Other Worlds - The Wilds

Chapter 39

  Toni lost herself in Shelby's embrace for... she didn't know how long, instead just sinking into the feeling of having Shelby in her arms again. There was no sound except their breathing, no light except the floodlights on the court and no feeling except the comfort of being in each others arms again.

  "I really fucking missed you." Toni's voice broke, her head still resting on Shelby's shoulder.

  "Me too," Shelby replied softly. Toni's heart swelled every time Shelby did or said something to remind her that she was still Shelby.

  Their lips met and Toni sunk into the familiarity that was Shelby. The comfort, the warmth, the flutter of her eyelashes against her cheek. It was all just so right.

  Toni pulled back to look into Shelby's eyes "Do you still love me?" The weight of the words sat heavily in her chest as she waited for a reply.

  "Was that not... obvious?" she replied, cocking her eyebrow.

  Toni laughed and looked down at her shoes.

  Sensing Toni's insecurity, Shelby clarified, "Yes, Toni, I still love you. Apparently there is not a lot anyone can do to change that."

  Toni looked up shyly. "I love-"

  "Oh my God!" Shelby interrupted, cutting Toni's declaration of love short.

She looked around frantically, "What? What!?" Nothing was out of the ordinary.

  "What happened to your face" Shelby asked quietly, as though she almost didn't want Toni to hear her so she wouldn't have to hear the answer.

  "Jesus Shelby! You couldn't have waited until after I confessed my undying love to you? I was nearly done. There was only two words left of it." Toni ranted. Shelby still looked concerned. "I actually ran into a wall, if you can believe it."

  "You know you don't have to lie to me just because I've been away. I can handle the things you tell me."

  "No! I am telling the truth." Toni scratched the bad of her neck, not really sure how to approach the last two months with Shelby. "I don't live with Carol anymore. I haven't since the night you went away. Martha's family have taken me in. It's a whole thing. God I hate that this is about me right now. I wanted to know how you were doing."

  Shelby's face broke out in a smile. "Seriously!?" Shelby tackled her in another hug, she had to take a few steadying steps because of the force of it. "I am so damn happy that you are out of there. I was so worried." She murmured into Toni's shoulder, the shoulder of her coat muffling her voice. Toni instantly felt guilty that Shelby had been thinking she was at Carol's the whole time.

  "Yeah me too," she replied, her words taking on double meaning. "There's kind of a lot that we need to talk about, huh?"

  Shelby hummed in agreement, but her shoulders tensed up under Toni's grip.

  Shelby stepped away and grabbed the basket ball that Toni had taken with her; giving it a few experimental bounces. "It feels so good to actually do something like this."

  "Like what?" Toni asked. A bit confused as to what Shelby was trying to say.

  "Something that- I guess... I wasn't allowed to do in camp. Male dominated activities. They said opposite sex activities would encourage my SSA."

  Everything Shelby just said made her feel like she had been transported to the 1950's. Although, something stuck out to her. "What is SSA?" she asked, thinking that Shelby had some kind of condition that Toni wasn't aware of.