Chapter 18
Meanwhile, Lisa was in the shadows, navigating the tangled web of Carla's past. She had arrived at the estate early that morning. The air was thick with secrets and memories—some beautiful, others haunting. Lisa glanced at the crumbling structures, each corner echoing with the whispers of a life she was now forced to infiltrate.
As part of her undercover mission, she had to pose as a newcomer with a tragic history. The thought of pretending to be someone else, while also moving among the very people potentially associated with the darkest moments of Carla's life, twisted her stomach. Her heart raced as she prepared herself to connect with those who might lead her to the truth about Jordan and Chelsea and their possible involvement in the drug trafficking ring.
Lisa took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. She'd overheard snippets of conversation from the estate's inhabitants—whispers of a man with a reputation, dark dealings, and fleeting glances of fear in the air. To get closer to the people who knew him, she had to weave herself into their lives, paint herself as an ally seeking closure for her own past.
Lisa struggled to maintain her cover, weaving narratives and building bonds with people who were more familiar with the shadows than with the sunlight. Each conversation felt like a tightrope walk, balancing a desperate need for information with the looming fear of discovery. But the deeper she dug, the more the pressure mounted, gnawing at her resolve. Because each connection she forged felt like a betrayal, a betrayal to the very person she was trying to protect.
In a particularly intense moment, Lisa found herself sitting around a table, surrounded by faces etched with history—familiar yet detached. They spoke of old times, drawing her into stories that made her stomach churn. The more they laughed and reminisced, the more she felt the distance from Carla grow, like a rift tearing them apart.
“Do you remember the girl from number 18, Carla? She was crazy,” one of them joked, laughter echoing around the table. The name struck Lisa like a lightning bolt. She forced a smile but inside, she was screaming. Carla, her Carla, was more than just a memory—they had shared something raw and beautiful.
As the night unraveled, Lisa’s heart ached for Carla’s absence, the guilt of her deception clawing at her conscience. Each laugh and shared story was like a dagger in her heart; she was betraying the woman she was falling in love with, all while trying to uncover the truth about a monster that had haunted Carla’s past.
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It had been 16 grueling hours since Lisa had broken free from the warmth of Carla's embrace to join DC Green in a precarious undercover operation, a mission draped in a cloak of secrecy and deceit. Exhaustion clung to her like a heavy fog; she hadn’t slept a wink nor tasted a morsel of food. All she craved was the comfort of her bed, sprawled out like a starfish.
As she rummaged through her pockets for her phone, a sinking feeling settled in her chest. With trembling fingers, she fumbled it out and noticed a slew of missed calls and messages flashing on the screen. Heart racing, she unlocked her phone and opened her messages. But dread washed over her. “Shit, Carla,” she muttered under her breath. The chaos of the day had completely clouded her mind, and she had forgotten to check in, to explain why she’d vanished into thin air.
Frantically, she pressed Carla's contact, her heart pounding as it rang and rang. Each ring heightened her anxiety. ‘User busy’, she cursed under her breath. “Shit, shit, shit!” she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper as panic tightened its grip on her.
With no other option, she made her way towards Carla’s flat, praying that she would find her there. The dim streetlights cast eerie shadows on the cobbles as she hurried along. Her mind raced with thoughts of Carla's worried expression, filled with unanswered questions about Lisa’s sudden disappearance.
As Lisa approached the familiar entrance to Carla’s building, a tidal wave of unease crashed over her, threatening to drown her in worry. She paused, heart hammering in her chest, grappling with the dark labyrinth of secrets and lies she had just navigated. But the fleeting thought of solace brought her courage; she pressed the buzzer, her voice trembling. “Carla, it’s me.”
Without hesitation, the door buzzed open, and Lisa sprinted up the stairs, urgency propelling her forward. When she reached Carla's door, her knuckles barely grazed the surface before it swung open, revealing the worried face she had been longing to see.
“Lisa! Where the hell have you been?” Carla's voice cracked under the weight of emotion, tears spilling down her cheeks at the sight of Lisa. In an instant, she pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her in a frantic embrace. For a fleeting moment, Carla held on tight, as if fearing that if she let go, this beautiful vision would dissolve into thin air. “I’ve been worried sick—I thought something had happened to you!”
“I’m so sorry, Carla,” Lisa gasped, overwhelmed by the release of tension as Carla’s warmth enveloped her. The adrenaline still surged through her veins, leaving her breathless. “I got pulled into something—”
“Are you alright?” Carla stepped back, her eyes filled with a tumult of emotions as she scrutinised Lisa from head to toe. Anxiety knotted her brow, deepening with every glance. “You look exhausted. Have you eaten?”
“No, not really. I… I just needed to come here,” Lisa confessed, her voice trembling and breaking. A wave of vulnerability washed over her as she admitted, “I just needed to see you.”
“Come in, sit down,” Carla urged, her heart aching to soothe the tempest within Lisa. Gently, she guided her inside, where the familiar embrace of warmth and love wrapped around them both like a protective cocoon. The comforting aroma of vanilla and freshly brewed coffee danced in the air, coaxing a sense of peace over Lisa’s frazzled nerves. Carla’s home felt like a sanctuary, gently easing the tension from Lisa’s weary shoulders, assuring her that she was safe at last.
As Carla rummaged in the kitchen, clattering pots and pans, Lisa sank onto the sofa, the weight of the day’s events flooding back. She gazed at the cluttered coffee table, lined with magazines and half-empty mugs, and felt a pang of guilt. She’d put Carla in a worrying position and now had to face the consequences of her silence.
“Okay, I’ve got pasta! Just a few more minutes and it’ll be ready!” Carla called out, breaking Lisa’s trance. She smiled, grateful for her lover’s unwavering support.
“Thanks, Carla. I really appreciate this, and I know I don’t deserve it after leaving without a word last night. I'm so sorry,” Lisa replied, her voice steadier now.
After a few moments of silence, Carla returned with two steaming bowls. “You know I’m always here for you, right? Just don’t disappear like that again—I thought you’d changed your mind about… us.”
Lisa’s heart pounded like a drum as she quickly responded, her voice filled with urgency. “No! Never! Last night was incredible. I have absolutely no regrets about that.” She took a shaky breath, her emotions spilling forth like a river breaking its dam. “I’m so sorry! I’ve been pulled into this case, Carla. It’s a tangled mess, and there’s so much I can't explain yet…”
Panic seeped into Carla's voice as she interjected, “I called the station, and they said they hadn’t seen you.” Her heart raced, a whirlwind of worry and confusion swirling in her gut. She believed Lisa, but the fear of the unknown gnawed at her. What had truly happened?
The words poured from Lisa in a desperate rush, faster than her mind could arrange them. “I wasn’t at the station. I got called out in the dead of night, and I’ve been there ever since, all night and all day. I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to wake you. I was going to text you as soon as you woke up, but I got so wrapped up in everything that I didn’t even check my phone until it was all over. That’s when I realised—I hadn’t reached out at all! I saw your calls and messages, and my heart dropped. I knew I had to get here as fast as I could.” Lisa exhaled, her chest heavy with emotion, searching Carla’s eyes for understanding.
“No more secrets, okay?” Carla said firmly, her gaze intense as she placed a steaming bowl of pasta in front of Lisa. “Just promise me you’ll tell me everything when you can.” Her heart ached for Lisa; the unspoken burdens lay thick between them.
Lisa nodded, the warmth of the pasta grounding her in the moment. “I promise.”
Carla settled beside her, taking a spoonful of her own pasta. “Come on, eat up. You look like you’re ready to drop.” Her voice was soft, wrapped in concern, a soothing balm that cut through the chaos swirling in Lisa’s mind.
Looking into Carla’s eyes, deeper pools of compassion and understanding, Lisa felt warmth and trust rekindle her hope. It was as if, with one gaze, Carla was pulling her back from the edge of despair. Lisa leaned in, her heart racing with a mix of gratitude and longing, and pressed her lips softly against Carla’s. The kiss was tender yet charged, a sweet merger of apologies and raw emotion, the unspoken understanding of everything unsaid hanging in the air around them.
As they pulled away, Lisa's heart felt lighter, the burdens of the night beginning to lift. “I’m so lucky to have you,” Lisa confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a sincerity in her words, woven into every fiber of her being. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Carla smiled, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. “We’ll get through this together, Lisa. You’re not alone.” Her words were a promise, and Lisa treasured them. She took a bite of the pasta, savoring the taste, but more so the connection; each bite seemed to quench a hunger deeper than mere food—a hunger for safety, for love, for the truth waiting to be unveiled.
They sat in a comfortable silence, the kind only found between those who truly understand one another. But beneath that surface calm, Lisa’s mind raced with thoughts—questions of the case, the fear of what lay ahead, and the dark shadows that clung to her.
Finally, she set her fork down and looked at Carla, the weight of everything crashing back in. “There’s so much happening, Carla. I want to explain, but I just… I can’t risk dragging you into this mess until I know more.” Her heart ached at the thought of putting Carla in danger, and it terrified her.
Carla reached for Lisa’s hand, her touch grounding and tethering. “I want to be here for you, through everything. But i do understand that you can’t tell me.” Her voice was steady, but Lisa could see the flicker of fear dancing in Carla’s eyes too, a mirror to her own uncertainty.
Lisa squeezed Carla's hand, feeling the warmth radiate between them, a flicker of hope in a storm of doubt. “Thank you,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tears brimmed in Carla’s eyes, reflecting a love so fierce it felt almost palpable. “We’re a team, remember?” Her voice wavered, but the conviction held fast.
A wave of emotion crashed over Lisa, filling her with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and admiration. “You’re incredible,” she said, her voice trembling as she fought to keep her composure. “I’ll tell you everything soon, I promise.”
Carla nodded, her expression softening. “That’s all I ask. And until then, I’ll be right here.”
In that moment, a quiet understanding enveloped them, a sacred bond fortified by shared fear and unwavering love. They both knew the road ahead would be fraught with uncertainty, but together, they would face it—side by side, heart to heart. The warmth of the pasta faded into the background as the warmth of their connection became the center of their world, a flickering light in the darkness, guiding them toward whatever lay ahead.