Would you Swallow all your Pride?

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Cherry.

"Don't ever do that again," Wilhemina whispered after a minute of silence. Billie Dean's stomach dropped. She began pulling away, took a step back, but Venable held her in place one more time. Honey eyes opened in confusion only to meet dark brown ones staring directly at her, with nothing but warmth in them. "Don't ever pull away from me like that again."

The smile that spread across Billie Dean's lips was so big her cheeks hurt. She bit her lower lip. Now, with her nerves still jumping but with the certainty that Wilhemina felt, at least in a way, the same, she could actually feel her. One of Billie's thumbs kept on tracing the delicate cheek against it, while her other hand now reached to pull a lock of red hair away from Venable's face. Down on her waist, Billie Dean could feel Wilhemina holding her tightly, caressing her on top of the dress. "I wish I had never pulled away in the first place," she whispered. Venable refused to take her hands away from Billie Dean. Her cane had fallen to the floor, so she used the wall behind her as support for her back. Slowly, she traced up Billie's back and caressed her shoulders.

"You're trembling." Wilhemina had a tiny smile printed on the corner of her lips that, and no matter how hard she tried to, she just couldn't hide it.

At the comment, Billie Dean chuckled. "I'm quite nervous."

"Why?"

"You." As light as a feather, Billie allowed the hand on Venable's hair to trace down to her waist. "I like you a lot, Wilhemina."

Venable's heart seemed to speed up even more, as if it were even possible. She tried biting her lower lip to stop her smile from growing, but it was no use. This is happening. "I like you a lot, too, Billie Dean." Brown eyes fell down to those lips in front of her, and she just couldn't help but lean closer and peck them once, because she could. Billie chuckled against her.

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long," Billie Dean whispered. And how silly was that? That they were both grown adults acting just like silly teenagers?

"Is that, so?" Wilhemina's cheeks tinted pink, but she didn't even have the mind to care.

Billie was the one to lean closer and peck Venable's lips this time. "Yes," she murmured, and then she kissed her again. Wilhemina instantly kissed her back on the same intensity, hand reaching to hold Billie Dean's neck gently, caressing it. Billie's other hand fell down to Venable's waist, holding her against herself as close as she could. She wanted to drown in Wilhemina; wanted to breathe her scent and nothing else.

Venable had so many things she wanted to tell Billie Dean. She had so many questions and so many thoughts and at the same time, nothing was there but the feeling of Billie's lips against her own, working oh so gently. They were everything she had hoped and longed for, and Wilhemina simply couldn't get enough. "Billie Dean," she murmured as she tried pulling away, but her own body betrayed her and glued itself to Billie's. Her had cupped Billie Dean's cheek, caressing it. I have her. She's here. "I... I..."

"Yes?" Billie Dean, too, couldn't stand to get too far from Wilhemina's lips. She forced them apart, eyes searching for dark brown ones.

Venable took a deep breath, chest quivering. "I've wanted this, too." She licked her lips nervously, finger tracing Billie's cheekbone. "I ended things with Emma... I mean—I was trying to." Billie Dean blinked in surprise, but then her eyes fell down. Uh-oh. Wilhemina gulped. "Billie," she called softly. Their eyes met again. "I don't like her... not like that. Not how I like you."

Not how I like you. Billie Dean's eyes grew teary again; she had too many emotions, too many thoughts going inside her mind. A delicate finger reached to wipe a tear away before it could fall, and Billie leaned on the hand against her cheek. Wilhemina offered her a smile that carried so much affection it got her dizzy. "I'm sorry I pulled away," it was her time to clarify things. "I couldn't—I couldn't handle it... I was too scared to come between you and her..."