Brooklyn made her way up the steps of Harper's enormous house. Every time she visited Harper, she was always overcome with awe at the majesty of her home. This visit was a little different. She felt on edge this time, because part of her was worried that she might be confronted by Jackson and she wasn't sure how that would go. She took a deep breath and knocked on the massive wooden front door.

Harper flung the door open like she'd been waiting on the other side anxiously. Brooklyn fluffed up her blond hair and smiled at Harper. Harper launched herself into Brooklyn's arms and she held Harper's trembling body close. Brooklyn kissed Harper on the side of her head, her cheek and finally her lips, kissing her deeply, her fingers tangling through her long dark toffee coloured hair. Harper's pink pepper, spicy sweet geranium perfume filled her nose. She traced Harper's jawline with fingertips and felt Harper's body relax in her arms.

"Thank God. I'm so glad that you're here baby. I'm just ... Everything's so..." Harper murmured.

Brooklyn smiled and replied soothingly,"Hey it's ok. Anything for you baby."

Harper took Brooklyn's hand and led her down the main hallway to the kitchen.

"Would you like... want a coffee or something babe?"

"Sure honey, that would be great." Brooklyn smiled at Harper. She watched her potter around the huge open plan kitchen, fiddling around with her large cafe style coffee machine.

Harper's hands shook as she tried to lock the handle into the machine. She exhaled and rested both hands on the counter, her head slumped forward in defeat. Brooklyn got up and moved across the kitchen to put her arms around Harper's waist from behind. She kissed Harper's shoulder and held her close.

"Baby," Brooklyn whispered gently. "Everything is going to be ok. We can work all of this out."

Harper's body trembled in Brooklyn's arms. She turned to face her, putting her arms around Brooklyn's neck. Brooklyn looked deep into Harper's eyes, seeing the pain and hurt.

Their lips met softly at first, gently exploring each other's mouths, tongues teasing each other. Brooklyn's hands started to explore Harper's body, following the curves and pulling her closer. Harper sighed with pleasure as she felt Brooklyn's gentle caress and pulled her closer again. It was the sign Brooklyn was waiting for.

Their passion exploded, lips meeting in a lustful frenzy, Brooklyn rained kisses across Harper's neck and chest as she edged her back towards the kitchen island. With her arm around Harper's waist, the other hand flicked her bra open, pushing it aside to expose her perky breasts. Brooklyn lifted Harper's small frame on the counter and kissed her way down from her mouth to the breasts cupped in her hands, her fingers playing with her nipples. Harper leaned back on the counter, moaning with lustful pleasure. Her eyes rolled back in head and her body exploding with all the sweet sensations as Brooklyn buried between her legs, relishing in Harper's moist sweetness.

Harper pulled Brooklyn's face to hers, sliding off the counter, so her hands could explore Brooklyn's body. Her fingers fumbled with her jeans, so her finger could dive under her skimpy underwear and touch her sweet centre. Harper's fingers felt how wet Brooklyn was and her knees buckled a little with desire. Brooklyn moaned into her ear but grabbed her hand, pulling it out of her jeans.

"No baby, this time is just for you." She said breathily in Harper's ear. This time was different from the other times they had been together. It was slower and more sensual. The other times, it was always frenzied and lustful. This time was more comforting, more like a healing.

Harper nodded and brought her fingers slowly to her mouth so she can taste Brooklyn's sweet musk. Brooklyn smiled and kissed her, their tastes mingling with each other. She pushed Harper's skirt up and pushed her panties more to the side to feel for her clit. Brooklyn's fingers moved in slow circles as Harper's hips moved with them.

The passion climbed and the circles became more frenzied as Harper began to climax, her knees buckling, falling into Brooklyn's arms. Sweaty and spent, their hands traced each other's bodies languidly in the hazy aftermath of their lovemaking.

Harper smiled at Brooklyn.

"That was amazing baby..." She murmured softly. "It's always amazing with you."

Brooklyn's hands gently traced down her sides and then pushed the hair out of Harper's face. She chuckled softly.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it."

Harper's phone buzzed on the counter, interrupting their moment of sweetness. She looked at the caller id and saw that Jackson was calling from work. Brooklyn watched as Harper's breath caught in her throat. She wondered why he was calling her. Did he know that she was there with Harper?

Harper swallowed nervously and answered.

"Hello?" Harper said breathlessly.

Brooklyn could hear Jackson barking at Harper through the phone.

"Tonight?" Harper's voice caught in her throat. "Ok, uh, sure we can do that? What time?"

Another short bark from Jackson.

"Ok, I'll be ready. Bye." Her hands shook a little as she pushed the end button. Harper placed the phone back down on the counter. Brooklyn rubbed her hand across her shoulders.

"Looks like you're playing happy families tonight." Brooklyn's playful teasing fell short.

"Yeh it does," Harper's chin lowered to her chest in disappointment.

Harper kissed Brooklyn's lips softly several times and turned to finish making coffee. Her hands looked steadier now. Brooklyn's arms stayed around her waist the whole time as she fussed around the coffee machine.

Harper placed the coffee on the kitchen island and they both sat down facing each other.

"So what's going on babe? What exactly happened with Jackson last night?" Brooklyn asked, her hazel eyes flashing over the top of the coffee cup.

Harper ran her hand through her long dark toffee hair and swallowed nervously.

"He saw the messages between us last night and lost it. We started arguing, and ..." Harper's voice trailed off and her hands shook a little. "And then his arm was up like he was about to try and hit me, so I tried to run away from him, instead he grabbed me by the throat and pinned me up against the wall."

Harper pulled her hair back from around her neck to show the bruises that adorned her neck just under her chin.

"Oh, oh babe..." Brooklyn's eyes widened as she took in the bruises around Harper's neck. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see those before. I'm just lost for words right now."

"I'm ok baby. It only hurts a little when I talk..." Harper's voice trailed off. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, what did you want to do about this?" Brooklyn asked matter of factly. "We could go to the police and get a restraining order against him?"

"No." Harper shook her head. "I can't do that to him. He'd lose so much."

"But babe! This isn't the first time that he's done this!" Brooklyn said tautly.

"I know, I know," Harper replied with resignation. "It's a hard situation because there's so much at stake for everyone."

"Not everyone babe, just him. He's the one that's going to lose his happy family image." Brooklyn retorted emphatically.

"No Brooklyn, not just him. Me too." Harper explained in a defeated tone. "My parents will cut me off. They were so happy when I married Jackson."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Brooklyn's eyes widened with disbelief. "You know that you can talk to me about anything."

"I know but I didn't want to burden you." Harper's eyes lowered to the counter top.

Brooklyn got up and walked around to the side that Harper was sitting on and took her into her arms.

A delicate bracelet of tears broke down Harper's cheeks as she collapsed down in her lover's arms.

"I know that I've had so much to do with this. It's not all his fault. I'm as much to blame as him." Harper sobbed. "Neither of us have been perfect."

Brooklyn nodded and it made her think back to what had happened with her ex, Chloe, and why they had moved from Sydney to Melbourne. Harper was right, no one is perfect.

It wasn't just for the new job managing the homeless shelter, it was because of the affair that Brooklyn had with another woman. The new job simply offered Brooklyn a chance at a fresh start. It was a serendipitous opportunity.

Chloe and Brooklyn had been together for seven years. They had their ups and downs as any couple does, but in the last three years, the relationship had been slowly dying. Every time Brooklyn tried to end it, Chloe would turn on the tears and beg her to stay. Brooklyn had given in at the time because it was easier to stay with what you know, rather than try and find a new partner. But the situation was made more difficult because of Chloe's mental illness. While Chloe tried her hardest to make Brooklyn happy, the once passionate relationship had turned asexual, like roommates living together rather than lovers. Chloe rebuffed Brooklyn's sexual advances so many times that eventually Brooklyn just stopped trying. She was tired of being rejected.

Even though Brooklyn wasn't proud of what she did, she started to look for love and passion else where. Her job at the time had her working funny hours, so it was easy for her to find reasons to not be home.

She met the woman that she had an affair with, through an online dating site. What started out casually, turned more serious with the woman demanding more of a commitment. She pushed Brooklyn to break up with Chloe and move in with her. When Brooklyn denied her, she started threatening Brooklyn that she would expose the illicit tryst to Chloe.

Furious, Brooklyn ended the affair, but the woman was heart broken and incredibly vindictive, so she exposed her regardless by sending Chloe screenshots of every Facebook conversation that the two of them shared.

When Chloe found out about the affair after receiving the images of the damning evidence, she was understandably devastated.

"Who is she?" She screamed at Brooklyn, waving the phone in her face. "Where did you meet this slut?"

Brooklyn looked at her stoically as her red faced, teary eyed girlfriend faced her. Her hair was a tangled mess around her face.

"I'm sorry." Brooklyn responded.

"No!" Chloe snarled. "That's not good enough! You're just sorry that I found out!! Do you even understand why I'm upset with you?"

Brooklyn breathed deeply.

"Yes of course I understand." Brooklyn answered, wishing that the fight was over already. "I'm sorry that I did it. Not sorry that I was caught."

Chloe responded by shrieking at her without words. She paced furiously in front of Brooklyn, until she finally collapsed in mess at her feet on her knees, her head bent forward, with her hands on the floor.

"How long did this go on for?" Chloe asked quietly.

"I don't know, a few months." Brooklyn replied in the same quiet tone.

"Why?" Chloe demanded quietly. "Why'd you do it Brooklyn?"

"I needed to feel something again."

"What?" Chloe looked up at Brooklyn incredulously, her eyes red from crying. She wiped her face with her hands like a small child. "You don't feel anything with me?"

"Chloe, we haven't had sex for longer than I can remember." Brooklyn replied quietly.

"So what? At the first sign of a problem you go running to some slut?" Chloe queried. Her voice started to rise up again to a hysterical pitch. "You just go stick it in whatever willing slag opens her legs for you?"

Brooklyn just looked at her wordlessly. It wasn't the first problem that they'd had. Chloe's emotional state had always questionable, constantly up and down because she wouldn't take her medication.

"That's ok." Chloe replied as if Brooklyn had answered her. "We can get through this babe. This will make us stronger than before."

Brooklyn shook her head, part of her felt pity for Chloe and was too guilty to leave her.

"Yep." Chloe rambled. "I can forgive you for this baby. It's ok."

She stood up and put her arms around Brooklyn. Her tear stained eyes met with Brooklyn's. Brooklyn reluctantly put her arms around her.

"Just promise me something babe." Chloe cajoled. "Don't see her again. Let it just be us again."

"Sure baby." Brooklyn promised. "I've been offered a new job, how about we move interstate away from everything and start brand new?"

Chloe's eyes lit up.

"Yes baby!" She said excitedly. She jumped up and down like a small child in Brooklyn's arms.

"Just promise me something."

"Yes baby!" Chloe squealed. "Anything!"

"Start taking your medication again." Brooklyn requested seriously.

Chloe's face fell flat. Brooklyn bounced her in her arms a little.

"Babe?" Brooklyn asked. "I'm serious."

"Otay baby. For you, I'll start taking my meds again." Chloe replied in a little girl voice and buried her face into Brooklyn's shoulder.

After the infidelity and the argument, the relationship was slightly better between them. Chloe made an effort to be more intimate and her moods stabilised thanks to her starting her medication again, which in turn made things better for Brooklyn. Their sex life reignited and the relationship flourished again.

They moved to Melbourne and things were still on the mend. Chloe got a job at the shelter that Brooklyn was managing. Part of Brooklyn thought that it was so she could keep an eye on her to make sure that she didn't stray again. Brooklyn had asked Chloe about it, but she dismissed her fears by saying that she just enjoyed doing what she did.

As time passed, the relationship started deteriorating between them again. Brooklyn suspected that Chloe stopped taking her medication again as her moods started to swing again, even though Chloe swore vehemently that she was still taking her meds. She became jealous and insecure. She accused Brooklyn of sleeping around again and even suspected Brooklyn being involved with Harper. She threw accusations and pestered Brooklyn at work and at home, even sending her countless text messages, then getting upset when Brooklyn didn't answer her fast enough. This caused many screaming arguments and lengthy accusations without any basis.

One day Brooklyn snapped. She couldn't handle it anymore. It felt like Chloe was doing her head in constantly. She packed up all of her belongings, paid the rent and the bills a couple of months in advance so Chloe wouldn't be out on the street and left. It was easier than arguing with Chloe and having to face her tears and empty promises. She packed up her black Jeep Wrangler and drove away from the life that she'd made with Chloe.

"Brooklyn?" Harper's voice cut through the fog, bringing Brooklyn back. "Are you ok?"

"Yes, of course babe." Brooklyn squeezed her gently around the waist.

"You seemed like you a million miles away." Harper smiled through her tears.

"Yeh I was, but I'm here now with you." Brooklyn kissed Harper softly, tasting her salty sadness.