Untamed (REWRITING)

52

Heather stood regal in her all black outfit. The rays of the sun caressed her face further lightening the green of her eyes. She looked like a goddess.

Shelby stood with her mouth open still trying to process the fact that she was finally there, how many times had she dreamt of this day? How long had it been since she felt this strange fluttering in her stomach or the pounding of her traitorous heart?

"Will you invite me in?" Heather didn't wait for an answer, walking slowly into Shelby's space making her take steps back instinctively till they were inside the house.

Heather shut the door waiting patiently for Shelby to work through the shock plastered on her face. It felt like hours before Shelby finally spoke.

"Why're you here?" Shelby's voice was more or less a whisper.

"I took too long." Heather admitted. "I should have been on the next flight behind you."

"But you weren't" Shelby closed her eyes, images of their last meeting flashing dangerously fast in her mind.

"I'm sorry. I mean it, I shoul-"

"You're sorry?" Shelby sputtered. "You're h-ere t-o say you're sorry?"

Heather nodded. "Yes. I know that can-"

"No it can't." The anger was evident behind her response. "No Heather, it can't heal the wounds you inflicted on every single cell of my very being."

Shelby's breath was coming in pants, "You don't know how much I hated you, how I cried myself to sleep every night since you threw me out of your house. You chased me! Remember? You came into my life and ruined everything."

"I tried to stop myself from falling in love with you but this-" She hit her chest furiously. "-this stupid heart chose you, I chose you, I fucking trusted you with my heart, with my business, with my family and what did you do?"

Heather stood still watching Shelby intently, the speech she had rehearsed in front of her mirror for days moved swiftly out of her mind's reach. The pain behind the brown eyes glaring at her pricked her skin. Was her mother right about her hasty departure?

"I-"

"You don't get to waltz into my life when you please with a one word apology and expect what? My forgiveness?" Shelby laughed as tears filled her eyes. "My life was perfect, you strode into my office; made friends with my family, made me fall in love with you when you had no intention of ever feeling the same way for me."

"Shelby I never meant to hurt you, that document was the excuse I needed to stop myself from facing what I was feeling."

"What were you feeling?" Shelby asked, wiping the tears falling endlessly down her face.

"Love"

A broken laugh escaped Shelby's lips. "Don't bullshit me Heather. That is one emotion you aren't capable of feeling, not for anyone but yourself."

"I do love you." Heather swallowed thickly rubbing the throbbing spot on her chest, her pain didn't matter. Nothing mattered except this moment, one wrong word and she would lose Shelby forever.

"Save that for your wife." Shelby gritted her teeth as pain sliced her insides, it took everything not to scream out.

"I'm no longer married." Heather reached for Shelby's hand, not surprised when she sprang out of reach. "Renee and I were long over before I met you, please believe me."

"I was just one of your conquests Heather, fret not, you conquered me." Heather shook her head at Shelby's words. "You didn't only conquer, you left an imprint so deep nothing will ever erase it. Not even death."

"Please Shelby, I need you to hear me out." Heather pleaded, ready to drop to her knees if Shelby asked. "You were never a conquest for me, I fell irrevocably in love with you, I should have stopped Renee from saying those things but I was too lost in my own head. Renee is the only woman I've ever been with and when she left me, I clamped up till I met you. There was no one before you, I swear."

"Since when do you beg mighty Heather? Since when does what I think matter to you?" Shelby sighed, the emotions plaguing her body were painful and brutal.

"Those documents clearly ruled out that incident as an accident yet you did to me what others did, the look on your face." Shelby swallowed the bile stuck in her throat. "I never wanted you to look at me like that. I was criticized on the basis of my past, what did you get? A reprieve? It was cool for you to be married when you fucked me like I was your salvation and me? What about me?"

Shelby buried her face in her hands taking deep breaths, the tears flowing down her cheeks wasn't helping the killer headache trying to pound her head open.

"Please leave Heather." Shelby pointed weakly at the door.

Heather gathered Shelby in her arms unwilling to allow their conversation end this way, holding her tight as she fought to break their embrace. Whispering 'I'm sorry' over and over again knowing it meant nothing, she couldn't fix the harm she had inflicted with words.

Taking her punches in stride, Heather guided them to the floor with great difficulty, after several kicks and punches later, Shelby just stopped. The ear piercing screams rang out soon after accompanied by loud sobs, that shook them both.

Her heart broke for the woman she loved, how broken she sounded, how fragile she felt in her arms. Shelby's tears soaked Heather's shirt in seconds, her tiny hands grabbed fists full of her shirt as she screamed.

She screamed until her throat felt sore, screamed some more until her voice cracked and faded away, yet she opened her mouth letting out silent screams to ease the pain in her chest.

Heather rocked Shelby gently apologizing over and over again till she quieted. Shelby whimpered, her eyes were swollen and probably red which was very bad for her condition.

"I'm so sorry my princess, I didn't mean to hurt you." Heather wiped her lover's face now shedding a few tears of her own. "Not like this, never like this."

Snuggling deeper into an embrace she both loathed and enjoyed, Shelby shut her eyes, their altercation left her feeling vulnerable.

"Go away please." Shelby's voice sounded scratchy.

"Never" Heather peppered tiny kisses on her face. "I'll never leave you alone again."

"Please" Heather's thumb caught the stray tear before it trailed down Shelby's face.

"It's a long shot asking you for your trust again, I'll just have to work twice as hard to get it. I'm asking for a second chance."

Her quick response was lost at the feeling of Heather's lips on hers, a close lipped kiss tasting like promises.

Promises Shelby's heart believed.

°°°
Zzzzzzz

Fiona or Heather.
Who should our girl be with?