Out Of The Shadows (Lesbian fiction) (Edited version published on amazon)

Part 22

Picture is of Topiary Park

Lacey

I was still shocked from the kiss, What the hell is she thinking. I looked back at Jackie then back to the door Amelia walked into. "Lacey" Jackie called slipping her hand into mine. I looked back at her and stared into her hazel eyes searching for something inside me anything, for any feelings I had for the woman in front of me.

"Jackie" I sighed, I really did not know what to say to her.

"Look, Lacey, just stay here and talk to me we can work this out." She pleaded. "I know I've messed up, I've messed up badly, but I promise I'll do anything to make it up to you."

I shook my head, "You don't even know who I am anymore, I'm not that girl you left behind all those years ago."

"I know," she answered, "You're who I always wanted you to be, The reason I let you go. You've grown into the stronger version of yourself, the one I knew you could be." She took a deep breath. "That's why I did it, This," she said pointing to me, "This is what I wanted for you, for us."

She did this for me, for us? "I want to thank you, Jackie, " I said taking her hand. "You were right, I needed to grow and if it weren't for you pushing me away I would have been that same scared little girl that hung on your every word the one who followed you around like a little puppy." I smiled at her sincerely. "You taught me about loss, you drove me to be this." I pointed to myself. "and you taught me what real love is." I sighed. " a-and I think I've just lost that." I whispered as I release her hand, I pulled the ring case from my pocket and looked at it before dropping it to the ground. "I would have chosen Amelia a thousand times over you." I finished as a tear left my eye.

I ran quickly to gate on the side of the house. "Lace," Wait up I heard Morgan call as she rushed after me, I didn't want to talk to anyone my heart was breaking at the thought of Amelia walking away. She must hate me. I picked up my pace deciding to run the five miles back to the hotel. Morgan's voice faded in the distance as I took the back roads so I could try to clear my mind.

Twenty minutes later I found myself back at Topiary park. The park was lit up by tiny bright lights which lit up the surrounding sculpture's. I walk around taking in the place I once loved, unable to enjoy the scenery as I cursing my life and the mess I've created coming back here. I sat there for an hour until the night air turned cold adding to the numbness I felt. Not wanting to go back and face the pain I've caused I picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels and settled into the first motel I came too, Once checked sat on the bed hoping that the alcohol would help erase this night from my memory.

I awoke to someone banging on the door, the pounding increased matching the intense pounding in my head, I looked over at the empty Jack bottle as sunlight peeked through the curtain and sighed remembering last night. I turned over and pulled the pillow over my head trying to drown out the noise. The noise finally stopped allowing me to relax, just as my mind started settled back into the abyss, I was yanked harshly from the bed.

"The fuck?" I groaned holding my head as a dual ache started again.

"Do you know, I have been up searching everywhere between the house and the hotel?" god it was Morgan and she was pissed.

"Leave me be, Morg, I'm not in the mood for this," I argued climbing back into the bed.

"So you're just going to stay here and let everyone worry about you?" she barked, "How about I just run to the store and bring you back another bottle huh?" she said picking up the empty alcohol bottle. "forget about me hunting for you all damn night, forget about your sister calling every hospital in the city or your girlfriend crying her eyes out because nobody could find you!" she spat flying the bottle into the trash. "Everyone from that damn party was out all night looking for you including your mother."

"Why? I'm nothing but trouble, never good enough." I mumbled into the pillow. I felt the bed sink down next to me but nothing was said.

I felt her place something in my hand as she finally spoke. "I remember at the beginning of your career when we were sent out on that assignment in Kut, Iraq. You were barely out of training when they placed you under my command. You were a scrawny little shit." She laughed. "But I was soon impressed as I watched you grow, showing no fear whenever the shit came down, always following orders. The first to the front of the line if ordered. And always working out every break you had when you should have been sleeping."

"It was the night we were held up in that abandoned building outgunned and praying for daylight so we'd have a chance to see the enemy. After that night, I was forever in your debt, w-when you stepped in front of me taking that bullet, you never stopped fighting, I watched you take down the perpetrator while still refusing to stop." I turned to her seeing that faraway look in her eyes. "You almost died that night, it was then I realized you had given up on life, long before I met you."

Morgan turned to face me as she took my hand in hers. "That night I promised myself, no matter what it took, that I would always make you see your worth, that no matter what you thought, you were wanted." I sat up and embraced my best friend

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Just fight Lacey for life, for love." She smiled squeezing my palm over the item she had placed in it earlier. I looked down seeking the black velvet box. "She loves you don't ever doubt that.

"She's not mad at me?" I asked.

"I wouldn't say that." Morgan laughed. "Neither of us realized during your conversation with Jackie that Amelia and Lauren came back out to the yard. She came back out to fight for you, she wasn't about to give you up to Jackie that easily." she smiled again even while the tears fell from her eyes. "But when she heard what you said to Jackie she was speechless." Morgan patted my back. "By the time she snapped out of it, you were already gone."

"When I went back for the ring you dropped, I found Amelia holding Lauren back from beating Jackie's ass." She smiled proudly. "Lauren was so upset at Amelia, she wanted to know why she wasn't livid, She simply said, Because she chose me."

A/N: I know this was very short just trying to carry the story forward, gosh they are still a day away from their Thanksgiving dinner, can they just catch a break?

There you go Camz35 happy?