Page 16 of Irish Getaway

Evelyn turned to face Claire, her eyes shimmering with emotion, and then she was surging forward, her eyes fluttering closed, her hand reaching out to cup Claire’s cheek, and when Evelyn’s lips met hers, Claire’s world stood still.

The feeling of Evelyn’s lips against hers sent a surge of electricity through her body, and she didn’t have time to process what was happening. Her heart raced as she brushed her lips over Evelyn’s, and when a soft moan escaped Evelyn’s lips, Claire felt it everywhere.

How was this happening? How was this even real?

Claire sighed into the kiss as the sound of the fireworks illuminating the night sky filled her ears. She lifted a hand to Evelyn’s cheek, leaning in closer, deepening the kiss when Evelyn didn’t pull away. Evelyn’s fingers slid into Claire’s hair, and Claire lost herself in the sensation of Evelyn’s soft lips moving against her own.

As Evelyn pulled back, Claire searched her face for any sign of regret or uncertainty, but in the near darkness, it was impossible to tell.

Claire’s breath caught in her throat as Evelyn scooted closer, the warmth of her body sending a tingling sensation down Claire’s arm as they watched the final bursts of fireworks illuminate the night sky.

Claire’s heart thumped in her chest, her mind still trying to catch up to what had just happened.

Evelyn Coleman had just kissed her.

None of this felt real, but the weight of Evelyn’s head resting on her shoulder was undeniably real, and when Claire inhaled a deep breath, she caught the familiar scent of Evelyn’s perfume.

Claire wanted to wrap her arm around Evelyn’s waist, but she couldn’t. She didn’t want to ruin this moment, and until they were back at the house, Claire wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about what had just happened and what it all meant for Evelyn.

Had she just gotten caught up in the moment, and because she knew that Claire was gay, she’d kissed her?

As soon as she’d thought it, she dismissed it. That didn’t make sense.

But then she remembered one of their earliest conversations, how Evelyn had cryptically referred to having regrets.

And that set Claire’s heart racing.

13

The quad’s engine fell silent as they returned to the house, the headlights casting a dim glow on the stone façade, and Evelyn’s heart pounded in her chest as she got off. The short ride back had been filled with a mix of exhilaration and nerves, her hands gripping onto Claire’s body tightly as she wondered what Claire must think of her and what she’d just done.

Evelyn still couldn’t believe she’d even done it as she climbed the steps to the back patio, waiting for Claire to get off the quad, but she stayed where she was. Evelyn ran a hand through her hair, her legs slightly unsteady beneath her. The back light flickered to life as Evelyn walked by the corner of the house, and she turned back to Claire.

Even in the soft glow of the outside light, she could see the mixture of emotions on Claire’s face. Evelyn couldn’t let her leave without an explanation, without acknowledging what had happened.

“Claire,” Evelyn said softly, her voice wavering ever so slightly, “Would you... would you like to come inside?”

Claire swung her leg over the quad and walked slowly towards Evelyn. “Sure.”

As they entered the house, Evelyn turned on some lights, and her heart raced as she closed the door behind them. She led Claire into the living room, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch. She sat down beside her, acutely aware of the small distance between them. The air felt charged, and Evelyn had to figure out how she was going to approach this.

Her throat felt tight, and she swallowed, wishing she had a drink, but she didn’t want to assume that Claire was staying for any length of time, so she hadn’t offered, and she wanted to have this conversation now, without any delays.

“Claire, I…” Evelyn closed her eyes for a second, trying to steady herself and gather her thoughts. She opened her eyes as she ran her hands over her jeans. “I’m sorry that I just kissed you like that. Out of nowhere.”

Claire sat quietly for a moment, her eyes locked on Evelyn’s. “You don’t need to apologize,” she said softly. “Did you mean it?” she asked after a moment.

Evelyn inhaled a shaky breath as she looked away. “As in, am I attracted to you?”

“As in, did you just get caught up in the moment, and it didn’t matter that it was me sitting beside you? Or did you mean it?”

Evelyn’s heart clenched at Claire’s words, and she turned to meet her gaze. “No.” She pressed her lips together. “No, it wasn’t just the moment, although that was easily the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.” She let her lips curve into a smile. “Thank you, by the way. But yes,” Evelyn said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I meant it.” She forced herself to look at Claire, tears pricking at her eyes.

Claire’s eyes locked onto Evelyn’s, a mixture of surprise and something deeper flashing in her striking blue eyes. “When you spoke of regrets…”

Evelyn nodded, swiping away a tear before it streaked down her cheek. “I’m so tired of hiding who I am.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve known since I was maybe nineteen or twenty that I was attracted to women,” Evelyn confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “But that was right when my career started taking off, and from that point on, my life has been one big orchestrated performance.” A tear trickled down her cheek, followed by another. “These last few weeks, getting away from all that, being here with you… This has been the first time that I’ve felt this free, this happy. I haven’t been looking over my shoulder, worrying about photographers, worrying about who might notice the way I’m looking at another woman.”

Claire reached out and gently brushed the tears from Evelyn’s cheek, but she didn’t say anything.

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