Epilogue

Epilogue

Paisley

Emberlynn caught me swiping the cheese from the counter, and she swatted my arm as I popped a piece in my mouth.

“Paisley!” She positioned herself between me and the cheese, the scheming rat. “There won’t be any left for dinner if you keep picking at the food.”

“You get my help with cooking, you pay the Paisley Tax.”

“I’m cooking for a party for your girlfriend. And doing it out of my own kitchen because you can’t clean up your own. I should be charging you the Emberlynn Tax.”

Soft footsteps padded in through the doorway, and Aria leaned in from where she was helping set up in the living room. “Emberlynn. You can’t argue with Paisley, you always lose.”

Emberlynn gave her a helpless look. “Aria. You’re supposed to back me up.”

Aria smiled softly. “I love you, dear, and that’s why I’m trying to convince you the fight isn’t worth fighting instead.”

I darted in while Emberlynn was looking at Aria and snagged another piece of cheese, running laughing from the room as Emberlynn stumbled over herself chasing me through the house. I nearly took out Gwen, who had the bad sense to stand in the middle of the optimal path for escaping from Emby, but in the middle of the scramble, I was betrayed by my own sister, who went ahead and put the cheese into the soup. I got back into the kitchen just in time to witness it, and I put my hands on my hips.

“Ar! I was eating that.”

Aria didn’t look away from where she stirred the soup. “Indeed you were.”

“You’re the worst sister I’ve ever had.”

“I’d believe it.”

I at least managed to shoo her out of the kitchen before she caused any further damage, and Emberlynn and I were cooking together a bit longer, chatting about wild gossip that was mostly just me rambling, until the tray of breads went into the oven and the soup was simmering, and I leaned against the stovetop with nothing left to do in the kitchen. Emberlynn gave me a wry smile.

“You’re so antsy,” she said. “Suddenly scared to death of Linds?”

“About time you quit calling her Harper.”

She put her hands up. “Hey, I’m trying. Old habits die hard. You get your hands on her for one second and suddenly she has a different name and a different occupation, and I’m supposed to believe you didn’t just find a different girl to replace her?”

I stuck my tongue out. “Please. You need confirmation, ask her for some of the dirty secrets you know she has on us both.”

“Too true.” She laughed. “Hey, I won’t pretend going to New York can’t change you a bit as a person. At least I came back with the same name.”

It had only been a few months, the blossoms of spring starting to come out again, and Lindsay still hadn’t found the space to tell anyone why the name change. But Bayview was relaxed as always and just happy she’d quit trying to run away—the move back to Bayview was seamless, and I still woke up some mornings just a little bit giddy that she was here to stay and I got her to myself.

Aside from people constantly fumbling calling her Harper and having to stumble correcting themselves, everyone was just glad she was back. She’d tell everyone one day—had told me herself that she wanted to and just needed more time.

She could take all the time she needed. I’d gotten her hooked in, and she was stuck in Bayview for life now.

“I’m not scared of my girlfriend, I just want her party to be perfect. And I’m not accepting my awful friend doing anything to ruin it.”

“Who was the one eating the ingredients for the dinner?”

“What a great question! I don’t know.”

She laughed, swatting me with a potholder. “It’s going to be fine, Pais. I know how to put together an event. You just want red carpets to spoil your girlfriend.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like you’re any better? Making out with my sister right in front of me every fifteen minutes…”

“You think more about me making out with Aria than I do. Fix your mind.” Her expression softened, a gentle smile creasing the corners of her eyes. “Lindsay’s going to love it, okay? She’s been happy in a way I’m not used to since she came back, and it’s really good to see. Seems like she actually gives a damn about the books at the shop, unlike its previous owner.”

“Yeah, turned out books weren’t my thing any more than lizard breeding was.”

“Bets on how long you’ll actually last running the bakery?”

I laughed. “Hell if I know. It’s fun right now, though. Not gonna be the end of the world if I change my mind. Not like I’ll regret having done it. You and your stuck-in-the-mud girlfriend could take notes.”

“I’ll die before I’m taking notes from you, weirdo,” she laughed, and I heard the front door rattle and push open, and I forgot the entire conversation instantly and nearly pushed Emberlynn over sprinting towards the door.

Blue hair. I deflated. Kay stepped in through the door with a big, bright smile, holding a tray of bubble tea, and she waved. “Hey, Pais!”

“Yeah, just give me my tea.”

She laughed. “You’d been hoping to see your girlfriend, huh?”

I looked away. “You take way too much joy in that word. Be smug about it and I’ll bite you.”

“Wouldn’t it be a problem if she were here right now? Kind of ruins the surprise party if it were her here now…”

“Shush. Sometimes I get excited and I stop thinking. And don’t make any comments about why I’m excited.”

“Mm-hm.” She handed me two cups of tea. “Well, here’s one for you, and one for your girlfriend,” she sang, stretching out the word, and I took the two of them, hunching my shoulders.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re just jealous my girlfriend is way more interesting than yours.”

“What? Oh my god.” She put her free hand on her hip. “Gwen’s perfect.”

“Gwen’s about as fun as watching paint dry, but I guess you do you, Kay.”

She laughed, eyes sparkling. “Hey, it takes all sorts, you know? Even you!”

“That sounds a lot like an insult, but I assume you wouldn’t have the boldfaced audacity to insult Paisley Macleod to her face.”

Annabel showed up behind me and saved me from Kay insulting me any further by saying how her boring girlfriend was in the back garden with Aria, and I made myself useful by frantically pacing the place until the appointed time. Once the fated time finally arrived and Annabel and Aria had their share of laughs at how much I was tormenting Emberlynn in anticipation, I crouched by the couch waiting in bated silence as footsteps came up to the front door. And not a moment too soon, because my legs were starting to cramp.

The door unlatched and swung open. “Paisley—” Lindsay’s voice called, but she didn’t get a chance to fit another word in. I jumped out shouting surprise or maybe I was just shouting, I always got excited and lost track of it—I bumped the lamp and Emberlynn had to stop it from falling over, and Lindsay stopped suddenly in the doorway, lurching and nearly falling over as we all cheered for her. Lindsay hung her head. “Paisley—Jesus Christ. I said it’s not a big deal.”

I flung myself on her, falling into her so she had to stumble with a grunt to catch me and keep upright, and I buried my face in her shoulder. “I decide what’s a big deal, and you know it.”

Lindsay—who I’d kind of attacked while she was carrying a shopping bag—shifted to hold her bag better, and I stepped back to let her set it down, giving me the kind of weary smile I was low-key obsessed with her giving me all the time. Nobody else in the world who could be so sick of me and still love me.

Wild how she could look the same and so different. She still dressed in her clean, sensible style, not really showing off her tattoos but not hiding them either, but there was just that… weight that was gone now. The distant expression in her eyes, the heavy shadow she always had around her, just gone. And the cute little almost-dimples she got when she smiled at me.

Couldn’t believe I ever bullshitted myself hard enough to think I wasn’t in love with this girl.

“Congratulations, big star author,” I said, and she sighed, raking her fingers back through her hair.

“For Christ’s sake, it’s a first draft. Of a book that isn’t even very good. And that’s not even getting into publishing—”

I put a finger to her lips. “Shush,” I said. “You’re a star author. Paisley’s decided it.”

She looked away. “So I guess the party means you told everyone.”

Emberlynn cleared her throat from behind me. “She told me, and I asked her if she was supposed to tell me, and she changed the subject and left the room…”

Lindsay pinched the bridge of her nose. “Any chance we can dedicate this party to something else before I die of embarrassment?”

Priscilla walked past me, pressing a can of Lindsay’s favorite strawberry shandy into her hand and taking the bag. “Your girlfriend’s just excited for you,” she said. “Don’t worry. Parties in Bayview forget what they were supposed to be about in ten minutes anyway and just turn into parties. But for the record… finishing the draft of your first book is also exciting. And as your friends, we’re excited for you.”

Lindsay gave her a soft, grateful smile. I put my hand on Priscilla’s shoulder, leaning in to face her. “That’s sweet and all, but no more hitting on my girlfriend,” I said. “In case you haven’t noticed, she’s mine and I don’t share.”

Lindsay looked away sharply, a blush creeping over her cheeks. “Paisley.”

Priscilla smiled sweetly at me. “You sure? Sharing’s fun.”

I didn’t give her the dignity of a response.

Lindsay sighed, settling into a soft smile. “Thanks, Priscilla. I, er… I mean, you’ve been there a lot for me.”

“Likewise.” She tucked her hair back with a soft smile. “You’ve grown a lot. You’re looking a lot happier these days.”

Priscilla turned back, one last glance with a sweet smile over her shoulder at the two of us before she headed back towards where the rest of the party was waiting—looking all smug, the little jerk. I had a good feeling she’d put together more than she let on about Lindsay, and she was just giving her the time and space to say it herself one day, and let it be known that I, Paisley Macleod, would never be possessive enough to get jealous that somebody else knew my girlfriend Lindsay’s secrets even just a little bit.

Annabel raised her hand over the crowd gathered in the living room. “Look, Linds, we love you and we’re proud of you, but we do not love you enough to stand here next to a cake all day while you hang out in the doorway…”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Lindsay sighed, walking inside, slipping her hand into mine so naturally, so much without a shadow of thought going into it, that all the jealous feelings I may or may not have had were instantly gone.

I was just proud I got to show her off. Not like anyone could blame me for it, since I had the hottest girlfriend in all Bayview.

Priscilla was right about one thing—we all forgot quickly enough what the party was supposed to be about, and we shared food and laughed together, with Lindsay abjectly avoiding the subject every time her book came up. Annabel was about the only one who didn’t try to grill her about it—she’d been the only one who had never slipped up on Lindsay’s name and had never even seemed to dream of prying for more, forever too busy with girls to think about gossip. We sliced a cake that was admittedly not my best work but I was learning, and we collapsed along the couch, over the chairs, and a couple of us on the floor for lack of space, and I made Emberlynn go red by blaring a full playlist of her songs, and we gushed and chattered about everything and about nothing—and most importantly, about what the juicy gossip going down with Jenna and Sam opening their relationship and the burning question of who was the temptation who got them to do it—and one way or another, night fell, and of course it was boring-ass Gwen who was the first to leave.

“I’ve got some design documents to draft,” she said airily as she packed up her things. I tossed a pillow at her, and she didn’t even try to dodge or deflect it, just looked at me while it bounced off her.

“You didn’t even compliment my girlfriend once on her great book.”

“For all we know, it might be a terrible book,” Gwen said.

“It absolutely is,” Lindsay said, looking away.

“You’re officially uninvited from all future events, Gwen, you jerkface,” I said, folding my arms.

“Delighted. If only you’ll stick to that this time instead of forgetting the next time you have an event.”

Kay latched onto her arm, smiling at me. “When she says design documents, I actually just asked her help with recording a video…”

“I’m going now,” Gwen said entirely too quickly, heading for the door. I snorted, looking at where Aria raised a hand off of Emberlynn’s back to wave goodbye.

“Don’t you have design documents to do?” I deadpanned. “Have to go scheme for your next billion-dollar enterprise.”

Aria smiled warmly. “Billion-dollar enterprises are overrated. The current project is getting off the ground enough I have more free time, and I plan to spend tomorrow morning hiking with your best friend like the terrible sister I am.”

I made a gagging sound, turning back to Lindsay and resting my head on her shoulder. “You’re the only one left who I still like. The only bastion of goodness in a terrible, cruel world.”

She planted a kiss against the side of my head, and suddenly nothing bad existed anywhere in the world anymore. “Explains why you refused to let me leave.”

“Well, yeah. You leave me alone and I get bored and start breeding lizards. You know, I considered taking up model rocketry when you first moved to New York…”

“Guess it’s a good thing you found me, or Bayview wouldn’t be left standing.”

Priscilla gave Lindsay a hug and a quiet I know we’re not acknowledging this, but congratulations again and I can’t wait to read it on her way out, and Annabel caught us in the entryway as we were getting ready to head out for the long trek over to my house six steps over. Lindsay rolled her eyes with a dry smile as Annabel just looked at her, ignoring my plight where I was fumbling getting my shoes on.

“Just spit it out,” Lindsay said.

“Say hypothetically you had just finished the draft of a book,” Annabel said. “What would be your next steps from here?”

Lindsay laughed. “What a fantastic question.”

“Always have been the type to go unrelentingly after something. Whether it’s for someone else or for yourself.”

Lindsay looked away. “How much has Priscilla told you about, anyway?”

“You know Scil doesn’t share secrets. I just know you pretty well… know the other girls thing wasn’t really the whole reason we ended.”

I folded my arms. “Are you talking about having dated my girlfriend right in front of me? While I’m full up on lethal energy and cake?”

Lindsay dropped her gaze, softening against the wall. “Sorry things were… messy. I feel like I gave you a complex.”

“Hey. Things happened the way they did, and they led me to Scil. I’m happy. And I’m happy for you.” She glanced over at me with a sly smile before looking back to Lindsay. “Especially because you two seem very happy.”

Lindsay brushed her hair back, giving Annabel a sweet smile. “I, ah… I’m a lucky woman like that. Fell in love with the one woman who wouldn’t let me self-sabotage by running away.”

I put my hands up. “Sue me if I know what I want and I go after it.”

Annabel nudged my shoulder. “Hey, you look happy, too, Pais. Bakery life treating you well, from the looks of things.”

“I mean, now that I have every morning shift covered and I don’t have to wake up at four in the morning anymore, life’s good. Now, I am taking my pretty girlfriend and going, especially since your girlfriend is shivering in the cold outside and you probably have another girl at home right now waiting for you.”

“Oh, you know. Just a couple.” She raised a hand as she headed out the door. “Catch you later, you two. Coming to the show on Sunday? Nancy won’t forgive you if you don’t show up. She’s been talking about it ever since she got out of the hospital.”

“Oh, crap, I forgot about the show,” I said. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Unless I forget again.”

Lindsay nudged me. “I’ll remind her. We’ll be there.”

“See you then,” she said, shutting the door behind her. Lindsay headed out the door not long after, but Emberlynn caught me in the doorway while I was fumbling with my coat.

“Hey, Pais,” she said. “I know this is a rushed time to ask, but… are you feeling better?”

I blinked at her. “Nah, still got the tuberculosis. Been hacking up blood all day. I only got a little bit in the soup, though.”

“Don’t say that. If anyone actually would, it’s you.” She leaned against the wall, giving me an odd smile. “Just… you switch between glasses and contacts a lot.”

Oh, we were doing the veiled language game, huh? I rolled my eyes, turning away with a dry smile. “Yeah, yeah. I look good in both.”

“You look… fine.”

“You’d better be glad I’ve sworn eternal allegiance to our sisterly blood bond. Otherwise I’d break you over my knee for insulting Lindsay’s girlfriend.”

She laughed. “So, when you two getting married?”

I stuck out my tongue at her. “Oh, you know. Could be tomorrow, could be the day after.”

“Are you going to bake the cake for your own wedding?”

“No, Lindsay’s definitely doing it. Already cleared the subject with her.”

She laughed, eyes sparkling, before she swatted my arm. “All right, I’ll let you go spend an entire night gawking at your girlfriend. Can’t afford to piss you off since I’m counting on you to climb in the window and scare my mom once she visits again.”

“I know. You’re not scary enough. Catch you later, loser.”

“See you, dork,” she said, as I headed out the door and caught up with Lindsay, who was waiting by the door to my house, looking up from her phone as I approached her.

“You could have gone inside instead of freezing your cute little nose off,” I said.

“It’s forty degrees out. I think I’ll live.” She opened the door, letting me inside, and we didn’t even get our coats off before I crashed into her, kissing her wildly before settling into cuddling softly against her shoulder.

“You know you’re totally unbelievable,” I said. “Finishing your first book in, like, three months?”

“Oh, we’re back on the book…” She looked away. “It’s fine.”

“You’re going to be a big-name star and all the girls will want you.”

“They can try,” she said lightly. “I’ve got the one I want.”

“Oh my god,” I said, swatting her. “Stop! You’ll make me squeal and it’ll be embarrassing for us both.”

She laughed, catching me and pressing a kiss to my lips before she tugged me towards the stairs. “Hey, I love you. Let me be mushy sometimes.”

I went with her up the stairs and out to the balcony, leaning against her side as we both sank against the railing. “Fine,” I mumbled, finally. “Not like I don’t like it when you’re mushy.”

She kissed my forehead, and I think the only thing I could have ever wanted in the world was for her to do it again. “Then I’ll keep going,” she said. “I love you.”

“Mm. I love you too, pretty girl.”

“And I’m glad you found me.” She looked down, her expression softening. “Really… really found me.”

I closed my eyes, resting against her shoulder. “I like seeing your smile. Your smile.”

“Oh, now who’s mushy?”

“Signs point to me.” I nuzzled my face against her shoulder. “You know… I think she’d be proud to see you’ve done all this.”

“Mm.” She folded her arms on the railing, leaning forwards. “I think so. But I think more about someone else these days.”

I sighed, softly, just letting myself melt into her and into this moment—the two of us, and the taste of the Bayview breeze slightly salty in the air, promising rain before too long. Far off down the street below, I could still see Annabel’s and Priscilla’s silhouettes disappearing down the road, and the sound of Aria and Emberlynn laughing together about something from the house next door filled the air with something soft.

Funny little family we had out here. I liked it, though.