CountryCore Series: Her Lady of the Lake (WLW)

Time for a Change

This chapter contains mature/erotic themes.

Trinity paced from one end of her bed to the other as Leah sat there, patiently waiting. She'd drawn the curtains for the first time in years and given them as much privacy as she could in her rather open concept home, the ironic hilarity of her persistent need to be secluded or hidden not forgotten.

On the way home, Trinity pondered over just what she would say once she and Leah were together again, but now only one thing came to mind.

"I like you. A lot, Leah." She stopped and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands into her own. Trinity rubbed her thumbs along the insides of Leah's wrists and smiled when goosebumps appeared along her forearms. "I know you also like me and I think we both know where this could be heading. Yeah?"

"Yes." Leah's voice was a timid whisper and she ducked her head. It met Trinity's and they stayed there, resting their foreheads against one another's for quite some time.

"I want you too, and to give you all of myself. But first, I need to tell you what happened today."

"Okay." Leah pulled back and ran her hands up the length of Trinity's arms. She settled at her shoulders and kneaded them for a moment. "I'm ready."

Trinity chuckled, but hurriedly sobered again and got to business. "When I was in my hotel room, I did some thinking. I've always acted so...fearful. Like the world, my world may explode at any moment. And to be honest, it did at one point. I could blame my parents for it because of the way they raised me. Or even blame the world, but the fact is that it was only one person's fault. My own.

"I cut people out of my life for fear of them disrupting it again. 'Cause I didn't want to chance a deep connection with someone else and lose it. Become alone all over again." She paused and brushed her fingertips along Leah's cheek. She leaned down into Trinity's touch and closed her eyes. "It's one thing to choose to be alone, but a totally different thing to become lonely after having something that in truth I've always wanted is actually within my grasp. And I'm done screwing around. Everyday I've spent with you, I've felt myself opening more and more and as amazing as it is, that fear still laid heavy in my chest. But today, I realized something that's more important than remaining isolated. You know what it was?"

"What...?" Leah inched forward like a child awaiting a freshly cooked pancake and Trinity smiled even wider.

"I want it all. I want a family. Love. A life. And..." She took Leah's hands and moved them to her own neck, placing her fingers along her jugular. Leah would know without a doubt this life with all its new possibilities was what she craved from this moment forward. Trinity would make it her mission in life and let her feelings be known. She knew she always could with this perfect woman. "The only person I could think of ever having that with...is you." Upon her last words, Leah lunged forward and hugged her tightly. Trinity ran her hands along her sides and kept talking. "At my father's party, I gave him my present and told them I would go to their parties on one condition: If they took more time to get to know me like my grandfather did.

"Despite whatever happened with them growing up, I want a chance to get to know them too, and we talked for a bit longer than usual. They both agreed to visit me sometime soon and I told them about you and Buddy. About my life here. I didn't even stutter, Leah! At least, not at that part." She buried her face in Leah's long, thick hair and reveled in its honey scent. "I think it's the first time I've ever seen them look genuinely proud of me. Granted, we have a long way to go, both them and me, but this is a start.

"I want to move forward with my life and stop being so afraid of things that may happen. I can't control the future, but I can live through it and will. And I'd love it if you were right there with me through it all. If you'd like to be."