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Paige’s heart clenched. No, it wasn’t. It was so much more than that. “Was it?” she whispered, feeling Olivia shift beside her, her body warm. Even now, Paige couldn’t deny the shiver of attraction that made her instinctively press closer to her.
“No,” Olivia finally said, and Paige glanced up, a short breath fluttering between her lips.
“Then… what was it?”
“I’m not sure,” Oliva said. “But… I think it was a good thing.”
Paige’s heart fluttered behind her ribs, searching for something to say. Why was this so difficult? Why couldn’t she just say it? Friendship isn’t enough anymore. “Olivia…”
Olivia reached up and brushed her fingertips over Paige’s freckles. “Can I kiss you again?” she said, her voice no louder than a whisper.
Paige nodded mutely, not trusting her own voice.
Olivia leaned forward and pressed her lips against Paige’s, her hand resting against her cheek. Paige moved closer, gripping onto the dock to keep her grounded. The kiss lasted longer than before, and Paige let herself melt into it entirely, tasting Olivia’s lips on her own.
When they pulled away, Paige felt breathless, dreamy, like she might float away. Her heart was beating hard, and her cheeks were as pink as the dawn sky.
“How can you be so calm about this?” she blurted, flicking a glance over Olivia’s composed smile while her own head was spinning.
Olivia only laughed, reaching for Paige’s hand and holding it against her chest, where Paige could feel her pulse racing beneath her fingers. “I might seem calm on the outside, but you make my heart do this, Paige. You always have.”
Paige stared at her. “I… have?”
Olivia nodded, sighing softly. “I guess it just took me a while to figure out what it meant.”
Paige pulled away and folded her hands in her lap, peering down into the water. Even her fingertips felt all tingly. “Me too,” she whispered. “I… I was scared that it might ruin our friendship if I told you the truth.”
Olivia touched Paige’s cheek, drawing her gaze back towards her. “You never have to hide yourself from me, Paige. Ever. I would have tried to understand what you were going through.”
Paige said nothing. All this time, she’d thought there was something wrong with her for feeling these things. It was all so new to her. “So… does this mean…”
“Yes,” Olivia said, unflinchingly, without waiting for her to finish.
“Friendship isn’t enough,” Paige clarified, her voice almost tentative.
“Not anymore,” Olivia agreed.
“But I don’t even know how to be in a relationship,” Paige admitted, covering her face with her hands. “It sounds so silly, but I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
“It’s not silly,” Olivia said, gently prying her hands away and holding them within her own. “Nothing has to change, Paige. It’s the same as it always was, only now we can do stuff like this,” she said, planting another kiss on Paige’s lips that almost made her swoon backwards into the water.
“A little warning next time,” Paige said, her cheeks blushing furiously.
Olivia only laughed, lacing her fingers through Paige’s. “I think we’ve always been in love, Paige,” she said, making Paige’s heart jump in her chest. “It just took a while to figure out. I mean, friendship is just another form of love, in a way. It’s different for everyone. We’ll figure out what works for us.”
“I guess I never looked at it like that,” Paige said, swirling her toes through the water. “I never even knew you liked girls.”
Olivia shook her head, tightening her fingers around Paige’s. “Honestly, neither did I. I think it’s always been there. Just little sparks of attraction here and there, you know, but it’s confusing when I’ve only ever dated guys my whole life. I’m still trying to figure that out.”
“But you’re sure about this? About… us.”
Olivia pulled Paige closer, a smile dancing along her lips. “I’ve never been more sure about anything else in my life,” she said.
This time, it was Paige who kissed her, running her fingers through Olivia’s pink-blonde hair. It was just as soft as she’d imagined. “I still have no idea what I’m doing,” she murmured against her lips before pulling away.
“Then let’s make this our summer of figuring things out,” Olivia said, leaning her head against Paige’s shoulder, their fingers still laced together, perfect, familiar. “The summer of us.”
EPILOGUE
