Page 145 of The Snowball Effect

“Oh, wait,” Regan paused, still holding Emma’s hand, as she held out her other hand and gestured at Emma’s bag. “Give me that.”

Emma’s free hand clutched at the strap of her bag, cautiously. “Why?”

“Because, you goof, I’m going to carry it for you. Because this is a date. Duh.”

Emma chuckled, shaking her head. “I can carry my own bag.”

“I’m aware of that. But…” Regan dug her teeth into her bottom lip, her eyes searching Emma’s. “I want to be chivalrous. I’ve never been chivalrous on a date, before.”

It was that freaking look in Regan’s eyes, Emma thought, as she felt herself get caught up in them. The way she looked at Emma, like she would swear by every word she said. Like she wanted more than anything to make Emma… happy. It wasn’t something she’d ever experienced before, and she didn’t even register what she was doing until her hand brushed Regan’s as she handed over her bag.

“You don’t need to bechivalrous.” She cleared her throat, drawing herself back to reality. “You just need to be you.”

She could see how Regan swallowed, heavily, her gaze dipping to Emma’s lips. The desire in Regan’s expression was so clear, Emma felt short of breath.

Regan closed her eyes and tugged Emma’s hand as she started walking again. “You said that to me before. When you were taking me to meet your grandmother.”

“I remember.” And she did. She remembered all of these moments they’d shared in the last several weeks, in vivid color. “And it worked. Because she really, really likes you.”

Gram liked Regan so much, it was nearly overwhelming, and it was entirely, unbelievably appealing.

“No one’s ever said something like that to me. That you actuallywantme to be my whole self,” Regan admitted, softly.

“Well… people are stupid. It’s why I don’t like them, generally.” Even though Emma knew she’d once been one of those people, someone that didn’t know how to handle Regan’s all-encompassing personality. But she’d been wrong. And other people were, too.

“Oh, Emma,” Regan sighed, squeezing her hand a few times.

Emma felt that easy warmth flit through her. Regan didn’t need to elaborate; Emma understood what she was feeling.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at their destination, and Regan used their interlocked hands to pull Emma to a stop.

“We’re here!” She announced, buzzing with clear excitement, as she gestured with her free hand to the doors in front of her.

The doors toBy the Book, apparently, a bookstore only blocks away from Emma’s work. A bookstore that she hadn’t even known about, which was enough to throw her off. Mostly, though, she felt herself already start to melt a bit.

She’d told Regan all those weeks ago that the best place to bring her was a bookstore. How was she supposed to keep any semblance of a level head on this date when Regan remembered every word she ever said, and brought her to one of her favorite places on earth?

Regan gasped, drawing Emma’s attention. Concern welled up inside of her when she saw the undeniably upset look on her face, and she gripped Regan’s hand a little tighter. “Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“No! I’m not okay!” Regan pointed to the window next to the door, where there was a flyer advertisement Emma hadn’t yet noticed.

She, too, gasped when she sawAlexis Levine – book signing and Q&Aon the ad. Only for the excitement that rushed throughher to dampen quickly, when she saw at the bottom of the poster –Postponed.

Regan banged her knuckles against her forehead. “So stupid! I should have double-checked this morning that the event was still happening! I could have changed up the plans and done something else.”

Frowning, Emma quickly reached up and grabbed Regan’s wrist, stopping her from tapping her knuckles against her head again. “Hey, stop. It’s okay.”

“It’s not!” Regan insisted, turning to face Emma, wide-eyed. “I have one date to try and solidify in your mind that we can reallybesomething, together,” she insisted, voice edging on desperate. “And – in typical Regan fashion – I didn’t double-check to make sure everything was as it should be. I got swept up in how excited I was and rushed into getting ready, and I should have–”

“Regan, it really isokay,” Emma interrupted, as everything inside of her demanded that she cut Regan off, here.

She reached up with her free hand, feeling compelled to brush her fingertips over Regan’s jaw. A touch she’d never allowed herself, before, but right now, she had no reason to stop herself. It felt so… easy. So natural.

“I know who I’m on a date with,” she gently informed Regan, a disbelieving smile pulling at her mouth. Because, yeah, it was hard to wrap her head around, but it was all true. “I know you. I know that when we go out to something you’ve planned with the best of intentions, there is a chance it might not go as planned.”

It was an aspect of being in Regan’s life even as her friend that Emma had already accepted.

A sheepish look slid over Regan’s face. “Yeah… I’m working on it.”

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