“Come home with me. I’m sure Aaron will want to decorate your cast.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life,” Amy replied then leaned in to kiss her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Laura! How are you my dear?” Martha asked as they stepped into the lounge.
“I’ve been better. My arm is killing me but other than that, just bumps and bruises.”
Amy’s gaze roamed over Laura as she stood leaning against the door frame. She looked exhausted. The white plaster taped to her forehead stood out in stark relief against the bruise that had formed on her skin. Amy knew beneath that plaster was a two-inch gash which had gone down to the bone only a few centimetres away from Laura’s temple. Her breath caught as the knowledge she could have lost her tonight tore through her body.
“Thank God it wasn’t any worse,” she mumbled causing Martha to nod in agreement. She pushed the thoughts away. There was no point thinking about what could have happened. She needed to get Laura cleaned up and into bed before she keeled over where she stood.
“Where’s Aaron?” Laura asked.
“He’s in bed. He should be sleeping but I doubt he is. He wanted to wait up and see how you were.” Martha went to Laura and gently stroked her cheek. “It shook him up pretty badly.”
“I can imagine.” Laura glanced at Amy. “Would it be okay if I went up and let him know I’m alright?”
“Of course. I’ll take your bag up to my room, I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay.”
Amy watched her leave, assessing her stride as she did so. Laura was trying hard not to let her limp show, but Amy could see it anyway. Her pulse hammered at what she might find beneath Laura’s trousers. She’s walking and talking. That’s a good sign. Once Laura had disappeared up the stairs Amy turned to her mother.
“So, how are you?” Martha asked.
Tears filled Amy’s eyes, unable to stop the flood of emotions from pouring out. “I walked away, Mum,” she sobbed. “I told her I couldn’t live with waiting for something bad to happen to her. I couldn’t face losing her like I did Julia.”
Martha took her into her arms, rubbing her back gently. “Oh, honey. I assume you changed your mind?”
“Yes. I told her I loved her, and I wanted to spend however long we have together.” She pulled back from Martha, wiping her eyes as she did so on her sleeve. “I couldn’t walk away.”
“Well, I for one am happy for you. It’s late. I’m going to check on your father and then turn in. Goodnight, Amy.”
“Goodnight, Mum.”
Amy took a few moments to gather herself. She didn’t want Laura worrying about her. After taking a few deep breaths she hefted Laura’s overnight bag, filled with a change of clothes, toothbrush, and some nightwear, and went in search of her. She found her sitting gingerly on the end of Amy’s bed, eyes closed with her casted arm resting in her lap. “Hey,” she whispered, waiting as Laura slowly opened her eyes. “Aaron okay?”
“Yeah. He cried a little, but I told him I’m fine.” She lifted her broken arm slightly. “He wants to decorate my cast in the morning.”
Amy smiled as she dumped the bag onto the floor and went to sit by her side, careful not to jostle the bed too much. “You do realise you’ll be wandering around with cartoon characters on it.”
“That’s okay, you know I’m just a big kid anyway.”
“True.” She ran her hand up Laura’s back and into her hair line, softly running the strands of hair through her fingers and massaging her scalp. Laura groaned. “Are you ready to get some sleep?”
“Yeah. I wouldn’t mind grabbing a shower first, but I don’t think I can manage on my own.”
Amy leaned in closer, whispering in her ear. “I could always help you.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Seeing you wet and naked?” She felt Laura tremble at her words. “Yeah, I think that’s a perfect idea. If I promise not to get frisky will you let me help you in the shower?”
Laura raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Come on then,” she said as she rose from the bed.
Amy followed her into the en-suite and watched as Laura awkwardly stepped out of her trousers. A huge purple and yellow bruise stretched down the outside of one thigh and Amy had to stifle the gasp in her throat. Her voice thick with worry she asked, “Do you need help getting out of your clothes?”
“No, I can manage.” After divesting herself of her underwear and shirt Laura asked, “Uh, could you unhook my bra?”
“Certainly.” Amy pushed away from the doorframe and stood behind Laura. Gently she unclasped the bra and dropped it on to the pile of clothes. She turned the shower on and while she waited for it to warm she allowed her gaze to travel over Laura. Save for the bruise on Laura’s thigh and her plaster cast, she had come away rather unscathed. The rest of her skin looked blemish free. Amy sent a prayer up to whoever had watched over Laura tonight.
Checking the temperature was okay she helped Laura step into the tub, water splashing her as she did so. “Okay, if you tilt your head back and crouch a little I can wash your hair.”
“Would it be easier if you got in here with me?” Laura asked, a smirk stretching her lips.
“Nope.”
“Spoil sport.”
“Ten minutes ago, you were telling me to make sure I behaved, now you want me naked.”
“Purely for helping me wash and making sure we don’t get the floor soaking wet. We wouldn’t want another accident.”
“Right,” she said dryly.
After trying unsuccessfully to reach Laura’s hair, Amy blew out a breath. Shaking her head, she quickly stripped off, avoiding Laura’s knowing look. She stepped in behind her under the spray and pulled the shower curtain closed. “Okay, now keep your arm up and out of the water while I wash you.” She doused Laura’s hair and proceeded to wash it free of the grime and blood from the accident. She grabbed the soap and lathered her back and ass and down the back of her legs, careful not to rub too hard over the bruise. Finished with the task she turned Laura around, their breasts grazing together as she did so. The jolt of arousal hit her hard and she squeezed her legs together to help relieve the pressure.
“God, Amy,” Laura murmured. “You’re not making this easy.”
“Just making sure I get all the dirt off.” She repeated the process of rubbing the soap over Laura’s slick body. “Can you spread your legs a little?” she asked as she dipped the soap between her thighs.
“You know I do have one good arm, I could do this bit by myself.”
“Probably, but this is easier and besides, I want to do it.” After she had finished torturing Laura for a few more moments she declared, “There you go all finished.” She passed Laura a thick white towel from the shelf next to the shower and said, “There’s a dressing gown in my wardrobe. I won’t be a minute.” Laura briskly rubbed herself over and then wrapped the towel around herself and headed out of the bathroom, her limp not so pronounced.
Amy grabbed the shampoo and set about showering as quickly as she could. All she wanted to do was climb in bed next to Laura and sleep for as long as possible. It had been an horrendous day for all of them and Amy just wanted to forget it all for a while.
She finished her shower and dried herself off much the same way Laura had. She tossed the towel into the hamper along with Laura’s clothes and switched off the light. She walked back into the bedroom naked, finding Laura curled up on the bed, her gaze roaming over Amy’s body.
“Do you want me to dry your hair?” Amy asked.
“If you don’t mind, could we just get in bed and go to sleep? My head is pounding.”
“Of course.” After Laura stood from the bed Amy pulled back the duvet and crawled inside. “I will need to wake you up through the night to check for concussion.”
“That’s okay,” Laura replied, stripping off the dressing gown and laying it at the bottom of the bed. She t
urned off the light and then climbed in next to Amy and settled on her side, facing her. “Amy?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you. Thank you for coming back.”
Amy brushed back a few wet strands of hair that had fallen across Laura’s forehead and cupped her cheek. “I didn’t have any choice. You snuck your way into my life and my heart. I couldn’t have stayed away even if I wanted to.” She briefly closed her eyes, thinking again how close she had come to losing her. “I love you so damn much. You better make sure nothing happens to you.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
And that was all Amy could ask her to do. She didn’t know what the future had in store for them, but she did know she wanted to spend every minute of it with Laura. She had lost out on a happy life with a woman she had loved before, she wouldn’t let that happen again, not without a fight.
She pulled Laura closer, settling her head on her shoulder, and held her tight. She drifted off to sleep listening to the soft snores of Laura and thanking God for bringing her into her life.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Laura woke the next day alone in Amy’s bed. She glanced over to the clock on the bedside table and groaned at how late it was in the day. It was just after midday and she felt exhausted. Her whole body ached and throbbed in time with her heartbeat. She threw the duvet off, and as carefully as she could, she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress and gripping its edge as a wave of dizziness swam in her head. She took a few deep calming breaths and waited for her eyes to focus again. Once she was sure she wouldn’t pass out, she stood and reached for her overnight bag. She slung on her old joggers and a faded t-shirt and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Glancing into the mirror above the sink, she was horrified at how she looked. The skin around her eye was purple and extended down her cheek, her face had lost its normally tan colour and was now so pale it was nearly translucent. She shook her head at how lucky she had been.
Once finished in the bathroom she went in search of Amy, and maybe some food, if her stomach would allow it. She spotted Martha walking into the lounge, so she followed her. Jim was sitting in a wheelchair, pushed up to the patio doors, gazing outside while Martha sat on the couch just picking up a newspaper.
“Good afternoon,” Laura said as she limped farther into the room. Jim turned his head to look at her, one corner of his mouth curving into a smile. He nodded a hello and went back to looking out the window.
“Laura, honey. How did you sleep?” Martha asked as she made room on the couch for Laura to sit down.
“Okay I guess. I vaguely remember Amy waking me, checking for concussion but other than that I was flat out.”
“We are all so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry if I made you all worry.” Jim made a sound and Laura glanced at him. His eyebrows were drawn down, his lips pursed, he shook his head quickly. “I know it wasn’t my fault, Jim, but Amy was so upset.” He nodded his head and rolled his eyes as if to say, “of course she was, you idiot” and Laura smiled at him. Turning back to Martha she asked, “Where is she anyway?”
“She’s taken Aaron to go visit Diana. It’ll be the last proper chance he gets to see her before he goes back to school next week and gets caught up in homework and school activities.”
Laura nodded, a sudden flash of jealousy flared up in her gut wondering if Jessica would be there. Not that Laura needed to worry, Amy had said she wasn’t interested in her and she loved Laura, but that didn’t stop her irrational fears from showing up.
Martha must have noticed her inner musings because she said, “I know what you’re thinking but you have no need to worry. Amy loves you, seeing Jessica won’t change that.” Jim nodded his agreement.
“You know what happened between them?” Laura asked, her headache getting worse just thinking about Amy kissing Jessica. It was bad enough being jealous of Julia, but Jessica was alive and well and very pretty. Any woman would fall over themselves to be with her. Add to that a shared history and Laura’s anxiety about not being good enough beat a staccato rhythm in her body.
“Amy told me after it happened. It was a mistake. She has never had any feelings for Jessica. She loved Julia, and now she loves you.”
“You really think it’s that simple?”
“Yes.” She patted Laura’s uninjured thigh and stood. “You must be hungry. I’ll go make us something.”
“I can help.”
“The hell you will. Why don’t you and Jim go find a game to watch on the tele and I’ll join you soon.”
“Okay.” Laura gingerly stood from the couch, pleased when the dizziness never came, and walked over to Jim. “What do you say, Jim, fancy keeping me company?” He nodded to the newspaper which Martha had tossed onto the end table. Laura reached for it and placed it on his lap. She watched as he awkwardly shuffled the pages in one hand until he found what he was looking for. She glanced down at what he was pointing at. Horse racing. She looked back up to him. “You want to bet on the ponies?” He nodded, his eyes alight with mischief. “If Martha finds out, she’ll go mad.” He shrugged one shoulder and grinned. “Come on then.”
Laura grasped the handles of his wheelchair and slowly pushed him next to the sofa. She switched on the TV, found the channel she wanted, and for the next hour they picked horses and cheered them on, placing bets through her online account using Jim’s smartphone.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Four weeks later Laura was sitting in her office working on her computer. She hadn’t been able to get back to designing her plans by hand as her arm was still casted. She found she was able to work on the PC using the mouse, but it wasn’t the same. She missed the freedom she felt as she drew lines on the paper. She hadn’t been able to use the gift set Amy had bought for her birthday either, the box sat on a foldout table next to her drawing boards, untouched. She gazed at it lovingly, the urge to draw scratching inside her brain. The ringing of her mobile startled her out of her reverie, smiling when she saw Amy’s number. She leaned back into her office chair and swiveled to gaze out the window as she spoke.
“Hi, honey.”
“How’s the arm?” Amy asked, without preamble.
“Itching like hell. I can’t wait to get the cast off next week.” She glared at the offending cast but smiled when she looked at all of Aaron’s drawings and scribbles. For a seven-year-old he was quite talented in the art department. She idly wondered if he might take an interest in architecture.
Amy’s voice dropped to a whisper. “It’ll also be good when you have two hands.”
“Are you saying I’m lacking in that department?”
“You know very well how good you are with just one hand, last night should have proved that.”
Laura laughed. It had been an adjustment, learning to make love to Amy with only the use of her left arm, but they had managed, and it had been adventurous. Only once did the cast cause an injury to Amy and that was when Laura’s orgasm had hit so fiercely she had shot her arms out and caught Amy on the chin with her cast, leaving a small bruise in its wake. Laura had tried not to laugh but it was so funny she couldn’t help it.
“It was fun, wasn’t it?”
Amy agreed and then asked, “When do you finish work?”
Laura glanced at her wall clock. “Should be done by four.”
“I wanted to talk to you about something without Aaron or my folks eavesdropping.”
“Nothing serious I hope?”
“No no, it’s good I promise.”
“Why don’t you come to the office and we can chat here. My assistant will be gone by three, so we’ll have some privacy.”
“Okay. See you in a couple of hours.”
They signed off the call and after Laura spent a few moments blissfully thinking of Amy, she got back into work, her mind wondering what Amy could possibly want to talk about in private. Time marched on and before she knew it she heard Amy’s voice at the threshold of her office.
“Hey, you finished?” Amy asked, leaning against the doorjamb, hands stuffed into her jean’s pockets.
“Just about.” Laura exited her design program and shut down the computer. “There we are.” She stood from her chair and met Amy in the centre of the room. She pulled her in close and kissed her. “Hi.”
“Hi. Good day?”
“Yeah, it was.” She took Amy’s hand and pulled her over to the small sofa in the corner of the office. “I’ve picked up a new client who saw the work I did for Craig. He wants to open a chain of wine bars and he liked the ideas I had.”
Amy’s eyes flashed with pride, her smile stretching widely. “That’s wonderful.” She leaned in and quickly kissed her. “So, I’ve been thinking—”
“Never a good sign,” Laura quipped.
Amy lightly punched her on the arm. “Very funny. How would you feel if you could finally build the house you designed?”
Laura scrunched up her face, thrown by the conversation. That wasn’t even in her top fifty thoughts of why Amy wanted to talk to her. “I’d love it, but I haven’t even thought about buying land anywhere. I still need to sell my grandmother’s cottage and with business picking up, I have a pretty full schedule. What brings this up?”
“I’m going to be purchasing the land my parents bought off them and I need to hire someone to build a home for me and Aaron.”
She looked away for a moment and Laura thought she detected a tremble in her body. Amy seemed nervous and it set Laura’s heart beating just a little faster.
“I’ve been thinking it over and I would love it if you wanted to build your dream home there for us all to live in.”
Laura blinked, her voice sticking in her throat. She wasn’t quite sure she had heard correctly. “Wait, you want us to live together?”
“Eventually yes. I don’t see the point of me building a house and then you building a house just for us to move into together at some point and having to sell one of the houses.” She went on without pausing for breath. “It doesn’t have to be right away. The land isn’t going anywhere. We can take our time and see how things go. My parents aren’t in a rush for me to move out and I want to stay there until I know Mum can cope with my dad anyway. I just wanted you to know where my head was at. I love you, Aaron loves you. We want you in our lives forever and building a home together feels right.”
A New Beginning Page 16
