But if so, then even the concept of her and Hallie, Brynn’s own feelings aside, was preposterous. Brynn tried to remind herself of this while trying not to sink into Hallie’s back, a task that was growing more difficult by the second.
Especially when Hallie lifted her own arm and wrapped her hand around the one Brynn was holding against Hallie’s stomach.
They lay in the dark together, the only sound their low breathing. Now that it had evened out, they inhaled and exhaled in tandem.
Brynn didn’t know if she could fall asleep again. Her whole body felt like a live wire. She tried her best to stay completely still, to not set off another spark that would make her do or say something incredibly stupid.
She exhaled quietly, forcing her eyes closed.
No matter what happened, she promised herself, in the darkness enveloping them, that she wouldn’t let her feelings get in the way of supporting Hallie unconditionally. They were so new, and she needed to sort through them to understand them better.
Tomorrow, she’d ask Hallie all about her date with Ruby. Encourage her to go on another one if Hallie expressed that she’d had a good time. Brynn was a big enough person to do that, even if an anxious sensation bubbled in her stomach.
And even though she knew it was a bad idea, she allowed herself one more, indulgent inhale, the wisps of Hallie’s hair tickling her cheek.
If this was whatwantingfelt like, then Brynn was in for one agonizing ride.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hallie was reeling. Honestly, the term didn’t accurately underscore her current tumult.
Last night, she and Brynn had fallen asleep on the sofa together. And now, Brynn was acting like everything was fine. Normal, even.
When Hallie had woken up, their bodies had still been intertwined. She’d practically fallen off the sofa in response. At some point, they’d found even more ways to melt together. Brynn’s hand had been under Hallie’s shirt, splayed across her upper stomach. Hallie could still feel the invisible imprint on her skin, like a brand. And somehow, Brynn’s face had found its way into the crook of Hallie’s neck, where her lips had been pressed into Hallie’s shoulder.
Hallie’s entire body thrummed with awareness when she thought about how, only a few minutes ago, she’d woken up to a brief, perfect moment of contentment, wrapped up in Brynn’s surprisingly encompassing frame.
When was the last time Hallie had felt so close to someone? And not just physically. There had been tears and tender touches and the feeling like, last night, they’d been the only two people in the world.
She could hear the shower in Brynn’s bedroom, and Hallie was working very hard not to imagine the body that she’d just spent the last seven hours pressed against, like it had been the only thing tethering her to earth.
Maybe for Brynn, last night was normal. Maybe she slept spooning with her friends all the time.
If so, that was not great for Hallie, who felt like her entire world had been tilted on its axis.
The vulnerability and closeness and—god, the intimacy—that she’d felt while enveloped in Brynn’s embrace was more than just the attraction she’d already been trying to stave off.
A better word for her current mental state would probably be insane. Yep, that’s the one. She feltinsane.
On top of it all, she had plans to play tennis with Sydney today. They’d scheduled it earlier this week, when Hallie had informed her about the date with Ruby. Like the good friend that she was, Sydney had insisted that they have a debrief the morning after.
She loved her best friend, not to mention the support that Sydney seemed intent to provide Hallie amid the hustle and bustle of her own life, but this felt like the worst possible time to be put in a one-on-one situation with the woman who knew her better than any other human being.
Hallie let out a petulant huff and trudged from the kitchen, where she’d been standing aimlessly, into her bedroom. At least she couldn’t hear Brynn’s shower from there.
This was not going to go well. Hallie couldn’t lie to Sydney. Hell, Hallie couldn’t really lie to anyone. But she also couldn’t explain what exactly was going on with her right now.
Which left…
Well, she wasn’t quite sure. But she knew that she couldn’t flake on Sydney, who’d been going out of her way to make surethat they were getting to spend time together even in the midst of her wedding planning.
Hallie stripped out of her clothing from the night before, which she’d regrettably fallen asleep in. There had been one positive consequence. Her jeans had provided a solid barrier against the excruciatingly flimsy material that Brynn’s sweats were made of.
Did Brynn have any idea what she was doing to Hallie? She tried not to think about that question as she rinsed off in the shower.
She was still trying not to think about it as she got dressed, in a navy blue skirt and a white, long-sleeve zip-up that had been given to her by one of Sydney’s old tennis connections. Not that they knew it, of course.
Sydney had been gifted more free tennis clothing and gear than any person could reasonably use in their lifetime. Many times by companies who were trying to woo her away from her then-current sponsors, which meant that, without Hallie’s adoption, they’d have lived in the back of a closet until they were donated.
