The Greatest Power

Chapter 8 - Oops!

Beatrice woke up just before sunrise. She was afraid to open her eyes and realize that the whole night had been a dream. Her first night with Ava. Instead, she decided to pay attention only to what she felt around her. The familiar scent of Ava's hair, the intense heat of her skin. She dared open her eyes and saw that she hadn't dreamed. Ava slept peacefully, lying on her side, facing Bea and holding her hands. Her legs intertwined with Ava's, with nothing between them. Nothing at all. Only the sheets covered them, the naked bodies that warmed each other. Actually, Ava heated the whole room.

"My God, she is so beautiful", Beatrice thought as she admired Ava's sleep. "And I missed her so much." Bea wanted to caress Ava's face, but she didn't want to wake her up. Besides, she had to get out of Ava's room as soon as possible, before the other sisters started waking up and wandering the halls. How would she explain sleeping in Ava's room? In a convent? Beatrice knew she could scandalize the sisters with this. Or not, who knows... But she decided not to risk it.

With the greatest care, she tried to get out of the embrace of Ava's legs, slowly getting out from under the sheets... but then Ava woke up. Still not opening her eyes, she reached for Bea's body on the bed, pulling her close again.

"Where are you going? Come back here..."

"All I wanted was to stay here all day with you, but-"

"So stay." Ava interrupted with a smile and eyes still small with sleep.

Beatrice smiled back. For her, it was humanly impossible to resist Ava's smile.

"Ava, I can't. I must not. I need to go to my room and at least pretend I slept there. I don't want to scandalize anyone or cause a commotion... we're still in a convent, remember?"

Ava pouted like an upset child and again managed to get Beatrice to laugh.

"Okay, you're right." Ava finally agreed. "But promise me it won't be long before I see you again. I don't want to spend another minute away from you... I've already spent too much time."

"See you in a few minutes for breakfast, okay?" Beatrice kissed Ava softly on the lips and got up to dress. God, how hard it was to overcome the desire to stay in that kiss.

Ava lay there watching Beatrice get dressed. Bea noticed Ava looking at her and smiled sheepishly.

"What?" Beatrice asked.

"Nothing, just enjoying the view." And she winked at Bea, who looked even more embarrassed, her cheeks flushing.

"In a little while we'll have breakfast and we'll train with the girls, ok? I'll feel safer if we're all in top form."

"You're the boss." Ava nodded and blew Beatrice a kiss as Beatrice unlocked the door with the utmost care, at her fingertips.

"Bea, that's not a bomb... it's just a door." Ava laughed in amusement.

Beatrice cautiously opened the door, peering up and down the hall. There was no one, no movement. "Great," she thought to herself. She tiptoed out and closed Ava's door. Barely took 2 steps and Camila turned down the hall. Both stopped and stared at each other in surprise. Bea for seeing someone so early in the hallway—but thank God it was Camilla and not the Mother Superion—; Camilla for seeing Bea leaving Ava's room so early, indicating that she might have stayed the night.

Beatrice walked towards Camila, more to get out of Ava's bedroom door than anything else, avoiding another incident. She got closer to Camila and noticed that her friend had a smirk on her face.

"I didn't know you woke up so early, Camila... what are you doing up so early?"

"I slept badly, worried about all the history Ava brought us... but don't try to change the subject, I saw you leaving Ava's room." Camila then whispered. "Did you sleep there? Did you sleep with her?"

Beatrice felt her face burn red hot at Camila's curious, inquiring gaze, but she had no plausible explanation she could come up with. And she was also wearing the same clothes as the day before.

"Huh... I did." Beatrice finally confessed.

"I knew it!" Camila laughed and almost spoke a little too loudly, making Bea practically jump on her neck and cover her mouth with her hands. "Tell me, how was your night? Did you just sleep or ..." she asked, returning to whisper.

"Camila! What an indiscreet question!" Beatrice couldn't get any redder than she already was, making Camila cover her own mouth to contain her laughter.

"Who knew... sister Beatrice desecrating the house of the Lord..."

Camila spoke smiling, teasing Beatrice and making her end up laughing too. Beatrice felt like a teenager back in school. The feeling of the first love, butterflies in her stomach, the delicious feeling that takes over her whole body when she thinks of the person she loves, the heart that beats faster. There was no denying it, not for Camila.

"First of all, let's make a few things clear here. First, I am no longer a nun. I left the Order, remember? And second..." Bea turned her face slightly the way she'd come, eyeing Ava's bedroom door. "... I have not desecrate anything. Love is the opposite of profane. It's sacred, divine..."

At that moment Ava left the room.

"... sublime." Bea spoke without disguising the passionate look in Ava's direction.

Ava stood looking at Beatrice and Camila, looking like she didn't know what to do. It was evident that Camila had caught Beatrice in the act, not only from the conversation in the hall, so close to Ava's door and so early, but from Camila's face, which gave away what she was thinking. Ava couldn't help the blush on her face.

"Good morning, Camilla."

"Good morning, Ava..." There it was, the smirk of someone who caught her friends in the act.

"Since we're all in the hall anyway, shall we have breakfast?" Ava called them to get her and Beatrice out of Camila's focus.

"Let's go..." Camila agreed. "You two must be really hungry after all."

Ava broke down and burst out laughing, seeing Beatrice red as a tomato and wearing the same startled face Ava had seen the night before, her mouth forming a perfect O.