"Jessie, I'm home!"

"Keep your god damn voice down, the kids are sleeping!" Jessica replied, walking out of the kitchen to meet her partner. The burning sticks in the fireplace along with a few low branches which were crushing on the windows were the only sounds that were filling her cabin.

Sam looked at her and a soft chuckle escaped his lips. While Jessica was trying to find something on him that would prove with whom he was till now, he looked at the fireplace and threw his head down, scratching his short beard, he sighed.

"Where were you?" Finally, Jessica asked, without moving away from her spot.

"Out" he replied and locked his eyes with hers.

"Out... what is that mean? Where exactly?"

"What difference would it make if I told you where exactly was I?"

"You're right... then with whom?"

"Jesus..." he sighed and fell on the sofa behind them, taking off his boots and throwing them to the side. "I'm not in a mood for a fight"

"I think we need to talk"

"No, I don't think we need to..." he replied, this time he placed his feet on the small table across them.

"Sam..."

No reply came from him, he continued looking at her until: "Why don't you go upstairs, I'll come in a while"

"Sam we can't continue like this... I can't"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm done... I can't live like this anymore"

"What about our kids?"

"They're old enough to understand"

"But I can't understand"

"What exactly Sam?"

"What's gotten into you?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning"

"No!" Sam shouted and stood up, "I wanna know why you said it," he shouted again while walking towards his woman.

Jessica hollered back, "Because that's how I feel! I'm not in love with you and if we continue living like this I'm gonna flip out! You are driving me crazy! Can't you see it? I'm not myself anymore!" Sam looked down, unable to talk, he gave Jessica a minute to calm herself down. "I think we're done" she finally said, calmer this time.

"But I love you..."

"No, Sam, you don't. You got used to it, is all"

"Is there someone else?"

"Jesus... I'm telling you all this and that's what you think? That I'm cheating on you?"

"Is there?"

"No."

"Then give us another try... everyone deserves a second chance"

"We had our second chance the first time you cheated on me, our third chance when you did it again and our fourth when you hit me..." Jessica said and leaned her head back on the wall, tears filled her eyes as she was trying really hard to hide her feelings but invalid. Sam's innocent look on his face was making her even angrier.

"If you weren't in love with me, you wouldn't be crying," he said, taking a step closer to her.

"I'm not crying because I'm sad, I'm crying because I'm so mad at you that I wanna put your head in the wall"

"Jessie..."

Jessica snorted and turned her head to the side when Sam approached her, he wrapped slowly his hands around Jessica's waist, pulling her closer and closer to his body but this was the last thing Jessica wanted, "Sam, no..." she said, trying to break free from him.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he continued, this time he didn't hesitate to bury his face on Jessica's neck, kissing her tender skin.

"No, it's not okay" Jessica replied, "Let me go!" she shouted, all this time trying to push him away.

"Come on... I promise I won't do it again"

"Jesus Christ, you stink!" Jessica said and gathered all the force she needed to push him as far as possible. Sam stepped back and chuckled.

"You reek of alcohol and woman's perfume" she continued with a disgusted look on her face, making Sam turn red, "How old is she?"

Finally Sam burst, he pinned Jessica on the wall, grabbing her fists with all his strength, restraining her. "Shut your fucking mouth!" he shouted.

"Or what?"

"Shut up!" he shouted again.

"You're gonna hit me? In my fucking house?!" Jessica shouted back, she put up with a lot of Sam's shits and now she was not willing to continue.

"Yeah? Remember who brings money into your fucking house! Remember who's working!"

"Go fuck yourself..." Jessica said in a low tone.

With that Sam let go of Jessica's hand and stepped back before she knew it, his palm crushed on Jessica's cheek causing her to lose her balance and she fell on the floor.

"What's going on?" Hannah asked walking down the stairs, trying to open her eyes. She saw her mother lying on the floor with her dad standing in front of her. Jessica looked at her, speechless until Sam talked first.

"Go back to your room, Hannah"

Hannah continued looking at her mother, not knowing exactly what she should do, she thought that by standing there she did the right thing.

"Go upstairs, everything is fine," Jessica said, touching her cheek

"He hit you?"

"I didn't"

"Listen to your dad, Hannah, go upstairs"

Hannah nodded and run to her room, banging the door behind her.

"Fuck..." Sam said and raised his hand in order to help Jessica stand up but Jessica refused it, she stood up, looking at him.

"Jessie, I'm sorry"

Jessica didn't reply, she straightened her clothes and pulled her self together. A tough horse she is, "If you ever try to strike me one more time, I swear to God I'm gonna fucking kill you" she whispered and started walking upstairs to her daughter's room--

"Jess!"

"JESS!"

Susan's voice interrupted Jessica's daydreaming, the younger woman closed her eyes and looked at the woman who was sitting in front of them, reading one of Sam's books. She closed her eyes, trying to keep all these thoughts away and turned to look at her lover.

"Yes?"

"Did you hear any of the things I said?"

"Um..." Jessica cleared her throat, "Not really"

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing... tell me what were you saying"

"Nevermind... we're landing in a while," Susan said and took a hold of Jessica's hand, stroking it with her thumb.

"And how are you feeling?"

"Excited. You?"

"I lived in Paris so..."

"Poseur..." she said with a smirk on her face, making Jessica laugh, "I'm excited as well... Excited that we'll be alone for a week, I missed it"

"Aww..." she laughed and leaned closer to kiss her but Jessica pulled her head back, "Not here" Susan shook her head and sighed, "You're right"

"I... we can't... not yet"

"And when?"

"When the time is right"

"Okay..."

"Now, come on... don't be like that, you know how I feel about this."

"I know... let's forget about it"

"Thank you"

Jessica smiled, leaning her head on the seat, she couldn't believe how her life changed over the years. She was finally happy and God knows how much she missed that feeling. The feeling that she finally belonged to someone and that, that person treated her with respect.

Susan and Jessica made their way to their hotel room, chatting and laughing. Some could think that after all this time that they were together they would lose interest in one another but their love for each other only grew bigger as the time passed. Even when they didn't have anything to talk about their silence was comfortable.

They couldn't spend their first day in Paris inside their hotel room so once they settled it both of them got dressed and went out for dinner. The waiter approached them, leaving the menus on the table and after a couple of minutes, he returned back to take their orders. Two bottles of red wine were enough to make both of them feel a little tipsy.

They stubbled their way to the hotel room and once they got inside Jessica fell on the bed as for Susan, she stood in front of her with a smile on her face, looking how lovely her woman was acting.

"What?" Jessica asked, laughing, feeling Susan's eyes on her.

"I've got to tell you something..." Susan started but got interrupted by the phone that started ringing, she rushed to pick it up and after a few seconds, she returned back to her lover, finding her sitting in the same position but with her eyes closed.

Susan smiled to herself and went closer, careful not to wake Jessica up she tried to remove her shoes and then covered her with the blanket, she got tired only by the thought of taking off her own clothes so in a few seconds she found herself snuggling her lover under the blankets.

"I love you"

Jessica's soft whisper made her open her eyes, she smiled, "I love you more" she replied and both women fell asleep into each other's arms.

The sunrays invalided their room causing Jessica to wake up, she stretched out in the bed and yawned... pretty soon she realized that Susan wasn't next to her, instead, she found a note from her lover. She chuckled and took the paper in her hands, *Had to leave early, I couldn't wake you up. I'll send a car to come and pick you up at 10. I'll see you after the premiere. We need to talk.*

Suddenly Jessica's expression changed, <<We need to talk?>> she said to herself as she took a sitting position on the bed. <<Well, that doesn't sound so good>> she thought. The whole day was torture for Jessica until she got into the car but Susan was nowhere to be found, she greeted the young driver and asked him about Susan but he knew nothing about her and where she was. The roads seemed so familiar to her, she kept looking out of the window until the car parked outside Jessica's house, well, the house she was living in when she was staying in Paris.

Immediately everything started making sense, Susan wanted to surprise her, she tipped the driver and walked upstairs to her old apartment, wondering how on earth Susan found where it was. She knocked on the door and within a few seconds, Susan opened the door, smiling.

"Oh my God..." Jessica exclaimed while walking inside, she couldn't believe that this was her apartment, everything was different back then. She continued looking around.

"I picked up the furniture..."

"What?!" Jessica asked surprised, she looked at her lover with her eyes wide open, "What is that mean?"

"I bought the house..."

"You did what?"

"I bought it..."

"Why would you do this?" she continued, unable to think straight.

"I found out that you were staying here so I bought it. It's ours now"

"Ours?!"

"Okay, I'm kidding... I didn't actually buy the house."

"I'm not following you"

"Airbnb..."

"Jesus..." she laughed "How did you know I used to live here?"

"I did my research..."

"Yeah, I can see that," Jessica said and continued looking around, she went and stood by the window

"Also I made us dinner"

"But..." Jessica started, she stopped and smirked, "Honey... you can't cook"

"Well, I ordered"

"You're unbelievable," said Jessica while chuckling. She looked out of the window and then the house, "This is where my bed was" she said, pointing on the corner where the couch was now.

"And where did you put the couch?"

"Honey... I only had a bed, two chairs, and a table... I was a starving student" she continued making her lover laugh.

"Come on..." Susan said, walking into the kitchen where she had already prepared their table, Jessica followed her and took a seat across her, looking around the kitchen.

"How did the premiere go?"

"Good..." she replied while filling their glasses with wine.

"That's all? You're not giving me any details?"

"You know how these things are... many people came, it went great"

Jessica's eyes stopped on her lover, she was wearing a white t-shirt, revealing her cleavage. Susan went to the house right after the premiere ended, she didn't have time to wipe off her make-up, she only changed her clothes to be more comfortable, "You're so beautiful"

"Really?" she asked while sipping some wine. Jessica nodded as a response, "Thank you so much for this..." she continued, "I never thought I would return back here"

Susan smiled, "Now tell me what did you do today?"

"Nothing... honestly I thought something was wrong when you wrote that we need to talk so I spent the whole day wondering what might have happened but now I know"

"You do?"

"Yeah, you wanted to surprise me is all"

"Well, we do need to talk"

"We do?" Jessica's eyebrows furrowed together, "Aha..." Susan nodded, "But let's eat first"

"Did something happen?"

"As far as I'm concerned, no"

"Then what is it?!" she asked frustrated but all she got as a response was a smile from her lover and with that Susan started eating. As for Jessica, she couldn't even swallow, she felt a knot on her stomach building up and continued looking at her lover while she was eating unbothered until she just couldn't take it anymore and went to pick her bag, she returned back inside with her cigarette on her lips and her lighter.

"Oh, no, no... you can't smoke in here," Susan said with her mouth filled"

"And why is that?"

"We're not allowed..."

Jessica took hold of her cigarette and stared at Susan, "I can't understand what's going on and sure as hell, you're not helping me at all"

"You didn't touch your food," Susan said, pointing on Jessica's plate

"Well, that's because I'm not hungry"

"Really? God, I'm starving"

Finally, Jessica sighed, "I'm going outside," she said and exited the room, heading to the balcony. Leaving Susan behind who was laughing, immediately the older woman stood up and followed her, she picked her jacket from the couch and went outside.

The smoke filled Jessica's lungs, she blew it away and then turned to look at her lover, "You're leaving me?"

"What?" Susan asked laughing, "Why would I do that?"

"You've been acting weird since New Orleans and it makes sense"

"What makes sense?"

"Well, that's the only explanation!" she shouted

"For what?!" Susan shouted back at her woman, "The only explanation for what?!"

"For the way you've been acting all this time"

"Jess..." Susan calmed down, "I will never, NEVER leave you"

Jessica looked down, she started tearing up, "Then what's going on?" she whispered, looking now into Susan's eyes. Susan didn't bother to answer and walked to Jessica's side, pulling her into her arms. Jessica responded, burying her face into Susan's neck and wrapping her arms around her waist, careful as she was still holding her cigarette.

"Jess, I love you"

"Me too"

"No..." Susan broke the hug and stepped back, taking hold of Jessica's shoulders, "I love you more than you can imagine, I can't imagine my life without you anymore. You're all I have"

"I... I don't know what to say"

"Tell me what do you feel?"

"I love you as much as you do and more..."

"Then marry me"

"What?" Jessica froze, the cigarette escaped from her fingers, crushing on the floor. Susan let go of Jessica's shoulders and reached inside her jacket's pocket, she took out and small red box but Jessica stopped her, "Susan... I..." she held the small box, "Don't..."

"That's what I've been thinking all these days and that's what I wanted to tell you. Jess, I want to be with you until the end"

Finally, Susan opened the box, taking out a gold ring, she put it on Jessica's finger as for Jessica she was looking at her, incapable to talk or even move.

"Will you?"

"You're not serious, are you?"

Susan looked at her confused, "I am..."

Jessica inhaled while looking around, "Fuck..." she whispered when she exhaled, "I..." she started but what could she possibly say at this moment, she closed her eyes and then looked down, "I... can't... no... this is... Um..." she cleared her throat and stepped back, "I... I've got to go" she whispered and went inside.

Susan was still standing in the same position when she heard Jessica banging the door, leaving the apartment. "Shit..." she sighed and walked back inside. Jessica didn't even take her bag with her, Susan looked at it, "Shit!" she shouted and fell on the couch.--

"Oh, God!" Jessica murmured at herself when she entered the hotel room. She leaned her head on the closed door and then looked at the ring on her finger, "Oh God..." she said again and made her way on the mini bar to drink... whatever she could find.

She was lost, not knowing how she could handle a situation like this. Of course, she was crazy about Susan and Susan would always say that they should get married but only now she realized how serious things were. At this age, marriage wasn't in her mind at all but how could she explain it to Susan. She wasn't even ready to make it official about their relationship and now Susan asked her to marry her? <<It's crazy, this is crazy!>> she kept thinking to herself.

Jessica checked the clock, an hour passed since she left the apartment and only then she found out that she forgot her bag there. All she was thinking was Susan and what is she doing, how is she. <<She can't find me here>> she thought and stood up to pack her things but she stopped when she heard Susan walking into their room.

"Jessica?"

"Yes?" Jessica replied and closed the drawers.

Susan walked slowly to her side, avoiding to look at her lover, keeping her sight low. "You forgot your bag" she added and placed the bag on the armchair across them.

"Oh... thanks"

They sat there in awkward silence for several minutes until Jessica took the lead, "About what happened before... I..."

"No, you don't have to say anything" Susan cut her short, knowing very well how sudden this was for Jessica. "I understand... I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable"

"You didn't... It's just that, I... I didn't expect it"

"You're leaving back to New York?"

"You want me to?"

"No..." Finally, Susan looked at her lover, "I don't" she said, shaking her head.

"I don't want to go back either"

"Look... I get it, I mean... I don't know why I did it but at least I know how you feel"

"I love you, you know that"

"I can hear you but you mean it?"

"Of course, I do..."

"Then why did you freak out?"

"Because... because I can't marry you, Susan. I'm sorry"

"Why?"

"I was married Susan and that was it. When Paco and I broke up I promised to myself that I wouldn't get married again and I never did"

"But I thought with me it was different"

"It is... and I'm willing to do anything for you but no marriage"

"I understand"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I do... Though it makes me sad to admit it I do understand, I knew that this would happen but I wanted to try"

"I guess we're done now..."

"What?" Susan asked worried, it's true, she knew exactly that this would be Jessica's reaction but she never thought of breaking up with her because of that reaction.

"You still want to be with me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know..."

"I'm not gonna lie, it hurt me but at least I know that you didn't say no because you don't love me..."

"You do know how much I love you"

"I think I do... and at this point in my life I'm done with fights, so if YOU wanna leave then you can go"

"I don't wanna leave"

Susan smiled and opened her arms, "Come here" she said and Jessica rushed to her side, falling into her arms. "I hate fighting with you"

"But we didn't fight," Susan said with closed eyes, resting her head on Jessica's shoulder. "Come on, let's change our clothes and go to bed"

Jessica nodded while rubbing her eyes, making Susan smile. "Sue?"

"What?"

"Here..." she said taking off from her finger the ring, "Take it"

"No... it's yours and just for the record if you ever change your mind, let me know" she smirked making Jessica chuckle, "Okay..." she replied and went to pick up her pajamas.

Susan let out a relieved sigh and spotted the empty small bottles on the bed. "How much did you drink?" she asked, chuckling.

"Not much..." Jessica replied with a laugh while taking off her clothes. Once she put on her pajamas she turned to look at her lover who was still standing across her, smiling and staring at her.

"You need help?" she asked, smiling back at her.

"You wanna help?" Susan said in a seductive tone.

Jessica let out a chuckle, "Come here" she ordered and Susan did as told, she went and stood in front of her, staring at Jessica's beautiful face as she was removing her clothes piece by piece. Starting with her t-shirt and then unbuttoning her pants until she was half-naked in front of her.

"I missed this..." she whispered while drugging her fingers from Susan's naked cleavage until her abdomen, "So much..."

"It's been a while..." Susan added, in a husky tone.

"I know..." she said and leaned closer, "May I?" she asked, seconds before locking her lips with Susan's, she didn't even wait for Susan's response and started sucking her neck.

"Hmm..." Susan let out a throaty moan and suddenly Jessica pushed her on the bed, Susan reached for the switch, to turn down the lights and then for the lamp on the nightstand while Jessica was resting on top of her, "Don't" she said when Susan was about to turn down the only light in their room, "I want to look at you" she said and attacked Susan's neck with wet kisses, making Susan eager for what was going to happen.

Jessica continued gracing Susan's body with her soft kisses, using occasionally her teeth, biting her skin and leaving love marks all over it. She capped her lover's breasts while nibbling her chest. Finally, Jessica replaced her hands with her mouth and reached down to remove Susan's underpants, leaving her completely naked.

Jessica slowly made her way down on Susan's body, she held her legs open, kissing her inner thighs, moving closer and closer to Susan's center, she took a minute to look at her lover before her tongue crushed on Susan's clit sending waves of pleasure throughout her entire body.

"Ahh..." Susan moaned, she reached for Jessica's head, pushing her closer. Jessica started at a slow pace, her lover's moans only made her desire grow bigger she caught herself feeling ''hungry'' she couldn't get enough of her lover's taste, of her smell and she would never get enough of it.

"God... it feels so good..." she whispered between her moans. Jessica started flicking her tongue, increasing the pace, she run her tongue over Susan's slit, feeling her warm wetness flooding out of her.

Jessica started teasing Susan's entrance with her finger, causing Susan to jerk her back, "Jess..." she whined. As for Jessica, she had no intentions of teasing her lover no longer, she pushed her finger inside and another one... and another one, while her tongue was still working on her clit. She started thrusting her fingers in and out of her lover. Pushing them deeper and withdrawing them. Pushing Susan over the edge.

"Fuck... Jess!" Susan shouted, "That's it..."

Jessica continued working between her lover's legs, increasing the pace as the time passed. She moaned on Susan's center and with her free hand, she reached for Susan's abdomen, running her hand up and down, filling the goosebumps on Susan's body. She felt her walls tightening around her fingers and Susan kept screaming Jessica's name on repeat until she came. But Jessica had no intentions of stopping, she continued thrusting her fingers until Susan's whole body started shaking again.

Susan closed her legs, with Jessica between them, sucking on her wetness, she finally took out of Susan's slit her fingers and licked them clean while she moved up to meet her lover. Susan's breast was waving, she was trying to catch her breath when Jessica locked her lips with hers, pulling her into a deep kiss.

"Jesus, Jess..." Susan said chuckling almost out of breath.

Jessica lied to the side, placing her head on Susan's chest, she could hear how fast her heart was beating and she knew that she was the reason why. She started making circles with her fingertips on Susan's naked stomach. Susan leaned forward and placed a kiss on Jessica's head. "I'm sorry..." Jessica whispered softly.

"We're not talking about it again, okay?"

"Okay..."

Susan closed her eyes, she felt Jessica covering them both with the blanket and then falling back on top of her, "Goodnight, honey..." she said and reached to close the lamp. Suddenly darkness filled the room.

"Goodnight, baby" Susan's voice made Jessica's heart racing, she smiled at herself and pressed a kiss on Susan's cleavage until they fall asleep...