Brynn’s smooth skin still had the slightest tan, and she had the cutest little freckles dotted along her stomach. She was more toned than Hallie had expected, with long, lean lines of muscle running down her arms and across her shoulders. In the dead of winter, Hallie hadn’t come close to seeing this much of Brynn on display.
And she was realizing what a blessing that had been until this moment.
She needed to act fast. The buzzy, out-of-control feeling was back. “You should wear this one,” Hallie said, pointing to the charcoal-colored sweater. “You were wearing it the first night we met.”
Brynn’s entire face broke out into a smile, and she ran her fingers lovingly along the material. “Feels like a lifetime ago that I got here.”
Until ten minutes ago, Hallie would have agreed, but now, she didn’t know what to think. In some ways, it felt like Brynn had been here forever, like she’d always belonged in Stoneport and at The Stone’s Throw, and in other ways, namely in how Hallie’s body was reacting, everything was screaming “new” and “different” and “keep it together, woman.”
When Brynn finally picked the sweater up and pulled it over her head, Hallie kept her stare trained on the comforter. She couldn’t take any chances now.Especiallywhen, from her peripheral, Hallie could see Brynn shimmy out of her sweats.
“How do I look?” Brynn asked, extending her arms out to her sides and doing a little spin. Her black jeans hugged her slight hips perfectly, resting high on her waist. The V of her sweater fell low enough and was just slightly oversized, tilting to the side so that her collarbone was exposed. Her blonde hair, which alwayslooked great, had a little extra oompf, like she’d used some kind of styling product.
She could truly say, without a doubt, “You look beautiful, Brynn. Natalie is one very lucky woman.”
“We’ll see if she feels that way when I grill her about orgasms,” Brynn said.
The rush of jealousy that welled up inside of Hallie took her by surprise, so much so that she let out a strangled sound. It was an unreasonable emotion to have, she knew that. Brynn was literally going on a date with this woman. Ideally, if things went well, sex would become part of the scenario.
“I’m kidding,” Brynn laughed. “I am actually learning from your wisdom, Hallie.”
Immediately, Hallie softened. Her attraction aside, she wanted Brynn to be happy. “You shouldn’t change who you are to make someone else more comfortable. And if they want you to, they don’t deserve you. Let that be the most important lesson you learn from me.”
Because, in Hallie’s eyes, Brynn was perfect, just the way she was. And with that startling realization, Hallie was finally finding the motivation she needed to get out there and meet new people herself.
It wasn’t going to be long before Brynn met someone who also saw what was so clear to Hallie: that there was a magnetic, undeniable charm to Brynn’s trust and curiosity and kindness.
And, her own attraction be damned, Hallie was committed to doing everything that she could to help Brynn find it.
CHAPTER TEN
Brynn had already cleaned the small kitchen in their apartment. Then, she’d taken all of her bedding down to the industrial washers, putting in what amounted to a comically small load, even though it had filled her entire hamper.
Now, she was padding around the living room, circling the sofa and eyeing it. Once she sat down and snuggled under Hallie’s obscenely soft blankets, it was unlikely that she’d be pulling herself up again.
For the first time in weeks, Brynn felt adrift. Hallie was on a date tonight. Which, in many ways, was exactly what should be expected. Together, she and Hallie—though with differing amounts of dedication—had put this very intentional plan in motion.
But close to a week ago, it was like a switch had flipped in Hallie. Suddenly, she was committed to checking out profiles, responding to messages, and she had even gone so far as to set up a date with a woman named Ruby.
Brynn needed the comfort of the sofa. She threw her pajama-clad body against the soft pile of blankets and curled against the arm of the furniture, draping what had become her favorite blanket around herself.
Brynn hadn’t realized what it would feel like, being on the opposite side of this situation. Currently, she was the one sitting at home in their shared apartment, trying to find something to occupy her time until Hallie returned.
She couldn’t watch the most recent miniseries they were working their way through. That wouldn’t be fair to Hallie. And even though she could check the apps and scroll through profiles, it was always more fun when they looked at them together. She loved getting Hallie’s opinions on her prospective matches, and she loved how they snuggled up close together while they looked.
Besides all the time that Brynn had spent with her parents growing up, she was used to being alone. Which was why this feeling was so strange, themissingof it all.
Usually, it was easy for her to distract herself. Researching her current hyperfixation. Reading a book. Calling her parents to update them on her life. That last one was always a mixed bag. They applauded even her smallest updates like she’d just uncovered what exactly happened inside a black hole, but she always had this sense, like they were combing through every one of her words or shifts in tone to make sure that she was happy enough. Healthy enough. Living her life enough.
It could be overwhelming, which was why it was easier to keep things light whenever possible. She knew that if something was truly wrong, they’d support her to the ends of this earth, but she never wanted to be the one to even crack their fragile hearts, when they’d already been through so much.
What she needed was someone who’d update her on all the insanity of their own life to distract her from the boredom and restlessness that had overtaken her tonight.
Taking a chance, she picked up her phone from the end table and scrolled to Gregory’s contact card. If she was lucky, she’d catch him at the perfect in-between time: after he’d finishedwork but before he headed out to some inevitably hip party that didn’t start until after ten p.m.
He answered on the third ring, his voice floating through the speaker. “She’s alive.”
Brynn rolled her eyes and snuggled deeper into the sofa. “I’ve texted.”
