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Stella watched Lizzie's rhythmic dance among her blossoming citrus trees, a harmonious blend of nature's bounty and the joy in her partner's soul. The aroma of ripe oranges and grapefruits lingered in the air, a sweet testament to the successful winter harvest. Lost in her own thoughts, Stella contemplated the impending conversation she needed to have with Lizzie, knowing that delay might let Vicky intervene.
A heavy sigh escaped Stella as she noticed Luna, tired from her run, nestled on the sofa. The sight brought a soft smile to her face as she gently stroked the sleeping husky. Navigating past the tranquil scene, Stella ascended the stairs, leaving the kitchen behind.
Meanwhile, Lizzie, content with the fruits of her labor, placed the freshly picked produce on the marble bench. The open back door invited in the crisp winter breeze, while Lizzie, humming along to the music in her AirPods, surveyed the now-quiet house. Luna's return caught her attention, meaning Stella's return.
Perplexed by the silence, "Stell?" Lizzie called out, hoping for a response. Failing to find Stella on the ground floor, she gracefully climbed the stairs, her green eyes searching for any sign of her partner. The sound of running water guided her to the bathroom, where a slightly opened door revealed an unfrosted mirror. With a small smile, Lizzie ventured in, gently calling Stella's name.
The reflection in the glass framed a poignant scene: Stella, fully clothed, seated on the shower floor, her head resting wearily against the wall. The cascade of water soaked through her clothes, drenching her white top and soft glass skin. Lizzie entered the bathroom, a small, puzzled smile on her face.
"Bubs, what are you doing?" Lizzie's inquiry held a note of quiet concern as she observed Stella's unusual choice.
"Showering," came the monotone reply, Stella avoiding the emerald gaze of her partner.
Lizzie, noting the crystal-clear glass of the mirror and shower screen, realized the water must be freezing. "With clothes? That's not very smart, my love," she chuckled, opening the shower door.
A soft sniffle from Stella prompted immediate concern. Kneeling down in front of her, Lizzie turned off the water and felt the icy chill of Stella's skin as she placed a hand on her arm. "You are going to get sick," Lizzie tutted, shrugging off her own jacket and draping it around Stella.
Huddled and embarrassed, Stella laid her head on her knees. Lizzie sighed softly, joined her in the shower before she closed the door and sat beside Stella. Lizzie's back leaned against the cold tiles as she felt a shiver run down her spine. "C'mere," she sighed, pulling Stella's head to rest on her shoulder, the cascade of wet hair transferred its chill to Lizzie's shirt as she leaned into the embrace.
A suppressed sob caught Lizzie's attention. Gazing down, she saw Stella's trembling lip, the German struggling to contain her emotions.
"Are you okay?" Lizzie's calm inquiry was met with a soothing rub on Stella's arm. The warmth Lizzie radiated offered solace, and Stella snuggled closer, attempting to conceal the pain that had festered for months. The burden, a secret eating away at her from the inside, had become unbearable.
"No," Stella's voice, soft but shaky, resonated with the weight of anxieties. Her grip on Lizzie tightened, a silent plea to keep the woman she loved close.
Lizzie's heart shattered at the sound of Stella's broken voice, the weight of the revelation sinking in. She gently pulled Stella's head away from her chest, ensuring their eyes met, a world of unspoken understanding passing between them.
"I don't understand. Who did this?" Lizzie's voice held a mix of concern and confusion, her thumb tenderly wiping away the tears that streamed down Stella's cheeks. Tears fell silently as Stella struggled to articulate her words. "Tell me, sweetheart. I love you. No matter what it is," Lizzie encouraged, her voice a comforting whisper as she tucked a wet strand of Stella's hair behind her ear.
"It's Vicky..." Stella whispered out, Lizzie barely able to hear her.
"What about her?" The brunette asked in a soft and soothing voice, wanting to make Stella comfortable with whatever she had to confess.
"Sh- she kissed me, and now she's threatening to break us up," Stella's confession spilled out in a rush, her chest tightening with nervous tension. Lizzie's expression cycled through different emotions of confusion, hurt, and then anger. "I'm so sorr-" Stella began to apologize.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll deal with it," Lizzie shook her head, cutting off Stella's words as she lifted herself from the shower floor.
Stella, panicked, grabbed Lizzie's wrist to stop her from leaving. "Lizzie, what will you do?"
"Trust me, darling. I'll make sure she will never threaten you again." Lizzie leaned down to kiss Stella's head, wrapping her arms around the German. In Lizzie's embrace, Stella felt a sense of safety, as if nothing bad could touch her. "Now get back in that shower and make sure it's warm."
"What?" Stella pulled back, wiping away her tears as Lizzie smiled softly.
"I'll be back in a few hours, we'll talk properly about this later." The brunette kissed Stella's forehead and winked before disappearing into the bedroom.
"Liz-" Stella tried to follow, but Lizzie closed the bathroom door on her.
"Shower!" Lizzie's command echoed back, leaving Stella alone with her thoughts as she wiped away the remnants of her tears.
Lizzie slid her winter boots on as she prepared to go out in the late morning chill, making sure to grab her keys and fix her hair before finding her coat. A knock sounded at the door and Lizzie's head snapped up to the door instantly, knowing who was behind it. The brunette took a deep breath before reaching for the handle, swinging it open to see a pissed off Vicky standing with her arms crossed in front of it.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," The brunette gave her the best fake smile she could muster.
"You called," the blonde shrugged, pushing Lizzie aside as she stepped into the warm house.
"Actually, let's go for a walk. I don't want you here when she's upstairs," Lizzie stopped Vicky, her hand flying to grab a hold of Vicky's upper arm, stopping her from coming in any further.
Vicky rolled her eyes, annoyed as she looked up to the second floor. "Fine," she mumbled, her voice low.
Lizzie locked the door after them, walking alongside Vicky as they walked down the street. Neither of them wanting to be the one who talks first, so instead Lizzie stuffed her hands into her warm pockets and walked in the silence.
"She told you then," Vicky asked, a small smirk on her lips as she wanted to see Lizzie's reaction.
"Told me what exactly?" The brunette challenged, tilting her head to the side slightly as she let Vicky talk.
"About the kiss," The blonde spoke up, holding her chin high as they wandered a busy street.
Lizzie hummed, acknowledging her words as Vicky shivered a little. "Why did you do it?"
"Because I love her," The blonde confessed and Lizzie let out a short laugh, earning a glare that could kill from Vicky. "She was mine first, y'know?"
"Oh was she?" Lizzie smirked, amused as Vicky grumbled on.
"We've been best friends since elementary school. She used to stay the summers at my house because her parents never wanted her around," The blonde started to raise her voice in frustration, justifying to Lizzie her reasons and motivations. "You stole her. She doesn't want to see me anymore because of you,"
"You're missing a key point here, Vicky," The brunette spoke calmly and Vicky scoffed at her words.
"And what might that be, Ms Olsen?" Vicky asked mockingly.
"Stella doesn't belong to anyone, she wasn't yours first, nor is she mine," Lizzie corrected, her voice lethally calm as Vicky balled her fists up in anger. "I do not decide if she wants to see you or not, it is her choice only and I stand by any decision she will make,"
"Especially this one,"
"Well I can't help that I have my bias, Miss Riley, of course I don't want a manipulative bitch around the woman I love," Lizzie gave the blonde a small smile, looking left and right as they crossed the road to walk past a bunch of small bakeries and coffee shops.
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to play dirty. I was really hoping we would have an understanding so it didn't have to come to this," the blonde bit back her tongue, trying to regain control back from the situation.
"Play dirty, sweetie," Lizzie's eyes narrowed at the blonde, giving her a glare that could have killed. "I'll beat you in that game," she stopped their pace and took a step closer to Vicky.
A drop of water fell from the overcast sky, a cool breeze blowing between their bodies as the sun hid behind mountains of clouds. "Let's make a deal." The blonde gave a small smirk to Lizzie.
"And what would that be, honey?" Lizzie asked, annoyed as to her tone in which Vicky spoke.
"We'll play for her, if I win then you two have to break up," The blonde stuffed her hands in her pockets as Lizzie's calm eyes turned into frustration.
"She is not a possession to be owned," The brunette barked back, not understanding Vicky's intentions.
"I love her," Vicky answered back with confidence and Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"This is not love. Why do you want to hurt her by taking away her happiness with me?" Lizzie genuinely asked, unable to understand where the blonde's reasoning was coming from.
"Because she doesn't know what she wants," The blonde seemed to be getting aggravated, Lizzie watched as Vicky's eyes burned with animosity. Lizzie took a deep breath in, grounding herself as she stared into the blonde's lost expression.
"Are you okay, Vik?" Her voice dropped any sense of aloofness, her head tilting in curiosity as she saw Vicky's icy blue eyes struggle to focus on hers. Lizzie reached her hand out to Vicky but instantly pulled it back when Vicky jumped back, turning on her heels to walk off quickly. "Viktoriya!" The brunette called out, starting to sprint after the blonde to catch up.
"Elizabeth!" A voice shouted at the brunette from across the road, startling the woman as she looked over to see a camera pointed her way. Shit, not now!
Lizzie frowned as she tore her attention away from the paparazzi, realising she had lost the blonde in the busy streets. With her head down, Lizzie threw her hood over her head and started her long walk home, taking detours just in case she was followed.
Vicky panted heavily as she ran into an alley way, tears falling down her mascara stained cheeks. What was going on with her?
'They don't care about you, they never will'
"Stop. Stop it!"
The blonde slid down the brick wall beside her, the voices seemed to never quiet down. Her hands clamped around her ears as she squeezed her eyes shut, it was happening again.
'Stella never liked you, she was only pretending to be your friend all those years to compensate for her shitty family'
"No, no, no, not again," She cried out, her whispers being heard by no one but herself.
'You will always be alone, Viktoriya.'
"Shut up!" The blonde screamed to herself, hitting her head hard as she tried to get her brain to stop torturing her again.
'Always'
It hurt to think, it hurt to see, it hurt to speak, it just hurt. "Just make it stop, please," The blonde sobbed on the floor of a random alley way, crouched down behind a random dumpster as graffiti and trash surrounded her body.
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