They began to squirt dollops of different-colored paint across the canvas as the music played around them. Beth instructed Sarah on where to put specific colors. Sarah couldn’t help but be a little in awe of the way Beth seemed to be able to already see the final result in her mind. Her brain definitely did not work like this.
The cold paint squelched between her toes as they danced together to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”—a favorite of theirs from their college party days—pushing the paint around as they moved across the canvas in a fit of laughter and chaos. They continued like that through song after song, both breathless with wide smiles cemented in place.
The notes of the next song drifted from the speaker, and Beth flashed her a knowing look as ABBA’s “Super Trouper” began to play. “Of course you worked an ABBA song onto the playlist.”
“Everyone loves ABBA.”
“You’re not wrong.” Beth reached out, grabbing Sarah’s hand, pulling their bodies together, ready to dance.
It must have been the combination of wine, slick paint, and Sarah’s increasing nerves that made for poor balance as she slipped, the weight of her body coming out from under her as she fell to the ground, bringing Beth down with her.
Her back hit the floor with a thud, temporarily knocking the air out of her lungs as Beth toppled down on top of her, trying and failing to catch herself, her body smashing into Sarah’s.
After a panicked moment of assessing whether she was indeed truly okay and not injured, Sarah laughed. And not a small laugh, but a deep, full-body laugh that shook her entire frame. This was absurd. What had she been thinking? Of course this activity had a high slip rate, and of course she had been the one to fall.
“Are you okay?” she managed to get out through her laughter.
“Yeah.” Beth laughed too. “Lucky for me, you provided a cushy landing. Are you okay? You didn’t hit your head, did you?” she asked sweetly, bracing a hand on the floor to the left of Sarah’s head.
“No, luckily I didn’t,” Sarah confirmed, her laughter subsiding as she looked up into Beth’s worried eyes. “I’m fine. Really.” Her voice was softer than she intended.
They stayed like that for a long moment, Beth still on top of her, body pressed against hers. Her hand twitched against her thigh as she acknowledged the part of her that wanted to reach out and cup Beth’s cheek. Sarah could have sworn she saw desire flash behind Beth’s eyes, but then it was gone, and Beth was pushing herself to her feet.
“I—um,” she said, reaching for the roll of paper towels Sarah had set on the coffee table earlier, wiping her hands clean. “I should go.”
Sarah stood, careful not to slip again. Aware that her clothes were most likely now ruined by the paint covering them, but she didn’t care. All she could focus on was how flustered Beth seemed.
Beth handed her the paper towels, and Sarah wiped her hands as Beth cleaned off her feet, then pulled her socks back on.
“Do me a favor,” Beth said, moving quickly toward the hall. “Save the canvas. I want to do something with it when it dries. And Sar,” she called from the front door, “thank you.”
The front door closed, leaving Sarah standing in her living room covered in paint, wondering what the hell just happened.
TEN
LILY
NOVEMBER
Oh my god, oh my god.The things Wren Parker could do with her lips.
Lily’s mind went temporarily blank as Wren sucked gently on that spot below her right ear, the sound of the old movie they had been watching on the thrifted VCR playing in the background.
She shifted, her legs still draped across Wren’s lap as Wren’s hand slid up her thigh, pausing before continuing to move up her body. Since their first kiss last New Year’s Eve, Lily had known Wren was a good kisser. And somehow she had only gotten better. Wren’s lips found Lily’s again, her fingers playing with the hem of Lily’s shirt, slipping under, brushing fingers up her sides.
“Wren,” she gasped, reaching for her, gently pulling Wren’s hand back. “Isn’t Sydney going to be back soon?”
“Eventually, but we could be quick,” Wren said, hopeful, batting her eyes in the way Lily had a hard time saying no to.
Ever since that afternoon in the basement of her mama’s house, sex seemed to be the thing on the top of Wren’s mind. It was at the top of Lily’s mind too—how could it not be—but it was starting to feel like the expectation was that every time she andWren could find alone time together, sex was on the table. Lily was still trying to figure out a way to bring it up to Wren thatthatwasn’t what she wanted.
She looked into Wren’s deep green eyes, placing a gentle hand on her chest, the other tucking a dark curl behind her ear.
“I don’t think so,” she said softly, placing a light kiss on the tip of Wren’s nose.
Wren’s lengthy arms wrapped tighter around her, pulling Lily’s body in closer. “Please?” She drew out the word, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout that had a high success rate for getting her what she wanted.
Lily considered her for a moment. She hated saying no to Wren—the guilt of not giving her what she wanted when she easily could gnawed at her.
