Page 87 of Finally Loved

She stepped back. “Roxanne, I’m not going to out you to your family. I’m not going to do anything to you. I don’t care what’s going on with you. You hurt me. You don’t get to pretend it didn’t happen and have me go along with it anymore, but it’s on you to do better moving forward. I’m happy, finally. And Nate seems like a nice guy who likes you. Do better with him.”

Roxanne’s mouth opened and closed like a fish, but Neve genuinely couldn’t muster up the energy to care what she had left to say. Since their breakup, Neve had been on her own journey and was happy with where it had led her. Roxanne hadn’t grown at all, even if she needed to. That was her problem, not something Neve was willing to subject herself to anymore.

“Bye, Roxanne,” she said. Maybe it wasn’t forever, maybe they’d still run into each other at events like this; though she got the feeling Roxanne might not be too eager to. Neve didn’t mind either way.

She found Alba and Nate by the back door discussing the weather with a few other members of Alba’s family. She looked up with them, gray clouds were definitely rolling in fast.

“We should bring stuff inside,” Scott called out.

There was a flurry of movement and not a moment too soon. A deep rumble of thunder echoed around them and the skies opened.

Neve laughed, standing in the pouring rain. It was almost ironic symbolism.

Alba darted towards her, laughing too. “You okay there, Davenport?”

Neve looked up at her, smiling widely. “I’m really good.”

“Good.” She took one of Neve’s hands and her waist. “Now, dance with me.”

“In the rain?” Neve laughed.

“In the pouring rain,” Alba called as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky around them, followed several moments later by another rumble of thunder.

They turned and danced on the rapidly soaking ground, rain penetrating their clothing, and all Neve could do was smile and laugh and take in every one of the sensations flooding through her.

“Alba! Neve!” Alba’s mom called from just inside the house. “You’re getting soaked out there.”

“Ah, leave them to it,” Scott called after her. “They’re happy.”

Neve leaned in closer to Alba, their dance becoming something slower, softer, just like it had at Zainab’s birthday party. She was happy. She didn’t think she’d ever been so happy in her life. If, for the rest of time, every minute looked like stormy days and rain-soaked clothes, she knew she’d still be happy because she was in it all with Alba. The past was being washed away and it didn’t matter what was to come because, with Alba, she was safe, in love, and happy.

Epilogue

Neve laughed as she attempted to get up from on top of Alba only to be pulled back down again into another kiss.

“Not yet,” Alba murmured against her mouth as she wrapped a leg around Neve.

“We’re going to be late,” she whispered back, making no effort to pull away again.

“What, like they’re not going to wait for us?”

“They might not. What if we miss the gift exchange and you end up not getting anything?”

Alba scoffed. “I’d be more disappointed if they cost me my first time giving out couple gifts.”

Neve hummed contentedly. When their friend group had decided to do a holiday gift exchange, the last thing Neve had been expecting was how excited Alba would be to give people a gift from both of them. Inside, she’d been every bit as excited,but Alba had never been one to do that. Neve had been a little overwhelmed to realize that not only were things in life different for her now that she was with Alba, but they were for Alba too. When Alba was with the right person, it turned out she was the queen of giving out gifts as a couple. She’d even gone so far as to watch gift-wrapping tutorials online and gotten Neve into them too.

Now, they had a pile of some of the best-looking gifts Neve had ever seen in her life waiting by the door as they were supposedly getting ready.

Alba’s phone started buzzing from the bedside table. She groaned, reaching a hand back, over her head, to grab and answer it. She didn’t even look at the display before saying, “Zainab.”

“Are you two still at Neve’s apartment?” Zainab’s voice called down the phone.

“Mm. Yes, we’re still at our second home.”

Neve giggled as Zainab started chastising Alba for their impending lateness. She loved the tiny apartment she’d moved into after moving out of Charlie and Alice’s place, Alba loved it too, but it was one of two homes they seemed to share. Alba still lived with Zainab, and she and Neve split their time so evenly between the two places that they basically lived together between them both. Zainab liked to feign frustration with them when she wanted them for something but they were at the ‘wrong’ apartment.

In this particular case, though, her frustration was merited.

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