Cabin In The Woods

by Kristine Robinson

  “What are you doing here?” Nicola repeated furiously, throwing Teri’s clothes at her.

  “I fell asleep, sorry. Must have had too much wine. It’s no big deal – calm down,” she started putting on her clothes lazily. The clock on the bedside table said 4:45am.

  “I told you from the start that you can’t stay here – that was the one rule, damn it! You’re not supposed to be here!” Nicola was being irrationally frantic and Teri couldn’t comprehend why.

  She got up, pulling her pants on.

  “Seriously, Nicola, it’s nothing. I’m leaving, just stop shouting already.”

  “Why are you still here?” Nicola said coldly, arms folded angrily over her chest. She had woken up herself only moments before with her morning alarm. But this time it wasn’t like every other morning. She didn’t jump up and start her exercise routine. She couldn’t, because her blonde lover was still comfortably nestling against her chest. The realities weren’t supposed to mix. Yet she struggled to articulate this concept coherently. Instead she spat bitter words at the woman she made passionate love to only hours prior.

  “Can you stop treating me like a common whore for once?! I fell asleep, I’m sorry. But I’m not just some woman off the street, you know!” Teri retaliated. “I don’t understand what the problem is. Seriously.”

  “I told you I don’t want any commitment,” Nicola persisted.

  “What do you want? Do you even know?!” they were both screaming now.

  “I want you to leave. I told you – get out!”

  “What is wrong with you? You’re insane!” Teri pushed past her and ran out the door. “I can’t do this,” she slammed the door behind her, angry tears streaming down her face as she ran down the street.

  Nicola just stood in the doorway, wordless. She never would get around to her exercise routine that morning. But she had bigger problems than that.

 

  Teri buried herself in her work, trying to keep her mind off the empty space that was left by Nicola. The dark-haired beauty didn’t drop by to check on the construction again either and Teri’s phone remained silent.

  If it wasn’t for the constant chaos of the renovations, Teri would have been able to convince herself that Nicola never existed in her world. That the whole montage of their passion was an illusion dreamt up by her lonely mind. But the building and breaking were unavoidable, throwing her entire class schedule into chaos as they moved around the studio in a seemingly unplanned manner. It was driving her insane and the students weren't responding well to the disruptions at all. It took all her energy to keep them calm but the process was draining her completely.

  Her whole life felt turned upside down. But it had little to do with the builders. Her flat seemed empty, but not as empty as her life. Everything reminded her of Nicola – but she refused to apologize or contact her, not after the way she acted. She had really hoped that she meant more to Nicola but clearly, she was a fool, just another one of Nicola's easily replaceable playthings. The thought drove her crazy but there was nothing she could do about it.

  “Teri – phone!” the temp down the hall shouted, bringing her back to reality. She picked up the ringing device that was barely audible over the noise of the construction.

  “Teri, hello?” she answered.

  “Miss Alexander, hi. It’s Jenn here from TyroCorp – how are you doing?” the ditsy voice on the other side announced.

  “From where?”

  “TyroCorp – Miss Clarke’s company?”

  “Oh yes, sorry. What do you want?” she said abruptly. “I’m very busy.”

  “I understand and I’m sorry to bother you Miss Alexander, but we need you to come into the office please. Miss Clarke has asked that I get in touch with you.”

  “What for?”

  "You still haven't signed the papers for the grant to be transferred to your organization. I'm afraid it's fairly urgent. Our auditors are here this week and they need the paperwork finalized before our year-end. Please, can you come in today?”

  “Can you not fax it through? I’m really busy.”

  “You said so. But I’m afraid there is no other way. It won’t take much of your time. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

  “Fine, I’ll drop by this afternoon,” Teri sighed, putting down the phone and swearing under her breath.

  The last thing she wanted to do was run into Nicola but hopefuly she wouldn’t be there – she was hardly ever at the office anyway.

  Teri pulled up to the TyroCorp parking lot not too long later – complete with boom gates and guards. The building was much more impressive than it looked in the papers and its modern architecture intimidatingly loomed over the sidewalk. She was still not sure exactly what the company did or Nicola for that matter, but she knew they made a lot of money.

  She walked up to the receptionist and explained her reason for the visit after which the ditsy Jenn soon appeared to escort her up to the fifth floor.

  "Thanks so much for coming, Miss Alexander. If you can just sign here, and here," she pointed to the document on the boardroom table as Teri brought her gaze back from the open door in the corner with the letters ‘Nicola M Clarke' printed on the door. The room was empty. She felt relieved.

  “Perfect. And that’s that. I appreciate your cooperation. The money should be transferred before the end of the week,” the eager assistant said but Teri didn’t bother to reply as she headed for the elevator, anxious to get away from Nicola’s home turf.

  She impatiently waited as the elevator counted down from seven, opening its doors only momentarily to allow her entry to the other passengers.

  She only noticed Nicola standing in the back after the doors closed, starting their descent.

 

  Nicola’s whole body tensed as she saw Teri get into the elevator. She was just leaving to avoid running into her former lover but didn’t count on Teri showing up early for the appointment.

  The tension was almost unbearable as they stared at each other, the elevator seemingly taking eons to go from floor to floor.

  There was so much she wanted to say, but they both just stood there in silence in the full elevator, the strangers between them completely oblivious to the vibe.

  After what felt like a lifetime, the elevator finally spat out its occupants on the ground floor and Teri rushed out without so much as a hello, almost sprinting towards the parking lot.

  Nicola followed shortly on her heels, shouting her name. Teri didn’t turn around. She just bolted for her car, desperate to get out of there as soon as possible.

  Nicola still wasn’t entirely sure why she was running after her. Before, she was so certain that she wanted to avoid Teri at all costs, but seeing her there in the elevator – all the feelings she tried so hard to repress came flooding back. She couldn’t let her just leave like that.

  “Teri!” she grabbed her by the arm and spun her around as she fumbled for her keys in the messy bag. She never could find the keys immediately.

  “I’m sorry, I’m leaving as fast as I can,” Teri spat, trying to wriggle her arm free but Nicola’s grip was strong. “Let go!”

  Nicola let go her arm but grabbed her close for a passionate kiss, pushing her into the car – unable to control herself. For a moment it was like nothing had changed, like they were still them and their intimacy was never broken. But the familiar taste was painful instead, bitter with the taste of an era past.

  “You can’t just keep doing that and expect everything to be okay!” Teri pushed her away but not immediately. She took a moment to recover from the familiar embrace that she’d missed so much. But she remembered why she had left in the first place and pulled away, digging into her bag for the keys again.

  “Teri I’m so sorry how I acted the other morning. You have to understand. I freaked out when I woke up and saw you lying there – it was my one rule…” Nicola said weakly.

  “Oh, I understand perfectly well, that’s why I
’m leaving.”

  “Can’t we work something out? I miss having you over. We had fun, didn’t we?”

  “Is that all you miss? The sex?”

  “Don’t be like that, Teri. It doesn’t have to be this complicated. Why ruin what we had?”

  “Because I am a human being – I have feelings! You can’t just treat me like a toy and pick me up when you feel like it!”

  “What do you want from me? I told you the conditions when this started…”

  “You and you’re stupid terms and conditions. I’m done!” Teri finally got the keys free.

  But Nicola pushed the door firmly closed and Teri couldn’t wrestle it free from her grip.

  “You can’t just walk away from this.”

  “Why do you even care?” Teri spat. “I thought you would’ve replaced me by now. Can’t you just find some other whore to screw you and leave in the morning?”

  “You’re going too far…”

  “Really? You’re a mad woman and I can’t be part of your chaos anymore. I thought you cared, but clearly, I was mistaken. “

  “Teri, please… just come over tonight. We’ll talk over a bottle of wine, see where it goes…”

  “No. I know how this ends. I’m not getting sucked into your world again.”

  “We can’t end things like this,” Nicola tried to grab her arm again, but Teri shoved her out of the way and got into the car.

  “It ended the day you threw me out of your house.”

  Teri slammed the door and drove off furiously, leaving the dumbfounded Nicola standing in the parking lot.

 

  Her phone rang non-stop but Teri refused to answer. She eventually blocked the number. The desperate Nicola resorted to leaving messages with the temp at the office – she found notes all over her desk. But Teri was done, she wanted none of this. She tried her best to put Nicola out of her mind completely and carry on with her normal life.

  It was three days later when a frazzled Nicola showed up at Teri’s apartment, pushing her way inside despite Teri trying to shut the door in her face.

  “Get out!” Teri shouted. “How did you even get up here? Just leave!” she frustratedly yelled, backing away from Nicola who was walking towards her.

  “Please, Teri. We have to talk. It can’t go on like this,” she sounded as tired as she looked.

  “It can’t. I want you out of my life. You’re trespassing; get out before I call the cops!” Teri repeated, opening the door. But Nicola pushed it shut again.

  “You can’t tell me that you don’t miss me, that you don’t miss us,” Nicola grabbed her arm but Teri pulled away, slapping her through the face.

  “You’ve caused nothing by chaos in my life! You’re completely reckless. I can’t play by your stupid rules. I’ve tried and I can’t. I’m not a cold-hearted bitch like you. So please leave so I can actually start rebuilding my world,” Teri was getting frantic – uncharacteristically.

  “Jesus woman!” Nicola grabbed both her wrists and pinned her up against the wall, kissing her deeply before Teri slapped her away again. But Nicola wasn’t giving up so easily. She pressed her hands against Teri’s breasts, firmly squeezing them, holding Teri up against the wall, going in for a kiss again.

  Despite every intention, Teri’s resistance crumbled as the familiar touch immobilized her. She found her arms automatically dropping to the firm behind she had missed so much.

  “You can’t just walk in and screw it all right again,” Teri protested meekly as Nicola tore her shirt off, biting her hardening nipples through the constraint of the bra that came off only seconds later. She pushed her away again, but Nicola grabbed onto her waist and pulled her back – firmly.

  “It has to be different this time,” Teri pleaded, eyes already closed in the futility of resistance.

  Nicola’s only response was sucking each nipple fervently, teasing the hardening flesh with her playful tongue – first the left, then the right. She left a trail of saliva between the mounds on Teri’s chest as she moved between sides.

  Teri stopped protesting as her whole body erupted in desire. She pulled Nicola’s mouth away from her nipples towards her face, so her lips could devour the mouth she had missed so much. She breathed in her estranged lover’s scent desperately, intoxicated with lust as she slipped her hands down Nicola’s pants, grabbing the naked behind firmly, never breaking the kiss.

  Nicola’s body tensed at the touch, and she picked up Teri’s small frame, carrying her to the bed in the room next door, arms locked firmly under her behind. Teri clung to her neck loosely, gently biting the skin just below her ear.

  They reached the room and Nicola flung her down onto the mattress, seductively crawling on top of the topless body below her. Her hands automatically found themselves drawn to the exposed breasts again, massaging them, squeezing them before moving down – down.

  Nicola slipped the button out of its hole, pulled the zip down slowly and rid Teri of both her pants and underwear in one smooth sweep as she pulled down the pair to leave the no-longer-angry blonde vulnerable and naked on the giant bed. She stood up to admire the body, smiling wordlessly.

  Nicola discarded her own clothes unceremoniously as Teri watched her from the bed, not moving except for the one hand that was slowly moving over her now-exposed center – almost subconsciously.

  She climbed back over the figure on the bed, knees digging into the mattress on the sides as she lowered herself over the teacher she’d missed so much.

  Teri bit down hard on Nicola’s shoulder as the familiar hands worked their way towards her moist sex, long nails lightly scratching their way down Teri’s belly.

  Teri slid down the bed, hooking her arms underneath Nicola’s behind and pulling her naked lips to her face. Nicola grabbed the headboard as her hips arched into Teri’s face, where a familiar tongue played over the excited flesh feverishly, gripping her behind firmly to keep her in place as her knees weakened.

  Nicola turned around from where she was kneeling on top of Teri, turning her body so her back was now to the searching mouth below. She lay down on the smaller figure carefully, breasts pressing into Teri’s belly as her own mouth searched the pleasures below without having to move her moist crotch away from Teri’s face.

  She pushed Teri’s knees apart, parting the lips with her fingers as her tongue followed. It was hard to concentrate on the task at hand as her own body tensed and shivered with the intense pleasure of the mouth slowly playing over her own moist sex. Knees bent, ass in the air, Nicola hunched over Teri who hooked her arms under the strong thighs above her, over the behind she could never get enough of, tackling the task from another angle.

  Their stimulated bodied heaved up and down together as they devoured each other eagerly, the combination of giving and receiving pleasure erupting through their naked bodies in undreamt of fulfillment.

  As they climaxed together, Teri grabbed Nicola’s behind firmly, as she angrily, but passionately dug her nails into the flesh she had craved since their terrible goodbye. She could taste the come dripping from Nicola’s spent center and she eagerly licked up every last sweet drop.

  Nicola shifted herself off Teri, turning herself around to fall down on the pillow next to the panting blonde. Teri nestled her head under the protective arm as they lay there naked, spent, holding each other’s bruised bodies tightly.

  “I’ve missed this,” Teri admitted, kissing Nicola on the forehead tenderly.

  “Me too,” Nicola kissed her again before getting up, searching for her clothes.

  “Come here – stay,” Teri stretched out her arm to Nicola.

  But she just shook her head.

  “You know I can’t.”

  Nicola left.

 

  Teri was so furious with Nicola that she agreed to go on a blind date that her sister had set up for her. Some young engineer with a bright future or something seemingly impressive like that.

  She had to force
herself to actually make any effort as she really didn't feel like making small talk with a stranger. But her sister somehow convinced her that the distraction would do her good and Teri couldn’t argue with that.

  All she wanted was to forget about Nicola. That road held nothing but pain and misery – Nicola was never going to commit to her and she could no longer lie to herself that she could do this sex-only thing.

  The date went even more horribly than she anticipated and the guy doesn’t stop talking about how amazing he is for a second. He spent the whole date showing off and making meaningless conversation about topics she couldn’t care less about. Teri left even before dessert, cursing herself for ever being talked into going in the first place.

  She rushed off back to her studio, the only place of sanity still left in her world. Clearly, dating wasn't the answer – so she might as well get back to the only thing that helps – throwing herself into her work.

  Teri halted outside the door as the last person she wanted to see stood there, surrounded by brown paper bags.

  “What do you want?” Teri demanded, frozen in the hallway.

  “I’ve come to apologize,” Nicola said.

  “I’ve heard that one before. Please leave, you’re blocking my way.”

  “I’ve brought you presents.”