It was true that I didn’t have any friends, really, but I’d never needed them. Right?
“Well, I don’t think I can be your sister. That ship has sailed,” I said. She snorted. “I’ll be in your corner, though. If you want me there.” We’d agreed on a friendship, but what about now? We’d shared a night together and now everything had changed.
Lea leaned closer and took my hands. “I’d love to have you in my corner, Vail.”
Only a few weeks ago I would have said making some kind of commitment like this was the last thing I’d do. That I would turn and run in the other direction.
Lea had changed a lot of things for me in a remarkably short period of time. I’d changed too. Because of her.
Using her grip on my hands, I pulled her close enough so I could kiss her mouth.
“I’m in your corner too, sweetheart.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Lea
SeeingVail and Dallas together made my heart all warm and tingly. I loved that he had come back into her life and that they were getting along so well. And he was coming up this summer to stay with her, and bringing Laird.
Things were almost perfect. Almost.
We still hadn’t talked about what last night meant for us. Our relationship had changed, and I didn’t know what it meant. Yet I wasn’t going to ask, because I was scared to find out the answer.
The only thing worse than not knowing was hearing “last night was a one-time thing and I don’t think we should do it again.” She wanted to be in my corner, but what did that mean, specifically?
Could we fuck in my corner? Could I hold her hand? Were kisses included? Dates? Feelings?
I didn’t know, and the longer the day wore on, the more anxious I became. The elephant in the room was getting bigger and louder and sooner or later, we were going to have to address it before it crushed us.
Vail made me dinner and we ate together at the table, kittens attacking our feet and climbing up our legs.
I needed to go home. We both had work to do tomorrow and I’d only brought enough supplies to stay over one night.
I helped Vail put the dishes in the dishwasher and gave the kittens a million kisses.
“I should probably get home,” I said, standing up. My clothes were still on her bedroom floor so I needed to get them.
“Oh.” Vail turned the sink off and wiped her hands. “Yeah, absolutely. Makes sense.”
Her face fell and I wanted to take the words back. Shoulders drooping, she moved into the living room and went to the kittens.
Not knowing what to do, I walked upstairs and packed everything, making sure I got everything from the bathroom.
My dress was pretty much ruined, and I did feel bad about that. It was expensive. Hopefully I could find a way to mend it. I folded it and placed it carefully in my bag.
Once I made it back downstairs, I set my bag by the door. Then I remembered that I didn’t have a car here. Vail had picked me up, so I’d need her to help me get home.
Shit.
Hearing jingling, I turned to find Vail playing with her keys.
“I’ll drive you.”
“You don’t have to. I can call a car.”
She gave me a look that silenced me, and I clenched my teeth together so I didn’t argue.
I said goodbye to the kitties again, wondering when I was going to see them next. That was still up in the air.
