Trust in Me

by Lydia Rose

  “Of course it is.” She motioned with her hand toward an open chair. “Sit down and we can talk.”

  “I don’t know where to start,” Paige admitted, looking at Eileen’s face. How could she discuss her relationship with Jules when this was her sister? How could she say the things she wanted to the woman who was not only her best friend, but the woman Jules felt the most for?

  “Okay. I’ll start. How was last night?” Eileen asked and watched as Paige’s face turned bright red. “I can tell from your face that it went very well,” she said giggling.

  “We made love early this morning and Jules didn’t run this morning.” Paige remembered and slightly smiled. “She told me she had to leave to get ready for work.” Paige’s smiled opened. “Jules didn’t seem turned off by my injuries,” she said motioning to her legs. “I thought we would always have that between us.”

  Eileen reached out her hand and took Paige’s hand in her own. “Jules ran that morning because of me. Because of what I was going through. She didn’t know that your injuries were from an accident. I believe she looked at you and thought maybe you had lost your legs because of a disease.” Eileen sighed. “It’s not an excuse, Paige. It’s just her head was not in a good place. Jules ran because she was scared, but I know she regretted that the moment she did it.” She squeezed Paige’s hand. “You two had a connection and Jules felt it. That’s why she tried so hard to get you to forgive her.”

  “I don’t know her, Eileen. I don’t know what she’s thinking and that scares me,” Paige admitted easily.

  “You know her. You two have spent almost every day together for the last two months.”

  “That was golf and training,” Paige said quickly.

  Eileen smiled. “It was more than that. I have never seen Jules so happy as when she was with you. No matter what you were doing, Jules loved it.”

  “We only started kissing in the last few weeks and we only made love this morning.”

  “I think that tells me that my sister is in love with you. If it was just sex, you two would have ended up in bed before this morning.”

  Paige’s eyebrows rose quickly. “You think she loves me?”

  “Of course she does.”

  Paige sat there thinking without saying a word. Did Jules love her? How could that be after the way they began? Eileen speaking brought Paige out of her thoughts. “What did you say?”

  “I asked if you loved her too.” Eileen stared at her friend and waited for an answer.

  Am I? Who are you kidding? You know you’re in love with her and have been for a long while now. She looked up at Eileen and nodded her head up and down. “I do.” Paige’s shoulders slumped. “So you think I’m being an idiot for being scared?”

  “Paige, I only saw Jules fall hard for one woman before and she turned out to be a disappointment.” Eileen’s lips pursed. “She broke up with Jules not long after our father passed away.” Paige gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “I didn’t think Jules was going to recover from that one.”

  “I won’t hurt her, Eileen. I promise you,” Paige said holding up her right hand.

  “I know you won’t. Take care of each other. Okay?”

  “Are you okay, Eileen?” she now asked, wondering if the cancer had come back.

  “I’m fine, but you never know what can happen. If something happened to me, Jules is going to need you.” Eileen pulled her friend to her. “If you go into this relationship with an open heart, everything will work out. I promise you.”

  “Thank you. Not just for your words, but for making me feel I’m worthy of Jules’s love too.”

  Eileen pulled back and looked at Paige. “Of course you are worthy.”

  *

  The moment Jules’s class ended, she picked up her phone. Paige’s phone went to voicemail immediately telling her that she was with a client. Shoving the phone back into her purse, she left the school. The whole time Jules taught class, her mind was on Paige and this morning. When they made love again, it was as if they had been making love together forever. She was still stumped how that could be, but she let that thought go for now. Jules no longer thought of Paige as handicapped. The woman could do anything despite the loss of her legs. When Paige wrapped her thighs around Jules as they made love, it had taken her breath away and filled her heart with love. Love? Was she in love with Paige? How did it happen so fast? Then Jules remembered their days together in getting ready for the tournament. It had happened slowly without Jules even realizing that this wonderful woman had captured her heart. She opened the front door and found an empty house. Jules knew Eileen was at work and Alice was at camp. She had gotten used to coming home to sounds of other people and for the first time in such a long time, she was alone. Changing her clothes, she laid on the bed as sleep took over her exhausted body. A half hour later, Jules’s phone rang, but she was in such a deep sleep she never heard the low hum.

  At five-thirty Eileen’s phone rang. “Hi, Paige.”

  “Is everything all right?” Paige asked nervously as she paced her living room.

  Eileen’s forehead wrinkled. “Yes. Why?”

  “I haven’t heard from Jules. She called me as she was leaving school, but she hasn’t picked up the phone.” Paige knew she was overreacting, but she couldn’t help it.

  “Her car is in the driveway. Let me look upstairs.” Eileen got to Jules’s door and peeked inside. A small giggle left her mouth. “She is sound asleep on the bed. Jules must have laid down to wait for your call and went into dreamland. Do you want me to wake her up?”

  “No. She obviously needed to sleep,” Paige chuckled. “She’ll call me when she wakes up. I’m going to lie down myself now that I know she’s okay.”

  “Do that, Paige. I’m sure you need rest as much as she does,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll let Jules know you were worried about her. Goodbye, Paige,” she said laughing as she hung up the phone before Paige could argue with her.

  Jules came running down the stairs at five o’clock almost running into her sister. “Where’s the fire?”

  Jules was huffing breathlessly. “I think something happened to Paige. I called her hours ago and when I just tried her, she didn’t answer.” Eileen began to laugh. “What is so funny?” Jules looked at Eileen as if she had lost her mind.

  “Paige thought the same thing about you a few hours ago when she couldn’t reach you.”

  “She called me?”

  “Several times.”

  Jules looked at her phone and saw the missed calls. “So Paige is all right?”

  “I’m sure she is sleeping like you were doing a few minutes ago.” Eileen still couldn’t stop laughing. “You both have it bad.”

  “We do not,” Jules argued then she paused not knowing what Eileen was talking about. “What do you mean?”

  “Figure it out little sister,” Eileen said walking back toward the kitchen.

  Jules shrugged and opened the front door. “I’m leaving.”

  “Go. I know where you’ll be,” Eileen added, poking her head into the living room.

  Jules stopped and picked up some food on the way over to Paige’s home. She was walking up the front steps when her phone rang. “Hey,” she said automatically smiling hearing Paige’s voice.

  “Hi. I called you earlier.”

  Jules could still hear the grogginess in Paige’s voice. “I know. Eileen told me. I called you too.” She giggled. “I guess we both needed to sleep.”

  Paige tried to stifle a yawn. “I guess so. Do you want to get together tonight?”

  “Yeah, because I’m starving.”

  “Come over and we can order something.”

  “How about you just open your front door.” Jules could hear as Paige got into the wheelchair and rolled toward the front door. “Surprise,” she said holding up the bag when Paige opened the door.

  “This is a nice surprise and you brought food. How sweet of you.” Paige rolled her wheelchair out of the way so Jules could
come into the house. Jules dropped the bag onto Paige’s lap and put her hands on both sides of the chair and kissed her softly. “Wow.” Her lips lifted up to Jules’s mouth again and kissed her, but this time she deepened the kiss.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the phone when you called,” she said as her lips still hovered inches from Paige’s mouth. “I must have been in a deep sleep.” They kissed again.

  “Hold that thought,” Paige said handing the bag back to Jules. “I’ll be right back.”

  Paige held on. “Give your legs a break. You don’t have to do that for me.”

  “Are you sure, Jules?” Paige asked looking at her face.

  “Very.” She turned the chair and wheeled Paige into the kitchen. Once they were in front of the table, Jules dropped the bag on the table. Since Paige had removed the arms of the wheelchair it allowed her to roll up to the table. They sat quietly eating their meal because Jules’s mind was wandering. She wanted to know what her sister was talking about when she said they both had it bad, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject. “Eileen was laughing at me when I started to panic that something had happened to you,” she said softly poking at her food.

  “She did the same thing to me,” Paige answered only glancing at Jules.

  “She says we both have it bad. Do you think so?” Jules asked, finally meeting Paige’s stare.

  A slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. “Well,” she said resting her finger on her chin, “I can’t speak for you, but I know I do.”

  “You do what?” Jules asked leaning across the table.

  “Do I have to spell it out, Jules?” Paige asked grinning because she was afraid of admitting more than Jules was feeling.

  “Apparently, you do. Because I’m in the dark, but I have to tell you this,” Jules paused and took a breath, “Paige, I am crazy about you. If I told you exactly how I am feeling, you would probably run out of the house screaming.”

  Paige’s mouth dropped open in shock and then she grinned. “In my current condition, I would find it hard to run.” They both chuckled. Paige reached across the table and took Jules’s hand. “I’m in love with you too.”

  Jules’s eyes opened wide. “You are?”

  “Yes, Jules,” she said nodding.

  Jules was off her chair in a heartbeat and practically lifted Paige out of the chair. “I love you too. So much, Paige.”

  “Now that we’ve settled that, where do we go from here?” Jules asked seriously.

  Paige giggled and wheeled back her chair. “I think we should start out by getting into bed.”

  Clothes were quickly removed and both women met in the middle of the bed. Kissing became their main event as neither woman wanted to bring an end to the closeness they’re were feeling. Release would come later. Much later.

  CHAPTER 16

  Later that night while they were lying in each other’s arms, Paige trailed her finger along Jules’s stomach. “We have to get back to practicing.”

  “Ooh,” Jules moaned loudly. The last thing she wanted to think about was playing golf.

  Paige sat up and looked at Jules in the dim light coming from the living room. “You don’t want to enter the tournament?”

  “I didn’t say that. I’m just not looking forward to all the practice.” She pulled Paige back so she was lying on her chest again. “Can’t we just practice here and forget the golf course?”

  “If I promise not to work you too hard and reward you in the evening, will that help?” Her question was asked as her hand centered on Jules’s core.

  “You know I can’t say no to anything when your hand is there.”

  Paige giggled. “You are so easy to convince.” Her hand moved with more purpose. “One more time?” Jules couldn’t answer because her brain was already on something else.

  In the morning, Jules went around collecting her clothes to go home and get ready for work. “I’m not working today. Why don’t you pack an overnight bag for tomorrow and come back here when you get out?”

  “Sure.”

  “We can practice on the golf simulator before dinner.”

  Jules grumbled. “I knew there was a catch,” she said laughing. She now leaned down and kissed Paige soundly. “I’ll see you later.” Jules cupped Paige’s face. “Get some more sleep.”

  Eileen was waiting for Jules when she walked into the house. “Hey,” Jules said as she moved toward the stairs.

  “Well,” Eileen said with her hands on her hips.

  “Well what?” Jules asked trying to get up the stairs.

  “You and Paige.”

  Jules knew she was trapped and she had to answer. “Why don’t you come upstairs so I can take a shower and get ready for work?”

  Eileen followed closely behind Jules and sat on the edge of the bed as Jules gathered her clothes. “Well?”

  “She loves me,” Jules answered before walking into the bathroom.

  “That’s all you are going to tell me?” Eileen stood there as Jules stripped off her clothes and got into the shower.

  “I guess I’m not going to get any privacy until you hear everything.”

  “Privacy,” she grumbled. “I’ve seen it all before. So spill. Did you tell Paige you love her too?”

  Jules opened the shower door peeking out her head. “Yes, I did,” she said with a wide grin. “I can’t believe the most beautiful and amazing woman is in love with me.”

  “Me either,” Eileen mumbled.

  “Hey,” Jules commented as she washed her hair, “I’m a great catch.”

  “Yeah. Especially when you treated Paige the way you did the first time you were together.”

  “She’s forgiven me for that.” Jules knew in her heart that Paige did, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t feel badly. It would take a lot of groveling to ever get that out of her head. “I’m going to pack a bag for tomorrow. So I won’t be back after work.”

  “I’m going to lose my best friend. Aren’t I?” Eileen asked with emotion filling her voice.

  Jules turned off the water and grabbed a towel. “You will never lose me, Eileen. We’re sisters. I’ll always be here for you.” Jules pulled Eileen up from the covered toilet. “Always.”

  “Yeah, I know,” she said wiping her eyes. “But you will spend more and more time with Paige as you should.” Eileen now blew her nose. “I’ll miss seeing you every day.”

  Jules pulled Eileen to her and tightened her grip. “You are such a softy. Before you know it, you’ll be dating and will forget all about me.”

  “No, I won’t,” Eileen insisted as she pulled away from her sister. “No one is going to want me.”

  “Hey, if I could have someone like Paige fall in love with someone like me,” she shrugged, “anything is possible and you are a great catch.”

  When Jules got to Paige’s home she was met by a woman dressed to work. “Really?” she asked as she walked in the door.

  Paige giggled and brought their mouths together in a tender kiss. “Go get changed so we can get this over with.”

  “Not until you give me another kiss.” Paige’s mouth came back to hers with a deep sensuous kiss. Jules now took Paige’s hand. “Come with me while I change.”

  Before they got too far, Paige pulled her hand away. “Oh no you don’t. I know once you have me in there, we will never come out.”

  “Damn, you know me too well,” Jules said, storming off to the bedroom alone.

  They used the golf simulator and practiced on the green before Paige said she had to start dinner. “Go take a shower while I start our meal.”

  “I hope you aren’t making anything too complicated?” Jules asked following her into the house. All Jules could think about was their time after the meal.

  “One track mind you have,” she said waving her finger at Jules.

  “I didn’t used to be like this. It’s all your fault.” Her grin was wide as her hands roamed up and down Paige’s arms. “I just can’t stop touching yo
u. You are on my mind all day and all I can think about is getting back to you.”

  “I feel the same way, Jules. Believe me I do, but get out of here before we will miss dinner again.” Her hand pushed Jules out of the room with a slight tap on her butt.

  “Slave driver,” she said before Paige could smack her again.

  CHAPTER 17

  The day of the tournament, Jules was a nervous wreck. There were reporters and a local station covering the event and Jules was afraid of embarrassing herself and Paige. She was pacing the clubhouse while Paige spoke with the reporters on the other side of the room. Jules now heard her name being called and looked around the corner. “Can you come here, Jules?” She slowly approached and forced a smile on her face. “This is my partner, Jules Sommers. Jules won the amateur tournament last month.

  “Hello,” Jules said to the reporters.

  “Will you be going back on the pro tour?” One of the reporters asked Paige.

  “I doubt I would be good enough to compete with the players out there,” she said with a laugh.

  Someone from the back now spoke up. “Paige has always sold herself short. She not only can compete with today’s players, but would stand a great chance of beating them.” The man smiled as he approached them.

  “Hello, Arthur. What brings you out here?”

  “I came to see my girl win today,” he answered with a grin.

  “Arthur Collins was my former manager in another lifetime.” Paige watched as the reporters began to move in his direction.

  “Do you think you can convince Paige to go back on the tour?” someone asked.

  He grinned again. “Only time will tell.”

  The group of reporters moved on to other people and Arthur approached Paige. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

  “No, Arthur. I’m not going back on tour,” Paige said vehemently.

  “Hello,” Arthur said, now noticing the woman standing next to Paige. His hand came out in greeting.

  “Arthur, this is Jules Sommers.”

  “Hello,” Jules said to the tall man.