Page 111 of Obedience

‘I can’t bear this, Dyl.’

‘I know, G.’ Dylan pushed Greta’s loose waves over her shoulder with the back of her hand. Her splayed fingers ran down Greta’s back, pulling her closer. ‘It won’t be like this forever. I promise.’ She dipped to snag Greta’s gaze. ‘You know that, don’t you?’

Greta kissed her. She believed Dylan; she knew their circumstances wouldn't always pull them in different directions, but she couldn’t bury the gnawing feeling that they were wasting time. Her hands smoothed down the fabric covering Dylan’s chest.

‘Remember when you said I was a U-hauler?’

Dylan narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you jet-lagged? Drunk? Were you on the Veuve Clicquot on the flight?’ She leaned in to sniff Greta’s breath.

‘Get off,’ Greta chuckled, leaning back and playfully batting Dylan away. ‘Hear me out.’ Her fingers fiddled with the edges of the tag on Dylan’s jacket. ‘I was thinking while I was away. Well, before then, actually…’

‘Oookaaay,’ Dylan stretched the word suspiciously.

‘I’m going to sell this place.’

‘What? You can’t—’

‘Why can’t I?’

‘I mean…’ Dylan hesitated for a second. ‘Well, you can do as you please, it’s your flat, but—’

‘But nothing, Dylan.’

Dylan frowned as she scanned Greta’s face. ‘Don’t do anything because of my situation. That’s not the right thing to do, G. I don’t want or need that.’

‘This isn’t because of you, Dyl. I have been thinking about this for months. I don’t want to be here alone anymore…it’s so empty and hollow.’

Dylan jerked her closer. ‘What will happen? Where will you go if it all happens quickly?’

‘Didsbury,’ Greta replied quickly, as if it were a fait accompli. ‘My parents' house. They’re already on board…and I have a couple of viewings here next week, so...’

‘Oh, fuck. So it’s a done thing then?’

‘My dad’s already planning to paint my old room.’

‘God, I love that man,’ Dylan gushed.

‘He loves you too.’ Greta beamed.

‘So you’ll be just down the road from me?’ Dylan said coyly, slowly swaying Greta from side to side.

‘I will.’ Greta ran her hands over Dylan’s biceps, closing her eyes briefly as she inhaled. ‘And… I was thinking that I would stay with Mum and Dad until you and I have made some decisions.’

Dylan stiffened, her voice dropping an octave. ‘Decisions? G, I can’t move Mum.’

‘I’m not asking you to move, or to move Margaret,’ Greta corrected, kissing the tip of Dylan’s nose. ‘I’m asking you to move me.’

Dylan searched her face, her own expression blank. ‘Can you explain this to me like I’m five years old, please? I’m so confused.’

Greta chuckled and moved some of Dylan's curly fringe to the side. ‘I’m asking you and Margaret to allow me to move in. Maybe I could invest some money in the house? A private annex for Margaret, perhaps. We could look at boosting her care package.’

Dylan just stared, blinking quickly. Greta suddenly wished she could take back the words and swallow them, they felt so enormous said out loud.

‘I can’t let you spend… I mean… You can’t. Why would you do that?’ Dylan asked softly.

‘Dylan, this is not a knee-jerk reaction to your financial predicament. I wouldn’t make such a huge decision based on that.’ She held Dylan’s face with both hands, placing a soft kiss on her mouth, inhaling deeply. ‘I am completely and madly in love with you, Dylan St John. I want to be with you…I want to wake up with you every morning and come home to you every night. I love you. I have based my decision on that. It’s like you said anyway, the avocado doesn’t stay ripe for long, or whatever.’ Greta pursed her lips around a smile.

Dylan chuckled. ‘Hmm. Not quite what I said, but it’ll do.’