14. Sarah

14

SARAH

I scooped up piles of kids' clothes as I ran from one end of the house to the other.

"Why did I offer tonight? This place is a fucking disaster." Rubbing my forehead, I checked the time. With just a few minutes to go, I needed to find a way to make it seem like I wasn't living in constant squalor.

I was about to ask myself why I thought Bri would care when the front door rang.

"Shit." I muttered.

Throwing open the entryway closet, I tossed the clothes on the floor and slammed the door shut.

I stood next to the door, fixing my flyaways in the mirror and taking a deep breath. With a nod at my harried reflection, I swung open the door to a smiling Brianne Shaw. "Hi there."

"Hello," she ducked her head, almost looking bashful. Why did that sheepish grin make my stomach turn?

Swallowing my nerves, I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and stepped to the side, gesturing for her to enter. "Come on in."

As she walked in, Bri looked around curiously. It was a pretty generic house for an interior designer: a McMansion built just before the 2008 financial crisis, just like every other house on the block. It was also one of the only places Jason and I could afford when we first found out I was pregnant.

"It's beautiful." Bri hugged me as she came inside, her earthy scent strong under the smell of fresh body soap.

I shrugged. "I wouldn't say that. But it works, and it's fairly kid-proof."

Smiling at me, Bri nodded. "And that's a beautiful thing."

Not wanting her to see my blush, I walked her through the house toward the kitchen where steaming boxes of pizza waited for us. "I'm so sorry for the mess."

"Sarah, please. I saw your room in your parents' house. This is a vast improvement." Bri couldn't hold back her hardy laugh. Licking her lips, she walked up to the pizza boxes and lifted the lids.

I watched her face closely, trying to sense if I'd picked something she'd like.

Rubbing her hands together, Bri smirked. "This is quite the selection, Sarah. Two pies, four types."

I walked closer to her and peeked inside. "I never get to order fun flavors because the kids always want cheese and pepperoni. So I just kind of committed."

"I love it." Bri turned to look at me, our faces just a few inches apart as the steam from the boxes rose around us.

Nervous about what would come next, I grabbed a plate and handed it to Bri more roughly than I meant to. "Help yourself."

She broke our eye contact and happily dished out a couple slices. She picked one veggie slice and one buffalo chicken to start, rinsing her hands in the kitchen sink before taking her plate over to the table.

As I started to dish my own slices, Bri turned back to look at me. "Where should we sit?"

I smiled. "Living room. The dining table is weirdly sticky no matter how many times I wipe it."

"I guess that's what kids are for." Bri chuckled as she set her plate down on the mid century modern coffee table.

Pulling apart the cheesy pizza, I took a slice of buffalo chicken and an absolutely loaded sausage and pepper. My mouth watered at the sight. I could barely take my eyes off the steaming hot food to navigate toward the living room.

Bri was stationed on the floor, her legs spread out under the coffee table. Like a well-mannered country girl, she hadn't touched her plate.

"You didn't have to wait." I teased as I slipped onto the floor next to her.

Bri shrugged. "When was the last time someone waited for you?"

The question made my chest hurt. The answer was even worse. Honestly… I couldn't remember. And to be fair, since the divorce, I didn't bother making the kids wait for me. There was always too much to do and not enough time.

"A while." I finally managed.

Once I was settled, Bri lifted her veggie slice to mine, and we cheersed. "To getting closer."

I giggled as our slices collided. "I wouldn't expect you to start with a veggie slice."

"Well, then the boring bit is out of the way. I can indulge in the savory and know that I ate my vegetables." Bri winked.

We both knew the small amount of veggies piled on top of a pizza hardly met the FDA's recommended portions. But life was for living.

I took a bite of my own slice, digging into the sausage and peppers first. It was steaming hot, so much so that I almost burned my tongue. But it felt like heaven: hot food and peaceful quiet. I could still see the steam drifting off the pie.

A moan escaped my lips as I chewed. "Fuck, that's good."

Bri laughed. "This is genuinely so fun to watch."

Suddenly self-conscious, I could feel her eyes watching my lips. I tossed down my slice on the plate and grabbed a napkin, wiping the grease from my mouth.

Bri put her hand on my forearm and lowered her voice to a low rumble. "You don't need to clean up for me. I like you just as you are."

A lump the size of Texas filled my throat, making it hard to breathe. Has Bri always been this charming?

I set down my food and smiled, trying to stop the pulse of excitement running through my body. "So, you wanted to talk about the table."

"Boring." Bri teased as she wiped her own hands. "I honestly don't even know what I want to ask."

Giggling, I finished chewing my bite of pizza. "Well, what're your hesitations?"

Bri looked away from me, her eyes scanning the room. I could tell that she was taking in the family pictures on the walls, the thrifted art, and the mess buried under every piece of furniture.

I tried not to get self-conscious as she looked around.

Eventually, Bri broke the silence. "What if it's not what she wants?"

"It will be." I had to stop myself from laughing. Bri was oblivious to how desperately Victoria wanted a custom piece.

Rolling her eyes, Bri nudged me. "But how can you know that?"

I looked up at the ceiling, trying to find the words. I knew if I looked at her, I wouldn't ever figure out what to say. "Because she's obsessed with your work. She likes the unattainable. Even if it sucks, she'll like knowing that she got you. Honestly, if she hates it, she'll just buy a new one."

As soon as the words left my lips, my brain was connecting the dots. Is that why Vic wants me?

"But I haven't made a piece in so long. What if I can't?" Bri bit the inside of her cheek, an unusual insecurity washing over her.

Resting my head on my hands, I chuckled. "I don't think you know how to fail."

Silence fell over us.

After a minute, I turned toward her. "Why did you really quit before?"

Bri smirked, her dimples creating stunning caverns on her perfect face. After licking her lips, she caved. "Only Sarah Greenwood can make me confess."

I winked at her. "It's my specialty." Shifting my body closer to hers, I watched her carefully.

Meeting my eyes, Bri sighed. "Honestly, it was exhausting. I felt like no matter how well I did, there was always something more to strive for. Sculpture was competitive. The galleries had incredibly limited space for floor pieces. It was too much. And somewhere along the way, I lost my drive to do it."

I scoffed. "Hard to imagine that you would have struggled to find a muse." Just looking at her, it felt impossible that anyone would turn her down. Hell, I wouldn't.

Shrugging, Bri broke our eye contact. She grabbed both of our plates and walked to the sink. "None of them were what I was looking for."

Before I could get to it, she started to pack up the pizza into baggies, stacking them neatly on the counter. I stood and sauntered after her, unable to keep my eyes off how good her ass looked in those jeans. Have I ever looked at an ass like this? My throat tightened at the thought of how it would feel pressed against me.

I tried to shake the idea. "You don't need to do that."

"I know, but I want to." As she waited for the faucet to warm up, she sighed. "I'll make the table. But that's it. I won't let you convince me to make anything else."

A nervous smile played on my cheeks. "Really?"

She nodded and rolled her eyes. "Yes, really. Only because it's you."

"I'm flattered." I swallowed hard as I watched Bri move.

She placed the bags in the fridge and moved to the sink where she sudsed up a sponge and got to washing. As she washed, her eyes wandered around the kitchen. "It's weird to be here."

My face scrunched up. "How so?"

"I don't know… hanging out in the house you lived in with Jason." Bri swallowed hard, avoiding what she really meant.

A part of me knew exactly what she meant. But I wasn't prepared to make any assumptions about how she felt. Maybe she did just mean that she saw us as teenagers and this is all so adult .

I walked closer to her, not wanting to shout over running water and the clanking of dishes. "Why, Brianne?"

Bri set the plate down in the sink, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she considered her words. With her chin low, she turned her head toward me. "You know why, Sarah."

Duh. I always knew. I never wanted to be that cringey girl who assumed her queer friend was flirting with her. But the connection I felt with Bri always felt different. I just couldn't figure out how.

Until now.

I knew she had felt the same. And maybe even still did.

My body gravitated toward hers, my arms wrapping around her waist as she faced the sink. I felt like my heart was in my throat, leaping from my chest to hers.

Feeling my heat pressed to her back, Bri turned off the water, resting her hands on the edge of the porcelain. I clasped my own over her toned stomach, feeling her tight abs underneath the loose t-shirt. My head rested against her back, just as strong as her core. It rose and fell with each of her breaths.

Bri's body relaxed, her shoulders dropping as her head tilted back to rest on mine. "Sarah…"

"Yes, Bri?" I muttered into her shirt.

Turning in my arms, she faced me. She placed her hands on my face and lifted my chin toward her lips.

For a moment, she paused. I opened my eyes just enough to show her how badly I wanted to kiss her. And before she could ask, I moved my head in and closed the inch-wide gap between us, letting our lips finally meet.