Page 76 of Emerald Moon
“Are you okay?”Jo asked, checking for signs of her tripping or something.
“What can I call you now?”
They waited for a beat, then answered, “Jo?”
“I mean, I’m your girlfriend, right?”
Jo hadn’t said it outloud or even inside their head yet.Giddy bubbles tingled in their chest as their smile stretched wide across their face.They nodded.“Yep, you’re my girlfriend.”
“And you’re my —” Cass let her voice trail off.
“Themfriend.Enbyfriend.Enbybuddy!”Jo chuckled at their own joke, then squeezed Cass’ hand.“I’ll think of something better for you.”
“Lover.”
Heat flooded Jo’s cheeks.“That may imply some things that haven’t happened.”
“Yet.”Cass winked, exaggerating the gesture, but her smile quickly slipped.“I mean, if you’re comfortable with that type of stuff.I’m realizing I never asked.I’m sorry if I overstepped.”
“It’s fine.It’s fine.I, uh, want those things, too.You know, when they happen.”Jo hadn’t given it much thought since they started dating because anything sexual hadn't been a part of their life for some time, but now, they were thinking about it and what they thought of made them a bit nervous, excited, and made it impossible to look Cass in the eye.
“Right, when they happen.”Cass tapped her chin in thought.“How about just ‘my love?’”
Forget the summer heat.Jo could’ve cooked an egg on their overheated face.“I like that,” they mumbled.“It’s cute.”
“It’s not too much?”
“Coming from you, it’s wonderful.”
Cass tipped forward and pressed a kiss to Jo’s forehead.
“I’m all sweaty!That must’ve been so gross!”Jo said through their smile.
Cass grinned.
Jo tugged on the front of Cass’ shirt and she got the message, dipping down the rest of the way for them to meet in the middle.Their lips brushed, neither of them able to stop smiling long enough to make it a proper kiss until the end.
“Okay, I’m going to go change and then we can go on our date,” Jo said, that bubbly feeling taking over the rest of their body.
The AC hit them as soon as they opened the front doors and Jo heaved a sigh of relief.They started up the stairs and belatedly realized Cass wasn’t behind them.“You coming up?”
Cass shook her head.“I’ll wait down here.”
“You’ve been in my room before.”
“But it’s different now.”
Jo nodded as another smile crept onto their face.Cass was right.Everything was different in the best kind of way.“Fancy or not fancy?I don’t know why I asked.I don’t have anything fancy except what I wore at my sister’s wedding.”
“Not fancy is fine.”
“But you look nice.”
“I look like I always do.”
“The shirt doesn’t have birds on it and it looks like you ironed it.”
“I iron all my shirts.”
