Holly broke out of her trance at the sound of knocking on her door. She knew who it was even before the words calling out to her were uttered. "Holly?" The trembling voice of her girlfriend declared. "Holly, please – it's me. Please let me in. I need to talk to you." Karen begged on the verge of hysteria.

Holly closed her eyes and for a moment – for a split second – considered the possibility of not answering. The reality of her relationship with Karen had hit her today like nothing else ever had. Karen was 16. Just 16. How could she have been so reckless in allowing her selfishness to ruin this girl's life?

Now everyone knew exactly what was going on between them. There was no turning back; no running away from their choices. Holly was at a crossroads over how her future was going to play out.

She then heard the beautiful voice of the girl she loved just right outside her door once again, and her weakness got the better of her. "Please Holly," Karen whimpered.

She slowly and reluctantly stood up from where she was sitting to make her way to the door. When she opened it and saw Karen was a mess of tears and anguish she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt – that if she had just put an end to this sooner rather than later Karen would be fine right now. She'd be off with her friends and enjoying her life, not having to worry about her vicious peers taunting words of hate and prejudice toward her for the rest of her time at school.

Karen's eyes didn't express any of those thoughts. Her startling pools of sky-blue looked at Holly so intensely…so deeply…that Holly felt that gaze travel to the core of her soul. No one before Karen had ever looked at her like that. Not ever.

Karen took in a few more broken and uneven breaths as she stared at Holly. "I'm so – I'm so s –

Holly took Karen into her arms before she could say another word. Karen clung to her for dear life as she let out all of her despair and pain against Holly's chest. They just stood there holding each other in that moment, each allowing their tears to get the better of them.

Holly had pulled Karen closer and shut the door behind her. "Come, sit down sweetheart." Karen followed her to the loveseat sofa that stood next to the large window overlooking the beach. She was still shaking as Holly stood over her, handing her some spare tissues. She took them in one hand and clasped onto Holly's with her other, bringing it to her cheek. Holly knelt down in front of her and began to gently rub her forearm in a soothing up and down motion. It was the only thing that kept Karen from losing it completely. Several long moments passed before Karen was able to speak. "I'm sorry Holly," she finally managed to say. "The last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you…or cause you any pain."

"You didn't hurt me, Karen. You've never hurt me."

"Lorraine," she confessed hollowly. "This happened because of Lorraine. She figured it out somehow…somehow she knew that I – that we – "

"Hey," Holly gently interrupted. "Karen I want you to… I want you to just listen to me for a minute, alright?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she continued. It didn't help much, though. The throbbing pain in her chest only grew stronger. "You don't…have to do this anymore."

Karen's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her heart came to a sudden standstill. "What are you talking about?"

Holly squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "I love you so much. You know that, right?"

"Of course I know it, I love you t—"

"I can't do this to you anymore."

Karen looked at Holly incredulously. Her heartbeat began to increase in speed and voracity as she realized, without Holly saying another word – that her worst fear was coming to light. "Holly…Holly, no."

"I should never have let us get this far."

"No." She stated more firmly this time.

"Karen I've been so incredibly selfish and self-destructive—"

"No!"

"I've ruined your life!" Holly shouted. Tears escaped her eyes, and her heart shattered inside her with every staggered breath she took.

In that moment, Karen felt like she had failed Holly. All she wanted was to make her happy. To give her some sort of peace in her life. To give her the love she deserved.

She felt defeated by Holly's words. "How could you even think that?"

"I put you in the most horrible position – "

" – No, I did that. I did that Holly." Karen was shaking her head, still in disbelief. "I was the one who started all of this, remember?" She lifted her hand to Holly's cheek, gently grazing it with her thumb. "I was the one who made the first move."

"Well I didn't exactly push you away now, did I?" Holly replied tenderly.

"I never wanted you to. I just wanted you. I'm not leaving you."

"Karen I think it's for the best…"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you mean that. I don't believe you for a second." She struggled, but Holly's eyes gazed to the floor, revealing her true feelings. Her hand gently moved up Karen's arm and found the hand that was on her cheek, intertwining their fingers together.

"Darling, this isn't easy for me to have to tell you any of this. Being with you has made me happier than I ever thought possible. I would do anything for you. Anything in the world…even if – " Holly's sob choked up her next words. "Even if it meant letting you go because it was the right thing to do."

More of Karen's tears fell silently down her face as she watched her girlfriend fall apart. "Holly, come – come here." She gently helped bring Holly to her feet and motioned her to sit down the loveseat. Holly obliged, her hands still firmly placed in Karen's. "Holly…staying together…making this – us, work – that's the right thing to do. My heart is yours," she declared earnestly. "It belongs to you. I know this isn't going to be easy for us – considering how we met and how we came together – not by a long shot. None of that matters to me. What matters is that by some miracle, we found each other. Now that I have you – I'm not letting you go. Not without a fight."

Holly couldn't believe sometimes how profound and amazing Karen was for someone so young. She was right. Deep down, in the very core of her heart she never wanted to let Karen go either. What they had was real – more real than anything she had ever known. Karen, who was her rock and her strength, was here, and she was fighting for her. She decided then and there that she would be damned if she didn't do the same.

She clasped Karen's hand once more, her head slowly nodding in agreement. Karen let out a nervous giggle as she watched Holly's frown turn into a sad, but hopeful smile. She moved closer to Holly, who reciprocated her movement. Their foreheads touched: both of them breathing heavy until Holly's lips were on Karen's. Karen ran her fingers through Holly's hair to deepen the kiss – which she more than reciprocated as well.

After they broke apart Karen nestled into Holly's warm embrace. Holding her close, Holly planted a soft kiss on the side of her head all while gently stroking her hair. There was nowhere in the world she'd rather be then right here.

Staring out the window and into the deep blue sea, a wave of calm washed over both of them. This was what they wanted.

This was true love.