Page 35 of Finding Jess

“You ready?” Tiana yelled over the music, leaning close enough for Sam to hear.

“Yeah,” Sam answered, swiping a hand through her hair. The ache in her legs from the long day and night was impossible to ignore now.

They filtered off the dance floor, exiting the bar onto the bustling sidewalk outside, where the city was still alive with late-night energy. Strangers shuffled around them, laughing and calling for rides of their own.

Sam pulled out her phone, squinting at the screen as she opened her ride app. “You wanna share one?” she asked Tiana.

Tiana tilted her head, a playful smile spreading across her face. “Actually, do you wanna hang out at your place for a little while? I’m not ready to end the night yet.”

Scarlett huffed a laugh from beside them, muttering something under her breath, though Sam only caught the word ‘subtle’. She glanced up in time to see the knowing smirk Tiana shot her, nudging her shoulder lightly.

“Yeah, sure,” Sam replied with a faint chuckle. “Just don’t expect much. I’ve barely unpacked.”

Tiana shrugged, her flirtatious grin firmly in place. “I don’t mind.”

Scarlett waved them off with a grin, climbing into her Uber. A minute later, their own ride pulled up, and Sam and Tiana slipped inside.

By the time they arrived, the streets were quieter, and the hum of the city felt like it was winding down. Sam led Tiana into the building, the soft ding of the elevator cutting through the silence as they stepped inside.

When they reached her apartment, Sam unlocked the door, flipping on the lights as they stepped in.

“Man,” Tiana muttered, “you’re some big tech geek, and you didn’t even try to get a penthouse?”

Sam chuckled, tossing her keys on the marble island in the small kitchen. “I don’t like having a lot of space.”

Tiana hummed. “I’m surprised. You’d think you’d be dying for space after being stuck in some of those homes we had to deal with when we were kids.”

Sam went to the fridge, grabbing two water bottles. She handed one to Tiana before taking a large gulp of her own.

“I had fun tonight,” Tiana said, taking a sip. “I like your friends.”

Sam smiled, taking another gulp. “Yeah, they’re great.”

“I like Jess,” Tiana said slowly, giving her a small, pointed smile. “She’s—” she paused, tilting her head back in thought, “protectiveof you.”

Sam shook her head. “She’s not protective. She’s just a good friend.”

Tiana nodded slowly as she set the water bottle down, then stepped away, looking around the apartment. She glanced down the short hallway to the bedroom.

Then she ambled back there, pushing the door open. Sam stayed put, leaning against the counter as she tilted the water bottle up, draining what was left in one long gulp

“You haven’t changed at all,” Tiana called out to her with a boisterous laugh. “Everything is in the exact same place as you’ve always set up your rooms.”

Sam smiled to herself. It felt good having someone around that had known her for so long. Most of the time, it felt like she was moving farther and farther away from her past. Whether it was intentional or not. But having Tiana there felt like the only good reminder of those years.

Sam heard the faint rustle of movement coming from the bedroom. She pushed off the counter, ready to head back and see what Tiana was up to, but before she could take a step, Tiana appeared in the doorway.

A wide grin stretched across her face.

Sam’s gaze dropped to her hand, and the moment she saw what Tiana was holding, the reason for that grin became painfully clear.

“You still keep it on the right side of your dresser drawer,” Tiana said with a chuckle, holding up a strap on. “I guess old habits die hard, huh?”

Sam laughed, shaking her head as she looked away. “And you still go through all my stuff like it’s yours.”

Tiana shrugged, casually tossing the strap onto the couch as she sauntered back toward Sam. She stopped just shy of closing the distance between them. Then she looked up at Sam with a familiar smile.

Tiana’s hand slid easily around her back, her touch as natural as if they’d done this a hundred times before—which, in truth, they had.

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