”Here we are.” Gail echoed, staring at her knees.

They sat there for a moment in silence. Then Gail shyly reached out to take Holly’s hand.

”I don’t know how I would have made it without you,” she admitted, her heart beating faster.

”I’m not going anywhere” said Holly in a barely audible voice.

Gail felt like something inside of her was cracking and melting.

”Please,” She whispered, in a small voice that nearly stopped Holly’s heart, ”I don’t want to be alone.” She turned, wide eyed to look into Holly’s eyes for the first time since they entered the car.

Holly couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, her already pale features bleached blue white under the street light in the early morning gloom, her skin almost translucent with fatigue.

”I’m here” replied Holly quietly.

Neither of them moved.

”Actually,” said Gail ”Can we go back to your place?” quickly adding ”It’s not you, it’s them. I just can’t deal with any of them right now.”

Holly smiled a warm, goofy smile, that would have annoyed the fuck out of Gail if it had been anyone else.

”Ok” said Holly, letting go of Gail’s hand to start the car.

”Good” Gail replied, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes.

Half an hour, or an eternity later, they pulled into Holly’s parking space in the garage under Holly’s building. Shutting off the car, Holly turned to look at her. With her eyes closed, Gail looked younger, almost fragile, it made Holly feel fiercely protective. She leaned over to tenderly kiss Gail on the cheek to wake her, but Gail was not sleeping. The brush of Holly’s warm, soft lips against her cheek brought a sharp intake of breath, and a stampede of wild horses in Gail’s solar plexus. Opening her eyes, Gail turned to catch Holly’s lips with her own, while reaching up to tangle her right hand in Holly’s hair. She felt rather than simply heard Holly sigh and moan softly as she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, meeting Holly’s soft waiting tongue with hers. It was a strange, wonderful and terrifying feeling that melted her insides completely as the kiss became deeper and more intense. Sure, she had done this with guys before, but it had never felt like this. A shock of electricity coursed through her As she began to slide her left hand up Holly’s intoxicatingly soft, firm stomach under her shirt.