Shelby woke up feeling sick and immediately the thought registered she was running into the bathroom to empty her stomach into the toilet bowl.
No good food stayed in apparently, after retching painfully for the last time. She flushed and wiped her mouth, dragging herself slowly back to bed.
Every step felt like torture till she was welcomed into the warm cocoon of her blankets, her forehead felt warm to touch. Groaning loudly at the fact that someone would need to take care of her, Shelby burst into ceremonial tears making her blurred vision worse.
The urge to itch was strong so she took her meds out of her bedside table, swallowed her dosage dryly and shuffled into her blankets. Her pillows were soaked with her tears that kept falling no matter how much she tried to stop them.
A familiar pain crept along her abdomen causing her tears to fall harder, her period had chosen the worst time to show up, her sheets were already soaked by the time she stood to check the damage done, the damage was a big splotch of red on her immaculate white sheets and duvet.
Dragging the sheets off with literally no sight, Shelby stubbed her toe on her bed post. A yelp resonated round her room, Shelby hopped on one leg, one hand holding the bruised one up and the other massaging it gently; her leg got tangled in the duvet she had placed on the floor dragging her down hard to the floor.
Breath winded, toe hurting, sight gone. Shelby curled into herself, hot tears cascading down her cheeks to the floor. Her stomach tugged and pulled in all directions. Having so much food the day before was a bad idea.
There was no recollection of time for how long Shelby laid curled into herself, tiny shivers rolled through her body from how cold the floor was but she couldn't bring herself to move.
Rushed footsteps coming towards her bedroom startled Shelby into a sitting position, instantly regretting it when pain stabbed her insides. Her door flung open as she was sinking back to the floor, her arms wrapped round her tummy.
"Oh baby!"
The sound of Heather's voice sent warmth though Shelby's pores, whining softly she leaned into her caress; shuffling weakly into her.
"Do you need help?" Fiona? Fiona was here too? Shelby couldn't bring herself to care about anything other than being cradled.
Heather picked her up effortlessly not minding the mess she'd made, wanting to refuse Fiona's help would have been her normal reaction but her hands were full with Shelby; she needed a couple more.
"Yes" Heather grumbled, then cleared her throat." I meant yes, and thank you."
Fiona nodded. "My pleasure." catching the look of content spread all over Shelby's face, Fiona waved Heather towards the bathroom, her throat too constrained with emotions to speak.
Heather placed Shelby in the bathtub, peeled her clothes off quickly as the tub filled up with hot water, Shelby melted immediately mewling softly in content. Heather disposed of her own clothes, joining her after shutting off the tap.
"How did you get into my house?" Shelby asked. The water was now warm indicating that they had been sitting in silence for a long while.
"Fiona kinda broke your door down."
"She what?!" Shelby exclaimed weakly.
"We'll fix it. You come first." Heather wrapped her hands around the woman in between her legs, pulling her closer. The sight of her sinking to the floor burning painfully into her mind.
"Your heart is beating ridiculously fast."
"Hmm" Heather murmured, holding Shelby securely in her arms as if she would disappear at any moment.
"Uhmm Heather." Shelby tapped Heather's arm to get her attention.
"Yea?"
"You're killing me."
Heather released the death grip she had on Shelby, letting her arms hang around her loosely. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I was holding you so tight."
"It's fine but why are you here with Fiona?" Shelby frowned, remembering Fiona was still somewhere in her home.
"You didn't show up to work so Tracy told Fiona to go check up on you."
"So the question should be, why are you here?" Shelby asked.
Heather shrugged, "I guess I didn't want Fiona getting another step in front of me."
"I'm not yours." Shelby stated clearly, "and I'm not hers, this isn't a power tussle."
"That's what you think." Heather rose from the now tepid water, Shelby watched the droplets of water gliding down her body in fascination. "See something you like?"
Shelby met Heather's playful grin with flushed cheeks. "What's not what I think?"
"That you aren't mine." Heather walked out of the bathroom saying over her shoulder. "You've got that part wrong."
°°°
Heather found Fiona pacing in the living room, muttering on about something she couldn't hear.
"Are you okay?"
Fiona stopped then turned to face Heather, "Yes, is she okay?"
"She's good, about to get out of the shower."
"Great. I changed the sheets and put the other one in the washer."
"Thanks for all the help." Heather nodded in gratitude. "but don't you think you should leave now?"
"Tracy asked me to look after her, she sent me." Heather didn't miss the emphasis Fiona put in 'me'
"And I am saying she is fine, maybe you can go back to Tracy and tell her that Shelby is fine." Heather sniggered. "Since you're the errand girl."
"What did you say to me?"
Fiona took a step into Heather's space. Standing at the same height made it hard to try to stare each other down.
"Knock it out."
Fiona locked her jaw, taking a step back when Shelby strolled into the room with a robe, her hair still dripping.
"I don't need the two of you trying to bite each other's head off when you're in the same space. it's tiring."
"She started it." Fiona glowered at Heather.
"Real mature Fee." Heather rolled her eyes.
"It's Fiona." Fiona said through clenched teeth.
"Yea right Fee." Heather smiled sweetly.
Shelby coughed into her palm, trying hard not to laugh. Heather was goading Fiona, by the thunderous look on her face it was working.
"I'm fine now." Shelby pointed at the two of them. "You can leave."
"I'm not the one who needs to leave." Heather argued.
"You're not even supposed to be here, don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Fortunately no." Heather made herself comfortable on Shelby's couch. "Unfortunately for you, you actually have something to do."
"It's my day off."
"Liar liar, pants on fire." Heather wagged her finger. "It's not your day off Fee, are you trying to slack?"
"Excus-"
"That's enough, both of you." Shelby glanced at Heather.
Heather raised her hand in surrender, a devious smile playing on her lips.
"I need space." Shelby let out a tired sigh.
"I'm all the space you need."
"Seriously Heather, get out." Shelby pointed at the door. "Take Fee with you."
"It's Fiona."
"Whatever you say, Fee."
After successfully throwing the toddlers out of her house, Shelby trudged to her bedroom; sank into the new sheets.
Having a flashy reminder that Fiona was the one who changed them took a chunk out of her exhaustion that was quickly replaced as soon as her pillow caressed her cheek, she was out like a light.
°°°
"You should have taken your car if you had to see Shelby so bad."
Heather raised her head from where it was resting on the window. "I would have but you were around to move me from point a to point b."
"I'm not your fucking driver." Fiona took a sharp turn.
"What the fuck!" Heather exclaimed. She had hit her head on the window.
"Next time wear your fucking seat belt." Fiona retorted.
"Maybe I'll use that seat belt to choke you to death."
"And then we wouldn't get to the ranch."
"I don't need you to get back to the ranch, after throwing your lifeless body out, I would drive myself back to the ranch."
"Goodluck getting away with murder."
Heather snickered. "You wouldn't be hard to cover up. Your muscles will be a hindrance but really who would remember you?"
"Shelby would." Fiona smirked. "Since I've imprinted on her skin."
A snort escaped Heather's lips. "You'd have to do more than imprint on her skin newbie, but no need to release any secrets. Your clock is about stop ticking so enjoy what she has to offer you."
"She will have to choose who will be by her side." Fiona pulled up in front of the ranch, giving Heather her full attention. "Second chances are illusions created by the mind over a lost bond."
"I'll tell you the same thing I told our Cinderella." Heather hopped out of Fiona's truck. "You're a fool to think this is still an ongoing game."
"What does that even mean?" Fiona called out to Heather's receding figure.
Heather kept walking with not so much as a wave. The rules of the game changed immediately her plane landed. The queen wasn't going to choose between two knights if one was already standing by her side.
°°°
Tracy watched the arrival of Heather and Fiona. Heather looked as composed as ever, Fiona on the other hand looked ready to root out a tree- several trees.
The request to check on Shelby was harmless yet done purposefully within Heather's ear shot.
Her thoughts were with Fiona, but deep down she was rooting for Heather. Shelby had never shared on the events that caused her breakdown but Heather's name was printed boldly in the middle of the chaos.
Ideally she should thank her for thoughtlessly bringing them closer but that kind of pain couldn't be easily forgotten with just her presence.
°°°
Fiona stood a chance when Heather was out of the picture, still; the kind of love Shelby and Heather shared wasn't one to also be sidelined because of a third party.
Fiona had her work cut out for her, Heather was a force to not only be reckoned with, but avoided at any cost. She would need more than her boyish charms to knock Heather out of the game. Infact she would need to wipe out all traces of Heather from the face of the earth.
Tracy didn't see that happening. Ever.
Fiona dove into unfinished jobs, completely blanking her mind of all straying thoughts. Though one particular conversation kept replaying itself in her head.
'Ongoing game.' What did that even mean? Heather definitely had something up her sleeves that would tip the scales in her favor.
Scales Fiona desperately needed to tip in hers, this was no longer a fair fight. As much as Fiona hated to see Shelby as a prize, the mere thought of winning was intoxicating. Throwing Heather off her game and coming out on top, that type of high would never wear off.
Feeding the horses was the next pot of call, a task she normally left to others but she was in a mood, that would only wear off with physical and mental exhaustion.
She had just finished with Sugar when an insane idea popped into her head, an idea that vanished the same way it came- immediately.
The idea tickled her ears once more when she passed by the stalls, growing louder with every step.
Walking briskly to the open field, she surveyed for any sign of their amazonian royalty.
Her insane idea was about to become reality, jumping over the fence was a step towards that reality.
There was only one way to tip the scales in her favor, a very stupid way but a way nonetheless.
Zina was the key to having even a tiny chance of competing against Heather, a chance at winning.
A chance she was willing to bet her life on.
°°°
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