Page 90 of Sparks Fly

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28

Addison

The porch swing creaked softly beneath us as it swayed back and forth, the briny breeze carrying the scent of salt and lilac through the evening air.

I curled into Sawyer’s side, one hand tucked beneath her jacket and my head resting on her shoulder. Her arm held me close while her fingers traced slow, absentminded patterns along my forearm.

I let my gaze drift toward the water.

The harbor stretched wide and silvery in the early evening light. Boats bobbed gently against their moorings, their lines creaking now and then, and somewhere farther down the street a door closed and a dog barked once before the quiet settled again. The town seemed to be winding down for the night, and the stillness wrapped around us like a blanket.

I shifted a little closer to her warmth, pressing my cheek into her shoulder. After a moment, I stilled. “Can I ask you something?” I murmured, my voice soft enough that the breeze almost carried it away.

Sawyer turned her head and kissed the top of my hair before answering. “Anything. Always.”

For a second I just listened to the porch swing creak beneath us. My heart thudded steadily in my chest, harder than I expected. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” I said slowly. “But especially since Wednesday night… when you made me pho and had a shower and clothes waiting then rubbed my feet after dinner like some kind of perfect girlfriend fantasy.”

Sawyer laughed under her breath, a quiet sound against my temple, but I didn’t laugh with her. I needed her to hear the rest.

“And I know we haven’t really talked about what we are,” I went on, straightening slightly so I could face her more fully. Her eyes were steady on mine, the fading sunlight catching in them. “And I know we didn’t plan any of this. But…”

I drew in a breath before finishing.

“I want to be your girlfriend,” I said quietly, the words steady once they left my mouth. “I know that probably isn’t surprising after everything we’ve done and said, but I wanted to say it. Out loud. I wanted you to know.”

Sawyer stared at me for a beat. Then her crooked smile slowly appeared, something deeper and brighter lighting her eyes. “Done,” she said simply. “You’re my girlfriend.”

Relief rushed through me so quickly it almost made my head spin. I leaned in and kissed her, soft and warm and full of promise.

When I settled against her side again, I asked, “Yeah? Just like that?”

“Just like that.” She kissed my temple. “Why wouldn’t I want you to be my girlfriend?”

“I don’t know.” I looked down at our hands. “I’m complicated. I’m not out, and I haven’t figured out how to tell my friends or my parents. But I need you to know this is real for me, even if most people don’t know about us yet.”

Sawyer laced her fingers through mine and squeezed.

“Addie, you don’t owe anyone an explanation on their timeline. You get to decide when, how, and who you tell.” Her voice was calm and sure. “I’m not going anywhere.”

The breath I released felt like it had been trapped in my chest all week.

“Thank you,” I said softly. “I’ve always been the one with the plan, the one who moves fast and knows exactly what’s next. But with you… I want to go slow. I want to feel all of it.”

She rested her temple against mine. “Slow is more than fine by me, love” she murmured. “As long as I get to be with you.”

I brought our joined hands up so I could press a kiss against her knuckles.

After a long stretch of comfortable silence, the words slipped out almost without warning. “I think I’m falling for you.”

She went still for a moment, then turned her hand in mine so her palm cradled my fingers.

“It’s a good fall, right?” she asked.

I tipped my head back so I could see her face clearly. My chest felt warm and open in a way that still surprised me.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s pretty wonderful.”