continued from here with @fionagoode.

“You’ve already survived the worst of it, cherie.” Despite the fact that they were in close quarters, the door shut and locked, Fiona kept her voice pitched low. The stakes were high enough as it was without risking anything else; they had to be discreet, and above all else, careful. She held Caroline’s hands tight in her own, thumbs running over her knuckles in attempt to soothe. “It’ll all be over soon.”

her heart was in pain, her soul was too —- she had felt his breath on her ear and caroline had done nothing to stop him. with trembling hands she returned the gesture, long fingers closing around the woman’s hands as she held on to them. red lips parted into a quiet sob, never to leave her mouth.

but she knew she couldn’t afford losing herself to despair, not now when they were so close — closer than they had ever been before, nothing but a hardwood wall standing between them and the man to whom she owed her misery. her downfall, and caroline found it within herself to lift her gaze from the ground and lock eyes with fiona.

❝ how selfish of me it was to drag you into this. into all of this, you must want out. ❞ and if she did, it would never occur to the former actress to hold it against her lover.