Stephanie hated it when she felt like she couldn't articulate something.
“I know exactly how you feel,” Lexie said. “And you know what, I don't mind feeling it. It's normal to feel a little 'guilty' about the entire thing.”
Stephanie laughed.
“Isn't it strange how people expect us to feel badly that we found love and happiness? It's crazy for me to think about, anyway. There seemed to be an awful lot of people in the world who seemed to have no problem with it.
As time went on the three became closer and closer until they were nearly inseparable. It was an amazing thing, really, and something that each of them marveled at in turn. As the days past they intertwined further and further, as if trees, until eventually there was no way to tell one from the other at all.
A Dangerous Game
~ Bonus Story ~
A Thriller & Suspense Lesbian Romance
Ella has begun a relationship with Jenna, an athletic woman who is, in many ways, her complete opposite. Despite this they have been enjoying their time together until Jenna's ex, Addison, comes on the scene and starts to stalk Ella.
At first Ella plays it off but it starts to get more serious after her car is almost run off the road, and the threats start to get more violent. Fear begins to grip her and Jenna, and although they love each other they wonder if this is worth the hassle.
It seems that there is only one way this is going to end, and Ella has to ask herself if her love for Jenna is worth risking her life.
1
It was Monday morning. I always hated Mondays. My pale, freckled skin always seemed a little paler, and my red hair seemed a little less fiery. I loved my job, I mean, selling stationary online as well as cute little wedding invitations and save the date notes brought me great joy but on Mondays I always had this sinking feeling, but this one was made worse when I saw that Natalie, my assistant, had a concerned look while she was on the phone. James, my web developer, was listening intently as well. I was passing by, getting some coffee, when I heard snippets of the conversation and I could tell that it was the same person who had been ringing before. Natalie had a worried look in her eyes and shook her head, trying to tell me to leave it, but I couldn't. This woman had been plaguing me and I didn't need it anymore, especially not on Mondays.
Natalie, bless her, had tried to protect me but I didn't need protecting. I knew what to expect. A similar thing had happened in college with my roommate. I didn't think this kind of thing could happen to the same person twice in a lifetime, but I guess I was wrong. I put my mug down and yanked the phone from Natalie's hands, leaving her looking stunned. I held the receiver to my ear and spoke in a low, cold tone, trying to keep my voice as even as possible.
“Listen. This isn't getting you anywhere. You're not doing yourself any favors and you should just move on. The worst thing you can do is live in the past. Stop what you're doing and leave me and Jenna alone. It's over, it has been for a hell of a long time and all you're doing is making yourself look like a fool,” and I slammed the phone down, perhaps not remaining as calm as I had intended. I sank into my chair and raised the mug to my lips, hoping that the thick, sweet coffee would soothe my ills. It would have, had the phone not began to ring again. I groaned and hung my head back, pinching the bridge of my nose as I closed my eyes. I hadn't been sleeping well and just wished that she would stop calling me. I looked over at Natalie, who offered me a sympathetic look before pressing a switch on the phone that stopped the ringing. It wasn't a permanent solution but it would do to give us a few minutes of peace.
“She's persistent, you have to give her that,” James said, trying to inject a bit of levity into the situation but I was tired and anxiety was twisting in my gut. I wasn't much in the mood for jokes. Over the past week we had received hundreds of missives in the forms of telephone calls, emails, and letters from my girlfriend's ex, Addison. Jenna had warned me that the last break up she'd had was a bad one but I never thought it could reach this level.
“What are you going to do?” James said, this time more seriously, “she's really got it out for you and it doesn't look like she's going to stop.”
“Jenna has been calling her lawyers to put out a restraining order but she's crazy. I don't know if that will work. What good is the threat of a lawsuit if the person is insane. I don't know what I'm going to do really...I'm going to have to talk about it with Jenna tonight. I can't carry on like this, and I don't want it to affect the business the way it has,” I said.
“You know that we can hold the fort if you need to take some time,” Natalie said warmly. I smiled back at her.
“I know, and I'm glad I have you guys around, I'm just sorry that you got dragged into it as well,” I sighed. I knew how people like Addison thought. Normal rules didn't apply to them and as much as I appreciated Jenna's efforts to put a restraining order on her, it didn't give me much in the way of confidence.
For the rest of the day we had to screen every call we received, and James tried to set up an algorithm to block the incoming emails from Addison's address, but it played on my mind the whole time. I was glad to be going home and went straight to Jenna's house, where I could lose myself in her long, slender arms and warm kisses, nestle into her lustrous brown hair and wonder how such a sexy woman fell for a short geek like me.
When I went in she was laying the table for dinner and greeted me with a long kiss. I held her for longer than normal, and she could sense that something was wrong. It didn't take her long to guess that it was Addison. She apologized and once again said that she was working on the restraining order. I was tired of talking about it so I didn't talk about my misgivings. We settled in for a nice evening. I suggested we continue our foray into the world of Battlestar Galactic, followed by a board game, and her sparkling dark eyes lit up. I was so glad that she became passionate about my hobbies, and in truth she was everything I ever wanted. Yet Addison hung over us like a storm cloud. I knew it wasn't Jenna's fault and I would never blame her for it, yet Addison was still there, and while I tried to forget about her and just enjoy the pleasant evening with my beautiful girlfriend, the anxiety still gnawed at me. I lost the board game, as I wasn't able to focus. Jenna took hold of my hand and looked deep in my eyes, trying to tell me that everything would be okay. She pulled me to the sofa and put on Battlestar, saying that it always managed to calm me down.
2
When I get anxious I tend to get cravings for sweet things. Jenna, being so athletic, has always tried to eat right so her idea of snacks is fruits and carrot sticks. There's a time and place for that, but sometimes I just need something crunchy and sweet. I've tried to leave survival packets at her place but sometimes they run out, and I was in serious need of some popcorn so as much as it pained me to leave her I wrested myself out of her arms and drove to the store. In truth I was glad to have a break to try and clear my head. I hated how Addison was causing this rift between me and Jenna. It was like a wedge, and I knew it was exactly what Addison was trying to accomplish, and I didn't want to let it happen, but it was there all the same. I don't know why...it wasn't as though I expected Jenna to be doing anymore than she was.
The winters were long in Colorado and the nights were dark. There were barely any stars visible in the sky as the street lights beamed brightly, illuminating the long winding roads. I shared the road with a few cars, and even though it was a short drive I turned the radio on to try and inject some normalcy in my life. I glanced in the rear view mirror and noticed two headlights getting closer and closer. I furrowed my brow, wondering what the other driver was doing. Their lights were so bright that I couldn't see who it was. I tried to wave my hand, telling them to go around me, but they didn't seem to want to overtake. They were getting closer and closer to my car. My hands tightened on the wheel, my knuckles going white as the entire car rocked, the other bumper meeting mine. My heart raced as I tried to keep control of the car as it rocked again, then I heard the engine roar as it accelerated past me, a
lthough it slowed down for an instant so I could look in the driver's seat and see her, the golden-faced bombshell that would have been beautiful were it not for the hateful and cruel look in her eyes. That stare burned into me, and then she drove off into the night. I pulled over, breathing heavily, knowing that if she wanted she could have driven me off the road. Suddenly things had escalated beyond harassment at work. I glanced in the mirror and saw that I was white as a sheet. The radio was still playing, but I had no idea what the song was.
I was afraid that every car that came by was Addison coming to finish the job so I quickly gathered myself and put my foot to the floor, speeding back to Jenna's as quickly as possible. I slammed the front door behind me as I got in and Jenna instantly knew that something was wrong.
“Okay, first of all I'm not leaving here tonight,” I began, pacing across the floor, “and second, you really need to tell me about Addison. I know I said that I didn't want to know about her before but she just tried to run me off the road and I need to know what I'm dealing with.”
“She what?!” Jenna exclaimed, rushing to my side, holding my trembling body.
“Jenna, please, just tell me about her,” I pleaded with liquid eyes. She walked me over to the sofa and made me a hot drink before sitting down beside me and taking my hand.
“It only lasted a couple of weeks. We met, I thought she was attractive, and she was sweet at first, but then she turned really clingy and possessive. She wouldn't stop calling me and accused me of flirting with other women. If I didn't respond to her text she would go crazy, even when I said that I was in a meeting. Then, when I said that I wanted to end it she tried to use sex and her body to keep me. She'd send me pictures and videos of herself, she'd offer to do these wild things for me, she said she'd do anything if I gave her another chance, and that all she wanted out of life was me because I was her soul mate. Let me repeat, we dated for two weeks. I couldn't believe it so I just ignored her and blocked her from everything I could. Eventually everything settled down and I thought that she had moved on, but then we started going out and...well...now there's this.”
I was glad that she told me, even though I didn't like thinking or hearing about her with another woman. I sighed and rested my head against Jenna's shoulder. Her arms curled around me and held me tight. While I was with her I felt safe and protected, but my eyes drifted towards the window, knowing that Addison could have been out there at that moment. After all, she had known when I went to the store so she was obviously lying in wait for me. I felt sick.
“Are you still okay to come to the wedding on Saturday? I'll understand if you don't,” she said.
I sat up and wiped my eyes. “No, of course I'll be there. I want to hear everyone gush about how good my invitations are,” I said, smiling, but then the smile fell from my face, “besides, I don't want to let Addison get in between this.” I clasped Jenna's hand and brought it to my heard, then leaned in and kissed her deeply. The warmth of her love made me stronger, and as I tasted the strawberries on her lips the tumultuous emotions inside me were calmed.
3
For the rest of the week I didn't have any real-life encounters with Addison, for which I was extremely grateful. However, the messages at work didn't stop, and in fact they grew more threatening and I was on edge all the time. I tried to console myself with the fact that they were only threats. Still, I was looking forward to the wedding as I got a chance to wear a cute little dress I found a while ago, and wanted to look good for Jenna as this was the first time she got to show me off in front of her friends. I felt like it was a chance for us to forget about Addison for a day and just enjoy the wedding. The ceremony was in a local park. The air was crisp, so I was glad that afterwards we went to the father of the bride's house, or should I say mansion. There was much food and drink available and everyone was nice to me, complimenting me on my invitations. I managed to get more than a few numbers from people who wanted things designed for them, so I was beaming for most of the day. Jenna was happy for me too, and I told her that I was glad because I felt a little out of my depth since most of the people here were hotshots in the corporate world with lots of well-paying jobs.
“You shouldn't feel like that. You're ambitious, talented, and nobody can stop you when you put your mind to something. That's why I've fallen completely head over heels for you,” she said, and leaned down to kiss me.
We never left each others' side. Jenna looked around and said, “What do you think?”
“About what?”
“A wedding like this?”
“I think I'd prefer a summer wedding, maybe to go somewhere tropical with lots of cocktails and sand, and the endless sea stretching out in front of us.”
“Sounds like heaven,” Jenna said with a twinkle in her eyes as she leaned in to kiss me again. I loved how affectionate she was towards me, and enjoyed the looks in peoples eyes as they realized we were together. Jenna introduced me to all her old friends and the vast majority of them were lovely, although there was some icy tension between her and a woman called Mindy, who had been Jenna's greatest rival at high school, especially on the ski team. Jenna had always wanted to go to the Olympics to compete but an injury forced him to miss out, and she was now an environmental lawyer. Mindy was a banker, and made a show of her wealth. She and Jenna didn't talk much but I could sense the tension from across the room. Then I saw something that made me froze. I almost dropped the glass I was holding.
It was her.
Addison.
At the same wedding.
Wearing the same dress as me.
My jaw hung open and part of me wanted to go right up to her and tear her hair out. I had never considered myself a violent person but at that moment I was a tiger, only held back by Jenna.
“It's not worth it, just ignore her, she's just looking for attention,” Jenna said, but her words sounded far away as the anger clouded my eyes. My throat ran dry as my mind was alive with thoughts. How did she know we would be here? How did she know I would be wearing this dress? Addison had evidently been busier than just sending messages and I knew things couldn't continue like this for much longer. I tried to turn away but I couldn't take my eyes off her, and I hated to admit it, but the dress looked better on her taller, leaner frame. She had her arm draped around Mindy and was kissing her on the cheek, but all the time her eyes drifted towards mind. Cold, dark eyes that sent a deep chill running through my bones.
Jenna, trying to take my mind off things, pulled me to the dance floor and tried to stop me from looking at Addison, but all the time Addison was throwing us looks, even when she made out with Mindy her eyes were locked on me, and just before they left she sauntered up to us and kissed Jenna on the mouth. I would have hit her had I not been so stunned. Jenna spat out the kiss and wiped her mouth, then told Addison in no uncertain terms to leave us alone, and then she left. Jenna turned to me and apologized. She sat me down and got me some water. Other people came to us to ask us if we were alright but I was barely aware of anything going on. I wanted to do so much but I was afraid of what Addison might do. She was unhinged, and I began to have flashbacks of my roommate in college who was so obsessed that she started to want to become me, wearing my clothes, stealing my things, eventually trying to attack me.
I had survived that ordeal but was I going to be lucky enough to survive another? I began to shake and the old feelings came back to me. I remember how vulnerable it made feel, to have this other person invading my life, my very soul. Addison seemed to be everywhere and I didn't know how I was going to shake her. I knew that I was tougher than people though when they looked at me, but even so there was only so much I could take in one lifetime and Addison really had it out for me. She had destroyed this perfect day, and although me and Jenna had been talking about our own wedding I couldn't even think about that without seeing Addison somehow finding a way to ruin it. She was a relentless curse.
4
Over the weekend we had some good news in that the restra
ining order was filed. Thankfully, due to Jenna's job she had some good contacts in the justice department and was able to push through the order more quickly than was expected. The events of Saturday were still playing on my mind. After I told Natalie and James they insisted that I go home to rest but I needed to be at work, and the truth was that I was afraid to be alone. I could feel paranoia taking a hold of me and at least when I was at work I could try and be productive.
However, as I feared the restraining order didn't bring an end to the messages. I was pushed to tears as I had to hear her voice over and over again, saying how I was wrong for Jenna and that she was meant for Addison. I begged and pleaded with whatever cosmic forces govern the universe for this to end but there was no reprieve. Natalie and James tried to do the best they could to comfort me but there was nothing anyone can do, not while Addison continued to do this. I have to admit, the idea flashed in my mind that maybe it was easier just to end things with Jenna. I didn't want to, but at least it would bring an end to the suffering. I immediately hated myself for thinking it.
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