Eve stared down at the knotted rope in her hands, guilt written all over her face. “I started to feel like there was something wrong with me. I started to believe that I was a bad mother. Eleanor certainly didn’t help dispel that idea. She was so critical of everything I did. And she stopped me getting help for the way I was feeling. She threatened me, said that if I went to the doctor or spoke to anyone about my problems, she’d have me declared mentally unfit and have the twins taken away from me. She didn’t have any real basis for it, of course. But at the time, I believed her.”
Anger erupted deep inside Faith. Just the idea of someone trying to tear the twins from Eve filled her with rage.
“It was my own mother who saved me,” Eve said. “My parents, they came to visit for the first time since the twins were born. As soon as my mother saw me, she knew something was seriously wrong. I ended up breaking down in her arms, sobbing, telling her everything. She was horrified by how bad things had gotten. She helped me see how toxic Harrison and his family’s influence was and convinced me to seek help for my depression. She encouraged me to try a separation and helped me realize I could escape the life I was trapped in. When I started the divorce process, it was a weight off my shoulders. I knew it was the right decision. But still, I felt so hopeless. So powerless. I was lucky to have supportive and loving friends and family, but I’d been helpless for so long that I didn’t know how to feel otherwise. Then one day, I crossed paths with an old friend of mine.”
Eve pulled at one end of the rope. The last knot she’d tied vanished completely. “Her name is Vicki. We met in business school but fell out of touch because our lives went in vastly different directions. I got married and started a family, while she was living the life of a womanizing party girl. We ended up reconnecting, and when I told her about the separation, she made it her mission to help me make the most of my newfound freedom. She dragged me out to bars and parties, encouraged me to explore my sexuality. It was her way of being supportive. And it helped. I’d been living this restrictive, conventional life for so long, I’d forgotten how to have fun.” She ran the rope through her hands, feeling each knot. “One day, Vicki invited me to go to Lilith’s Den with her. She’d always been open about her tastes, but I’d never shown an interest in anything like that. I went along with her anyway. That night, it changed my life.”
Faith thought back to the first time she’d gone to Lilith’s Den. She’d felt the same way. Just walking through the door had awakened something in her.
“There was something so empowering about it,” Eve continued. “Seeing all those strong, self-assured women who were completely in control. And the submissives. There was this power in them too, in vulnerability so freely given. It opened my eyes to a world where women could explore their sexuality, let out their true selves, discover their inner strength. I think that’s why Vicki took me there. She must have sensed that it was something I needed. She was right. Lilith’s Den helped me crawl out of the hole I was in, helped me take back control. It helped me rebuild my life and gave me the confidence to pursue what I wanted. It helped me live again.
“It’s been a few years since then, and this?” Eve held up the rope. “It still makes me feel the way it did that very first night at Lilith’s Den. And lately, those feelings have only gotten stronger.” Her eyes met Faith’s. “With you, those feelings have only gotten stronger.”
Faith’s heart sped up.
“That part of me,” Eve said. “That woman in the corset. Until now, I’ve never let her be anything more than a persona. But being with you has made me realize she’s as much a part of me as any other. Being with you makes me feel more complete and more alive than I have in years.”
“Eve,” Faith said softly. “I feel that too.” She’d never felt freer than when Eve had her bound up in ropes. She’d never felt more content tha
n when Eve had her arms around her. She’d never felt happier than when Eve said Faith was hers.
Eve tossed the rope aside and pulled Faith down to the bed, drawing her into an embrace. “As soon as we’re free to be together, I’m going to treat you how you deserve to be treated. I’m going to take you out, and spoil you, and show the world you’re mine. There are many more nights like this ahead. ”
“I can’t wait.” Faith melted into Eve’s arms. She was starting to come down from that high, but with Eve by her side, it was impossible to feel anything but serene.
But at the back of her mind, Faith was still wary. It was too early to start dreaming about the future.
Too much was still up in the air.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I t was nighttime when Faith received a phone call from Eve.
Faith was lounging around at home on one of her days off after having worked seven days in a row. That week had seemed tortuously long. Being around Eve, while keeping things strictly professional, was harder now than ever. And yet, being apart from Eve was even worse.
Faith had fallen hard.
She picked up the phone, eager to hear Eve’s voice.
“I need you to come to the house,” Eve said. “Now.”
“Sure.” Faith frowned. Eve’s voice had a hard edge. “Is everything okay? Is it the twins?” They were supposed to be at their father’s.
“I’ll explain when you get here.”
“I have to get dressed first, then I’ll be right over.”
“Just make it quick.” Eve hung up the phone.
Dread rolled down Faith’s back. Something was very wrong. She could hear it in Eve’s voice.
She threw on some jeans and a jacket, grabbed her keys, and headed to Eve’s house. It was late, and there was no traffic, so it wasn’t long before she arrived.
She unlocked the door and let herself in. The house was eerily silent. “Eve?”
“In here,” Eve called.
Faith followed Eve’s voice to her office. Inside, Eve stood by her desk, her back to the door.