Page 25 of In the Works

I tried to shake the idea. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I know, but I want to.” As she waited for the faucet to warm up, she sighed. “I’ll make the table. But that’s it. I won’t let you convince me to make anything else.”

A nervous smile played on my cheeks. “Really?”

She nodded and rolled her eyes. “Yes, really. Only because it’s you.”

“I’m flattered.” I swallowed hard as I watched Bri move.

She placed the bags in the fridge and moved to the sink where she sudsed up a sponge and got to washing. As she washed, her eyes wandered around the kitchen. “It’s weird to be here.”

My face scrunched up. “How so?”

“I don’t know… hanging out in the house you lived in with Jason.” Bri swallowed hard, avoiding what she really meant.

A part of me knew exactly what she meant. But I wasn’t prepared to make any assumptions about how she felt. Maybe she did just mean that she saw us as teenagers and this is all soadult.

I walked closer to her, not wanting to shout over running water and the clanking of dishes. “Why, Brianne?”

Bri set the plate down in the sink, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she considered her words. With her chin low, she turned her head toward me. “You know why, Sarah.”

Duh.I always knew. I never wanted to be that cringey girl who assumed her queer friend was flirting with her. But the connection I felt with Bri always felt different. I just couldn’t figure out how.

Until now.

I knew she had felt the same. And maybe even still did.

My body gravitated toward hers, my arms wrapping around her waist as she faced the sink. I felt like my heart was in my throat, leaping from my chest to hers.

Feeling my heat pressed to her back, Bri turned off the water, resting her hands on the edge of the porcelain. I clasped my ownover her toned stomach, feeling her tight abs underneath the loose t-shirt. My head rested against her back, just as strong as her core. It rose and fell with each of her breaths.

Bri’s body relaxed, her shoulders dropping as her head tilted back to rest on mine. “Sarah…”

“Yes, Bri?” I muttered into her shirt.

Turning in my arms, she faced me. She placed her hands on my face and lifted my chin toward her lips.

For a moment, she paused. I opened my eyes just enough to show her how badly I wanted to kiss her. And before she could ask, I moved my head in and closed the inch-wide gap between us, letting our lips finally meet.

15

SARAH

I pulled backto meet her eyes.Did I really just kiss my high school best friend?

It felt insane, and yet all I wanted to do was go back to Bri’s lush lips.

A fire burned in her green eyes, one I hadn’t seen in a very long time. I hoped she saw the same in mine. Because I had no idea what I was doing, but I wasn’t about to stop.

Nodding to Bri, I pressed my lips into hers again. Part of me wondered if the spark would fade on a second kiss, but I was wildly wrong. A jolt of excitement pulsed through my body, heading straight to my center.

It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before.

I let my hands grip Bri’s waist, pulling her hips into mine as a light moan escaped her lips.

Between kisses, Bri spoke, “Sarah, are you sure?”

I nodded, my hand drifting down toward the belt loops on her worn jeans. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.” Moving forward, I backed Bri into the counter where the soapy dishes clinked together as we pressed against the cold stone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to get close enough to her.

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