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As Carla led Lisa up the stairs she felt her own heart racing. Lisa tentatively intertwined Carla's fingers with her own as she followed dutifully.
When they reached the bedroom Carla slowed down and stopped only for a millisecond or two, but it was enough for Lisa to notice.
Carla was about to open the door as Lisa reached for Carla's elbow carefully, barely noticeable.
Carla took a deep breath and pushed the door open, she looked around, it was almost as if she'd never left except there were sheets on the bed she hadn't seen before.
“I bought them last week," Lisa started as she followed Carla's gaze. The brunette lifted their intertwined hands unwilling to think about why there was a need for new sheets in the first place. Carla squeezed Lisa's hand tight, almost painful as she swallowed soundly.
Carla turned around and Lisa could see the unshed tears.
"We can just cuddle if you want, or go back downstairs or maybe even both,” Lisa offered but Carla shook her head violently.
“I want this, I want you, it's just, as I said it'll take some time. What she did to me, to you, to us it's not just water down the drain,” she started.
"I get it, I'm just glad you're here again. I'll take whatever you offer," the blonde replied.
“We need to talk and we will talk, but I think right now I want you to make me forget these past months. I want you to show me that you meant what you said last night," Carla said after another few moments of silence.
“That I love you?" Lisa asked, still unsure of what she said the previous day.
“That I am your everything," she whispered against Lisa's lips as she finally closed the distance between them. They kissed for a few moments before Carla deepened the kiss by sliding her tongue along Lisa's lower lip. Lisa immediately opened her mouth and as if she only just realized what was happening in the moment her tongue met Carla's she reached around Carla's waist and pulled her closer. She all but clawed at Carla's hips as if to remind herself that this was real, that the brunette was really in her arms.
"I'm not going anywhere," Carla whispered against Lisa's lips as if she knew what was going through the blonde's head.
“It'll take some time to believe that," she replied before she slowly released her tight grip and pushed Carla's shirt up slowly. When she felt Carla's soft skin under her hand, she couldn't help but moan at the warmth she felt.
---
They rested in comfortable silence after. Legs intertwined, Lisa resting her head on Carla's chest tapping her finger on Carla's transplant scar in sync with the brunette's heartbeat while Carla lazily stroke Lisa's back. She could almost hear the gears running in Lisa's head.
"Wanna share what's on your mind?”
Lisa sighed heavily before she once again clawed at Carla's hips.
“I fear for the other shoe to drop. Like don't get me wrong, this, us here, amazing but I can't yet believe it," Lisa mumbled.
“Do you regret it?"
Lisa's head whipped around instantly.
"I need you to know that I would never regret being with you. I might not remember what I said but I meant every word in that letter and also the bullet points you gave me earlier, yeah I did mean them. I love you like I've never loved before and I feel loved by you in a way I didn't think possible,” she whispered into the quiet room as she rested her chin on Carla's chest.
"I'm just so happy you're willing to give me another chance,” she added. Carla let out a small laugh.
"In retrospect I think that was never a question. I was hurt and disappointed, but also I was just so happy you finally saw through her web of lies,” Carla replied.
“I'm sorry it took me so long, I just, I fell into old habits and when you called and told me everything it was like 20 years of my past, all the red flags came crashing down."
Carla reached out to wipe the tear away that slowly rolled down Lisa's cheek.
"I'm sorry you had to go through it,” she whispered.
"You're sorry?” Lisa asked confused, "she held you captive for weeks and you're sorry I went through it?”
"Still doesn't mean you should have to go through it. Maybe if I had stayed, maybe if I hadn't sneaked through her apartment," she took a deep breath. “Maybe that would have saved me from being kidnapped and you from being abused," Carla finished softly. As if Lisa made sense of what happened she frowned.
"I never saw it that way, you think it was abuse?”
"Darling, look at it as a cop. All the pointers, all the red flags they were all there,” Carla pushed gently.
She saw that Lisa was contemplating it before it finally dawned on her and she let out a soft Fuck.
They rested in silence again for a few minutes before Lisa moved so that she was on eyelevel with Carla.
"There's something else I wanted to ask about," she started softly.
“Go on," the brunette replied as she reached out to stroke Lisa's hair.
“When they booked her, they found your phone with her. Were, I mean did she, did you," she stopped herself. “Have any of the messages since you left the house been written by you?"
Carla pulled her closer by her hair and kissed her softly before she replied, "no, none of them were written by me. I don't know what she texted you just got a summary of some of them by Betsy the other day. Even hurt and mad, I wouldn't have said any of those things, that was all her.”
Carla kissed the blonde again.
"She really played me huh? Manipulated me and then took advantage,” Lisa said as they pulled apart.
"I'm glad we talk about it, I think we both need it in order to heal,” she added.
"I agree, but if you're up for it I think we also need something else to heal,” Carla replied as she smiled. It didn't take Lisa even a second to lean down and kiss Carla deeply.