Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

Oh shit. Faith knew there were very strict rules about how you were supposed to respond when someone said a parent had died, but when she looked at Bex, Bex looked like she didn't really want to talk about it.

Even though Bex was opening up, Faith could feel something coming up between them.

She decided to be honest. "Look, death is shit, but I never really understand if me telling you something you already know helps at all. So, I'm sorry for your pain. Is that okay to say?"

Bex smiled and huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, that is definitely okay to say, pickle. And I know what you mean. It always feels like people are being sympathetic to ease their own guilty consciences—or maybe that's just my family."

"Ah," said Faith.

"Yeah. Dad died and all of sudden they started coming out of the woodwork, keen to help me sort through all of his stuff when they couldn't be arsed to come and visit him in the two years leading up to it. It had all been on my shoulders, not—" she added fervently, "that I ever begrudged him that. It had always just been me and Dad, and I wasn't going to let him down." There was a pause, as if Bex was working out what to say next. "I mean, they're family, and everyone kept telling me that I needed to be more understanding. Only they hadn't been there. They hadn't given a crap about Dad when he was alive, so why would he give a crap about them in death?" Her face set, hard, as if she was bracing herself for criticism. "So I dealt with all the legal stuff, pointed out that no they weren't entitled to anything just because they were blood relatives, and then I left."

Bex looked haunted.

"That must have been difficult."

"I mean, yes and no. Dad had always been home for me. When he wasn't there anymore, it was harder to stay. It felt wrong without him. But I sold the place, because it would have felt more wrong seeing them there, when they'd never bothered visiting whilst he was alive." She swallowed and forced a smile. "You're getting all the emotion from me today."

"Is that okay?" asked Faith. "I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with." These were big emotional feelings and she didn't know how best to support Bex. Usually that would have sent her into a bit of a spiral, but with Bex, she knew all she had to do was ask. "What do you need?"

Bex looked startled at the questions. "It's weird, but somehow I'm okay talking about it with you—more so than even with my best friend. And as for need? Well, I could do with a hug?"

Faith was more than happy to oblige with that. It turned out that the two of them slot together perfectly, as if they'd been made to fit next to each other. She shifted so that she leant back against the trunk of the tree whose shade they sat in and lifted her arm.

Bex scooted over and snuggled up to her, her head fitting in the hollow below her chin.

Comfortable silence ensued.

Too often, silence felt weighted, like there was something she was supposed to be doing that she'd missed, but that wasn't the case with Bex. With Bex, silence was just that, silence.

Her gaze fell upon a bag packed into the picnic basket, and she reached over to grab it. "What's this?"

Bex turned her head to look. "I'm not sure. Tay must have put it in there."

It was a fairly heavy bag, and when she opened it, there was a note from Mandi.

I know you can't use your potter's wheel while you're here, but maybe you and Bex can play with these paints instead? - Mandi

The thoughtful note made Faith smile, and she peeked in the bag to see what Mandi had packed for her. There was a collection of paint pots, all different colors, and so many of them Faith could have painted a rainbow made up of slightly different hues many times over.

"What's that?" asked Bex.

"Paint," said Faith. "Mandi suggests that we play with some paint."

Bex got a thoughtful look upon her face. "Hmmmm… paint?"

"What?" There was something mischievous about the brunette's smile, and Faith wasn't entirely certain what was in store for her.

"Well, I have an idea, but we'd need to ask someone at the Ranch to set it up for us. You trust me?"

Faith looked at Bex. The other woman had softened in her arms, and though she was the Top, there was a levelness between them both, neither of them having more power over the other. A balance Faith had never really felt with a Domme before. "Yes," she said.

Making it back across the lake, the boat laden down with all of the remnants of picnic was super fun. Bex was determined to make it across and make it she did, even if by the end she was swearing pretty much continuously at the oars. Faith couldn't hide her amusement, and by the time they tied up the boat after climbing out, the two of them were practically belly laughing.

"I swear," said Bex, "that next time I organize a date, I will ensure that we don't have to fucking row anywhere ."

"I don't know," said Faith. "I'd kind of like to take you out on one of our large Montana lakes."

The look Bex shot her was one of absolute incredulity.

"I'm joking." Faith laughed, bending over to alleviate the stitch she'd developed. "I'm joking, I'm joking. I promise."

"Damn straight you are," said Bex, shaking her head. "Fucking lakes. Absolute lunacy."