by Sarah Pond
Lea turned around, delighted, 'You're early!' She put her brush down, and turned to kiss Rachel. 'I don't want to cover you in paint. Hang on.' She took the shirt off, and was wearing a skimpy tank top underneath, with no bra.
'Wow, you certainly rock the whole artist thing, paint smeared and barely dressed. You look so damn fuckable.' She was so turned on, and kissed Lea, first on her lips, then moving to her neck and breasts, whilst running her hands down her body, and cupping her bottom. It still surprised Rachel how her body responded to Lea. Lea drew back for a moment, her eyes shining and sensual. The way that Rachel looked at her made her hot and wanting too. Rachel said, 'I can't wait until we get home, I have to have you now.'
Lea liked this sexy and spontaneous Rachel, she was so hot, and Lea's body responded accordingly. Rachel took Lea's hand, leading her up the stairs, to where the bean bags were strewn around the chill out area. Pulling Lea towards her, they kissed, and Rachel discarded her shoes and jacket, undoing her shirt as Lea unbuttoned Rachel's jeans, sliding them and her panties down her legs. Rachel undid Lea's jeans, letting them fall to the floor. Pulling her panties down, she dropped to her knees and began kissing Lea's thighs, gradually working her way up, her hands on Lea's stomach, which tensed with excited anticipation. Rachel was now only wearing her shirt, which was open all the way down, and only half covering her gorgeous breasts. Lea's voice was breathy, 'You, too,' and they both lay on the bean bags, moving into a sixty nine position. With their hot mouths on each other, their tongues tasted and explored, while they touched and stroked one another. Their arousal reached bursting point, until the inevitable explosion as they came together, shuddering as their orgasms pulsed through their bodies. 'Oh my god, that was amazing,' Lea turned around to snuggle up to Rachel, sliding her arm around her.
Rachel smiled, and kissed Lea. 'You know, I've never before felt the way I feel when I'm with you. I feel so free.'
Before Lea could reply, they heard a noise downstairs, and the door started to open. Hurriedly, they grabbed whatever clothes they could lay their hands on, pulling them on. Giggling, they managed to make themselves decent as they saw Sam walking into the studio. He called out, 'Hi, anyone here?'
'Um, yes, be there in a minute.'
'That you, Lea?' Sam smiled as he saw Lea get up, followed by a very flushed looking Rachel. He couldn't help but smile, it was quite obvious what they'd been up to. 'Having a rest, I see!'
'Well, you know, it can't be all work!' Lea walked down the stairs and hugged Sam. Rachel called out hello. 'Well, we're going to head off now, Rachel just got here, we need to get her unpacked.'
'I thought that was what you were just doing!' Sam laughed, and Lea playfully punched his arm.
'See you later.' Lea and Rachel left, leaving Sam smirking behind them.
That evening after dinner, as Rachel was laying contentedly in Lea's arms on the sofa, she said, 'You know, I don't think I've ever been happier. I'm so glad we decided to make a go of things. The distance is a pain, but it's worth it for when we're together.'
'I should say, especially if it's anything like earlier. You're getting rather good at this spontaneity thing!'
Rachel laughed, 'It's you, you bring out the wild woman in me!'
Lea leaned down, and kissed Rachel.
The next day, Lea had to work in the morning. Rachel said that she would meet her at the cafe after lunch. Lea kissed her goodbye, and left for work. Rachel lay back contentedly, feelings of happiness flowing through her. She hadn't realised how happy she could be, it was so many years since she had felt so free and open, had really let herself go. As she lay there, Rachel remembered when she met Lea, welcoming her to the cottage. It had been such an innocent meeting, she really never would have dreamed what was going to happen. If Sue had been there, she may not have even met Lea. Even going into the cafe, she would have been just another holiday maker, passing through. You just never knew where life was going to take you sometimes.
Rachel walked down the hill that afternoon, humming happily to herself. As she turned the corner and approached the cafe, she came to an abrupt stop. She could hardly believe her eyes. Outside the cafe, Lea was kissing another woman. It felt as though all the blood had drained from her body. No, no, no. This can't be happening. Not again.
As she stood there, rooted to the spot, it all came flooding back.
At university, she and Josh had been inseparable. They had met on their first week on campus. He was boyish looking, sweet and gorgeous. It had started when the strap on her bag had broken, her books and folders spilling onto the ground. Josh had rushed over to help her pick everything up. Rachel had thanked him profusely, and he had asked her out for a coffee. They got on so well, finding that they had much in common. She had fallen in love for the first time in her life, and it was wonderful. They had some shared lectures, and would meet up after classes and at weekends. They were great friends as well as lovers, and he was always there if she needed him. They were together for over two years, and Rachel didn't think she'd ever been happier. She was thinking that he may be The One, and counted her blessings that she had been so lucky to meet him. One lunchtime, she headed back home to her house share, to pick up a book that she had forgotten. She was expecting the house to be empty, and as she headed to her room, the door to Sally's room was ajar. From the noises coming from within, Rachel thought that she must be having a pretty good time, and she smiled to herself. Then she heard a familiar voice. No, no way. She walked back to Sally's room, and slowly pushed the door wider open, a feeling of dread creeping up on her like tangled ivy around an old tree trunk. She couldn't believe her eyes, and her whole body felt numb. Josh looked shocked, and Sally shrieked, pulling the covers over herself. 'You shit.' Rachel ran to her room, throwing herself on the bed.
Josh threw on some clothes, and went after her. 'I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen.'
'Get out of my room, I never want to see you again, you lying bastard.'
'Please...' but when Josh saw the look on Rachel's face, he decided it was best to leave.
Rachel moved out of the house share with Sally. She wouldn't talk to Josh, and if she saw him, she would ignore him. He tried to apologise many times, but she wanted nothing to do with him. It was nearly a year before Rachel started to get over what had happened. And ever since then, she had always held a part of herself back. She was scared to fully let go, to love as freely as she had with Josh. She had given him her heart, and he had broken it. From then on, all of her energy went into her studies, and in turn, her work. Throwing herself into work was a good way to keep herself occupied. Work would be there for her, it wouldn't break her heart. Even when she met Mark, she couldn't fully let go. She wasn't going to lose herself in someone else again. Of course, the more she buried herself in work, the more strain it put on her relationship with Mark. Ultimately, it had been the undoing of it. But at least it was amicable, no heartbreak. More a case of disappointment, really. Rachel didn't think she would ever feel that passion again. And then she met Lea. Of course, she had been hesitant at first. But she couldn't quite let Lea go. Well, she didn't want to. Shit. Why did she open herself up to love again like that.
Rachel turned back up towards the hill, heading to Lea's cottage. She packed her bag quickly, and scribbled a note to Lea, her hands shaking, and tears running down her face. 'I don't know who the fuck you were kissing. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I thought we had something special. Do not try to contact me.' With big gulping breaths, she put the pen down, and rushed out of the cottage, heading for the station. Her heart hurt so much, it felt as though someone was squeezing all of the life out of it.
Lea was wondering where Rachel was. She was sure that Rachel was going to meet her at the cafe. Ah, well, she must be at home. Saying goodbye to Nicola, she headed up the hill. Opening the front door, she called out to Rachel. No answer. She went upstairs, thinking that Rachel might be waiting for her in bed. The thought ma
de her feel excited, but when she got to her bedroom, she was disappointed. 'Rach, where are you?'
Then she realised that she hadn't seen Rachel's shoes or jacket by the door. Had she gone for a walk, maybe. As she was thinking that, she walked into the kitchen, and saw a note by the kettle. Smiling, she picked it up, then her stomach turned over as she read it. 'Shit, no.' She dialled Rachel's number, but it went to voicemail. 'Rach, it's me. It's not what you think. Please let me explain.' Lea was distraught, and she looked around the cottage for Rachel's bag, but it was gone. She headed for the only place she thought she might find Rachel.
As Rachel arrived at the station, she heard her phone ringing. It was Lea, and she wasn't going to answer it. She needed to get away, that was all she could focus on right now. Thank goodness there was a train leaving soon. When it pulled into the station, she hurriedly got on it, and sat down. Thankfully it was quiet. As it pulled away, the tears flooded down her face. She pulled a tissue out of her pocket, and wiped her eyes, then blew her nose. She was going to have to pull herself together. She just needed some time, then she would be okay. Once she was over the shock of it, she could put this behind her, and move on again. She had done it before, with Josh and Mark. She could do it again. If only it didn't hurt so much.
Lea arrived at the station to see a train leaving. Rachel was nowhere to be seen. She asked at the ticket office where the last train to leave was headed for. It was the London train. Shit. She left another message, willing Rachel to pick up or call her back. Tears were now streaming down her face. Her whole body felt as though it was in the grip of a boa constrictor, and she could hardly breathe. As she left the station, she was so distraught, that she didn't see the car coming around the corner.
CHAPTER NINE
By the time that Rachel arrived at Paddington station, she was feeling numb. It was her safety mechanism kicking in. If she didn't feel everything so intensely, she was able to function. She headed straight home, and once she was in her bedroom, she got undressed and flung herself under the covers.
Waking in the morning, Rachel realised that she had slept for over twelve hours. She had been exhausted. She unpacked her bag, and went to have a shower. After eating breakfast, she made her way to work, still feeling numb.
As Rachel arrived in the office, Lisa said, 'Hi, I didn't think you were back for a couple of days.'
Her face like granite, Rachel said, 'Change of plan.'
From the expression on her face, Lisa knew better than to pursue it. 'Okay, let's go through what we've got to do today, then.'
Rachel got through the day on auto pilot. Tom was pleased to see her back, until he saw how awful she looked. Again, he knew that now wasn't the time to ask about it.
The next day, Tom walked into Rachel's office, to see her sitting at her desk with tears running down her face. He went over to her, and wrapped her in a hug. Then she told Tom what had happened. 'Are you sure you saw what you think you did?'
Rachel nodded sadly, 'I know what I saw.'
'Have you talked to Lea about it?'
'No. She tried calling me, I didn't answer. She left some messages.'
'Maybe you could just call her, hear her side of what happened. It might not be what you think.'
Rachel sighed, 'I saw it with my own eyes. It was a passionate kiss, not a peck on the cheek.'
Tom knew how Rachel would hide in her shell if she ever got hurt, and there was nothing he could do to get her to see something another way if she didn't want to. He knew she would come around in her own time. In the meantime, he would be there for her if she needed to talk or wanted a shoulder to cry on.
That evening, Rachel was eating dinner, and she was thinking about Lea, and what Tom had said. Of course she should talk to Lea, now that she had had some time to calm down. She realised that she had been rash to take off like she had, but it was like an instinct had kicked in, telling her to get out as soon as she could. Yes, she really needed to talk to her, sort out what was going on. Lost in her thoughts, Rachel was vaguely aware of her phone ringing. Picking it up, she looked at the screen, but didn't recognise the number. Holding the phone to her ear, she heard, 'Is that Rachel?'
'Yes. Who is this?'
'It's Sue, from Kingsand. I'm so glad I found your number.'
'I don't understand. Did Lea ask you to call me? Is this because I didn't answer her calls?'
'No. I'm so sorry, but Lea's been involved in an accident.' Rachel's ears went muffled and everything went blank. 'Hello, hello?'
Rachel wasn't sure whether she passed out or shut down. She could hear a distant voice, and realised that it was coming from the phone in her hand. She held it back up to her ear. Sue's voice was saying, 'Are you there? Are you okay?'
'Yes, yes I'm here. Sorry. What happened?'
Sue sounded distraught, 'We're not sure. Someone said she was leaving the station, and just walked out into the road, and a car was coming around the corner. She hit the bonnet.'
Rachel felt sick. 'Is she going to be okay?'
'She's in a coma,' Sue broke down, and Rachel could feel the tears flowing down her face.
'I'll get there as soon as I can.'
Rachel sunk down onto the floor, shaking. Her phone dropped out of her hand. Some minutes later, she remembered that there were missed calls from Lea, and also voicemails. She picked her phone up, her hands shaking so much, that she could barely press the voicemail button. The first two messages were short, and Lea sounded frantic. Rachel listened to the third and last one, 'Rach, please call me back, I want to explain. That woman, I met her in Italy. We had a brief relationship, and she turned up out of the blue. She kissed me before I had a chance to stop her. If you had waited, you would have seen me push her away. You didn't give me a chance to explain. Please Rach, you're breaking my heart.'
Rachel replayed in her head what Sue had said. Lea had been leaving the station. Rachel's body felt as cold as ice. She must have gone looking for me, she thought. If I hadn't left, Lea would never have gone to the station. She rushed to the bathroom, and threw up the contents of her stomach. She sat back on the floor, her body wracking with sobs.
Rachel rang Tom, and she could hardly talk. Through her sobbing, he eventually got the gist of what had happened. He said that he would be there in a few minutes.
When Tom arrived, Rachel threw her arms around him. She cried and cried, while he held her. 'This is all my fault. The last words I heard from her on the message, she said I was breaking her heart. This is all because of me.'
'You can't blame yourself. It could have happened at any time.'
'I was going to call her, sort it out. Now I don't know if I'll ever get the chance.' Rachel was in such a state, and she started to hyperventilate.
Tom managed to calm her down, getting her to concentrate on her breathing. 'Good, now, you will get the chance to talk to her. Just remember to breathe. You can't help her if you're in no state yourself.'
Tom helped her to pack her bag. Rachel said she didn't know how long she would be gone for, so Tom packed her work folder and laptop as well. Tom took her to the station, hugging her farewell. 'Look after yourself, call me when you've arrived. And send Lea my love.'
Sitting on the train, Rachel was feeling sick with worry, her stomach churning. She was still in shock, and her mind kept being swamped with a darkening feeling of desolation as she tried to deal with the enormity of what was happening. It was the longest, most torturous journey that Rachel had ever made. In one of her more lucid moments, she sent a text to Sue to let her know when her train would be arriving. Sue said that she would meet Rachel at the station, and that she could stay at Lea's as she had the key. All Rachel wanted to do was see Lea. She longed to hold her again. Why, oh why, did she just take off like that. If only she had waited to speak with Lea, none of this would have happened. The thought of it started her crying again, and she couldn't seem to stop.
Sue was waiting at the station, and Rachel ran into her arms, hugging her tigh
tly. Although she didn't know Sue very well, she was so pleased to have someone to talk to who knew and cared about Lea. Sue drove them to the cottage, and helped Rachel in with her things. 'Sit down, and I'll make you a drink.'
Sitting on the sofa, Rachel said, 'I want to go and see her. Now.'
'Sweetie, it's too late. The hospital won't let you in now. We'll go first thing tomorrow.'
Sue went to make hot drinks for them both, and Rachel called Tom to let him know that she had arrived, and was staying at the cottage. 'You take as long as you need, and keep me updated with how Lea is doing.'
Sue sat down in the armchair, after handing Rachel her drink. 'So, what have the hospital told you?'
Sue took a deep breath, 'Well, Lea has a head injury, broken ribs and a broken leg. She slipped into a coma before they got her to the hospital.'
'What have they said about her recovery? Do they think she'll wake from her coma soon?'
'They say they're hopeful, but we just don't know yet.'
Rachel could see the strain on Sue's face. Rachel began crying again, 'This is all my fault. I left suddenly, leaving Lea a note. She was at the station looking for me.'
'You can't blame yourself. You have to be strong for Lea now.'
Rachel nodded, wiping her eyes. 'How long have you known Lea?'
'All of her life. After her parents moved abroad, we became close. She's like a daughter to me. And she thinks the world of you.'
'I've let her down so badly. I really need to apologise.'
Sue looked at Rachel kindly, 'What you really need is some rest, you're exhausted. I live around the corner, I'll come and get you at nine. Goodnight.'
Rachel hugged Sue, then shut the door as she left. Looking around the cottage, with so many memories here, but without Lea, Rachel felt a surge of desolation run through her body, and she thought she was going to pass out. Steadying herself on one of the armchairs, she concentrated on slowing her breathing down. As she became calmer, she knew that she had to get some rest for tomorrow. Rachel made her way up the stairs, and quickly got changed for bed, slipping under the covers. The pillow smelt of Lea, and Rachel hugged it tightly, unable to stop the flow of tears. She lay awake for hours, her just mind wouldn't shut off, like an incessantly ticking clock. Eventually, in the early hours, exhaustion got the better of her, and she drifted into a fitful sleep.
