Page 142 of Fielder's Choice

“Lane seems to really like olives, too,” Ella smirks, gaze pointed at me.

“What a segue,” I chuckle. “I’m inclined to agree, though.”

“Did you tell him about the ‘mom’ thing?”

“Didn’t have to,” I shrug. “When Lane came back Friday night, Sage called me Mommy right in front of him.”

“What did he think about that?” she prods, eager for more information.

I grin at the thought. “He was so happy, Ell. Just genuine joy.”

“Oh, I just love that for you both,” Ella smiles. “Does Sage know you guys are together yet?”

“Yeah, we told her that night. He kissed me in front of her, so the cat was kinda out of the bag anyway.” I fidget with my shirt sleeves as I remember what else happened. “But there was something else, too…”

“Oh?” She cocks her eyebrow in curiosity.

“Lane, uh… told me he loved me.”

“What?!” Ella screeches, a smile lighting up her face.

“Sage calling me her mom did him in. He couldn’t hold it back anymore.” I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. “I didn’t say it back, though…”

She flashes me a sympathetic smile. “You know that’s okay, right? Some people take longer to realize their feelings than others.”

I groan and flop back against the sofa. “I think Idoknow how I feel, though. I love him. I love Lane.”

“Why do you think you weren’t able to tell him then?”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “When I tried to apologize for not saying it back, he told me that I need to admit I love myself first.”

“Spot on, Lane,” Ella chuckles. “He’s right. You can’t love somebody else if you don’t have love for yourself.”

“I used to have nothing but contempt for myself, honestly,” I sigh. “But I’ve been doing so much better. I’ve made friends. I’m trying new things. I’mhappy.I’m just really happy with my life now.”

Ella wraps her arm around my shoulders and brings me in for a side hug. “Liv, it sounds to me like you might love yourself a little bit.”

I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I think maybe I do.”

“Okay, I’ve heard about the sappy side.” She smirks at me, mischief in her eyes. “Now I want to hear about the far morefunone.”

“Oh,” I mumble. “We still haven’t slept together.”

“I figured that since you never told us you did. But Liv, you’ve had a gleam in your eye lately. Iknowyou guys have gone farther than what you’ve told us.”

“Damn,” I say uneasily. “I thought Lucia would be the one to pry.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “I’m just as bad as she is. I’m just less blunt about it.”

“I get the feeling you’re all that way.”

“Not Lo.” Ella shakes her head. “She’ll be curious as hell, but she almost never pesters for information. So we do it for her. But you’re deflecting now, Finch.”

I smile and laugh. “Thought I could get out of it. Lane and I haven’t slept together, but I think we’ve done just about everything else.”

“Like?” she prods.

“Like I learned I like his tongue a hell of a lot more than I like his fingers.”

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