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Claudia still finds it hard to take in that her aunt just assumes something serious enough is going to happen between her and Laia to make her someone important in her life—but when she thinks about it, she can't help smiling.

"No. I've had my things and been with a lot of women, but more for fun than because I was looking for something more. I guess none of them stirred anything in me intense enough to make me want anything else."

"That's a shame—that not one of them made you feel anything at all."

Laia does, Claudia thinks, with a flutter in her stomach.

"I have a friend I hook up with a lot. When I met her, I genuinely wanted to feel something more, because she's attentive and always looks out for me—but all this time it's been like I've been empty inside, unable to feel anything beyond desire. But with Laia it's different. I actually want to get to know her. I'm not even in a hurry for us to sleep together again—I want…"

"Again?" Elvira cuts in, wide-eyed. "I thought you said there was nothing between you two."

Claudia grimaces.

"And there isn't—I didn't lie to you. That happened once. It was supposed to be casual, a one-night thing and then each of us going our own way, but apparently something got left hanging…" she says with a crooked smile.

"I see," Elvira replies with a smile. "What time are you meeting her?"

Claudia jumps up the moment she looks at her watch.

"Damn, she's probably almost here."

Her aunt laughs.

"Go on, go enjoy your date."

Claudia kisses her on the cheek, and just as she's about to go inside, Elvira stops her.

"Hey—if the date goes well, you can bring her back here. I'm not going to be scandalized, as long as you don't scream like animals."

Claudia bursts out laughing.

"What?" Elvira frowns. "She lives with her mom and your apartment is in Barcelona—I'm just offering you a more logical solution. And a practical one."

"Thank you. I'll keep it in mind—but I already told you, I want to do this right with her, and I don't want to rush. I need to show her she can trust me, that there are no other women besides her if we start something."

Elvira looks at her with approval, and Claudia finally heads toward the door.

Chapter 26

"Hey," Claudia says as she climbs into Laia's car.

"Hey," Laia wipes her palms on her pants, which have suddenly gone sweaty. "What?" she asks, flushing, when she catches Claudia's lips curving into a smile as she watches her buckle her seatbelt.

"Nothing, it's just that I've never been in this car before, never sat on this side with you, except the day of the accident." She raises her eyebrows slightly. "It smells like you. I like it."

Laia coughs, her shoulders jerking as if a cramp's hit her, but what she's actually felt is a current that enters through the back of her neck and drops straight down to her stomach.

"Should we go?" she asks, nervous.

Claudia smiles again.

"We probably should, unless you want the date to happen in the car in front of my aunt's house."

"No, thanks." Laia pulls out onto the street and drives in silence toward the same beach Claudia took her to that time she made a detour during working hours.

They don't talk the whole drive, but they do steal sideways glances and look away the instant they feel the other one catch them, like two shy women who've never been on a date before. They park pretty far away and walk to the sand without needing to talk yet, but when they take off their shoes and reach the water's edge, it's Claudia who breaks the silence.

"Are you always this nervous on dates?" she asks, amused.