I Will Never Forgive You chapter 6 (Patreon)

Sorry for the long wait on this one! I wanted to focus on other projects for a while, and I've had some problems getting the first draft of this chapter working. I hope that I managed to pull it off!

Time for some Stella POV. Mental health is overrated.

You can read the story for free here. I'll try to post it to patron this time. Maybe the auto censor won't consider it abusive this time :)

What exactly was Beverly Carpenter?

A snake? She was sneaky... And she did enjoy crawling on her belly. So full of venom and dangerous potential, slithering around Stella, looking for an opportunity to sink her fangs in.

It's been a week since their little outing and Beverly would soon enact the next step of her plan. Because there was a plan, of course. Why else would she have kissed her? Beverly was angling for- for something and Stella was not falling for it. She went over that moment in the car so many times it was seared into her memory, alongside all the cruelties of high-school.

Stella almost told Hayley about it, but she would get the wrong idea. Instead she listened as her friend gushed over an encounter she had with some pent up accountant. It sounded fun, and it gave Stella some ideas. 

She spent half the Sunday preparing herself- her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, a tight white sleeveless top exposed her strong arms. She spent the rest of the day cleaning the office and moving everything into place.

Now, it was time to go, but Stella had one teeny little problem. Beverly was not following the script. She let the woman in, the standard fake pleasantries followed and now she was just sitting on Stella's couch all quiet and reserved smiling that insincere smile of hers. "No brownies this time?" Stella asked after a long silence.

"I'm sorry... I have been terribly busy all week." Beverly said, not quite looking at her. "I could make you some next time."

"And yet, you found some time for little old me..."

Beverly rubbed a spot over her breast. "These evenings with you are always a highlight of my week Stella."

What the hell was that?! Anger and something else twined through Stella's heart.

"Really?" Stella drawled. "You like being fucked in the ass so much?"

Beverly closed her eyes and laughed softly. "Among other things..."

The silence reigned again. Beverly just sat there, in her skirt and blouse, (same as last week?), her hair falling around her shoulders loosely (different than in the car. Why?), and simply waited. Did she expect Stella to bring up what happened? Was that the snake's plan? Well fat chance.

Stella walked over to her desk and opened the top drawer. She took the dildo out and showed it to Beverly. The woman's eyes widened but she continued smiling placidly.

"See this? Bought it for tonight... Want to guess where it's going?" Stella asked as she walked over to the couch.

The dildo was made of a swirl of pink and purple silicone and had absolutely nothing to do with human anatomy. It was styled after a dragon or some such fantastical creature, with a thick bulbous head expanding into a long ribbed shaft. Stella picked one so weird specifically to fuck with Beverly.

Beverly sighed. "My ass?"

"Wrong!" Stella said and she smacked Beverly with the dildo across the cheek. The woman squeaked and recoiled, her face scrunched into outrage. Stella smacked her again.

"Stop it!" Beverly said, so she did it a third time.

"Guess again!" Stella laughed. This was not exactly the plan, but fuck it, she was having fun.

"My- My vagina?" Beverly asked as she tried, in vain, to duck another smack.

"WRONG!" Stella said and grabbed Beverly by her hair, keeping her in place. She put the tip of the dildo against Beverly's lips. "Guess again!"

"My mouth..." Beverly whispered, a faint flush spreading over her cheeks.

Stella straddled the woman, never letting go of her hair, forcing Beverly to look up at her. Stella pressed the dildo against Beverly's full lips and whispered. "You got it... Now open up for me."

Beverly's lips opened, letting the toy in. Stella's black heart did a little flip when she saw the woman lick the head without prompting. "Good... Keep going Dyke."

Beverly's eyes closed at the insult, but she did not stop. Stella let her lick and suck on the head of the toy, before she pushed it in deeper. Beverly squirmed, but did not protest otherwise. She sat there, obediently, while Stella thrust the dildo in and out of her mouth.

"Hey Beverly... Have you ever sucked a cock?" Stella asked.

Beverly's eyes opened and she looked into Stella's. A shadow of a hurt in them. She nodded hesitantly.

"Do you like my cock?" Stella asked.

Another nod, a vigorous one. Of course she liked it. Stella twisted the hand in Beverly's hair into a fist. Beverly groaned in pain, but her eyes told the true story. She loved it.

"Then enjoy..." Stella whispered as she forced the dildo in deeper.

Beverly gagged and tried to draw her head back, but Stella did not let her.  The woman's hands fluttered uselessly, almost grabbing for Stella, but never quite committing. The dildo pushed past her mouth, and into her throat, the thick shaft stretching her pretty lips wide. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill and ruin her ever so sensible make-up.

The dark pit inside of Stella drank it all in, soothing the ache in her heart. Would this be it? Would she finally break? But, of course, Beverly did what she does best and endured. With visible effort, she made herself relax and stopped struggling. Her eyes were blown wide, so desperately aroused that Stella could almost see her own reflection in them.

Stella pulled the dildo out of Beverly's mouth entirely, trailing thick strings of saliva behind it. "Take a deep breath, dyke."

She gave Beverly just enough time for one deep breath before she rammed the dildo back in. It bulged out in the woman's throat, making her gag, but not for long. Stella drew it out slowly, then pushed it back in. Out, then in again. Beverly groaned and squirmed as she let Stella fuck her throat. Tears streamed down her cheeks ruining her mascara, her lipstick became a smeared mess.

Beverly looked beautiful. Almost as beautiful as she looked in the car, after they-

Stella pulled the dildo out and let go of Beverly's hair. The woman fell back gasping for air. She groaned and touched her lips, her chin covered in her own saliva, and ruined makeup. Her lips were starting to swell. They looked- they looked very soft. Very-

"What do you say, dyke?" Stella asked.

"Thank- thank you..." Beverly whispered.

Stella got up and rubbed her hands over the shorts she was wearing. "Do you like my shorts?"

"They're very... Sporty." Beverly said. "We could go shopping together... If you-"

"Shut up," Stella cut her off and put the dildo down her boxers. Beverly blinked twice, then her eyes widened when Stella threaded the shaft through the o-ring at the front of her pelvis and let the dildo hang out.

"O-oh..." Beverly said, looking at the strap-on like a viper ready to pounce on a mouse. "How very... Inventive."

"Get on your knees," Stella said.

Beverly obeyed. She knelt in front of Stella, looking up at her with such devotion that Stella felt a tug in her heart. To lean in and taste those lips again- No! No. Never again.

"Suck it dyke," Stella purred, ignoring the feeling in her chest..

Beverly fell on her like a woman starving. Her hands caressed the shaft as her tongue trailed over the head. She stroked the fake cock gently as she looked up into Stella's eyes.

"Do you like it?" Beverly asked.

"Did I ask you to talk? Use that mouth."

Beverly smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the tip. She trailed kisses all over the strap-on, going from side to side and underneath. It was one of the most arousing things Stella had ever seen and yet- and yet she felt something- something sick.

"I told you to suck it! Not kiss it!" Stella said as she grabbed Beverly's hair and pushed her head down.

Beverly groaned happily and began bobbing her head up and down on the dildo, moaning softly. Her lips gliding over the ridges and bumps like nothing, taking it all in, making Stella's pussy soaking wet just from the sight.

"Deeper..." She said, and thrust her hips out.

The woman moaned as more than half of the dildo disappeared down her throat. Then, obedient little freak that she was, Beverly pushed further until her nose hit Stella's pelvis. Any other woman would receive praise if she did this to her.

But Beverly? No. "Wow, Beverly. I did not know you liked sucking dick so much." Stella said.

Beverly groaned something dreamily, which only fed the black pit Stella's soul. She thrust her hips out rapidly, each thrust smushing Beverly's nose against her belly. The woman groaned throatily, a sound of utter arousal.

"Did you suck your husband off like this?" Stella asked.

Beverly became very still. She looked up at Stella with eyes full of pain which only fueled her own fire further. Stella pulled the dildo out of her mouth and tightened her grip on her hair.

"Well? I asked you a question Beverly..." Stella said.

"Stella... I- I don't want to talk about that," Beverly said, her voice full of that fake vulnerability she sometimes used. Like that time in the car. "Please don't-"

"Tell me or go home."

Real anger flickered onto Beverly's face, but only briefly. She bit her swollen lip and looked away before nodding. All at once Stella could see it: Beverly and Adam on prom night, kissing in some shitty motel, then him unbuckling his belt and Beverly getting on her knees...

Stella's own knees felt weak, so she sat down. Beverly did not move from her position on the floor. Did she go too far? Was there such a thing as too far with the creature below her? No. No there wasn't.

"Did I tell you to stop? Come here." She said and patted the strap-on.

Beverly reluctantly crawled over and took the dildo into her mouth without again commenting. Was she thinking about it too? Every time she and Adam...

"Touch yourself as you do it." Stella said.

A careful nod followed by acquiescence. Then, once again, Beverly began sucking her cock. Because that's what it was. It may have been made out of silicone, but it made no difference. Beverly's fingers made a sucking wet sound as she pleasured herself.

"Who'se was better? Mine or his?" Stella asked.

She expected anger and defiance, but instead got something else. Beverly took the dildo out of her mouth for just long enough to whisper "You. Always."

Stella grabbed her head and pushed down onto her cock while thrusting out with her hips. Beverly groaned and let her mouth be fucked, her whimpers and groans taking on a more and more desperate quality. Her eyes glazed over, but never left Stella's. She had never seen such surrender before. If it was any other woman- but she was not. This was Beverly Carpenter. A snake that was trying to poison her again. Why did she keep letting her in?

Because she was her's. No matter how fucked up Beverly was, how vile and disonest she was, she was Stella's. Nobody else got to have her. Just her. She earned it, through years of pain.

"You're mine," Stella groaned and pressed Beverly's head down onto her crotch. 

Beverly gagged on the strap-on, pushing new tears out of her eyes, but did not protest, did not look away. "Mine," Stella growled at her. 

Beverly's eyes went distant, as the squelching sound of her fingers fucking herself became louder and more erratic. She was coming. Stella pressed down even harder, mushing Beverly's face into her belly. The woman shook and bucked, but never stopped fucking herself.

Then, when the tension finally left Beverly, did Stella let up. The woman fell to the ground onto all fours, coughing and gasping for air. Stella gave her time to compose herself. She needed time as well. Her hands were shaking.

"God..." Beverly whispered hoarsely. "Oh my God... That was..." 

She got up and knelt between Stella's spread legs, looking up at her with reverence. Stella held her eyes. Open and willing to do anything, so eager to be possessed.

Her lips were swollen and wet, eager and willing. Waiting. Inviting.

She wanted to kiss Beverly. One time was not enough. It could never be enough. Stella wanted it so badly it hurt. It would be so easy. Just lean in and kiss her. Then spit on her, slap her, make it not real. Make a joke out of it.

But it would have been real. Stella would know it was real. The poison was already inside of her. She let Beverly put it inside her! She let the snake in- into her house- she let- she let-

"Get out." Stella said.

"What?" Beverly asked.

"We're done for today. Get out. Now," she said through gritted teeth as she stood up and walked to the door.

Beverly did not move. "But... I... You haven't come yet?"

Stella grabbed the wet dildo and fished it out of her boxers. She threw it away, it slammed against the wall with a loud thud. Beverly jumped, startled, looking at the wall and Stella in turn.

"I don't care." Stella said, feeling hot and cold inside. The poison digging through her veins. She tightened her fists, to stop her hands from shaking. "I'm done for today. Get out."

"Stella-"

"Either you leave on your own, or I help you." Stella said, and meant it.

Beverly did not answer. She stared at Stella for a second more, before getting up. She picked up her purse from the desk on her way out, then after a moment of hesitation she stood by Stella. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. 

She nodded and left, leaving Stella alone with the poison. 

---

"Excuse me? What did you just call me?" The woman said as she recoiled from Stella.

"Wait- hey now. I was just playing," Stella said, trying to put on an easy smile, but finding that she could not quite get it there. There was something trembling underneath her heart. Something shaped like anger, but not quite it.

"You just called me the d-word?! Who does that?" Kirsten, or was it Kristen said getting up from the bar stool. Her voice carried, turning some heads.

With some finesse Stella could salvage this... If only she was sober. "Hey, relax. It was just- uh- just go with it?"

"Do you not understand how hurtful that word is?!" Krirsten said. She poked her finger into Stella's shoulder, the nail dug in. 

Stella was about to try to explain that she did, indeed, know how hurtful it could be. Maybe whip out some high-school stories, but she did not get a chance. Kristen went into a speech about the importance of words we use and so on. Society was mentioned as well.

Stella tried to follow it, she really did, but she got distracted by her nose. It was a nice nose, but not quite- not quite- The hair was right. Long and blonde. She was beautiful. But she wasn't right. Too tall as well. And not crazy enough-

"Are you even listening to me?!" Not Beverly asked.

"No." Stella said as she slid off her bar stool. "Sorry. This dyke is going home."

The outside air felt odd on her numb skin. She walked to her car and leaned back against the bed. Way too drunk to drive. Taxi it was!

The bar looked fun. Modern exterior, pride flags plastered on every window... Beverly would hate it! Stella pressed her back to the cold metal of her car as she dug in her purse for her phone, before she remembered she did not have Beverly's number anyway. Good, because she would have called her. That would have been bad. She wondered what the woman was doing right now, two hours after she kicked her out. Was she asleep? Practicing fake smiles? Out with Gloria?

The palms of Stella's hands felt good pressed against her eyes. Almost good enough to stop that pulsing in her heart- the anger- the- the whatever that was, spreading to her gut and running up her spine with trembling energy. She screamed, trying to push it out that way, and it helped, but not enough.

Stella wandered waiting for her taxi, breathing deeply through her belly like her therapist taught her to. "Who gives a shit," she mumbled, but it had a vague taste of a lie. Or maybe it was the beer.

Oh shit, a fish pond! Stella stumbled towards a railing surrounding a little pond in the middle of a park she somehow found herself at. She strained her eyes to see the critters but it was too dark. Would there be turtles? God, she missed her turtles sometimes...

Turtles... Turtles... Beverly. Everything always led to that bitch. Their high-school had a little secluded fish pond too. It was one place where Stella could get away from the bullying. There were two turtles living in that pond. Sometimes she managed to coax out to feed them. Her little buddies.

Were snakes afraid of turtles? Is that why Beverly never found her there? She laughed, imagining the woman terrified of their little shells. She should- she should paint a turtle on her forehead or something. Yeah. Next week. 

Next week...

---

No, Beverly was not a snake. She was a spider. 

In high-school she sat in the middle of her web, manipulating others to do her bidding. Every single kid that bullied Stella did it on her behest, but somehow nobody could ever point to Beverly as the ring leader. She controlled her little puppets too well... Same as she tried to control Stella now.

Last week she let the woman get into her head, made her overthink everything. Not today! Stella threw the door to her office open at exactly eight pm. It has been a long week and she needed this.

"Hey Beverly!" She said with a brilliant smile to exactly no one.

The staircase was empty. For the last two months, the psycho showed up at exactly eight pm without fail. Of all the possibilities Stella planned for, this one she did not consider. She walked outside, down the staircase to the parking lot. 

It was empty as well.

Where was she? Traffic? At eight pm on a Sunday? Was she sick? No, Beverly would crawl over broken glass while battling pneumonia to be here on time. That is if she wanted to be here, a cruel voice whispered. Maybe she got bored with you? She got her fun and moved on, maybe to another woman who wasn't so fucking touchy? Was this because Stella kicked her out last week?

As minutes passed, Stella realized that she did not have a way to contact Beverly. She did not know her number, where she lived, nothing. The woman had almost no online presence, save for an online high-school yearbook.

A sick cold feeling spread through her chest. Maybe it was time for some tea. No, fuck tea. Where was the whiskey? She had whiskey in her office somewhere, right? She was halfway through tearing her desk apart, trying to materialize alcohol from sheer frustration alone, when she heard tires screeching in the parking lot. She slammed her knee on the desk in her hurry to get to the window. 

A pink BMW was parked across three parking spaces. A small blonde figure was sprinting through the parking lot, hefting a large bag. Relief nearly toppled Stella over, followed by shame and anger. At herself, at Beverly, at the fucking desk.

She ignored the first knock, as well as the second and third. Maybe she should never open these doors again? Coldness in her heart slowly warmed up to anger and something more spikey and loud.

By the time Stella got herself into shape to face her, Beverly's knocking took a decidedly frantic edge. Stella opened the doors slowly, and looked at Beverly in silence.

"Oh my God I am so sorry I'm late! My mother visited me out of the blue and would not leave!" Beverly said, waving one hand around. The heavy bag she held in the other made her lean to the side. She looked so flushed and so cute Stella wanted to kiss her. Again.

Yes, she wanted to kiss Beverly! Stella Sorrentino wanted to kiss a girl! Call the press! A beautiful woman who she had crazy sex with every week made her want to smooch! Big whoop!

"You come here on time, or you don't come at all," Stella said. 

Beverly squirmed. "If I had a way to contact you I would have been able to-"

"What's in the bag?" Stella cut her off.

"The bag- oh! Yes! I made dinner." Beverly said, panic receding for a second, then coming back. "We don't have to eat it together! You can eat it later.  Or throw it in the garbage in front of me! That's always fun, right?"

"That's a thought..." Stella said, looking the woman over.

Her hair was braided loosely, and she wore a long white sundress with a grey cardigan thrown over her shoulders. She stood there in silence for a while, clearly fighting with herself over what to say. Finally she straightened, the mask of serenity firmly on her face. "I was late... I apologise. What's the punishment? Should I go home?"

Stella stepped aside and let the woman in without a word. Beverly shuffled towards the desk and put the bag down, sparing a glance on the way towards the pulled out couch-bed. Stella pretended to ignore the food but... If her cooking was anywhere near as good as her baking...

"Are you hungry, Stella? I did not have time to eat anything earlier..." Beverly asked with a surgically precise level of casualness.

"No. Come here." Stella said. 

Beverly walked over to Stella and stood in front of her, hands behind her back, eagerly waiting for what was to come. Stella reached out and touched the woman's lips with her thumb. Beverly's eyes widened a fraction. Stella played with Beverly's lips, pushing the upper then lower lip down with her thumb, smearing the peach lipstick around. They were so soft... 

Was this Beverly's plan? Confuse Stella with the kiss and then lord it over her head. Well, she was not going to let that happen. In this room she was in control.

"That kiss two weeks ago... Was it what you hoped it would be?" Stella asked. There! Now it was out in the open!

Beverly took her time before she answered. "I don't know. It... Was not what I expected."

"What would you do for another kiss?" Stella asked.

Beverly's breath hitched. "Whatever you want me to..."

Stella could not stop the predatory smile spreading her lips. "Is that so..." She said as she pressed her thumb inside Beverly's mouth. The woman sucked on it, her eyes boring into Stella's.

"What if... I gave you another kiss now..." Stella said. "But... You will only learn the price for it later."

Beverly squinted at her. The rat could see the trap... But the cheese was too tempting. Beverly nodded eagerly and Stella's black heart soared. That's why this woman was here- for Stella to have fun and revenge. So what if Beverly was a piece of shit outside of this room? Inside, she was Stella's to play with. That's what mattered. Stella would simply soar above the woman's machinations and get what she wanted. 

Stella took her thumb out of Beverly's mouth and grabbed her face with both hands. She walked the woman backwards and pressed her against a wall. Beverly gasped, her eyes widened, her mouth opened to say something, but Stella did not give her a chance.

There was none of the hesitation of their first kiss. None of the confused feelings and back and forth. Stella was in control this time. She pushed her tongue into Beverly's mouth eager to taste her. The woman tried to match her intensity, but could not- not with Stella's thigh grinding against her crotch, dragging surprised moans out of Beverly's throat.

Stella crushed Beverly against the wall. Beverly's hands hesitantly explored her sides, but Stella slapped them away. A needy whimper escaped Beverly, but she did not fight this new rule. She twisted her hands into her dress and rode Stella's thigh obediently.

Stella kissed many women over the years, and it never mattered much. She'd heard people talk about kisses like they were magic, not just tongues colliding. That's what this was, just touch. Touch that made her feel dizzy, made her want to press herself into the woman and never stop, touch that warmed her inside and made it hurt somehow, made that jagged void under her heart spread and twist. But in the end it was just touch.

Beverly ground herself against Stella's leg in quick tight thrusts. Her moans grew faster and louder, until she screamed into Stella's mouth, her body rigid with pleasure. Stella bit the woman's lip and twisted her hands into her hair, tearing at it. The woman's moans became more halted, more pained, but she did not stop grinding. 

Stella drank her pain in, filling herself with it, steeling her heart with it. This was her territory, not Beverly's. Here, this woman was hers to do whatever she wanted with. 

Finally Beverly whimpered and went loose in her hands. They stood like that for a while, their arms around each other, breathing heavy and recovering. It felt too much like a hug, but she did not let go. The higher she built Beverly up, the sweeter the fall would be. So, she let herself enjoy the closeness, for a time.

When Beverly's breathing returned to normal, she led her to the desk and let her lean against it. "You're... A good kisser," Beverly said, her voice so dreamy Stella felt sick.

Stella did not respond. Instead she stripped naked, Beverly watching her with keen interest. Stella gave her a bit of a show, just for the hell of it.

"You are so... Beautiful..." Beverly said. 

Being called beautiful by Beverly Carpenter tickled her brain in a funky way, but Stella decided to just let it go. Lure the little spider in with kindness. She could pretend too...

"You're quite a beauty as well, Beverly." She said, making sure she sounded casual about it. "Always had been."

Beverly actually ducked her head and blushed hearing that. A gesture so innocent and pure Stella wanted to scream. Instead, she sauntered over to her, naked as the day she was born and leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"Are you hungry? Let's eat..."

For a fraction of a second hope blossomed onto the woman's face before it was crushed just as quickly. "Uhm... What do you mean? Stella?"

"Simple question. Are you hungry?" Stella asked again.

Beverly looked at the bag of food she brought and swallowed hard. She nodded slowly.

"Well then, come here," Stella said and crawled backwards onto the bed. She threw her legs wide and lifted her hips to present herself to Beverly. 

"Oh... In that case..." Beverly said as she shook off her cardigan and crawled onto the bed, her eyes locked onto Stella's pussy. "Yes I am very hungry..."

She was inches away from Stella's opening, her hot breath tickling her clit. Oh, it was tempting to just let her do it, but Stella had other plans.

"Not this." Stella said, as she stopped Beverly's advance with her hand. "Lower."

"Uhm... Lower?"

"You're going to eat my ass." Stella said with the widest grin on her face.

Beverly did not quite react in the way Stella had hoped for. She just looked up at her without comprehension. "Your what? I don't understand?"

"You're going to eat my ass," Stella said again, slowly.

"I... Am not familiar with the term?" Beverly said, looking lost.

Stella could not help but laugh. This woman was too precious. Stella shimmied her hips up, showing Beverly her butt in all its glory. She tapped her anus with two fingers.

The look of terrible realization on Beverly's face almost sent Stella into another laughing fit. The woman shook her head quickly. "No. No!" 

"Yes!" Stella said, with glee.

"N-No! It's dirty!" Beverly said. "That's- that's sick!"

"I washed. And besides... If I can stomach kissing you, you can do this..." Stella said.

Beverly's lips thinned. She shook her head again. Stella's blackened soul drank it all in. Oh, the defiance! She'd asked Beverly to do a lot of things she did not want to do, and there's always been a measure of hesitation, but this level of a flat denial? That was new.

All the more fun to break!

"That's the prize for the kiss. It's already a done deal. Now get over here dyke, and do your job," Stella said. She tried to make herself sound angry, but the wide smile she could not quite wipe from her face probably ruined the impression.

"Stella. I- I- Are you mad at me?" Beverly asked, her eyes averted. "Last week-"

Now, the smile was gone from Stella's face. Was she mad at her? Yes, she was mad at her. She'd been mad at Beverly for more than twenty fucking years.

"You wanted to put your lips on me? There you go," Stella said. "Go on, Dyke. Kiss it."

Beverly looked like she wanted to argue more, but one look at Stella's face shut her up. Once again, Stella was treated to her favourite show- Beverly fighting with herself. Inch by agonising inch she lowered her head towards Stella's ass with a look of delightful apprehension on her face.

"Stella..." Beverly whispered plaintively.

"Do it." Stella said, and that was that.

The lightest of feather-like touches on her anus. An instant later Beverly tried to draw back, but Stella grabbed her by the hair and held her in place. The woman whined a bit, but did not fight.

"Good! Was that so terrible?" She asked Beverly.

Beverly said nothing. She was red in the face and looked like she wanted to bleach her whole head. Finally she nodded. Oh well, tough shit.

"Lick it." Stella and lightly pressed down on Beverly's head.

"Stella-"

"Lick it!" Stella said and pressed down harder.

A soft, wet and warm tongue dragged across her anus. Stella wasn't really into ass eating, but the thought of Beverly Carpenter doing it to her was thrilling. Electricity ran through her whole body, forcing a moan out of her. Another lick came after the first one, then another. All hesitant, all tender, but still electrifying. Stella spread her legs wider and pulled Beverly in more.

"Yes... That's right Dyke. Lick my ass..." She said, "Keep going!"

She could only see Beverly's eyes peeking over her pussy mound, but she could read her well enough. Disgust and hesitation gave way to a hint of anger and then... Confusion. Arousal. Shame. Beverly's tongue grew braver and wetter as time went on. Before long Stella's ass was covered in drool.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Stella asked as she rested one of her legs on Beverly's back, trapping her laying on the bed.

Beverly did not stop what she was doing to answer the question, which was answer enough for Stella. Of course Beverly liked it. She just needed a little push in the beginning... Stella ran her hand through the woman's hair. Beverly leaned in, clearly enjoying the touch.

"You're a real freak, do you know that?" Stella said. "I've been with a lot of women... None of them were as perverted as you are..."

Beverly closed her eyes, shame clear in her features. God, she was so beautiful... And she was Stella's to play with. Forever... Or... However long this lasted? What if one day she simply did not show up again? What would Stella do then? 

There was no other woman like this one... But this one was a cruel, mean, homophobic bitch... So where did that leave Stella? She dug her hand into Beverly's hair and pulled at it hard, forcing her away from her ass. Beverly moaned, her tongue sticking out stupidly.

"Say you liked it." Stella said, pulling at her hair.

"I- I liked it!" Beverly moaned.

"You're disgusting, you know that right?" Stella said. "Every day you walk around like you're this perfect fucking angel, but here you are now..."

Beverly smiled her perfect fucking smile at Stella, but said nothing. Stella twisted her hand into a fist, tearing at Beverly's hair even more. The woman moaned and hurried to say. "Yes! Yes I know! I'm- I'm terrible!"

"Good! Now get back to it. I want your tongue deep in there." Stella said and pressed Beverly's face against her ass, her soft cheeks smushed against Stella's hard muscles. The woman's nose ended up buried deep inside her pussy. 

After a moment of hesitation, Beverly's wet tongue met Stella's anus and attempted to enter. For all of Stella's experience of putting things inside women's butts she had very little experience on the other end. She had to very deliberately relax to allow Beverly in. When she finally did, Stella was surprised how much she enjoyed it all. Beverly's little moans and gasps as she tried to push in deeper, licking Stella all over, her nose pressing against her folds, combined with all the attention her ass was getting were... Intoxicating. 

Somewhere along the way Beverly's hands- which were at first balled into fists at Stella's side- made their way onto her stomach. Her fingers ran over Stella's abs over and over, before traveling higher to cup her breasts. She thought about banning Beverly from touching her, but... The sight of her moaning and fondling as she ate her ass was just too damn arousing.

She was going to just let Beverly eat her ass as a way of humiliating her but... Her pussy was achingly wet and she wanted more. She tugged Beverly's head up, dragging her nose across her folds, while thrusting her hips out. The woman got the message and dug in deeper, rubbing her nose against Stella's clit, sending waves of electricity through her body. Oh, yes, she could get used to this kind of treatment.

"See Beverly? This is what your mouth is for..." Stella moaned. "You're made for this!"

Beverly moaned something unintelligible and rubbed her face against Stella, up and down, slobbering all over. God, it felt so good. Her clit was so sensitive it almost hurt every time Beverly's nose made contact.

"From now on- from now on every time you kiss me you will pay like this! Understood?" Stella moaned, closer and closer to the edge. "I don't care where we are- what we do- you're doing it!"

Beverly nodded vigorously, causing her tongue to slip out of Stella's ass. She whined needily and dug right back in without prompting, licking her eagerly. It was that eagerness that brought Stella over the edge.

Beverly Carpenter just loved eating her ass!

Stella came with a laugh. If there was anybody else there with them, she knew they would think it was a scream, but it was pure joy. She laughed as she made herself come, grinding herself against Beverly.

If the high-school her could see Stella right now, what would she say?

Stella giggled to herself long after the orgasm subsided. She laid there, spent, with the woman she hated most in the world eating her ass... And it was just too fucking funny.

"Stop!" She managed to say. "Jesus Beverly! Stop!"

Beverly stopped and rested her forehead on Stella's thigh, breathing hard. Her hot breath tickled Stella's wet ass and pussy. She laid like that for a minute, squirming, pressing her hips to the mattress, before, in a small voice she asked. "Stella... Can I- can I touch myself?"

"No." Stella said, mostly just to see what Beverly would do.

"Please..." She whispered. "I... I need it."

"Eating my ass got you this hot?"

Beverly nodded jerkily. This must have been the most ashamed she'd seen the woman so far... What a delight. Stella felt generous, for once.

"Well... If you loved it so much, sure. Make yourself come for me... But make sure to touch your ass too."

The quickness with which the woman scrambled to follow her instructions made Stella laugh again. She sighed and enjoyed the sight before her. Beverly writhing like a lunatic, fingering her ass and pussy with no thought to her own dignity. This was exactly where Beverly belonged. Below her.

Beverly came quickly and desperately. It looked painful, sweaty and unpleasant... But that was what she liked, so Stella guessed she was satisfied. Another job well done for Stella Sorrentino! She gave Beverly exactly what she wanted...

Something awful bloomed inside her heart again. She needed to move, all this laying around made her feel odd.

Stella got up from the bed, to go wash herself. On the way back she stopped at the desk. All this mutual torment was really making her hungry. She inspected the bag Beverly brought over and found plastic sealed containers of chicken and rice with some sort of salad on the side. It all looked mouthwateringly delicious.

"Did you really cook this?" Stella asked Beverly, who was still face down, ass up on the bed.

"Yes..." Came a muffled response.

"It's sealed in plastic?"

"I did not want it to smell the office up..."

There were even fancy looking (silver?) utensils in the bag. Stella shrugged and ripped one of the plastic tops off. The smell hit her, making her salivate even more. She sat at the desk naked, and dug in. God, whatever else Beverly was, she was an amazing cook. The chicken was juicy, the rice was perfect- it was all so simple, yet well done.

"Do you like it?" Beverly asked. She sat on the bed, hair messed up, looking half asleep. She looked at Stella eating with such dreamy eyes that a wave of sickness and anger rolled through Stella. The intimacy of this moment hit her. Two women enjoying their company after sex... Was this what the food was about? More attempts at control?

"Yep. Good stuff." Stella said. Then, she pointed at a second chair. "You hungry?" Beverly's eyes shone at the invitation.

"I should... Freshen up first," she said as she got up and walked to the bathroom. Stella braced herself for hilarity.

"Uhm... Stella? There is no water." Beverly called from the other room.

"Yeah, it's been cut. They're doing something to the grid." Stella lied. She turned it off just now after she washed herself.

Beverly exited the bathroom with a carefully neutral expression. She looked at the food at the table and swallowed hard. Stella made a titanic effort to hide her grin as she spoke. "What's up?"

"I need to... Brush my teeth before I eat," Beverly said with a strained smile.

Stella shrugged. Beverly stood there in silence, observing her carefully.

"Stella. Did you turn off the water on purpose?"

"Yes."

Another mournful look at the food. Stella allowed herself a smile.

"Are you going to... Make me eat like this? Really?" Beverly asked, a tinge of disbelief entering her voice.

"It's up to you!" Stella said before she ate another mouthful of fried rice.

Beverly sighed and walked over to her purse. From which she produced a small bottle of water, a small toothbrush and toothpaste. She turned back to Stella with an angelic smile and walked back into the bathroom. Stella followed her in, outraged at this bullshit. She found Beverly at the sink, rinsing her mouth.

"You carry around all that?! Every day?" She asked.

Beverly spat the water out. "A lady should always be prepared..."

"To eat ass before dinner?!?"

"For everything..." Beverly said and started brushing her teeth.

Stella returned to the desk and sat down hard. Did she now have to eat dinner with Beverly? No, she could still just throw this all in the garbage... But it would go against the rules of their affair. There were not many, but keeping promises was one of them... She said that Beverly could eat with her, so that was that.

Did Beverly plan all this? No, of course she did not! She had no idea about the ass eating... But Stella felt trapped nonetheless. Stupid and weak. Her chest swelled with anger and hurt and... That other thing. Best left unexamined. 

Beverly came back and sat at her chair, prim and proper. She grabbed herself a tray of chicken and ripped open the top with a small smirk twisting her lips. With a feeling of keen unreality, Stella ate dinner with Beverly. They talked about nothing much in particular. Mostly the food itself.

It was delicious, but Stella could not help but feel nauseous.

---

"You know what? Here's something I've been thinking about..." Haylee said, as she wiped down the bar. "You know how you complained about Beverly for years?"

Stella said nothing, just kept stacking the chairs. They never quite agreed that her penance for ghosting Haylee and the whole Beverly threesome debacle would be helping with closing down the bar, but here she was, almost every night doing it anyway. 

"You were always like- oooh this bitch! She was the prettiest girl ever! Oh, she was so hot! Oh, that cruel, beautiful bully of mine!" Halyee said as she swooned dramatically. "Remember that? Eh?"

"Yes. I remember," Stella said. Would it be unpenitent of her to put Haylee in a headlock?

"You painted quite a picture of her! You really built her up!" Haylee continued, hands on her hips. 

"I am a poet, what can I say," Stella said. "So?"

"So the bitch ain't even that pretty!" Haylee yelled. "She was pretty, but she was not twenty years of bitching pretty! Just a tiny ass white lady with nice boobs!"

Well, now that was just nonsense.

"What- yes she is! She's gorgeous! She's the most bea-" Stella said before she caught herself. 

She turned back to the chairs, focusing on them to the exclusion of all else. She did not hear Haylee's hyena like screeches that passed for her laughter, nor did she see her wheezing on top of the bar.

She also did not feel her own blush. Nope. Just the chairs.

---

Stella's phone rang again, before going silent. Her therapist's name flashed on the screen. She turned the phone off and went back to her workout. Two more sets of deadlifts! Her legs and back were burning with that sweet pain that calmed all else.

Yes, she skipped another week. Yes it was the wrong thing to do. Yes, she knew! She knew! But she also knew exactly what Dr. Wozniak would tell her. She did not need to go sit in a beige room to hear it said out loud.

Stop fucking that woman Stella. This is bad for you Stella. Listen to your body Stella. Talk to Beverly like she's a human being Stella. On and on and on, every week.

She was tired of hearing it.

---

Not a snake, not a spider. No. She was a wasp.

Beverly laid her eggs inside Stella and now they were close to hatching. She felt them digging through her, somewhere around her heart. That's what that feeling was. Now Beverly did not need to do anything, just wait for Stella to be done. Wait and cook.

Chicken soup to be exact.

Beverly set it down onto the desk with a little nod, as if that's exactly where it belonged. Stella closed the doors behind the woman, trying to contain her anger. Every time she gave this woman an inch she would take an arm. The soup was going into the trash.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Beverly ran up to her and leaned in for a kiss. Stella felt the eggs pulsing inside of her. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Kissing you..." Beverly said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm prepared to... Pay the price."

For a second, the rush of blood to Stella's clit made her forget everything else but her arousal. Beverly was offering to eat her- Nevermind that! First dinner and now kisses? Did Beverly imagine they'd be doing this every week now? She did, didn't she... 

And Stella could see it too. In a flash, she saw herself lulled into a trance as she was being devoured from the inside, week after week. Beverly watching her with a placid smile as little copies of her emerged into the world, leaving behind an empty husk. That husk would go on, living every day, dancing to Beverly's tune. Like in high-school, everywhere Beverly went there Stella would be. Her little puppet, hollowed out for her pleasure. Ready to be used.

"No. We're not- we're not doing that." Stella said, backing away. She pointed at the food. "And get this shit out of my office!"

Beverly looked at the food in mild confusion, then back at Stella. A picture of a woman dealing with an unexpected, but ultimately small snag. "Oh, we don't have to eat it together. It's for you-"

"Get it the fuck out!" Stella said and tried to loosen her collar, surprised to find she wore none, just a sleeveless top. Why could she not breathe?

"You're being overdramatic-" Beverly said, turning away from her. The gesture- the dismissal made Stella see red.

"You can be as much of a piece of shit as you want to everybody out there. This- This is my space. I decide here!" Stella yelled. Beverly stood there looking befuddled.

"I just tried to do something nice for you!"

"No! You did not!" Stella said as she stomped over to the desk and picked up the bag of food. "Whatever! I'll throw it out!"

"Fine!" Beverly said, throwing up her hands. "I won't cook for you anymore!"

Stella was at the doors, bag in hand, ready to walk to the trash bin outside, when it hit her. Why was she the one leaving? It was her office. What was happening? Is this what Beverly wanted?

"No, I am not going anywhere." She said.

"Fine! Jesus Christ! I can throw it out!" Beverly said and stepped towards her. It took all Stella had in her not to flinch away. 

"Stop!" Stella yelled. Beverly stopped moving, her hand frozen halfway towards the bag. "Just... Stop moving. Stop talking..."

Beverly remained motionless, with something like concern on her face. Stella focused on breathing deeply, on looking around her office. She focused on different items in turn- the desk, the mirror, the door to the bathroom, the rug, and so on. Anywhere but Beverly. 

She has not had a panic attack in years... And the longer she focused on calming down, she'd realized she still hadn't. She just lost control a bit. It was not one of the big ones. Everything was fine. She did not need to do anything she did not want to do. She was not trapped at that school anymore. She was an adult.

And she was standing in a room with Beverly Carpenter. Part of her wanted to laugh, a part wanted to cry. She took a good look at Beverly, who looked everything and nothing like the girl from that time. She stood there, looking slightly alarmed, waiting for Stella to do something.

So, she did. She opened the doors. "We're done for tonight... I am not in the mood."

Beverly's shoulders sagged. "Oh... Because... Of the food?"

Stella would rather eat an entire dick than explain this to Beverly, but... She needed this woman behaving the right way. She could not just keep doing whatever she wanted.

"No more food. No more kisses. You- you do what I tell you to do and nothing else. Get it?"

Beverly nodded slowly, but she clearly did not understand. A woman like her could not understand. Her empty cow eyes made Stella loose whatever little cool she had left.

"Look! This is the same shit you did to me in high-school! You just- decided my whole life for me!" Stella said, unable to stop. "Every fucking day was- was about you. Getting away from you!"

Beverly stood there like a statue, saying nothing.

"You know I only had one- one fucking place at school where I was-" Stella almost said 'safe' but stopped herself. She would never say that word in front of Beverly. "Where I had some peace! Only one spot!"

"I know." Beverly said.

It took a second for Stella to register Beverly's words.

"No, no you don't know. There was one spot you did not know about. I hid there when I could not.." Stella trailed off, seeing a new feeling on Beverly's face. Guilt and shame, but one of a different kind than usual. "Beverly, what did you mean by 'I know'?"

A war was fought behind the woman's eyes, before she swallowed and deflated a little. "I... I know that you went to the fish pond between classes sometimes. I..." Beverly paused, looking pained. "I decided not to bother you there."

"No." Stella said. That made no sense. If Beverly knew about it then she would never, ever just let her have it. 

"Yes. I... Followed you once... Saw you crying. I just... Stayed away." Beverly said, blushing horribly, but Stella couldn't focus on that. The lies coming out of Beverly's mouth were more important.

"No. You did not. You did not." She said, aware she was repeating herself, but could not stop. "Somebody told you about the pond. I- I told a friend, maybe. Something. You did not know about it back then. You did not! You. Did. Not!"

Beverly tried to smile but it came out strained. "You're right. It was just a rumor. It doesn't matter now, does it?"

The steel cable that was winding itself around Stella's gut unwound in a snap. She nearly fell over from... Relief? She did not even know what she was feeling. Beverly looked equally stricken for some reason. She stood there, awkwardly, one hand endlessly trying to fix a crease in her pants the other rubbing a space over her heart.

"Aaaah! Fuck!" She groaned. "No, it was not a rumor. I knew about your spot and- oh hell, sometimes I would hide and watch you there!"

"What?" Was all that Stella could think to say.

"In the senior year I... Kind of... Realised that my... Focus on you was because I- uh..." Beverly fretted. She took a deep breath and looked away. "I had a crush on you."

"No you did not, you cunt." Somebody said. It may have been Stella.

"Lord help me, I did..."

"You're lying." Again, said that somebody who inhabited Stella's body.

"I'm not. I'm really sorry for everything I-" Beverly began saying, but Stella did not care.

"We're done. Forever," Stella said and grabbed Beverly by her arm. The woman was out of the door before either of them could blink. "Get the fuck out of here. If I ever see you again-"

"I am not lying! Stella! I'm sorry, but I am not lying!"

"I knew you never changed. It's all just a fucking joke to you." Stella said numbly. She slammed the doors in Beverly's face. For the last time. 

"I am telling the truth! Damn it!" Beverly yelled while she banged on the doors, but it did not matter. A snake, a spider, a wasp, it did not matter. She was out of Stella's life. Everybody warned her not to do it! And she still allowed this- this- this awful woman to mess with her.

"I have proof! Stella please!" Beverly kept yelling. "Please let me in!"

Proof? Stella walked away from the doors and looked for her headphones. She was not listening to this drivel. There was nothing that Beverly could ever say to make her let her back in. Nothing.

"The turtles! I- I have the turtles!" Beverly cried.

Stella threw open the doors.

"What?!" She yelled.

"I- I- After graduation I- I went to the pond and... I took the turtles home." Beverly said, with tears in her eyes. "I wanted something to... Remember."

Stella did not quite know how to react to what Beverly just said. Throwing herself under a train would be one option. Pushing her under would be another. 

"Bullshit."

"They're at my home! I still have them!" Beverly said, making a motion like she wanted to grab Stella by her arms, before thinking better for it. "I knew I'd probably never see you again so... I... Took them."

None of this made any sense. She fell into a coma and her brain was eating itself. That was the only explanation. But on the off chance this was still, indeed, real life...

"Get in the fucking car." Stella said. 

---

They drove in Beverly's horrendously comfortable BMW. The woman made some noises about this not being a good time for a visit, but one look from Stella made hers shut  her trap and drive.

"I swear... If you're lying to me..." Stella said.

"Yes, yes..." Beverly murmured. "You will crush my head with your thighs."

The closer they got to Beverly's home, the more sick Stella felt. The eggs pulsing felt almost like a second heartbeat. Beverly did not have a crush on her in high-school. That was not possible... But why else would she take the turtles?! The bullying got real fucking creative sometimes, but the 'I cared for your turtles for twenty years' prank was a stretch even for Beverly's twisted mind.

The neighbourhoods they passed grew more and more opulent. She knew that Beverly was rich but... Knowing and seeing were two different things. Her stomach was in her shoes by the time they turned into a long driveway flanked by two rows of beautifully manicured oak trees. There, far, far in the distance Stella could see a house. No, not a house.

A mansion.

Brick made, tall and wide, with an honest to good vehicle pool at the front. Oh Fuck in Heaven there were columns up front framing the entrance. Vast fields of perfectly cultivated lawn framed the property. 

"Oh God, there's nobody home..." Beverly breathed, her face going slack with relief. "Oh thank you God..."

Stella decided to ignore that remark. Same with the wealth dripping from every molecule of this place. None of that mattered. She was going to see those fucking turtles.

The walk to Beverly's room was a blur of (grand) staircases, plush carpets and a gross amount of inlaid wooden panels. Stella felt like a worm on display walking through the space. Their destination was on the second floor in the eastern wing, as Beverly called it.

It was a surprisingly simple room. Yes, it looked like a high price furniture boutique catalogue, but it all looked rather cozy together, even if the pillows probably cost five hundred dollars each. But that's not what Stella cared about. There, in the middle of the far wall, opposite of the large bed was a giant terrarium.

Inside was Peter and Other Peter, half buried in fancy looking mud and everything a happy turtle might need. They looked older but the scars and scuffs on their shells were the same. Stella looked at it all not quite knowing what it meant. It sure as fuck meant something... But what it was she did not know.

"Those..." She whispered. "Those are my turtles... You took my turtles..."

"They were school property, to be fair..." Beverly said. "And... Uh... I've had them for far longer than you did."

"Who... Who steals turtles?"

"Me." Beverly said with an air of a man twenty years married admitting to infidelity.

"Peter and Other Peter..." Stella whispered.

"Reginald and Barnaby," Beverly corrected.

"Those are terrible turtle names." 

"Be that as it may... I... Did not lie." 

Stella stood by the tank, for a while, trying to understand the chaos happening inside of her right now. It was hopeless. She turned to Beverly, who sat on the bed, all straightlaced with her knees together and hand nervously twisted on her lap.

A snake? A spider? A wasp?

She tried to see it. Beverly of the past doing everything she did out of some sort of twisted infatuation. None of this made any sense to her. How could anybody be this cruel to somebody they had feelings for? 

Why was she here? She needed to be out of here, yesterday. "I'm going home," Stella said and turned to leave.

Beverly nodded before asking. "And... Next week?"

"No food... And no kissing." Stella simply said and left the room. The lights in the hallway blinded her. Even the light in here was painful to mere peasants.

"I can drive you back..." Beverly said and fell in step behind Stella.

They walked down to the ground floor in silence. Stella could not think about anything in particular. She thought she understood her life, with all the ups and downs, but now she had no idea.

Seconds away from reaching the front door, Beverly screamed. It was so short, so abrupt, and so out of place Stella was more confused than startled. Beverly grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby door with such urgency that Stella allowed herself to be led. She was thrown into a large, kitchen drowning in marble countertops

"Hide!" Beverly whispered, fear twisting her features.

"What-"

"NOW!" 

It was the first time Beverly spoke to her with authority since High-School and Stella obeyed by instinct. She found herself crouching behind a marble kitchen island before she even understood what was happening.

A pair of heels clicked on the tile floor, then the kitchen doors opened.

"Oh! Hey Mom! You're home... I thought you were going out with your new friend?" Came a young woman's voice.

"A small change of plans. They were not feeling well... I suppose I am going to be on my lonesome tonight." Beverly said, sounding somehow like a woman who was not inches away from a meltdown.

"That's a shame... I know how much you've been looking forward to Sundays as of late." Beverly's daughter laughed, exactly like her mother. An airy, somehow condescending sound.

Stella inched herself around the counter and risked a peek out. She regretted it instantly. Next to Beverly stood another Beverly, but a younger one- the one from her nightmares. For an instant, she was back in high-school hiding in an empty classroom, lest she be found and- she bit her hand to stop the memories from coming. This was not the time!

"Ahem... Yes. I do." Beverly said. "But tonight I think I'll just read upstairs. What about you?"

"I called you a couple of times but-"

"Oh, sorry! Where is my head these days?" Beverly said.

"I wonder! Anyway, I wanted to ask about the party. I got the seating chart and... Why did you put me and Tamara in the lilac section? I thought we would be at the main table..." The younger Beverly said not quite looking at her mother.

Beverly paused, for a moment before answering. When she spoke her voice sounded angelically false. "Wouldn’t you rather sit with other young people?"

"Last year me and Hunter sat at the main table. We had fun. Could we-"

"Are you sure?" Beverly interrupted her. "You know... Grandpa and grandma would be there and... They might... Say things about... Your friend."

While Stella did not quite follow what the hell they were talking about, Beverly's change of tone was interesting. She focused on that, instead of her own hammering heart.

Now, it was the daughter's turn to sound nervous. "Like... About what? Do you think there would be... A problem?"

The silence that stretched between them was excruciating.

"Victoria... They... Might think that you and her... Are... There as a couple. They would... Not abide by that." Beverly finally said so quietly that Stella almost did not hear her speak.

"Let them think what they want. I can handle it." Victoria said 

"But... Victoria. That's... That's..." Beverly floundered. 

Stella was beginning to grasp the shape of the situation. Beverly's daughter liked the ladies? Maybe the universe did have a sense of humor after all. And, of course, Beverly was losing her mind at the mere thought of it. Yes, the freak would eat all sorts of pussy all over town, but God in Heaven forbid her little angel is not straight.

Stella pressed her forehead against the wood of the counter. Maybe she should stand up and make some introductions. Yes, that is exactly what she should do.

"Mom... Are you alright? You look-" Victoria spoke, before Beverly got a hold of herself.

"I'm fine. And... And you're fine too. Sit with us, if that's what you want to do." Beverly said, her voice still unsteady. "You and Tamara are- are- are welcome."

An intake of breath from Victoria covered Stella's own gasp of surprise. Beverly continued. "And if they say- anything- anything at all I will..." Beverly's voice was so full of emotion that Stella felt like an intruder for hearing this moment. "I will say something to them."

"Oh mom..." Victoria responded, voice also heavy. "Thank you, but it's fine. I can take care of myself."

"I know... But... I love you and... And if you- if you-" Beverly said, her voice breaking so much she could hardly be understood. "If- if you- If you and Tamara wanted to visit before the party. I- I would like to meet her. I am sure she's- she's great."

"I'll think about it and... Thank you. And..." Victoria hesitated. "I'd like to meet your new friend as well... If that's alright."

Beverly barked out a manic laugh, before getting a hold of herself. "Yeah. Some day. Maybe... Maybe... Oh Victoria, you know what? I left a bag in my car, it has chicken soup in it... Could you bring it? We could eat dinner together if... You have time."

Somehow Victoria managed to ignore her mother's abrupt shift in tone. "Sure! I'd love to... The BMW right? I'll be right back." And just like that she was gone. 

Stella slowly rose above the countertop and looked at Beverly. She was resting her forehead against the open doorway, looking exhausted. Without turning to Stella she spoke quietly. "You have to leave through the side gate. It's right through that door... Please go now... I'm sorry but... I'm..."

Stella left the house without saying another word. 

She meandered through what looked like staff rooms and finally found an unlocked exit that let her out into the sea of green. She felt like a thief skulking through it, and even worse walking the empty streets. Any second now, she expected some sort of private security force to descend on her for the crime of invading the higher tax bracket. 

Along the way one thought rattled through her brain. Half a thought really, a question she asked herself many times already, but it felt different this time.

Who was Beverly Carpenter? 

A manipulative, homophobic, piece of shit Stella took out her anger frustration on in a wonderful twist of fate. A woman who did not have any good qualities besides her ability and willingness to take pain and humiliation. A woman who would try to take control of Stella, again, if given half the chance. The kiss, the food, all these tender little touches and that fake vulnerability were proof. That's who she was, Stella knew it, deep in her heart, she knew it. A poisonous little creature, nothing more.

But... For a moment, Stella allowed herself to consider another Beverly.

A woman who spent her whole life repressing who she was, to the point where it twisted her into a cruel and strange person. A woman who regretted what she did, but did not know how to become better... A mother who loved her daughter enough to try to get over her bullshit.

If that Beverly was real... Then the kisses and touches... The food... That sad puppy-like eagerness to spend time with Stella.... They were proof of something else entirely. Stella desperately tried to stop herself from following this line of thought, but it was too late.

Did Beverly have feelings for Stella?

Stella fought nausea rising up in her throat. Beverly liked her in high-school. And she- she still liked her now. Was it the same for that woman? Did she also spend the last twenty years agonising over it all? They were the same weren't they? Two aging freaks, unable to walk away from what Beverly did. Stella laughed so hard she almost puked for real.

No, that could not be true! But was it? What if it was? 

Stella managed to find a bench in the sea of wealth. She sat on it as she waited for the taxi to take her far away from this place. All the while she could not stop thinking.

A snake?

A spider?

A wasp?

A piece of shit... Or...

Just a woman who made mistakes.

Which one was real?

Stella's heart hurt thinking about it. A dull blade of pain, that every passing second felt more and more like fear. 

I hope that you enjoyed it! The girls are not ok!

Here's hoping that your year has been better than theirs and that the next one will be even better!