Chapter 16
“I
love you,” Helen repeated.
Nikki’s
face broke into a huge grin. “Well, it’s about bloody time!” She slid her arms
around Helen’s waist and pulled her close.
“I’m
sorry. I was confused. I had all these feelings for you but I couldn’t believe
that I had fallen in love with a woman until it got to the point where I
couldn’t bear to go home and have Sean waiting for me and not you.” She saw
Nikki’s face harden at the mention of his name. “Nikki, it’s you I love and you
I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
“Even
if I have to spend the rest of my life in here?” Nikki asked dismally.
“Even
then but when you get out of here
I’ll be waiting for you, no matter how long it takes.” She threaded her fingers
in Nikki’s hair and pulled her head down until their lips met.
“I
love you so much,” Nikki told her when they drew apart.
“I
know you do. You’ve proved it in every way.”
“Except
the one that counts,” she replied bitterly.
“Don’t
be like that. I saw Sally earlier. She apologised for the joke the two of you
played on me.” Helen smiled at the guilty look on Nikki’s face. “Did you do it
to get back at me for refusing to have sex with you?”
“No,
of course not!” Nikki exclaimed. “What do you take me for? I did it to try and
stop you leaving Larkhall and me.”
“Stop
me!” Helen laughed but without humour. “It was your fault I left as quickly as
I did.”
“Well,
it all blew up in my face. You wouldn’t listen to a word I said.”
“So,
why did you do it?”
Nikki
frowned. “Didn’t you hear the message I left you?” Helen shook her head.
“Someone overheard you say you were resigning. I thought you were leaving
because of me. I couldn’t let you give up a job you loved when I had nothing to
offer you.”
“Nikki,
the job was doing my head in. I would have chucked it up months ago, but I have
responsibilities, a mortgage to think about. Surely by now, you know I don’t go
off half-cocked.”
“Like
I do you mean?” Nikki asked sheepishly.
“It’s
one of the things I love about you.” Helen laughed and hugged her. “Coming to
work every day and seeing you kept me going.”
“Some
days I never even saw you,” she said almost accusingly.
“But
I knew you were there and I only had to walk onto the wing to see you.”
“Which
you didn’t do very often.”
“I
was afraid you’d see how much I wanted you and I couldn’t handle it.”
“Helen,
you silly little idiot! I almost came in my pants every time I looked at you.”
Helen
flushed at her blunt choice of words. “I know how you feel,” she murmured
softly.
With
her good hand Nikki reached out and tucked the curtain of hair behind Helen’s
ear, then bent her head and captured the soft lips. Helen moaned softly as
Nikki pulled her hard against her and moulded their bodies together.
“How
much longer have we got?” She whispered against Helen’s ear.
Helen
moved her hand from behind Nikki’s head and glanced at her watch. “About forty
minutes.”
“So,
any ideas what we can do for forty minutes?” She raised her eyebrows
suggestively then laughed at Helen’s anxious expression. “Relax, Helen. Why
don’t we just talk? We have a lot of catching up to do.” She took Helen’s hand
and led her over to one of the chairs and sat down. As Helen tried to move away
Nikki gripped her hand tightly. “You’re not getting away that easily. I want to
keep you within kissing distance.” She pulled Helen down onto her lap and
wrapped her arms around her.
“Nikki,
what about your wound?” Helen asked anxiously.
“Forget
it. It’s healing nicely,” she replied nonchalantly.
“How
can I forget it? How could you have been so reckless?” Helen admonished her.
“You could have been killed.”
“Fat
lot you cared,” she retorted. “You never even came to see me.”
“I
was there when they brought you out of the theatre,” she admitted. “I asked
Karen not to tell you.”
“Why
didn’t you want me to know?”
“I
didn’t think there was any point. You’d found someone younger and prettier than
me and I was jealous as hell.”
“Helen,
you know you’re bloody gorgeous!” Nikki laughed.
“Yeah,
well you’re biased,” Helen smiled lovingly.
“So,
where have you been for the past few weeks then?”
“Staying
with a friend.”
“The
same one who answered the phone when I called?” Helen nodded. “And you were there, weren’t you?” Again Helen
nodded. “Why the hell wouldn’t you talk to me?”
“I
told you. I thought you’d found someone else.”
Nikki
looked at her, her whole heart showing in her eyes. “Why would I want anyone
else when I’ve got you?”
Helen
sighed contentedly. She had never felt so completely loved. Only one thing
would make it perfect, Nikki’s freedom. “Has your mother done anything about
your appeal?”
“Yes,
she’s been to see a solicitor but she’s not finding it easy on her own.”
“Do
you think she would let me help her?” She grimaced as she remembered her last
conversation with Joan Wade. “I said some terrible things to her.”
“So
I gather,” Nikki answered wryly. “She didn’t tell me what exactly but she gave
me a one hell of a lecture.”
“Sorry,”
Helen laughed.
“It
doesn’t matter. She really likes you and we Wade’s have great taste in women.”
She planted soft kisses on Helen’s face and neck before capturing her mouth.
When
they drew apart Helen stroked Nikki’s cheek gently. “With two women who love
you fighting in your corner, you’ll walk it,” she promised.
“Yeah,
right over that bastard Fenner and out of the front gate.”
There
was a loud tattoo on the door. “Shit!” Helen groaned and struggled to her feet,
dragging Nikki up with her, just as Karen Betts entered.
“Sorry
to interrupt, ladies.” Karen apologised looking from one to the other. “I’m
afraid your time is up but, judging by the smiles on both your faces, you appear
to have put it to good use.”
Nikki
looked at Karen in surprise then turned to Helen, her eyebrows raised.
Helen
laughed and nodded. “Thanks, Karen. We’ve just finished. I think I’ve made Nikki
see the error of her ways,” She replied her eyes dancing mischievously. She
turned to Nikki. “Remember what I said, Nikki. I meant every word of it.”
“I’ll
remember, Miss, and thank you for your advice.” She turned to Karen. “Thanks
very much, Miss Betts.”
“There’s
an officer waiting outside to take you back.”
Helen
watched Nikki leave. At the door Nikki turned and, behind Karen’s back, mouthed
the words, ‘I love you’.
“So,
do I take it the two of you have patched up your differences?” Karen asked when
she and Helen were alone. “Nikki certainly looks happier. In fact, you both
do.”
“We
certainly have,” Helen told her delightedly. “And thanks, Karen, I’m grateful
for what you’ve done.”
“I
owed Nikki one. The Hazel Wallace incident could have turned out nasty. She got
my neck off the chopping block.”
“Aye,
she got me off the hook once or twice as well.”
“Off
the record, Helen, if I can help you and Nikki out I will do. Maybe you and I
should have a weekly get together in my office to compare notes. I’m sure I
could find an inmate willing to provide us with cups of tea.”
Helen
looked at her in surprise. “Thanks, Karen. I really do appreciate it,” she told
her warmly.
“Nikki’s
alright, Helen, but don’t tell her I said so. You should hang on to her.”
“Oh,
I intend to, Karen. I can assure you of that.”