Page 35 of State of Grace

“Do you want me to drive you home?” Emily asked as they tossed their trash into the can by the door and headed back outside. Alexis noticed that Blake kept close by her side, and she looked at Alexis for an answer. Of course, Alexis didn’t know what to say. She knew what she wanted to say but didn’t know what she should say.

“Um, no.” Blake shook her head. “That’s ok; thank you, though.”

“You’re not walking home. It’s dark, and there’s TMZ.” Alexis firmly nodded.

“You’re right.” God, could her laugh be any more perfect? “I thought maybe I could walk you home.” The statement caught Alexis so off guard that she stumbled. “I can text Isla to pick me up there in a few minutes. We’re not far from your apartment, right?”

“Um, yeah. Right. Yes. It’s um,” Alexis pointed down the street, feeling rather dreamy and floaty.She felt a light touch on her arm as Emily adjusted the angle of her wrist to point it in the right direction, “a few blocks that way.”

“I’ll see you at home then.” Nodding, Emily pulled her keys out of the bag and bid them both a goodbye. They stood frozen in place until Emily’s taillights disappeared around the corner. Feeling the slightest touch on her pinky finger, she quickly looked down to see Blake slowly wrapping her pinky finger around her own.

Her brain wanted to spiral into its typical habit of convincing herself that she wasn’t worthy of such a sweet gesture, but Alexis stood firm and blocked out the negative thoughts. Alexis simply wanted to spend time with Blake, walking home in the moonlight. She’d deal with those intrusive thoughts later.

Chapter 13

Blake was surprised that Alexis didn’t pull her hand away when she’d looped their pinky fingers around each other. She’d wanted to take her whole hand but didn’t know if Alexis was on the same page as her or not. They’d flirtatiously touched each other on the arm or thigh throughout their time at the ice cream parlor. Emily had noticed it; Blake knew that from the bemused look on her face the entire time.

“So, do you and Emily live together?”

“No,” Alexis paused and tilted her head from side to side. “Well, I mean, yes but no. Our apartments are beside each other, and it might as well be one apartment for the fact we never lock the front doors and come and go as we please into each other’s apartment.”

“Gotcha.”

“Sophia – Emily’s girlfriend; the one you met with me the other day…”

“The hot French one?”

“Yes,” she snorted a laugh as Blake laughed at her adorableness. “She owned the whole top floor of our block and had her apartment built, and at the time, my apartment was her storage closet.” Blake loved the way Alexis said some words with such dramatics. “When I became pregnant with Harper, Sophia fixed up that closet for me so we could have our own space.”

“I love that.” Carefully, Blake wrapped her ring finger around Alexis’s. Once again, Alexis didn’t pull away. “It must be great to have people like that in your life. That would do anything for you and not expect anything in return.”

“Don’t get that in Hollywood?”

“Nope.” Blake let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve never had anyone in my life who didn’t want something from me. My dad always wanted me to make more money for him, and my ex was also my agent, so she always had ulterior motives. I don’t have many, or well, any real friends because people always want something from me and never want only to be my friend.”

“That makes me sad for you.” Alexis pulled her fingers free from Blake’s, only to immediately clasp their hands together. Their arms swung gently between them as they walked, and Blake noticed that they had already missed the turn onto Alexis’s street. “If it means anything, I don’t want anything from you, and I want to be friends with you. Real friends.”

“That means a lot, actually.” Blake squeezed Alexis’s hand tightly. “Thank you.”

“Oh, wait. I do want one thing.” Alexis dropped Blake’s hand as she took a few excited steps in front of her and walked backwards down the sidewalk.

“I knew it,” Blake feigned annoyance.

“Tell me what you thought about my performance tonight.”

“See,” she waved a teasing finger at her, “everyone always wants something.”

“Please.” Holding out her hand, Alexis stopped moving as Blake walked into her hand before she could stop herself. Alexis blushed as she quickly removed her hand from Blake’s breast and put it behind her back. Her green eyes went soft as she pouted and tilted her head like a puppy. “Please, I value your feedback.”

Blake took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. In all honesty, Alexis had surprised her in her performance as Elle Woods. All her insecurities seemed to melt away in the glow of the stage lights, and she lit up like a brilliant star who was born to be the center of attention. Which, if Blake had her guess, wasn’t a place Alexis was used to being.

“I thought you were really good.”

“Good, not great?”

“I thought you were great.”

“Great, not fantastic?”

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