11.

11.

 

  “You know… I wouldn’t let anyone else touch me like that.” Levi confessed. “That’s how I know I love you.”

     “Oh, yeah?” Parrish asked her. She shifted her naked body a little to get closer to Levi and ran her fingers over Levi’s stomach.

     “Yeah.” Levi told her. “I like the way you make my body feel. I know I can be comfortable with you and relax.”

     Parrish smiled. “You know, you talk a lot during.”

     Levi laughed. “What?! I do not!”

     “Yes, you do!”

     “I don’t remember saying anything. I probably tune myself out.” She said. “What did I say?”

     Parrish smiled. “Are you sure you wanna know?”

     “Pretty sure.”

     “Okay.” Parrish began. “You mostly tell me you love me… over and over again.”

     Levi laughed, tilting her head back a little. “Oh, jeez.” She said. “What else.”

     “And… that you never want me to leave.”

     “Hmm.” Levi hummed. “I mean both of those things, you know. I do love you. And I don’t ever want you to leave…”

     She held Parrish close to her and kissed her forehead. “I want to be with you. Really be with you.”

     Parrish knew where this conversation was going.

     “I want you to come to New York. I have a two bedroom. Whenever you get mad at me, I’ll sleep in the other room.”

     “Do you really want to sleep in two separate rooms for the rest of our lives?” Parrish blurted out. Before she could manage to hold her tongue, she realized how horrible what she said sounded.

     “Wow.” Levi said under her breath. “At least I know how little faith you have in our relationship.” She put her t-shirt and shorts back on and grabbed a pillow. “Since we’ll be sleeping in ‘two separate rooms for the rest of our lives’ anyway, we might as well start now. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

     After she left the room, Parrish laid down on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She hadn’t completely meant what she’d said to Levity, but she also knew there was some truth to it. She loved her girlfriend, but she couldn’t help but be concerned about the way they argued all the time. She wanted to be together, but knew their relationship wouldn’t be successful if they couldn’t stop fighting. As she was about to go to sleep, she remembered Ruby telling her that when you love someone, you work on your problems. Even though she knew Ruby was referring to her ex-girlfriend, Parrish figured she’d better use that advice to her advantage in this situation.

     Parrish slid into one of Levi’s big t-shirts and quietly made her way to the living room. She walked over in front of the couch and knelt down. Levi opened her eyes and looked at her.

     “Hi.” Parrish said softly.

     “Hi.” Levi replied.

     Parrish’s silence stayed for a few seconds until she said, “Come back to bed, baby.”

     “I don’t like what you said.”

     “I know. I’m sorry.”

     Levi sat up. “I really do want you with me.”

     “I know.” Parrish told her. She held Levi’s hand and said, “We’re not ready yet. But we’ll get there.”

     “I hope so.”

     “We will. One day, baby.”

     Parrish took Levi’s hand and led her back to the bedroom. And to make up for what she said, she went down another two times that night.