Finding Home

by Sarah Collins

  Within seconds Dylan arches up, suspended in air, as pleasure pulses through her body. She cries out when Naomi suckles her clit through the waves, leaving her more spent than she’s ever felt before. Her body clenches, afraid to keep going but not wanting to stop. Her walls clench around Naomi’s fingers, instantly missing them when Naomi pulls away.

  After long moments, she lowers down against the bed. Naomi settles between her legs, rubbing her hand softly against Dylan’s stomach and peppering kisses here and there. It’s perfect. And as the waves dull in Dylan’s body that’s really the only thing she can think—this is exactly what she’s spent so long searching for.

  Naomi crawls up to lie in the crook of Dylan’s arm. The way she fits there is like she was made to be there. She pulls Naomi closer. The smell of her shampoo tickles her nose. A wave of fear briefly courses through her. She may be in over her head already.

  “Wow,” Naomi starts, using their penchant word. “That was…amazing. Thank you.”

  “I’ve never had anyone tell me thanks after sex before,” Dylan replies, grinning like a fool. “But I’ll take it as a compliment.”

  “Good, because it was one,” Naomi says. “So what do you do in here for fun?”

  Dylan shrugs her free shoulder. “Listen to music, watch movies, waste my time on the internet like everyone else. If you can do it at home, I can do it in here.”

  “Really? That’s so neat.” Naomi pulls a blanket across their cooling bodies. “Do you want to watch a movie or something? I don’t really want to go back just yet.”

  Dylan smiles to herself. “Sure. What would you like to watch tonight?”

  “Something gay,” Naomi answers. “I’m definitely in the mood for that right about now.”

  “Of course you are,” Dylan laughs. She sits up to set up Netflix on her computer. It only takes a few moments to find a generic lesbian movie that’ll be perfect for background noise. “This okay?”

  “As long as you get back here to cuddle me, then yes. It’s perfect.”

  Dylan places the computer on the ledge by the bed and lies back down. She turns so that she can hold Naomi with both arms. The movie, a sappy story about two women accidentally meeting and falling in love overseas, begins on the screen. Naomi curls closer into her side. She absentmindedly traces patterns on Dylan’s bare chest.

  “So when did you come out?” Naomi asks. She grins that adorable grin of hers. “Sorry if that’s invasive. But I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

  “Deal,” she answers. “So, let me think… For starters, I’ve known that I liked girls since I was five or six.”

  “That young?”

  “I didn’t have a word for it until later, of course. But yeah. I even think I actually had a girlfriend in kindergarten while everyone was running around squealing about boys they liked.”

  Naomi raises her brow. “You think you had one?”

  “Yeah,” she says, laughing slightly. “I shared my zebra stripe gum with her at recess every day. She even held my hand sometimes.”

  “How romantic,” Naomi faux-coos. “If only we could all have such a great romance in our lives.”

  “Shut it,” Dylan chuckles.

  “Did you come out in kindergarten too?”

  “Noo,” Dylan drawls out. “I saved that for later. For some reason I thought my very liberal college professor of a mom would hate me for it. She didn’t, of course. And if I had known that, maybe I wouldn’t have put so much effort into sneaking out in high school so much.”

  “What a rebel,” Naomi jokes. “I’m glad she didn’t mind though. That’s actually really sweet. And lucky.”

  “What about you?” Dylan turns towards Naomi to get more comfortable. “Not so lucky?”

  “Not even close,” Naomi admits. Her face falls slightly. “It’s better now, but the relationship with my parents was on thin ice for a while.”

  “When did you tell them?”

  “Middle school.”

  Dylan’s eyebrows skyrocket. “No shit?”

  “No shit.” Naomi’s eyes flick towards the movie briefly and then back to Dylan’s light blue ones. “Sixth grade. I had the biggest crush on Amanda Sevalle. She had the best pencils in the whole class.”

  “Aiming high,” Dylan playfully interrupts.

  “Totally,” Naomi smiles. “We finally had a sleepover halfway through the year. It was totally innocent because we were what—eleven? But I cried when she left the next morning. My mom knew something was up. When she asked, I told her I was in love. Needless to say, it didn’t go over very well.”

  Dylan’s face falls. She really did have it lucky when it came to coming out. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  “It’s okay. I mean, it took a few years. Now my parents accept me for who I am, even my dad. And that’s saying something.”

  “I’m glad it worked out for you,” Dylan says. “We’re some of the lucky ones.”

  “Seriously. One of my friends just turned 27. She’s still afraid to tell her parents she’s interested in women.”

  “That’s rough,” Dylan agrees.

  Naomi readjusts so that she’s looking at Dylan more so than the cheesy movie playing in front of them. Her hand curls against Dylan’s chest. “What about your father? Does he know?”

  “I haven’t seen him since I was three.” Dylan shakes her head at Naomi’s frown. “It’s okay, though. Really. I wanted to meet him when I was fourteen, but I found some stuff that showed me I was better off without him in my life. I’m actually really proud of my mom for not letting him come back all those years.”

  “I won’t pry,” Naomi says. “But if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here to listen.”

  “That means a lot. Thank you. ”

  And she means it. She hasn’t talked about her father to, well, anyone. They’d never asked and she never felt comfortable enough to bring it up. But maybe, just maybe, she could tell Naomi about it all. His drugs and all the problems that come with that, his penchant for laying his hands on her mother, the way he tried to come back only to find changed locks. How she sought him out on her fourteenth birthday against her mother’s wishes, only to find article after article of his petty arrests and anger issues. She’d never think of him as a bad man, but she doesn’t want to welcome his bad choices into her life.

  Dylan studies Naomi while she watches the rest of the movie. Even though she’s gotten used to the travel life alone, there are so many things they could experience together. Hiking through the Grand Canyon, build bonfires on the rocky Oregon shore, slide down the sand dunes of southwestern Colorado. There are so many things they could do that she didn’t dare do alone—take six months to finish the Appalachian trail, drive down through South America to see all the beauty there. Hell, even go to a five-star sushi place together instead of always grabbing takeout. So many new experiences would be opened up if she has another person to do them with.

  Her chest clenches as soon as the thought finishes its journey through her mind. They barely know each other. What they do know is wonderful, but it’s barely been a week. There’s no way Naomi would leave everything behind so soon after meeting her. There’s just no way.

  And she almost hates herself for getting sucked into this so deeply, so quickly.

  Chapter 4

  Dylan crawls quietly from the bed, leaving Naomi lying there asleep under a thick Navajo blanket she picked up in one of the Southwestern states. One soft breast peeks out, accentuated by a bright streak of early sunlight filtering in the blinds and landing across her dusky pink nipples straining towards the sky.

  After finishing their movie last night, they went round after round, exploring each other’s bodies in a way Dylan has never done with anyone before. It was absolutely amazing. She came more last night than she has in the past six months combined. Their smell, sex and skin and faint outdoors, hangs onto the sheets. It’ll stay there long after Dylan finds herself alone in the van again.
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  She’s almost afraid to think about how deep into this she already is.

  It’s barely 7:00 am, but she likes to get her day started as early as possible. It provides the best views and maximum amount of hours to get things done. With one last glance to the beautiful woman in her bed, she pulls on some old sweatpants and a flannel shirt. Even though late spring has arrived, the early morning chill can be something fierce.

  Sometimes she keeps it simple and makes coffee with an autopress, although that’s best suited for one person. Today she wants to show Naomi how rugged even the smallest things can be on the road. The air causes chills to ripple on her skin when she steps from the front of the van. Not too bad, but it still doesn’t keep her from wishing for summer.

  She stokes a small fire in less than twenty minutes. They won’t need it long, she’s sure, so she tries not to use too much of the extra wood she keeps strapped to the roof of her van. With a metal poker, she prods around the flames until a dull, ember glow settles on the wood. That’s good enough for now, so she nestles a pot filled with water right in the middle to boil.

  Dylan walks back into the van for the coffee grounds. Despite tiptoeing around, the noise rouses Naomi from her sleep. Dark eyes open slowly, then quickly as she remembers where she is. A slow smile spreads on her face.

  “Hey,” Dylan says quietly, walking towards the bed. She sits on the edge as close to Naomi as she dares. “Good morning.”

  Naomi grins sleepily. “Morning.” She doesn’t even bother covering her bare chest as she stretches herself awake. “I didn’t plan on staying the night, but…”

  Dylan’s heart pounds. “But what?”

  “But I’m glad I did.” Naomi sits up, allowing the blanket to fall to her waist. She kisses Dylan softly on the cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful time.”

  “No,” she refutes. “Thank you.”

  They bask in the sappiness for a moment. Naomi’s nipples visibly grow harder. However, Dylan knows if they get started again…they may not leave this van for a month.

  “I’m making coffee outside,” Dylan finally says. “I figured I could show you how it’s done out on the road.”

  “Mmm, coffee,” Naomi hums. She rubs away the chills forming on her arms. “It’s colder than I expected.”

  “Want some clothes? It’ll take a bit for the van to warm up.” Dylan bends towards the shelving under the bed. She stops to exaggeratedly look at Naomi’s naked form. “Though I can’t say I hate the view.”

  “After last night, I believe it,” Naomi teases. “Who knew you could do that with your pretty little mouth?”

  Dylan blushes. “So crass.”

  “Didn’t hear you complaining last night.”

  She finally laughs. “Okay, you got me there.”

  Dylan pulls out a pair of her nicest sweatpants from a shelf. She may be almost a foot taller and twenty pounds lighter than Naomi, but these should work just fine. After a little digging, she even finds a long-sleeve shirt without any holes or stains.

  “Thank you,” Naomi says, taking them. She stands from the bed unabashedly, putting her whole body on display. Dylan tries not to stare, she really does, but Naomi easily catches her. She shimmies her shoulders, allowing her breasts to freely shake. “Still like what you see?”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever not like it,” Dylan admits. She steps forward, and her hands easily settle on the curve of plush hips. “You’re beautiful.”

  Their lips meet and explore slowly. Naomi’s tongue darts out to taste her lover’s mouth. It’s early, but deliciously sexy. Dylan is loath to pull away.

  “As much as I want to keep doing this,” she wags her thick brows, “The water is going to boil out before we even make the coffee.”

  Naomi tentatively allows her to step away. “I’ll be dressed in a jiff.”

  “A jiff,” Dylan calls over her shoulder playfully. “Who says that anymore?”

  She heads to the smoldering wood, noting that the water is ready. Though she usually saves it for extra lonely days when she needs a pick-me-up, Dylan decided to use the organic chicory coffee beans she nabbed down in Louisiana as a treat for them both.

  Sure enough, Naomi—dressed adorably in her too-long clothes—meets her outside in only moments. She’s wearing a pair of Dylan’s old house shoes, bunched up socks, and pulled her hair up in a loose bun. Even like this, Dylan can’t look away. God, she’s in way too deep. She’ll never make it out of this in one piece…but a part of her loves the challenge.

  Naomi peers into the kettle. “Do you just dump the beans in there?”

  “Yeah, you add the coffee, let it sit a bit, and a strainer catches the grounds so they don’t go in your cup.” Dylan pours in the grounds and covers the pot. “If I’m lazy, I pour it without the strainer. Just means you can’t drink the last inch or so in your cup.”

  “Damn, you’re better than I am. I’d just dump some instant in there and choke it down.” Naomi wraps her arms around herself and turns in a small circle. She absorbs the birds chirping, water trickling in the lake behind them, the gentle spring breeze. The sky shows hints of pinks and oranges from the rising sun. The lack of electricity buzzing around them and cars whizzing past causes a silence that nearly hurts her ears. “I wish I brought my camera. I’ve never been out here so early before.”

  Dylan pours each of them a mug of coffee. “Maybe you can bring it next time.”

  Naomi knowingly smiles. “Yeah. Maybe so.”

  They sit side-by-side in dark blue camping chairs around the glowing fire. Dylan stoked it enough to warm them while the sun rises above the mountaintops. Naomi daintily takes her first sip of the dark coffee from her hand-made ceramic mug.

  “Mmm,” she hums surprisingly. “This is good.”

  Dylan sips her own, marveling at how bold the taste is compared to the instant kind she sometimes uses. “I can’t believe you don’t like cream or sugar.”

  “I like to live on the edge,” Naomi jokes. “But it’ll be a good thing on the road not having to keep that stuff in stock,” she sighs, “if I ever make it there.”

  “I know you said you have a lot of bills, but what’s really holding you back?” Dylan questions. “The less you have, the less you owe. It’s an easy cycle to get out of once you make the leap.”

  “I suppose I’m scared,” Naomi admits. She tucks a piece of black hair behind her ear. “I don’t like to fail. What if I get out on the road, have no idea what I’m doing, and then have to come crawling back home to my family? I’d feel like such a loser.”

  “I get that.” Dylan nods. “I can show you as much as I can while I’m here though. It’ll be a good start.”

  Naomi’s head snaps towards her. “You’re planning to leave already?”

  “Not yet.” Dylan leans back in her seat. The lake ripples softly in front of them. “I still have a lot of exploring to do.”

  “Good,” she replies. She bites her lip as she thinks of whether or not to say what comes next. “I’m not ready for you to go yet.”

  Dylan swallows. The last time she got attached to someone on the road it lead to a whole lot of heartache and very little positivity, and they were only really good friends. This feels different already though—like she can trust Naomi more and more with each minute she knows her. Maybe they’ll be the rarity and stay in touch even after she leaves. Or maybe they won’t have to leave each other at all…Dylan shakes that thought away.

  “I’m not ready to go yet either,” Dylan finally says. She holds out her hand, and it lingers only moments before Naomi fills it with her own. “Maybe you can even show me a thing or two while I’m here.”

  Naomi laughs softly. A mischievous glint fills her eyes, and she squeezes Dylan’s hand. “I’m pretty sure I already have.”

  “So crass.”

  “I love making you blush,” Naomi admits. “It’s so easy.”

  “Yeah, well. I told you I didn’t do this often.”

  “I wouldn’t kno
w it from judging by last night,” Naomi compliments. “You had me wound up tighter than a string.”

  “Is that how the saying goes now?”

  Naomi laughs airily. “You know what I mean.”

  “Thank you,” Dylan finally says. Of course, a light blush creeps up her neck. How does this woman always know how to get under her skin?

  “When did you know you wanted to go on the road?” Naomi asks. “I mean, really know.”

  “Well,” Dylan starts, “I was in college trying to find a second job just so I could pay for rent, car payments, and other bills while also affording something other than ramen noodles for dinner. I was already working thirty-something hours a week, going to school full-time, and completely exhausted. I just couldn’t do it anymore.” She shrugs. “So I gussied up and asked my neighbor how much he would take for this van. He cut me a deal, and here I am.”

  “Wow.” Naomi’s eyebrows rise. “A real go-getter.”

  “Nothing happens if you don’t put it in motion, ya know? If I hadn’t asked him, I’d probably still be working at a daycare pulling in minimum wage and miserable. I have nothing against that, but it just isn’t for me.”

  “I never thought of it that way,” Naomi admits. “But you’re right. Why complain about something but never do anything to change it?” She takes a sip of her nearly-finished coffee. “Damn. You just made me rethink my whole life.”

  “Sorry,” Dylan chuckles. “Didn’t mean to change your self-perception or anything.”

  “No,” Naomi brushes off. “I enjoy learning and growing. I don’t want to have a stagnant mindset forever. Or be in a stagnant place my whole life.”

  Dylan smiles. Talented, beautiful, and smart—what a combo. This woman just keeps pulling her in deeper and deeper. “Like I said, if you need help getting started just let me know. I’ve learned a thing or two in the past few years.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll need your help sooner rather than later,” Naomi answers. “I can’t stay in Twin Falls forever, you know?”