both naked until Berlin's slick thigh slid between hers, making her breath catch.
A naked wrestling match ensued, punctuated with little gasps whenever sensitive areas were teased. Finally though, Cherry emerged victorious, straddling Berlin's hips and holding her wrists above her head.
"You let me win," she panted accusingly.
"Not this one."
Cherry's eyes went wide. "You did let me win!"
Berlin smirked up at Cherry's astonished face, wriggling a little to test that she really couldn't move. "What are you going to do about it?"
Cherry's slow grin was hungry and dark. "We're naked, I'm on top of you, and you can't move. I'm going to do whatever I want." She ducked her head to take one of Berlin's nipples into her mouth and sucked hard.
Berlin arched her back as much as she could, a strangled cry escaping her throat, and Cherry's grin widened. This was going to be fun.
Part Four
"This is it, Cherry Babe!" Berlin tossed the final coin onto the pile she had recounted three times. After months of savings, Berlin could finally buy her way out.
To celebrate, Cherry swung herself into Berlin's lap and kissed her thoroughly. Berlin was too excited to focus.
"We're going to get out of here." She couldn't stop grinning at Cherry. "We'll pool the money from the rest of our fights and buy your—"
"No." Cherry shook her head. "Absolutely not."
"Cherry—"
"I'll buy my own way out, Bee. I'm not taking your money." Her voice softened. "Save it for later. Your inn won't be free. Save up for that."
*~*~*
It should have made a bigger impact on Berlin as Cherry began to change. She should have noticed sooner; she should have been on her guard. Still, Cherry had so much fight, so much determination … How was Berlin to know she'd grow comfortable ?
Once upon a time, all Cherry could talk about was Valeria. They'd lie awake late at night, making plans and sharing dreams. They made plans for Berlin's inn, choosing foods and tableware; they dreamed about what colors would be in the rooms.
As time dragged on, these conversations became few and far between before finally stopping altogether.
Cherry had become comfortable in The Zone.
*~*~*
Berlin found Cherry on the house steps one afternoon crying over the letter in her hands, and her heart sank. "Oh, Cherry, I'm so sorry." She sat beside her, wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close. Cherry, however, remained stiff and unyielding.
"I was going home to him." Her voice was flat as she pulled away. "I was strong for him. I was going to get out of here and make sure he was okay. I was going to take care of him."
"I know, Cherry. I know."
"No, you don't know!" Cherry snapped. "He's not dead ; I wish he was. He abandoned me!" She crumpled the letter into a ball, threw it as far as she could, and stormed into the house. Berlin retrieved it before following.
Inside, Cherry stood in the middle of the room, not going anywhere, not looking at anything.
"Cherry, what happened?"
Cherry looked up at her, eyes red and wet from tears and rage, her hair disheveled, her face a mess.
"My father hasn't written me in a year. A year of me worrying my ass off to get back to him; a year of me going out of my mind with fear. He gave up my life to this to pay his debts because he couldn't handle my mother dying, but I was a good daughter for him. Letters and thoughts of him kept me alive, and now," she gestured to the wrinkled paper in Berlin's hands, "now, he's 'severing ties' with me! I've been gone for years, he says; it's time to accept that I'm not coming back. He's accepted it and moved on with his life; he got married to a girl barely older than me! My letters only drag them down, and he doesn't want me to contact him ever again. I'm not his daughter anymore."
Cherry gasped for air, suddenly unable to get enough, and collapsed to the floor, sobbing and screaming, "He was my father! I was his daughter! He abandoned me!"
Berlin immediately dropped to her knees beside her and held
A naked wrestling match ensued, punctuated with little gasps whenever sensitive areas were teased. Finally though, Cherry emerged victorious, straddling Berlin's hips and holding her wrists above her head.
"You let me win," she panted accusingly.
"Not this one."
Cherry's eyes went wide. "You did let me win!"
Berlin smirked up at Cherry's astonished face, wriggling a little to test that she really couldn't move. "What are you going to do about it?"
Cherry's slow grin was hungry and dark. "We're naked, I'm on top of you, and you can't move. I'm going to do whatever I want." She ducked her head to take one of Berlin's nipples into her mouth and sucked hard.
Berlin arched her back as much as she could, a strangled cry escaping her throat, and Cherry's grin widened. This was going to be fun.
Part Four
"This is it, Cherry Babe!" Berlin tossed the final coin onto the pile she had recounted three times. After months of savings, Berlin could finally buy her way out.
To celebrate, Cherry swung herself into Berlin's lap and kissed her thoroughly. Berlin was too excited to focus.
"We're going to get out of here." She couldn't stop grinning at Cherry. "We'll pool the money from the rest of our fights and buy your—"
"No." Cherry shook her head. "Absolutely not."
"Cherry—"
"I'll buy my own way out, Bee. I'm not taking your money." Her voice softened. "Save it for later. Your inn won't be free. Save up for that."
*~*~*
It should have made a bigger impact on Berlin as Cherry began to change. She should have noticed sooner; she should have been on her guard. Still, Cherry had so much fight, so much determination … How was Berlin to know she'd grow comfortable ?
Once upon a time, all Cherry could talk about was Valeria. They'd lie awake late at night, making plans and sharing dreams. They made plans for Berlin's inn, choosing foods and tableware; they dreamed about what colors would be in the rooms.
As time dragged on, these conversations became few and far between before finally stopping altogether.
Cherry had become comfortable in The Zone.
*~*~*
Berlin found Cherry on the house steps one afternoon crying over the letter in her hands, and her heart sank. "Oh, Cherry, I'm so sorry." She sat beside her, wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her close. Cherry, however, remained stiff and unyielding.
"I was going home to him." Her voice was flat as she pulled away. "I was strong for him. I was going to get out of here and make sure he was okay. I was going to take care of him."
"I know, Cherry. I know."
"No, you don't know!" Cherry snapped. "He's not dead ; I wish he was. He abandoned me!" She crumpled the letter into a ball, threw it as far as she could, and stormed into the house. Berlin retrieved it before following.
Inside, Cherry stood in the middle of the room, not going anywhere, not looking at anything.
"Cherry, what happened?"
Cherry looked up at her, eyes red and wet from tears and rage, her hair disheveled, her face a mess.
"My father hasn't written me in a year. A year of me worrying my ass off to get back to him; a year of me going out of my mind with fear. He gave up my life to this to pay his debts because he couldn't handle my mother dying, but I was a good daughter for him. Letters and thoughts of him kept me alive, and now," she gestured to the wrinkled paper in Berlin's hands, "now, he's 'severing ties' with me! I've been gone for years, he says; it's time to accept that I'm not coming back. He's accepted it and moved on with his life; he got married to a girl barely older than me! My letters only drag them down, and he doesn't want me to contact him ever again. I'm not his daughter anymore."
Cherry gasped for air, suddenly unable to get enough, and collapsed to the floor, sobbing and screaming, "He was my father! I was his daughter! He abandoned me!"
Berlin immediately dropped to her knees beside her and held
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