Caitlin carefully repeated the words as Gemma pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. Her tension melted away and the world outside faded. For the first time in weeks, Caitlin’s mind was crystal clear. She was exactly where she belonged.
A FEW WEEKS LATER, CAITLINfelt ready to burst. She and Gemma had decided to keep their relationship quiet for a while, out of respect for Troy and Emily. So instead of holding hands down the catwalk or kissing between classes, they had passed notes. Lots of notes. So many notes, in fact, that Caitlin’s desk drawer in her room had begun to overflow with the small scraps of paper.
They had continued to eat lunch separately—Caitlin with her cheer squad, Gemma with Darbie—but as they left the lunchroom that day, Caitlin had grabbed Gemma’s forearm and tugged her through the nearest closed door.
When Caitlin flicked on the light, they both laughed. They were standing inside the janitor’s closet, but that wouldn’t stop her. Her fingers curled around Gemma’s waist as she drew their bodies together. Caitlin kissed her as if she hadn’t felt her lips in weeks, not merely hours.
“Hmm, missed me that much, huh?” Gemma teased, mumbling into the kiss.
Caitlin hummed with delight as their mouths moved naturally together, the moment feeling edgy and surreal. After all the months of aching and wondering, she was living her fantasy. She wrapped her arms tighter around Gemma, heart racing, and they stumbled slightly, knocking into something with a soft thud and a splash.
They pulled apart, startled. Somehow, a mop had tipped from its bucket, sending water across the tile and soaking their sneakers.
For a heartbeat, they just stared. Then they burst into laughter, loud enough that they could probably be heard from the other side of the door.
“Wanna come over after practice tonight?” Caitlin asked, glancing at the puddle and thinking that there were definitely better places to do this.
“If there’s going to be more kissing, then yes.” Gemma grinned, brushing her lips against Caitlin’s one last time before they slipped back into the hallway. It was empty now, meaning they would be late for class. Again.
A few minutes later as Caitlin sank into her seat, damp sneakers squeaking slightly, she couldn’t stop smiling. Her heart felt full. And while part of her still worried what people would eventually say when their relationship went public, she couldn’t wait to show off her love for Gemma to the world—she was finally hers.
TWENTY
IT WAS SIX O’CLOCK BYthe time Gemma finally collapsed into her sofa after her day of filming. The sun wouldn’t set for a few hours still, but her exhaustion was bone-deep. She couldn’t wait to sleep in the next day. She pulled out her phone and turned off her daily alarm, determined to stay in bed until at least nine a.m.
It was Friday again, a whole week since her surprising twenty-ninth birthday, and her call times the past few mornings had been so ridiculously early that she hadn’t seen Hayley for coffee all week. The last time they had spoken, Hayley had found Gemma crumpled onto her bedroom floor, sobbing into the box of keepsakes. Hayley had helped her into bed that night, holding Gemma until she cried herself to sleep. Gemma hadn’t gotten the chance to explain, and Hayley hadn’t pressed.
Without her personal sounding board to help her process what had happened with Caitlin, Gemma had moved through the past two weeks on autopilot—doing her best to shove the messy, unresolved ache for Caitlin beneath the surface.
She feared it was about to erupt.
Gemma:Wine at my place tonight?
Hayley:You had me at wine.
Gemma:See you in an hour. Please don't look cute.
Exactly sixty minutes later, Hayley walked into Gemma’s apartment carrying a bag of takeout from their favorite Chinese restaurant.
Gemma was relieved to see that Hayley was in a comfortable pair of sweatpants, the top half of her short hair secured with a small claw clip. Gemma wasn’t in the mood for appearances tonight.
“I figured you hadn’t eaten dinner yet.”
“You know me so well.” Gemma pecked her best friend on the cheek, moving toward the kitchen to grab plates and silverware for their dinner.
After they had eaten, Gemma was ready to flop onto her couch again. But she had a strong suspicion that the next conversation would be easier with wine, so before getting comfortable, she pulled out two long-stemmed glasses from the cabinet.
“I know that pour,” Hayley said, one eyebrow raised as she pointed to the wine glasses in Gemma’s hands. “What’s going on?”
Gemma sank into the couch and took a sip. Okay, maybe it was more of a gulp.
“I don’t even know where to start, Hay.” Gemma sighed. She already knew Hayley’s opinion of Caitlin.
“Well… why don’t you fill me in on why I found you knee deep in that box of stuff from Caitlin? I haven’t seen that thing since college.”
Gemma nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Wait—let me catch up first.” Hayley matched Gemma’s previous gulp, finishing half of her wine. “Okay, go ahead.”
