Repercussions

by Jessica L. Webb

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Okay, Ms. Black. Here are your discharge papers, signs and symptoms of a worsening concussion. And yes, I know you could write a manual on the subject. Spare me the drama, take the papers, and for God’s sake, follow up with your doctor in the next forty-eight hours.”

  Edie took the papers from Nurse Brian, who had been competently directing traffic in his ER since they had all arrived. Edie had been completely and thoroughly checked over, a CT scan ordered, the cut on the inside of her mouth assessed, bruises counted and discarded as anything more serious than burst blood vessels beneath her skin.

  It was Edie’s head and heart that hurt.

  Her thoughts were a dull ache of confusion at the last few hours, and she felt a mild sense of panic at being separated from Skye and Faina. Skye had been next to her on the ride to the hospital, the triage area, in the chair by her bed as the doctor looked her over, and as an officer came to take her statement. But she’d been constantly on the phone with someone, getting updates on Faina, which she’d passed along to Edie in a neutral tone, answering questions from JC and Donaldson, from her own boss at the security agency.

  Edie watched her work, felt the force of her uncertainty. She tried to take comfort from her physical proximity even as she understood Skye was with her yet not. Here and away. Edie could barely think, and it was both a relief and an ache when Skye was called down to x-ray to take a look at her ribs.

  But that had been two hours ago, and as Nurse Brian handed Edie the papers and pulled back the curtain, Edie was disappointed to not see Skye there waiting. She spotted Sasha just a few feet away, his eyes wide and cheeks pink. Brian approached him, wrote something on Sasha’s inner arm, then walked briskly away. It made Edie’s heart hurt a little less, knowing Skye had sent Sasha for her and seeing this sweet, simple exchange between the two men. These were moments, too. Happiness and lightness, ease and anticipation. Edie could find them and let them in, let them erase the recent horrors.

  Sasha was still staring down at his arm when Edie approached.

  “Hey, Sasha.”

  Sasha looked up and hastily pulled down his sleeve. Edie raised an eyebrow and smiled.

  “Edie. Hi. Sorry. You okay?” He was adorable when flustered.

  “I’m good. You?”

  Sasha blushed and Edie laughed gently. The sensation felt new somehow.

  “Don’t tell the boss,” Sasha said.

  “I won’t.”

  “Speaking of the boss, Skye has been released and is down at the police station. I can take you home or to Skye’s place. She says you’re welcome to stay at the loft, if you’d rather.”

  Maybe Skye was not here, but she was looking out for Edie. An extension of soldier Skye’s protection, even now that the danger no longer existed? Or was it an invitation, an olive branch, the tentative offer of hope?

  “I’d like to see Faina first.”

  “Fourth floor,” Sasha said. “I’ll take you.”

  They walked out of the emergency department and through the confusing maze of hospital hallways.

  “How is Faina?”

  “She’s waiting for surgery to clean up the gunshot wound, though CT cleared her from needing a surgical correction of the crack in her orbital floor from the pistol whip.” Sasha stopped as Edie winced at his words. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay, keep going.”

  “The docs think the crack will heal fine on its own. The surgery is just to make sure the gunshot wound is clean of debris, but they are confident it hit nothing major. JC is back at headquarters now, debriefing with the team and trying to keep the boss out of hot water. I imagine she’ll be back when she can get away.”

  Edie looked up at Sasha and parsed out his last words. Then she remembered.

  “Because Skye sent the information to Gordon.”

  “Yes. Even after she was expressly forbidden to do so by Donaldson. And JC, actually.”

  “Is she in a lot of trouble?” Edie said. It hadn’t occurred to her that this could end badly for Skye.

  Sasha shrugged his easygoing shrug.

  “She’s run out of favours with all the governmental agencies, but it’s hard for Donaldson to be pissed when she handed him exactly what he was looking for. And took away Rada’s only real bargaining chip.”

  They got off the elevator on the fourth floor. It was busy, with nurses in brightly coloured scrubs talking to patients and calling out to each other. Monitors beeped and blared, and nobody seemed too concerned. The efficiency calmed Edie. Faina was in good hands. Sasha pointed to a door and indicated he would wait outside.

  Four beds were in this room, each with a curtain that enclosed the patients. Faina was in the bed closest to the window, and she lay very still beneath the white sheets. The midafternoon sun, half shielded by the blinds, brought the violence of Faina’s injuries into dramatic light. Edie could see the layers of bruises, old and new and still forming. Faina was a canvas of hurt.

  Edie walked to the bed and gently touched Faina’s hand. Faina opened her glassy eyes and fixed them on Edie. She tried to smile.

  “Hey, no need to wake up,” Edie said. “I just wanted to see you.”

  Faina blinked and gave Edie’s hand a light, shaky squeeze. She was heavily sedated, and Edie didn’t want to keep her surfaced if it was a struggle. She had a hazy memory of what that felt like.

  “Sleep, my friend. I’ll be here after your surgery.”

  Faina closed her eyes again, and her hand went limp. Edie felt tears well up, but she forced them back down. She leaned over the railing of the bed and gave Faina a light kiss on her temple.

  When she left the room, Sasha pushed away from the wall and looked at her expectantly. What Edie needed above all right now was comfort and rest.

  “I’d like you to take me to Skye’s,” she said.

  The journey seemed endless. Edie watched with dull interest as the world continued to spin around her in its normal, everyday progression. Every person she saw was completely unaware of the events of the early morning. Maybe they’d cursed the snarled traffic as the police had shut down Elgin Street under the Pretoria Bridge for a crash investigation. It was news, an annoyance, a frustration for the morning instead of the nightmare it had been for Edie. And for Faina.

  Finally Sasha pulled up outside of Skye’s loft, angling into a no parking zone before walking Edie up to the blue steel door. He punched a code into his phone, and the lock disengaged. Sasha escorted her up the stairs and unlocked the inside door, allowing Edie to pass in front of him.

  “Skye will likely be a few hours,” Sasha said, standing in the doorway. “Is there anything else you need?”

  Edie looked at him gratefully. “No, thank you. You’ve been wonderful. I think I just need to sleep.”

  “Okay. See you around, Edie.”

  When Sasha closed the door, Edie listened to the lock engage, Sasha’s tread on the stairway, then the clang of the outside door. Now there was just her and silence and the comfort of Skye’s loft. Edie didn’t know what to do. It had been a long time since she’d been truly alone. Skye had been a constant presence, whether she was making coffee, sitting quietly with her laptop, or even finding a way to release her boundless energy without going very far. Her absence made Edie feel hollow.

  Edie considered making herself something to eat, but the effort seemed too much. She slipped off her shoes instead, sinking down into the couch. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting thoughts and sensations and worries and dull pain drift away. And then she curled over onto her side, cheek pressed into the soft grey fabric of the back cushion, and stopped trying to think at all.

  It felt like hours later when Edie drifted out of her half sleep to the sound of the door. Her body felt heavy, her thoughts weighed down, far too tired to even worry who was walking into the loft. But Edie knew. She could feel Skye’s force. Edie kept her eyes closed, still so close to sleep, and listened to Skye’s soft footsteps as she app
roached. Skye hesitated at the edge of the living room. Edie’s heart pounded just a little harder. This moment was suddenly so critical.

  The couch dipped slightly as Skye sat down very close to Edie, her bicep inches from where Edie rested her head. They both breathed and the moment settled, and Edie’s heart beat a familiar happy rhythm at Skye’s nearness. The pull was a gentle gravitational force.

  Skye was a full round moon that bathed everything in its light. And that was exactly what Edie wanted. She reached out her hand and rested it against Skye’s stomach, feeling her light shudder of breath, the faint contraction of muscles. Heat. After a moment, Skye shifted a little closer, lifting her arm and settling it gently around Edie’s shoulder. Edie tucked her head into the crook of Skye’s shoulder and neck, held her close, and breathed her in.

  When Skye rested her cheek on the top of Edie’s head and gave a small sigh, Edie felt tears. She wasn’t sad, just swamped by emotions. Edie anchored herself in Skye’s strength, confirming her own strength had been there all along.

  After a moment, Skye reached across with her free hand and cupped Edie’s face. She lightly traced Edie’s cheekbone and jaw with her fingers, touching the soft flesh of Edie’s ear. The sensation was both sweet and intense, tentative and insistent.

  “I owe you an apology.”

  Edie leaned back until she could look into Skye’s eyes. “For what?”

  “I shouldn’t have left you the other night.”

  Edie slid her hand over Skye’s stomach and held her around her waist. She needed Skye to know she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Can you tell me why you did?”

  Skye looked away briefly, and Edie felt the tension in her body. But it was only for a moment, then she locked eyes with Edie again.

  “I kept thinking I was losing you. That whole day, threat after threat. I had convinced myself I couldn’t possibly be enough for you. But that night with you, I kind of lost my mind. I thought I was too much. I’ve always been too much or not enough. I didn’t want to disappoint you. I…I’m very sorry, Edie.”

  Edie sifted through Skye’s words, the tone of her voice. She wasn’t apologizing for wanting Edie.

  “I forgive you.”

  Edie was sure Skye needed to hear those words. Skye briefly closed her eyes, then opened them again and gently tilted Edie’s face up so she could kiss her. Edie felt like her forgiveness had cleansed them both. Skye’s kiss was gentle, a sweet exploration of Edie’s lips, an echo of her apology, and a hint of promise.

  Skye pulled away slowly but kept Edie’s face cradled in her hand. Skye was smiling, and Edie’s whole body filled with relief and happiness and hope. This awful part of her life was coming to a close, and she had Skye. Now she needed Faina to pull through this ordeal as unscathed as possible.

  “Have you heard from the hospital?” Edie said, leaning back into Skye’s embrace.

  “They were going to have her in surgery by midnight. When we left headquarters, JC was heading home to tuck her kids into bed and then her plan was to spend the night at the hospital. I said we’d take the morning shift. I hope that’s okay.”

  Edie kissed the corner of Skye’s mouth, tasting her sweetness. “Yes, it’s perfect. Thank you.”

  Skye smiled and ducked her head briefly. She obviously wasn’t used to this. Edie grinned. That was okay. They had time now. Edie looked forward to the lessons she could teach Skye on how to be loved.

  “What time is it?” Edie said, looking around the loft. It was dark outside, but she thought she could still hear the sounds of the city and its movement.

  “Just after eight.”

  “Eight,” Edie mused. “That’s a good time to start a date.”

  Skye’s eyes widened. “You want a date? Tonight?”

  “Yes,” Edie said. “I want a date. I’m pretty sure you owe me dinner.”

  “Uh…” Skye said, looking suddenly concerned.

  “Okay, you can make me dinner another night.”

  “What would you like tonight?”

  Edie didn’t answer at first. She ran her palm over Skye’s hip, fingers dancing over Skye’s rib cage, tracing the muscles of Skye’s stomach before pressing up between her breasts and over her chest and resting against Skye’s neck. Edie felt the wild pounding of Skye’s heartbeat against her fingertips. She had never loved a feeling more.

  “Tonight I want a shower. With you. And I want you to take me to bed and make love to me.” She heard Skye’s breath hitch, but she pushed on. This was her date, and she was going to direct it how she wanted. “And then I want you to order your favourite take-out. Lots of it. And when we’re done with that, I want to sleep with you.” Edie’s voice gentled, and she whispered the final words. “I want to fall asleep with you.”

  “Yes,” Skye said before lowering her head and taking Edie’s lips in a fierce kiss. Edie tried to push back but Skye was stronger, pressing her into the couch, the stroke of Skye’s tongue against her own making her weak. Making her want more. She gripped Skye’s hips and guided her body against her as they fell back onto the couch, tangling their legs together, the push and pull of their bodies together rocketing Edie suddenly so close.

  Skye broke the kiss and eased back just a little, her hips still rocking against Edie’s in a slow rhythm that threatened to undo Edie entirely.

  “Shower,” Skye said against Edie’s lips. “You said shower first.”

  Edie sucked Skye’s bottom lip into her mouth. God, she loved the taste of her.

  “Yes. Now.”

  Skye pulled Edie up in one swift movement, steadying her with an arm around her waist. They walked to the bathroom at the back of the loft, Skye turning on the lights then standing and facing Edie with her hands on her hips.

  “What is it?” Edie said.

  “I have bruises. On my left shoulder, left hip, and left thigh. One on my back. They’re tender, but they don’t hurt. I wanted you to know before you saw them.”

  Skye was on the ground in the dim underpass. She was curled on her side and they were kicking her. Edie couldn’t get close enough. She tasted blood in her mouth, the sickness of helplessness.

  Skye stepped in closer to Edie and rested her hands on Edie’s hips. “You’re right here with me,” Skye said. “We’re safe. Faina and JC are safe.”

  Edie stared into Skye’s eyes, grounded by her hands on her hips. She grasped Skye’s upper arms, feeling the muscles under her palms.

  “Just take a minute and find your way back here,” Skye said.

  Edie complied. She walked through their long, hellish day, forced herself to think through decisions that led to terror, the painful fear of their ordeal. And the outcome. Rada in handcuffs. Faina being treated. Skye’s touch.

  “I’m okay.”

  Skye welcomed her back with a smile. “I know.”

  Edie ran her hands lightly up Skye’s body, skimming her shoulder. “Can you show me?”

  Skye took a step back and pulled her T-shirt over her head. Her black sports bra followed. A red contusion covered the front of Skye’s shoulder, and Edie covered it lightly. It was smaller than her hand. Skye undid the button and zipper on her pants, Skye stripping herself bare and standing naked in front of Edie. More bruises, exactly where Skye said they would be. All the same size, the toe of a boot making contact with flesh.

  “Edie, it’s okay.”

  “I’m angry,” Edie said, unable to look away from the bruises.

  “Yes,” Skye said.

  “They hurt you.”

  Skye looked down at her bruises as if assessing them for the first time. “They’re a little sore. Sasha has given me worse when we spar.” Skye reached out for Edie’s hand and guided it to her hip, covering one of the bruises. “I’ll heal. I’m not worried.”

  The bruise felt slightly warmer than the surrounding skin. But it was all Skye. And Edie’s instinct told her this was all part of loving Skye. Her selflessness. Her physicality. The force of her will and her str
ength, and her absolute confidence that her body would do what it needed to do. Edie needed to love her for that. Edie did love her for that.

  Edie dropped her hands and pulled her own shirt over her head. She wanted to be out of these clothes, wash away the grit of the day, the feel of the metal floor beneath her cheek, the smell of guns. Skye leaned into the glassed-in shower stall to turn on the tap, and the sound of water soothed the angry thoughts in Edie’s head once steam began to wrap around her bare skin.

  Skye tugged at Edie’s hand and pulled her into the shower. Edie groaned at the dual sensation of hot water over her own body and the slickness of Skye’s skin. Skye kissed her, lips gentle and warm, until Edie’s whole body felt liquid and languid. Edie could kiss Skye for days with no need to surface or breathe. And when Skye pulled her closer, fusing their bodies along every point, Edie forgot how her body felt separate from Skye. And she felt the absolute certainty that she would never again need to know.

  Water and steam streamed around them as they kissed and touched, separating to find soap, sliding their palms over each other’s skin to both clean and claim. Skye watched as Edie washed her hair. Her gaze made Edie feel loved. She could feel it even when she closed her eyes and leaned her head back into the shower to rinse.

  Edie felt Skye’s teeth on her neck, and the groan that escaped Skye reverberated through her chest. Skye claimed her breasts, covering them both with her palms before sliding her fingers over her nipples. Edie felt weak with the onslaught of desire, but Skye pinned her against the tile wall with her hips. The shock of cold was a contrast to the heat in her body as Skye kissed her neck, her fingers torturing her nipples until Edie had to break the never-ending kiss, gasping for air, trying to calm the rioting in her body as she rocketed so quickly to the edge.

  “More,” Skye said as she lifted Edie’s hips and settled her thigh between her legs. The pressure was intense. Edie cried out and clung to Skye’s shoulders, even as she rocked against her, her body completely overtaken with sensation. Skye matched her rhythm, one hand on Edie’s hip, the other sweeping up her body, fisting her fingers in Edie’s wet hair and taking her mouth again. The heat of Skye’s mouth, the friction of Skye’s wet flesh against her clit, and the steadily increasing thrust of Skye’s hips sent Edie spinning higher with every gasped breath. When Skye broke the kiss, groaning, and bit down on the juncture of Edie’s shoulder and neck, Edie thought her head would explode with pleasure. Skye stiffened, and the bite to her neck turned to a kiss as Skye groaned again and eased the pressure of her thigh. Skye shook her head slowly, the lightest sweep of her lips over Edie’s flesh sending shivers up her spine. “Gentle,” Skye said. “I want to be gentle this time.”