Chapter Twenty-eight
It took Whit less than an hour to find out where Abby was staying.
She called around, spoke with a few friends, and learned that she was renting a small home through someone in town.
It took less than half an hour to walk to her place.
Whit thought about taking the ATV, which was what she drove while home, as did most folks in Cozy, but she decided she wanted some fresh air and some time to think.
Abby showing up when she did had been unfortunate, and the way she’d left even more unfortunate. Whit knew it was time to explain things, whether Abby wanted to hear it or not. Whit had to say her piece. What happened from there, well, that would be up to Abby.
The rented house was painted a pale yellow with dark blue trim.
Whit recognized it as the home where one of her long-time friends grew up, but had long since left.
Now it was owned by Gemma Ulrich, a Cozy native, who rented it out to tourists when they came through in the summer.
As it was, Cozy didn’t have many visitors, but those who did make the trip, came predominantly in the summer months.
Abby being able to get into the house in late September, spoke to the summer tourists already having taken off back to warmer climates.
Soon there would be nothing but the Cozyites to welcome in another long winter.
Whit walked up to the door and gave a gentle knock. “Abby, it’s me, Whit. Can you open up? We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk,” she said, her voice muffled through the door.
“We need to, Abby. Please. Things can’t continue like this between us. We need to air some things out.”
The door opened and Abby stood there with a pinched look on her face. “Okay, Whit. You win. Let’s do it. Let’s air some things out.” She made air quotes with her fingers and Whit knew it was going to be a trying conversation.
“May I come in?” Whit asked. She really preferred not to have the discussion out where others might hear. The town was small enough as it was, and rumors were known to spread like wildfire. She didn’t want to be the subject of them.
“Suit yourself,” Abby said, walking away from the open entryway.
Whit stepped inside, closed the door, and joined Abby in the living room where she sat with her face in her hands on the couch.
The house was pleasantly warm, so Whit tugged off her knit cap and shrugged out of her coat.
She tossed both on the chair, but remained standing.
“Abby, I need to tell you something.”
“No need. I already know.”
“What do you know?”
“That you and your girlfriend live together and you can’t, for whatever reason, leave her.”
Whit sighed.
Abby glanced up at her through her fingers. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“I knew it. Damn it, I knew it.” She slapped her hands on her thighs. “Why then, did I get involved with you? Was it because I thought I was going to die? No, that’s no excuse, is it?” She laughed. “You know what it was, Whit? I had real feelings for you. Silly me.”
“I have real feelings for you, too, Abby.”
“You can’t. You have someone. So don’t tell me that.”
“Abby…you’re misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? That’s an interesting way of trying to explain things. Do you not live with your girlfriend?”
“I do but—we are no longer together. Not in that sense.”
“Oh, so it’s a shared home with an ex-lover kind of thing.” She again made air quotes with her fingers.
“Yes,” Whit said. “But again, it’s not what you think.
Bobby—that’s her name—is ill, Abby. She has ALS.
And she lives with me so I can help care for her.
Her family, they’re in the Lower Forty-eight and they pretty much disowned her years ago for choosing to be with me. For being gay. So I’m all she has.”
Whit paused and waited for Abby to respond. It took her a while, and when she did she sounded truly upset. Her voice cracked and she wiped at her tears.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea, Whit.”
“I know. That’s why I wanted so very much to explain.”
“I should’ve let you. I just assumed—God, I can be so hard-headed sometimes.”
“You just thought like anyone would in your position.”
“But the woman I saw. She looked fine. She looked rather beautiful and healthy, in fact.”
“That’s Nancy. She’s the home health nurse and a good friend. I’ve known her for years. Bobby, she wasn’t in your line of sight. She’s pretty much bed-bound now. She doesn’t have much time left. So, I’m not going to be working again anytime soon. I need to be at home with her. Nancy and I both.”
“Of course. I understand.”
“But I meant what I said, Abby. I do have feelings for you. Deep feelings. Real feelings. I just—don’t know what I can do about them right now.”
Abby went to her and took her hands. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “You have enough on your plate.”
“But I need to worry about it. I don’t want to lose you.”
Abby smiled and skimmed her face. “I can’t stay, Whit. I have to go.”
“I know.”
“So how could we ever make this work? Even if Bobby was okay?”
“I don’t know.” Whit palmed her cheek. “I just know what I feel. And that’s not going to go away when you do.”
“No, it’s not, is it?” Abby closed her eyes, leaned in, and kissed her. “Mm, this is crazy,” she said, continuing to plant soft, luscious kisses on her. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“No, definitely not.” Whit wound her hands around her waist and pulled her closer. “But I’m more than willing to break the rules if you are.”
“Oh, God, yes. Let’s break all the rules. Even if it’s just for tonight.”
“You got it.” Whit then eased her back down onto the couch and pressed her body between her legs.
Abby welcomed her by encasing her with her legs and gripping the base of her head to hold her firm while she slid her hungry tongue inside her mouth.
Whit answered with a vengeance, meeting her tongue with her own while rocking herself into her.
Abby made a noise of sheer delight and lifted her hips to meet Whit’s rhythm.
She then began to claw at Whit’s back, dragging her nails down her shirt, grazing her flesh, causing Whit to shudder.
“Nothing and no one can stop us now,” Abby whispered.
“No.”
“We’re all alone and safe and warm.”
“We are.”
“Then make love to me, Whit. Please. Make love to me.”
Whit trailed her mouth down to her neck where she gently sucked and nibbled as Abby arched herself, making an offering.
Her green eyes seemed to burn as they watched Whit make her way farther down her body, inching up her sweater bit by bit as she went.
When she had it up around her neck, Abby sat up briefly to slip it off and toss it aside, before she gripped Whit’s face and brought her in for another searing kiss, one that Whit had to fight to draw away from.
As she did, she moved even lower, and this time tugged on Abby’s pants, quickly unfastening the button to bring them down over her hips.
Then she paused at her knee to carefully remove the brace she wore and then proceeded to strip off her pants the rest of the way.
Abby sat up once again to take off her bra and then helped Whit out of her hooded sweatshirt and thermal undershirt.
She was braless and the air teased her nipples, instantly hardening them.
Abby seemed to delight in seeing them and she immediately grazed them with the back of her hands.
“My God, you’re breathtaking,” she breathed.
“Come here.” She pulled Whit back onto her and they once again deepened their kisses until Whit managed to separate from her to drift down between her legs.
After holding her gaze for just a moment, she then snuck out her tongue and rimmed the edge of her panties and Abby squirmed beneath her, unable to take the purposeful tease.
“Jesus, Whit. You’re—killing me.”
Whit continued the tease, until finally, and at the behest of a very vocal Abby, she flattened her tongue and licked her dead center through the satin material. Abby arched up into her, grabbing her head, pleading for more.
“Please, Whit. Please.”
Whit conceded, unable to wait longer herself. She had to taste her. Relish her, marinate in her. She yanked her panties aside and attached herself to her swollen clit.
“Whit! Oh, my God. Yes!”
Abby knotted her hands in her hair, holding her fast to her as Whit furiously fed. She sucked hard and slow, then fast and tender, driving her into a frenzy. At last she came and cried out in a guttural voice for more and then hoarsely for mercy.
Whit stopped only when Abby went limp and then softly spasmed every second or two until she stilled completely.
She sat up and tugged Whit into her arms, while carefully slipping her hand down the front of Whit’s pants to caress her through her underwear.
Whit shook and shuddered, so very close to spilling over herself.
Abby seemed to sense this and she laughed deviously while toying with her flesh through the fabric.
“You’re so wet I can feel it through your panties,” she said.
“That’s what you do to me.”
“Do I?”
“Ye-es.”
“What else do I do to you?”
“Drive me mad.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” She slipped her hand into her underwear and into her aching flesh. Whit stiffened, groaned, and nearly came on the spot. But Abby, wise to her, stilled, then slowly, oh so slowly, began to play her like the finest of instruments.
“You’re beautiful,” Abby said into her ear.
“So very fucking beautiful, Whit. And I wish I could pleasure you like this forever. Do you know that? Forever. To feel you on me and in my hand, the very center of your being. Your most precious of places. I love it, Whit. And I…” her voice cracked, and Whit saw the rest of the words in her eyes and she came, hard and fast, powerful and slow, wave after incredible wave as Abby stroked her expertly.
“Abby,” she cried. “I—” and she broke into uncontrollable spasms, unable to finish her sentence as the orgasm continued to surge through her.
Abby watched her closely, rubbing her until she eventually collapsed atop her. Then they both remained silent, gathering breath.
At last Abby spoke as she ran her fingers through Whit’s hair. “I loved every second of that,” she said.
“Mm, me too,” Whit said.
“And as much as I love having my hand right where it is, I believe I need to move it as it’s falling asleep.”
Whit chuckled and shifted so Abby could slide her hand from her pants. She quickly embraced Whit and they held one another in languid silence again. Until eventually, Whit closed her eyes and didn’t open them again.