Best Lesbian Romance 2014 by Radclyffe Page B

“Let’s go, then.”
    Bugger. Moment of truth. “I don’t think I can,” I blurted out. “Sorry. Turns out I’m a bit claustrophobic.” I thought it sounded better, putting it that way, than “wild horses with their tails on fire couldn’t drag me another inch through these caves.”
    Kim looked at me, concerned, which made my breathing go funny all over again. “Do you want to head back to the main chamber?”
    My mouth went dry at the thought of going through that narrow, crushing passageway again so soon. “Um, in a bit,” I squeaked.
    â€œOkay, how about I stay here with you while the others go on? And when they come back, we can all go back together?”
    â€œYou can’t do that,” I said. “You’re a potholer, not a babysitter. You go on, I’ll be fine.” Lying through my teeth again. But I didn’t fancy admitting to Kim that I was too much of a big girl’s blouse to stay here by myself.
    â€œOh, I’ve been all over these caves. I don’t need to do it again. Be glad to put my feet up for a bit, actually.” She smiled and sat down on a boulder. “Come on, pull up a rock.”
    â€œYou going to be all right?” Niccie’s lad asked. I think he wanted to look caring and sensitive.
    â€œShe’ll be fine,” Niccie said impatiently. She’s never been that big on caring and sensitive. Then again, she probably had a fair idea I wouldn’t mind being left alone with Kim for a while.
    â€œGo on, stop cluttering the place up,” I told them. “There’s hardly room to swing a cat with you lot in here.”
    â€œWell, if you’re sure you don’t want to come….” She grinned, the shadows painting her face with wicked insinuation.
    Or maybe it was there already.
    â€œBugger off, the lot of you,” I said, and finally, they did.
    I sat down next to Kim, feeling awkward now we were alone.Our hips pressed together; bit narrow, that rock was. Honest.
    â€œDon’t feel bad about it,” she said, and for a moment I thought she was talking about me sitting so close to her.
    â€œOh—the claustrophobia,” I realized, and felt like a muppet. “It’s never hit me like that before—I mean, I’ve never liked being closed in, but I’ve never felt like I couldn’t breathe before.” I sighed. “You must think I’m a right wuss.”
    â€œIt’s heights, for me,” she said, her voice soothing my ears. “I get all dizzy and have to close my eyes.”
    I stared at her. “But—what about the chairlift?”
    â€œI’ve been up and down on it dozens of times, and I still hate it. But it’s worth it, to get down here. I just love it, underground. Have you ever seen true dark? Not like this,” she said, waving her hand at the shadows that danced on the walls of the cave with the motion of her head. “I mean, no light at all. Not the sort of dark you get in cities, where there’s always streetlights and house lights—or even in the countryside, because on clear nights you get the stars, and on cloudy nights you get the reflection of lights from miles away. I’m talking real blackness, the sort you can touch, you can taste. You only get that underground.”
    â€œNo,” I whispered. “I’ve never seen that.”
    â€œWould you like to?”
    My heart was back in my mouth, but all I said was, “All right.”
    I flicked off my torch, and she dimmed her headlamp—then turned it off altogether.
    The darkness was like a thick blanket wrapped around my head. It was terrifying. It brought it home to me, how far down we were and how small we were. How easily we could be crushed by all those tons of rock over our heads. But at the same time, we could have been anywhere. All alone, just us two. I couldhear Kim breathing beside me, feel the warmth of her cross