A Fine Mess

by Hughes, Breanna

  “And in case you didn’t know, I’m in love with you,

  And if you’re not ready to say you love me, too

  That’s all right, I’ll wait for you.

  I’ll wait for you.”

  The song was over and the crowd applauded. Harper could hear Emily’s cheers and spotted her standing up amongst the crowd. Once she received her accolades and unplugged her guitar, she tentatively walked off the stage. Emily walked up and greeted her with a smile.

  “That was incredible, Harper. I really had no idea how good you actually were. I mean, I knew you were good, but seeing you on stage like that…you were in complete control the entire time. Everyone loved you.”

  “Thanks,” replied a beaming Harper. “That means a lot coming from you.”

  Emily hugged her sister. It was the first full embrace they’ve shared since Emily’s homecoming.

  “So…that last song…”

  “Yeah…”

  “You gonna go talk to her now?” asked Emily.

  Harper nodded.

  “Okay then. I’m gonna get a ride home from Graham.”

  “No, Em. You really don’t have to. I can take you home.”

  “Come on, Harper. We have no idea how long you and Kiley are gonna talk. I’ll be fine. Graham will make sure I get home okay. I’ll see you at home.”

  Emily ran over to Graham as he was putting on his jacket.

  “Great job, Harper,” yelled Graham from across the room.

  “Thanks!”

  Graham grabbed his keys. “Kiley, Erin had to leave a few minutes ago. Since you pulled that disappearing act earlier, you get to lock up.”

  “Sure. No problem. Sorry about that, by the way.”

  Once they were out the door, there were only four patrons left. A group of girls were waiting for their friend to come out of the bathroom. Harper was putting her microphone stand away when she finally came out and the gaggle of girls left.

  Once they were gone, it was just Harper and Kiley left in the empty bar. One girl was focusing on cleaning up the mess everyone had left behind. The other one was gathering the rest of her music equipment, trying not to focus on the awkwardness that seemed to constantly haunt her. Silence was a motif that somehow kept finding its way into their lives.

  Kiley was halfway done stacking the stools and checked out of the corner of her eye to make sure Harper was still on the stage. She swallowed and approached Harper, standing behind her as she was putting away her p.a. system.

  “So, why have I never heard that song before?”

  Harper shrugged. “I had it in my back pocket.”

  “It was beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  Kiley picked up a cable and began to coil it. “Is it true?”

  “What?”

  “The lyrics. Are they true?”

  “Does it matter?” asked Harper, still avoiding eye contact.

  “Harper,” Kiley grabbed her arm and turned her around.

  “You’re done here, right?” asked Harper. “I can lock up if you want to go meet up with Seth.”

  Kiley’s grip tightened around Harper’s arm. “That was low. Unnecessary.”

  “Oh, so no Seth? Is there some other guy you plan on mounting tonight?”

  “That’s enough! I already feel like shit as it is. And I know I shouldn’t have said what I said earlier. But what about you? I made one mistake and you ran to Finn, who you have a history with. You were in love with him for the longest time and you were so quick to jump back into bed with him. How do you think that made me feel?”

  “Why should I care about how you feel? You don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself.” Harper jerked away from Kiley and headed for the door. Kiley followed close behind her.

  “You think I don’t care? How could you say that?” Kiley headed off Harper before she reached the door. She was near tears by this point and grabbed Harper’s shoulders.

  “Let me go.”

  “No.”

  Harper struggled to break free, but Kiley’s grasp only grew more intense. “Let me go!” Harper was now crying, unable to hold it in any longer.

  “Not until you forgive me,” replied Kiley, whose tears were freely falling, as well.

  “Why? Why does it matter to you so much?” Harper tried once more to break away from Kiley, but her attempt proved futile. She didn’t even have time to respond when Kiley pulled her in and pressed her lips to hers. The moment her lips came into contact with Kiley’s, something happened within Harper. Nearly four years of utter anguish and yearning had been bottled up inside her and at this moment, it all came flowing out. Every emotion she had inside of her had suddenly been brought to the surface and for the first time since she could remember, she finally found a moment of peace and complete contentment. Even though she was angry with Kiley, Harper didn’t fight the kiss. She couldn’t remember a time when she wanted something so badly. Tears started streaming down her face uncontrollably as their tongues relentlessly devoured each other.

  Harper threw her arms around Kiley’s neck. As she was fervently being pulled into Harper, Kiley loosened her grip on Harper’s shoulders and grasped her shirt as tightly as she could. She did her best not to hurt her in the process. But if such a travesty did occur, she couldn’t help it. The passion raged through her entire body, shooting out through her fingertips. So she held on to Harper for dear life, just to make sure she was real and this wasn’t a dream. They continued their impassioned kiss, bringing relief to their aching lips. Harper studied the feel and the smoothness of Kiley’s mouth. Their emotions were running high as their tears mixed together leaving a salty taste in their mouths.

  The bar was dark with the exception of a few dim lights and the neon signs glowing. The atmosphere wasn’t the most ideal place to be doing what they’ve been longing to do for so long, but it would have to suffice because there was no slowing down. Kiley broke away from the kiss and slowly moved her tongue down Harper’s neck memorizing the feel of her skin. She pushed Harper up against the bar and brought her lips back to meet hers, unable to satisfy the innate thirst she had within her.

  Harper’s back began to feel pain as it dug into the bar, but she didn’t care. She ran her tongue along Kiley’s lips, familiarizing herself with the taste of her mouth. Kiley lifted Harper up onto the bar knocking over some glasses she forgot to put away. Neither of them flinched after the glasses shattered into a million pieces on the ground. Harper’s legs wrapped around Kiley’s torso as they continued to move deeper and deeper into their kiss. Kiley’s hands, which were strategically placed at the small of Harper’s back, began to roam and explore. They moved up and down the side of Harper’s torso and came around to graze across her toned stomach. Her breath caught in her throat with a tinge of apprehension as she grabbed at the hem of Harper’s shirt and pulled it off over her head.

  Harper did the same for Kiley and as her hands came back down, they took their time to explore every inch of Kiley’s shoulders. Then her arms and then her back, sliding their way down to her lower back. Harper’s breathing grew heavier as she recognized the longing behind Kiley’s eyes; the same look that she had harbored for so many years. She knew what was about to happen and felt her body become just a little bit more rigid as Kiley reached up behind her, unhooked her bra and removed it in one fluid motion. Kiley’s eyes grew wide as she discovered what had just been revealed to her. Among the dead silence, all that could be heard was the erratic breathing of the two girls.

  Running solely on instinct now, Kiley slowly leaned Harper back and began to trace her tongue along her stomach. She gradually moved her way up toward her chest, tantalizing Harper. As her mouth finally reached its target, Harper let out a long sigh followed by a moan. She could feel her body stiffen with a mixture of fear and pleasure. Craving more Harper sat up and slid off the bar, standing face to face with Kiley. It was only a split second before Harper leaned in and kissed Kiley
, pushing her back up against the wall. Kiley could feel the cold temperature of the wall on her bare skin. Harper’s wandering hands made their way down to the zipper of Kiley’s jeans. She slowly unbuttoned and unzipped them, pulling them down until they lay in a pile on the floor. Kiley was left there standing in nothing but her bra and underwear, feeling incredibly vulnerable being half naked in her place of employment, but she had no objections.

  Knowing there was no going back now, Kiley took Harper’s hand and led her toward the back room. In the room, there was a desk where Graham took care of the business aspects of the bar. There were some refrigerators to store alcohol and a single lamp bright enough to make the room visible, but dim enough to set the perfect mood. There was a twin-sized bed tucked away in the corner for when Graham or any of his employees were too tired to drive home. It was rarely used. Kiley looked over at Harper, as if asking her what they should do. Without missing a beat, Harper closed the door behind them and locked it.

  She brought Kiley in for another kiss while driving forward, pushing the taller girl toward the bed. As Kiley sat down on the edge of the bed, Harper made a bold move by climbing on her lap and straddling her while eagerly kissing her once more. Their hands were intertwined as Harper began squeezing Kiley’s hand harder with each heightening pleasure.

  Kiley was nervous, but did her best not to show it. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. It was just sex. Sex was definitely not something she was new at, but this time it was different. Very different. This time, it was Harper. This was the first time she had ever really wanted to do this. Every other time was just a distraction…a means of blocking Harper out of her mind for one moment of peace. But now it was real and it was actually happening.

  Harper slowly lowered her onto the soft, white sheets and hovered over Kiley as the kiss continued. She brought her hand down to Kiley’s abdomen and placed her hand on her waist. Kiley caressed Harper’s back, gazing longingly at the vision above her. The two held onto each other in a longing embrace, their lips quivering with each kiss. Harper couldn’t seem to control her shaking. She didn’t know if it was out of pure nerves and fear, or just excitement. Kiley feeling just as lost and unsure, took notice of her shaking and gave her a reassuring look.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “We’re okay.”

  Four years of pent up desire, pent up passion, pent up love was being unleashed and coming undone with each passing moment. Kiley peeled off Harper’s jeans, along with her underwear, leaving Harper fully nude. She took a moment to study the honey blonde’s form in the dim light, and then ardently kissed her.

  Their tongues ignited sparks between them and they could not get enough of each other. They clung to each other tightly as Harper pressed her cheek up against Kiley’s and tried to gather the courage to say to Kiley what she had been yearning to say to her for so long. It was terrifying. She had learned to keep it suppressed all this time. But they were walking a fine line between passion and lust and Harper desperately wanted to land on the side of passion. She softly whispered while trying to catch her breath.

  “I love you.” She watched Kiley’s eyes for any kind of reaction. Kiley, overwhelmed with everything that was happening, simply nodded, finally understanding what Harper had been coping with for all this time.

  Their bodies converged as each girl was discovering every new sensation. Harper followed her heart’s rhythmic beat as she kissed Kiley, her soft lips moving with the same rhythm. She felt herself being carried away at the feeling of her legs moving with Kiley’s, almost as if it were a perfectly choreographed dance. Harper, needing to feel the whole of Kiley’s flesh against her body, languidly removed Kiley’s underwear, then worked her way up to unhook the bra that was so strategically hugging her skin.

  Kiley felt her breathing grow heavier as she began to feel a dull aching rise from deep inside of her. The feeling of Harper’s body moving so rhythmically and effortlessly on top of her stirred up something deep inside of Kiley. She craved more of Harper, searching for any part of her skin she had yet to explore.

  Harper inhaled and exhaled sharply as Kiley’s hands decided to take an immediate liking to her breasts. She gripped onto Kiley as if she had nothing else to hold on to. Harper’s body was awakening to something completely new and different that she had never felt before. She felt weak and yet completely euphoric and content at the same time. She could feel her entire body pulsating as little beads of sweat began to form on her brow due to a mix her rising body temperature and the lack of ventilation in the office. She ran her tongue along Kiley’s neck to her jaw line to her ear, which gave Kiley chills. Her tongue lingered there a minute before it maneuvered its way back down. The anticipation was almost too much for her as her mouth encountered Kiley’s smooth and perfect breasts, which immediately elicited a whimper from Kiley.

  Kiley closed her eyes and panted heavily, unable to control the urges her body was craving. She felt like she would explode at any minute, so she decided to take control and rolled Harper onto her back. She lingered above Harper’s body, absorbing the sight of her best friend lying naked beneath her, reeling in the surrealism of the situation. She shared a secret smile with Harper, then lowered herself onto her, grazing her breasts against Harper’s. At this point, she’d had enough taunting and teasing. She moved her hand down Harper’s body, stopping just between her thighs. Harper slightly opened her legs and the second Kiley reached her destination, Harper opened her mouth and let out an intoxicating moan. Her breathing became more rapid and she arched her back as Kiley moved her hand around, causing Harper to writhe in ecstasy, gratifying every impulse within her body.

  Harper, nearly unable to control herself, began to touch Kiley simultaneously, evoking a faint, exhilarant murmur from the girl on top of her. The deep breathing turned into moaning echoing through the room, as the girls continued trying to desperately satiate each other. They had no other way to vocalize the intense charge between them seeing as how they were both rendered speechless.

  It wasn’t long before their clandestine moment gave way to an enraptured catharsis as they both began to move at a more frenzied pace. Harper was entranced by Kiley’s eyes, which were burning into hers, penetrating her entire being. She had never felt more wanted or desired in her entire life than she had in that moment. Between the thirst they had for each other, the taste of each other’s skin, the teasing of their hands, and the friction of their bodies both girls climaxed, holding each other tight as their bodies quivered with pleasure. Shuddering and shivering, Harper began to tremble with goose bumps covering her entire body. Kiley rested her head on Harper’s chest, enveloping her in her warmth.

  Not another word was exchanged between them as Kiley listened to the pulsing of Harper’s heartbeat and fell asleep in her arms. Harper soon followed as her critical need for slumber outweighed her need to analyze everything that had just occurred.

  CHAPTER 26

  Harper lay peacefully strewn across the bed, deep in slumber and still unclothed from the night before. The sheets clung to her in the more convenient places, almost as if it had been staged for a PG-13 movie. She barely stirred when the bed jiggled slightly as Kiley got up and quietly but quickly gathered her clothes and put them back on, doing her best not to disturb her friend. She pulled her long messy hair into a ponytail, trying to smooth it down as much as she could. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she paused for a moment and watched Harper splayed out on her back. One arm under the pillow and the other resting on her stomach. Kiley was spellbound, unable to take her eyes off of the blonde. When the memories of what had happened just nine hours earlier came rushing back, Kiley had trouble fending off the smirk on her face.

  What the hell happened? she thought to herself. The smirk gave way to Kiley biting her lip, as her eyes filled with panic. The panic then gave way to a look of terror. This was her best friend; the only person on this earth that meant more to Kiley than her own life. How could she have squandered
such an incredible thing by doing the one thing she always does when she gets scared, fuck and run.

  “Shit.”

  The walls began to close in on Kiley. She could feel herself begin to hyperventilate. In a daze, she slowly staggered to the door and walked out before giving anything, including Harper, a second thought.

  ***

  Harper opened her eyes facing an unfamiliar concept in an unfamiliar room. For the first time in years she actually felt rested. It was as if the two-ton block of cement that had been resting on her shoulders was smashed into pieces with a sledgehammer and the shackles that once held her down had been loosened, freeing her of her seemingly unending burden. She squinted over at the clock on the wall. It was 11:45am.

  “Jesus,” mumbled Harper as she ran her fingers through her hair.

  She glanced around and suddenly realized she was completely alone. Next to her in the bed was utter vastness where the flesh of another should be. Looking around, she found no trace of Kiley. No clothes, no keys or cell phone, no note, no sign that she was ever even here in the first place. Kiley had managed to make herself invisible. Harper rolled over onto her side with her body feeling the lasting effects of last night’s transgression. Every part of her was sore, but in a good, rather satisfying way. Her head felt heavy with a sensation of vertigo. Every time she moved her head, the room would relentlessly spin with her. If this is what it felt like to sleep nine hours straight, then maybe it was overrated.

  Despite her body feeling like it had just run a marathon and her head throbbing, those hindrances weren’t exactly at the forefront of her thoughts. She reached her left hand over to the right side of the bed, smoothing out the soft sheets along the way in the hopes that somehow, Kiley would magically reappear. Part of her was disappointed in waking up alone, but it just wouldn’t be Kiley if she hadn’t been thinking solely of herself. Her heart, which was so filled with contentment last night, now felt flaccid and void. There was no taking this back. It had been done. Kiley knew the truth, and now she was gone. Harper clung to the sheets and pulled them up over her head trying to block out reality, but it was a futile move. The cement block and the metal shackles she thought had disappeared were now once again fixated to her person. This was a whole new chapter in their lives that shouldn’t have been written, because once it’s been written and read, there’s no taking it back.