Is this the final stop? (Toni Shalifoe)

Chapter 26

Shelby's hand moves up to caress Toni's cheek. It's a light touch, knowing she doesn't want to push it, but it's also loving. Toni leans into Shelby's hand, confirming that this is right.

What they have is right.

"Shouldn't we be worried?" Toni asks in a whisper. "I mean, we're in the middle of the woods. Anyone could just walk and find us, Shelby?"

Shelby stops Toni's spiraling by kissing her more passionately and mumbles into Toni's lips, "So what?"

Toni breaks the kiss, needing full eye contact. Shelby holds her breath. But as Shelby is taking in Toni's reaction, she realizes Toni's eyes are dark, her eyelids slightly hooded over. And before Shelby's ready, Toni's already wrapping her into a deeper hug, a deeper kiss. Shelby backs into a tree, a bit startled by its presence because she is so incredibly distracted by the warmth of Toni's hands which are finding different places on her back. They are both breathing hard, both understanding the effect they have on each other.

"Hey, wait," Shelby says, breathless. "I'm really sorry about what I said earlier."

This stops Toni, she takes a step back, not really knowing what Shelby is referencing, "What?" She mutters out, her voice still low.

"I shouldn't have told you to report him," Shelby responds, shaking her head, backing away slightly, "I still don't really know what you went through, I can't even fathom—" Shelby's imagination starts running wild in an attempt to understand Toni's past, "I know our upbringin's are so different. And that suggestion is just a product of mine. My... my safe one."

Toni weaves her fingers in between Shelby's, bringing her forehead onto her's. Their nose brushing, "You don't have to apologize for worrying."

"My worry—"

"You're the first," Toni whispers, this time, with a smile.

But Shelby doesn't return it. She leans away from Toni, still pressed up against the tree. Shelby pinches the bridge of her nose, a frustration starting to show.

"What?" Toni asks, worriedly. "What did I say?"

"I'm not the only one, Toni," Shelby responds, her tone harsher than it's been all afternoon.

"Only one, what?" Toni's own tone is starting to get defensive.

Shelby exasperates, "Who cares about you!"

Toni swallows hard and digs a heel into the ground.

Shelby sees this, "Don't put your guard up now. Not with me. You have me. But you also have Marty—"

"Martha." Toni mutters, as if that name is off-limits for Shelby.

Shelby bites in the inside of her mouth, letting that one slide. "Martha. I see the way that girl looks at you. Checkin' in on you. Makin' sure you're okay. You can't argue against—"

"She's different! She doesn't know everything."

"And whose fault is that?" Shelby grills.

Toni pulls her hair back frustrated, "Are you fighting with me because I didn't tell her?"

"This isn't a fight," Shelby answers, but dodges the answer to that question. "And it's not that you didn't tell her, it's that you think you couldn't. And what would happen if you did? Not everyone is out to get you."

"Really? Because I know one!" Toni counters, "It's why I'm even here. With you."

Shelby can't meet her eyes, her own voice gets quiet and says, "I know. I know that. He was. But not Martha."