Never Ending by Marianne K. Martin

Author:Marianne K. Martin [Martin, Marianne K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Lesbian
ISBN: 9781932859140
Google: V7fiYMy5hS8C
Amazon: B004XFSJ38
Publisher: Bywater Books
Published: 1999-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

If she could have handled more than orange juice and an English muffin, brunch would have been a nice idea. As it turned out, it was the only way she could get Connie to give up the notion that she needed to stay all day Sunday as well. Without a promise that Deanne would call her tonight, she would have sent Kasey home alone again.

Deanne pulled up the winding drive, strangely relieved to be coming home alone. The beautiful two-story structure, with its brick of taupes and tans and warm wood trim, hugged the sloping shore of the lake. Secluded and tranquil, the peaks and valleys of its roof nestled against the back-drop of giant white pine. Home. At least it had been until a week ago.

Sage said it herself, the day she first showed Deanne the beauty of the lake. Pointing out where the house would be built, she told her, “An expensive house isn’t necessarily a home. To be that, it has to be shared in love.” And it had been. But unless it was again, Deanne would leave it. And Sage. As beautiful as it was here, and as sure as she was that she would not be able to live in such luxury again, she would never again compromise love for security. Never.

The one thing she didn’t worry about was the welfare of her parents. Regardless of the state of her relationship with their daughter, Sage would do nothing to disrupt their lives. Of that Deanne was sure. She knew, too, that although she would work as many jobs as necessary to pay Sage back, the money would be deposited in her parents’ bank account.

She had thought it through carefully, looking at every possible scenario, even when at times her emotions made her question the rationality of any decision. She had to be prepared. If Sage were to call and tell her it was over, the decision to take only her clothes and her books and her kitten would already be made. If Sage found reason enough to tell her she’d been sleeping with someone else, Deanne Demore would not be made a fool of. The ultimatum would be given. She would only stay if Sage asked for forgiveness and promised her it would never happen again. Even then, she may never again be able to completely trust her.

But if Sage couldn’t make that promise, it would be over. I’ll be no fool this time—not for money, or what it can buy, not for passion and the heat of the best sex I’ve ever had . . . not for the pretense of love.

And if Sage offered nothing, no explanation beyond that she had needed time to think, would anything have changed?

It had taken her all week to come back to that strength, to make her way through the fears, and the anger that at first had been directed at Sage, then more appropriately at herself. The years with Sage had made her emotionally soft, vulnerable to the worse kind of pain.

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