Tipping Point

by Maisie Johansson

  “What’s wrong, Princess?” she asked softly. “You aren’t still worried about Gillian are you? Or did something happen at the club?”

  Rhetta couldn’t help but smile at how easily Caroline could read her. She let Caroline lay them down and cradle her in her arms. Caroline pressed a kiss to her forehead before scooting back enough that she could see Rhetta’s eyes. And then she waited.

  A wave of guilt spread out from Rhetta’s belly and she had to fight to stop herself from pulling back from Caroline’s arms. She felt unworthy. Sullied. She wished that she had taken a shower. Washed the feel of the club and Sean off of her skin.

  But Caroline’s face was contorted with concern, looking more and more worried the longer that Rhetta was silent.

  Rhetta swallowed and confessed. “Some guy at the club kissed me.”

  Rhetta searched Caroline’s eyes and couldn’t find one ounce of doubt or mistrust. What she did see looked closer to guilt.

  “Oh R, I’m sorry,” Caroline whispered, her strong hands stroking gently over Rhetta’s arm and back. “I wish that I’d been there.”

  The regret in Caroline’s voice made Rhetta’s eyes well up with tears. Her trust in Rhetta was absolute. She didn’t say that she should have been there. They both knew that that shouldn’t have to happen. She shouldn’t have to be there to keep Rhetta safe, just like Rhetta shouldn’t have to be there for her. Rhetta knew that it should have been enough to tell the guy that she was engaged to Caroline and that she wasn’t interested, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he would have dared to kiss her if he thought that she was marrying a guy. Or even if he knew that Caroline was in the club that night.

  “He was alone, so I had a few drinks with him and we danced, but I told him about you and that I wasn’t interested and he seemed okay with it. He said he just wanted someone to keep him company and have a few drinks,” Rhetta explained, hating that it sounded like she was trying to justify herself. Hating that she felt like she had to.

  “Sshhhh,” Caroline soothed. “Forget about him. He’s not worth a moment of your anxiety, okay? He was an ass and I wish I could have yelled at him for disrespecting you, but he’s not worth a moment of your time, Princess.”

  “I feel guilty,” Rhetta admitted, unable to look Caroline in the eyes. Somehow it felt worse that Caroline wasn’t mad at her. She almost wished that Caroline had yelled at her and that she had had to beg for forgiveness. She didn’t feel worth of such selfless trust and love. “I know that it wasn’t my fault, but I still feel guilty. Like I’ve dishonoured you and us.”

  “Do you remember what I was like after that girl kissed me at that party in Florida a few years back? I was so torn up over it, but you told me that nothing anyone else could ever do could change the way you felt about me or make you doubt how much I love you. That’s exactly how I feel, R. Just because some drunk asshole in a club kissed you doesn’t mean that I don’t feel exactly the same way about you that I did when you when out tonight.” She twined their fingers together under the bedsheets. “Though I do wish that I could turn back time and throw a drink at the guy before he dared to touch you without your permission.”

  A tear slipped down Rhetta’s cheek and she pulled Caroline’s arms around her waist. “You’re perfect, you know that?”

  “Only because you make me want to be perfect for you,” Caroline said sweetly.

  Rhetta laughed and wrapped her arms around Caroline’s neck, her tears flowing freely now. “You’ve always been perfect for me, silly. Don’t you know that we’re meant to be?”

  Caroline leant in to kiss her, stopping halfway and waiting to make sure that it was okay. She never took Rhetta’s affection for granted and it really did make Rhetta feel like a princess. Rhetta smiled at Caroline’s chivalry and crossed the last few inches and lost herself in a kiss that was as different as the last one she had had as it was possible to be.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Are you excited? I’m excited. Really, really, really excited,” Rhetta giggled, wiggling in her seat and staring wide-eyed out of the coach window.

  Caroline followed Rhetta’s eyes to the grey city passing by their window. She wanted to say something sarcastic, but Rhetta’s excitement was contagious and Caroline couldn’t help but beam at her adorable fiancée. Rhetta had been getting steadily bouncier ever since they had left London for Milton Keynes. That morning she had even woken up first and lay tensed with excitement in Caroline’s arms until she couldn’t wait any longer and woke her with a soft, insistent kisses.

  “How could I not be excited with you all giggly here beside me?” Caroline laughed, poking Rhetta in the side to make her wiggle even more. She loved it when Rhetta was like this, carefree and joyous. “What’s gotten into you, anyhow? But you’re like a kid at Christmas right now.” She winked. “Not that I’m complaining, cutie.”

  Rhetta smiled, shrugged and pulled Caroline’s hand into her lap. She immediately began subconsciously playing with Caroline’s fingers as she tried to will her body into being still. The harder she tried, the harder it got.

  “I just – I have a really good feeling about this game,” she tried to explain, her voice going fast and mumbled. “We’re gonna win, I know it. Plus, I get to play in front of my favourite keeper. What’s not to be excited about?”

  There was nothing that Rhetta loved more than the thrill of playing for her country with Caroline between the posts. She always enjoyed playing with Megara, but playing with Caroline was something else entirely. Her whole body came alive, completely and exhilaratingly aware of every move that Caroline made. Like she wasn’t just in her own body, but in Caroline’s too. The heights of that feeling were like nothing that she had ever experienced. There was something special about the relationship between a keeper and her defenders on the pitch, something almost symbiotic. But when that keeper held the other half of your soul, it felt like flying.

  Rhetta laughed. “Well say something!”

  Caroline’s heart swelled at the way that Rhetta was looking it her. She swore that she could see stars in those beautiful brown eyes.

  “God, I love you,” Caroline vowed.

  Rhetta’s eyes and nose scrunched up and she bit her bottom lip in a grin. Then she tugged on Caroline’s hand and pulled her in for a giggle filled kiss. Caroline against her lips, breathing in the joy on Rhetta’s breath. When the kiss ended, Rhetta bumped their noses together and pecked her lips once more.

  “Not that I’m getting competitive here,” Rhetta said, sticking her tongue out when Caroline gave her ‘the look’ that she often got when she get overly invested in winning at silly things, “but I’m pretty sure that it’s not possible for anyone to love anyone else as much as I love you.”

  She stuck her tongue out again, her point proven.

  Caroline laughed. “Oh really, Princess?”

  Rhetta bit her lip, nodding and giggling. Her excitement was climbing higher and higher, blocking out everything and everyone that wasn’t Caroline and her sheepish rogue smile.

  “Well aren’t you two just sickeningly cute,” Vanessa sassed from across the aisle, tearing Rhetta’s attention away from Caroline like a bucked of cold water over her head.

  She immediately blushed and hid her face in Caroline’s shoulder. They didn’t hide their affection around the team, but they had rarely kissed on the job. Her good mood had made her get carried away and forget where they were. It was one thing kissing Caroline in front of their teammates when they were socialising together, but they always made a point to be professional when they were on the clock.

  “Sorry guys,” she said from her hiding place, glad that Gillian could still be heard talking to Dawn at the front of the coach and likely had no idea what had happened.

  R popped up from the seats in front of them and rested her head on the seatback.

  “Don’t apologise! We love you guys and we hardly ever get to see you being all cute and stuff. Nessa’s just jealous that Tyson isn’t here,”
Charlie complained, turning to Nessa and sticking out her tongue at her. Being around Caroline always made Charlie happy, but when Rhetta was there too, their happiness was infectious. “And you won’t even give me a wedding date to count down to. As long as I’m invited, that is.”

  “You’ll know as soon as we know,” Caroline promised, smiling indulgently at R. “And of course you’re invited.”

  She hadn’t asked Charlie yet, but she wanted her to be one of her bridesmaids. Her and Rhetta had agreed on five bridemaids/best men each, and Caroline wanted to ask Farah, Charlie, Nikki, one of her friends from home and her brother. If anyone had told her a few years ago that she would be asking Charlie Sondheim to be one of her bridesmaids, she would have laughed. Now she couldn’t imagine not asking her.

  “You promised me at my wedding that you two would be walking down the aisle by the end of the year,” Charlie reminded her, pouting theatrically. There was a good reason as to why Caroline was her favourite roomie. She could get away with being a lot more of a princess when Caroline was there to indulge her. Caroline certainly had plenty of practice. Plus, there had never been a problem so big in Charlie’s life that Caroline hadn’t been able to make her smile and feel better about.

  Rhetta turned to Caroline and smirked. “Oh really, you were going around telling people that we’re definitely getting married this year, huh? And you were sure of that even before you proposed?”

  Looking guilty, Caroline scratched the back of her neck and looked down at her lap. “Well… I… err…”

  “Don’t worry, stud. I have no intention of seeing out another New Year as a Miss,” Rhetta reassured her, giggling softly. She leant closer so that only Caroline could hear. “And you were right to be sure. There was no way that I was going to give you an answer other than yes.”

  Before Caroline could respond, the coach came to a stop. Rhetta looked out the window and saw the colossus of the stadium. It was game time.

  …

  When Caroline and Rhetta eventually got into the changing rooms, they were soaked to their skins. The rain had been pelting down and the two of them had stayed out signing autographs and talking to the fans long after the other girls had fled inside. It made Rhetta’s heart flutter in her chest to see so many people call out Caroline’s name. The clean sheet against England had been hard won and Rhetta’s had never been more proud to be Caroline’s fiancée. Her girl was on top form and the world was finally starting to sit up and take notice. Rhetta had to keep reminding herself to keep her attention on the fans instead of losing herself in Caroline’s bright, excited eyes and the curve of her heart-melting smile.

  By the time they got into the changing rooms, both of them were shivering. They hurried into the showers and tried to wash away the bitter February cold. When they were done, they found their clean US Soccer gear warming on the radiator – courtesy of an always considerate Dillon – and quickly got themselves ready to leave. As usual, Rhetta was talking a little longer, stopping at a mirror to rub a little bit of moisturiser into her weather-battered skin and reapply her mascara.

  When she went to collect her stuff, Rhetta caught Caroline stuffing something into her bag and grinning like a kid.

  “Whatya got there, baby?” Rhetta asked, her hand sweeping along Caroline’s lower back as she walked past her to her own bag.

  Caroline grinned and quickly shut her bag. “That’s for me to know and for you to find out about.”

  Rhetta could tell by the look on Caroline’s face that it was something childish, so she shook her head at her mischievous fiancée and made for the bus. If she knew Caroline – and she really, really did – then she wouldn’t have to wait long.

  Only one hour later, she was lying on their bed, propped up on her elbow as she waited for Caroline to be done in the bathroom. Her girl had just gotten a well-deserved shut out and she wanted to celebrate. Caroline, it seemed, had other ideas.

  “Caro!” Rhetta whined.

  “Just a moment, Princess!” Caroline called back.

  Rhetta rolled her eyes, flopped onto her back and picked up her phone. Below her fine silk dressing gown, she had one of her sexiest pairs of lingerie. One that Caroline had never seen before. One that she had been keeping for a special occasion. One that she did not appreciate being made to wait in.

  Just as she was considering keeping her surprise for another night, Caroline burst from the bathroom with a roar. Still a little peeved, Rhetta didn’t rise to the bait. She kept flicking through her phone, completely ignoring whatever spectacle that Caroline was making of herself.

  “ROAR!”

  “What was that, baby?” Rhetta asked in the most disinterested voice that she could muster.

  Truth was, she wasn’t really upset with Caroline, and she was dying to turn around and see what inevitably adorable thing her tough girl keeper had done now.

  “Baaaaaaaaaaabe,” Caroline whined.

  Smiling to herself, Rhetta turned over and immediately began giggling at the sight before her eyes.

  Grinning from ear to ear, Caroline held up her arms and roared again.

  Rhetta picked up her phone and quickly snapped a photo, her fiancée growling theatrically for her.

  “What are you wearing?” Rhetta giggled.

  Caroline was dressed head to toe in a blue onesie complete with white teeth lining the hood.

  “I’m a shark!” Caroline squeaked. She turned to the side and wiggled her butt to show off her dorsal fin.

  Rhetta couldn’t stop giggling. “Sharks don’t roar!”

  Caroline stopped and pouted. “Williams sharks do.”

  Rhetta raised an eyebrow at her. “Williams sharks? Really, baby?”

  Caroline nodded. “Yup. And they eat up unappreciative fiancées with their razor sharp teeth.”

  Rhetta got an idea.

  “Unappreciative fiancées that do things like this?” she asked, tugging on the tie of her robe until it fell open.

  Caroline’s mouth fell open and after a shocked pause, she started hurrying over to the bed.

  Rhetta held up her hand to stop her. “Nope. There will be no sex in shark onesies. That’s just wrong.”

  Caroline didn’t need any more encouragement to shuck off the onesie, barely letting it slow her down as she pounced on the bed, pinning Rhetta’s arms and legs beneath her. There was a twinkle in her intense gaze and Rhetta could almost read her mind.

  “You’re still pretending to be a shark, aren’t you?”

  A shark-like smile bloomed on Caroline’s lips, dangerous enough to make Rhetta shiver with want.

  “Well,” Caroline drawled, “I am planning on eating you up.”

  Rhetta licked her lips and swallowed. She was pretty sure that she could live with the shark thing if it made Caroline look at her like that.

  …

  Caroline was confused. Rhetta had told her that their flight was at 1.15pm, but there were no flights up on the board for Washington DC for that time.

  “Babe, are you sure about the time?” Caroline asked, waiting for the page to change again to make sure that she hadn’t missed it.

  Rhetta smiled. She hadn’t once said that their flight was going to DC. Caroline had just assumed.

  When the page changed, Rhetta leaned closer to Caroline and pointed to their flight. “Of course I’m sure, it’s right there, baby.”

  Caroline’s eyes widened and she turned to look at Rhetta with a comically wide grin. “WE’RE GOING TO FLORIDA?!”

  The people around them had turned to look at Caroline’s outburst, but Rhetta didn’t care. The look of utter joy on Caroline’s face was more than enough compensation for a few annoyed glances.

  “Yup!” Rhetta giggled. “Happy almost-Valentine’s Day!”

  Caroline picked her up and twirled her around. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best fiancée ever!”

  When Caroline put her down, Rhetta leant up and kissed her. “I have to spoil my perfect fiancée for Valenti
ne’s Day. Especially since she did such a good job of spoiling me. And what better way of doing that than taking you to your favourite place so that you can get your surf on.”

  Caroline’s dimple was as deep as Rhetta had ever seen it and it made her stomach flutter.

  “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Caroline chanted again, hopping from foot to foot and clasping her hands together.

  “You’re cute,” Rhetta giggled, her nose scrunching up.

  “Well duh!” Caroline laughed, rolling her eyes theatrically and flicking her hair over her shoulder.

  “Come on then cutie, we have a flight to catch.”

  “Lead the way, Princess”

  …

  Caroline woke the next day to the sound of the waves and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She rolled over and reached out for Rhetta, only to find her spot on the bed empty. Slowly it dawned on Caroline’s jet-lagged brain that of course Rhetta was up if she could smell coffee. She yawned and stretched, smiling at the memory of the night before. Of Rhetta leading her into the cabin, then into the bedroom and finally onto the bed. It seemed like forever since she and Rhetta had been alone. Properly alone. No one making demands on them or their time. For a couple of days at least, it was just her and Rhetta and the water. And that, to Caroline, was perfection.

  Yawning again, Caroline threw on a t shirt and some underpants and made her way out through the open patio doors. Rhetta was sat there at the wooden table, sunglasses on her head and a cup of coffee cupped between her hands. She was staring out at the ocean and smiling softly. Caroline was starting to think that Rhetta was growing to love the beach almost as much as she did. It made her dream even more of an NWSL team starting up in Florida, and her and Rhetta moving to a beachside house to start a family. She dreamed of Rhetta’s skin taking on a deeper tan and always tasting of the sea. That might be a far off dream for now, but she could live it for a couple of days at least.