Page 49 of Sparks Like Ours

Autumn smiled knowingly. “I just had this feeling.”

“Did you peek?” Isabel asked. “Honestly. Did you?”

Autumn shook her head and touched her stomach, which seemed tohave grown since even the day before. “Didn’t have to.”

It had been an evening Gia would never forget, filled with warmthand friendship and the excitement of things to come, ofpeopleto come. As theformality of the evening shifted, the group relaxed into side conversations,flanked by the tunes from Autumn’s radio. Gia’s thoughts drifted off on theirown as she drank her beer and wondered what Elle was doing tonight, what shewas wearing, how she was feeling.

“Did you hear anything we just said?” Autumn asked, knocking herin the arm.

Gia blinked and played back Autumn’s words. “Yeah, you just askedif I heard you.”

Isabel laughed. “And did you?”

“No.” She tossed a stray woodchip into the fire. “I was somewhereelse for a minute.”

“Anywhere good?” Isabel asked.

“Maybe.” Gia smiled into the fire.

“What’s Elle up to tonight?” Isabel asked boldly. Hadley smiledknowingly at Gia across the fire. Gia hadn’t divulged the fact that she andElle had shared a kiss to anyone, wanting to hold on to that information forherself a little while longer. But her friends knew her well enough to pick upon a change.

“What makes you think I would know?” Gia challenged, but the smilecrept onto her face against her will.

Isabel’s eyes danced, and though that would have irritated Giajust last week, tonight she didn’t mind the insinuation. “Just a hunch.”

Hadley was on her feet and moving around the fire until she landednext to Gia. In fact, it seemed as if everyone inched in until they weresitting in a tight little group. “Any developments on the Elle front?” Hadleyasked, as if the most natural of news reporters. “There are, aren’t there?Don’t you dare hold this back. Do you remember Isabel when she first started upwith Taylor? Do not be like Isabel.”

“Hey!” Isabel said. “I didn’t know the friend rules back then.”

“We forgive you,” Hadley rattled off before scrambling to refocuson Gia.

Gia took a deep breath, because what she was about to say was newfor her. “I do have a confession.”

“Here we go,” Autumn said happily, as she popped the last of apink cupcake into her mouth and leaned in.

Gia decided to just say it. “I think maybe I’ve misjudged Elle inthe past or whatever. Maybe. Probably.” She’d come to terms with that conceptinternally but had never articulated it out loud before. In front ofpeople, no less. Thewords were not her most eloquent, but they were all she had. Her declarationwas met with five people exchanging knowing smiles with each other,understanding what a big moment this was for Gia.

“What do you mean by misjudged?” Taylor asked, delicately. Sheheld out a hand. “And if I’m prying with that question, I respectfully withdrawit.”

“Nah, you’re good,” Gia told her, and considered the question. Sheappreciated Taylor’s sensitivity. “I guess I don’t think Elle’s the fake andplastic Barbie Doll I always thought she was. I’ve gotten to know her better,and she doesn’t seem fake at all. I think that’s just how she is. Bubbly, Iguess. And nice.”

“I’ve been working on unhating her. I should keep at that, then?”Hadley asked, very seriously.

Gia smiled at her. “Probably should.”

“Okay, I can do that. Hating takes too much work anyway. Such achore.”

And almost like Isabel couldn’t resist, she asked the questionthey all seemed to want to ask. “And are you two firmly living in the friendscolumn, as in now and forever, or are we tiptoeing through the tulips to theavenue of hot and heavy?”

Taylor passed Isabel a look that didn’t seem to deter her one damnbit.

“I think we’re friends,” Gia said conservatively. “Who are maybeattracted to each other. But that’s about it. Nothing major.” She could try todownplay this all she wanted, but she knew these women, and now that she’dgiven them this much, they would be desperate for more.

“I knew it!” Isabel practically shouted.

“This is pretty big news,” she heard Autumn murmur to Kate.

Hadley sat there beaming, no words necessary, while Taylor broughtthem all back to the fold of the conversation the way only Taylor could.“That’s great, Gia. Take your time. Don’t let these guys rush you.”

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