't go for women doesn't mean what we did together wasn't wonderful. You and Cheri are both...special to me. You two can do anything to me."

"Me too," Cheri said.

Laura just looked at them like they were crazy, tears streaming to the corners of her unshakable grin.

"See?" Gwen joked again, "Don't put us in your little box. Just don't tell Shawn. He'll get ideas."

Laura laughed again. Really laughed.

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