Chapter 23

Isabella looked out at the beach and watched her group playing volleyball with other people enjoying the spring break party. She and Kelsey still hadn't had an opportunity to talk about what was growing between them. There were times when she wanted to grab Kelsey, pull her behind a tree, and kiss her until they both couldn't breathe. Then there were the times she wanted to reach over and simply hold her hand. They were running out of time because it was the last day of spring break and they'd fly home tomorrow.

Isabella sighed and wondered if this was how it felt for people in the closet. At the moment she felt like she couldn't be her authentic self and had to hide her feelings for Kelsey. She kept things in the friend zone, but the longing she felt to simply sit and talk to Kelsey was growing to the point she might explode. Maybe she could come up with some excuse about work that they had to deal with so they could be alone.

"Are you keeping up with the twenty-year-olds?"

Isabella turned to find Riley sliding in the seat next to her. "Barely," she replied. "This is our last day."

"I've been watching your posts and everyone seems to be having a great time," Riley said.

"They are. The kids get along well. Kels and I have had fun with them."

"Then why don't you look happy?" Riley asked.

Isabella glanced over at her. "I don't?"

"You seem to be watching a certain dark-haired beauty. We've done this before," Riley teased.

Isabella chuckled. "I do like watching her. Kelsey and I haven't had a moment to ourselves and there's something important we need to talk about."

"I see." Riley nodded. "Can I help with that?"

"I don't know, can you?" Isabella looked at her friend and the slightest feeling of hope danced in her chest.

"Riley," Dana said, running up to them. "Alex needs the air pump for the volleyball."

"I'll be right back." Riley got up and went into the bar.

Dana sat down next to Isabella, put her arm around her, and gave her a side hug.

Isabella chuckled. "What was that for?"

"For making my mom happy. She is having so much fun."

"We always have fun," Isabella replied.

"Mom has given up a lot for us. She says she hasn't, but I know she has."

"Your mom didn't do anything she didn't want to."

Dana looked over at Isabella. "She's talked to you about us?"

Isabella nodded.

"She rarely dates. Besides, who would want to have a relationship when she has a couple of kids?" Dana said. "At least now we're out of the house and she has more privacy."

"She just hasn't found the right woman yet," Isabella said, watching Kelsey hit the ball.

"It doesn't mean she won't."

"I hope so. Emma and I will be moving when we graduate."

"You won't mind sharing her with someone else?" Isabella asked, raising her eyebrows. "You're both pretty protective of her."

"Hey, maybe she'll find someone on these trips!" Dana exclaimed.

Isabella smiled. She wondered if maybe Kelsey already had.

"Here you go," Riley said, walking up and handing Dana the air pump. "Can you take your mom's place? I need her up here to help me with something."

"Sure. I'll tell her. Thanks," Dana said and started to walk back to the beach. "Hey, Isabella, I'd share my mom with you." Then she ran off the patio.

"What was that?" Riley asked.

Isabella shook her head. "I'm not sure."

Kelsey walked up to the patio and Isabella noticed the fine sheen of sweat on her shoulders. Why is that so hot?

"Come with me, you two," Riley said, leading them into the bar. "I have something I want to show you."

Isabella and Kelsey exchanged a look and followed Riley into Peaches. She led them through a door at the end of the bar and up a flight of stairs. She opened another door into a large room that took up the space over the bar.

"This is lovely," Isabella said.

"Alex and I love it up here. She keeps asking me if I want to live in a house, but this is where we fell in love and I don't want to leave it."

"It's beautiful," Kelsey said.

"We have everything we need. This is the living area and kitchen. That door leads to the bathroom and this is our bedroom," Riley said, walking into the other room. "Come on."

They followed her into the bedroom and out a door that led to a patio.

"Oh my God!" Isabella exclaimed.

"Just wait," Riley said. "One more flight."

They walked up a set of stairs that opened up to a rooftop deck.

Kelsey gasped. "You can see forever up here."

"Now you know why I don't want to move," Riley said. "Okay, I will take care of the kids while you have a moment of peace. There's beer in that little refrigerator."

Isabella took a moment to look around the space. There was a couch with tables and lounge chairs that looked out over the water.

"This is incredible," Kelsey said.

"Yeah, and so are you," Isabella said.

Kelsey turned around and smiled at Isabella.

"I told Riley we had something important to talk about, but we haven't had a moment alone the entire trip," Isabella said.

"I know and it's been killing me," Kelsey said.

"Let's sit," Isabella suggested.

They settled on the couch and Isabella looked at Kesley. "You are so beautiful." She ran her fingers through Kelsey's hair. "I see a few strands of gray."

"You put them there."

"Me?"

"Yes, by saying things like that."

"I can't tell you that you're beautiful?" Isabella asked softly.

"You are such an important part of my life now, Bella. You keep saying things like that and what's going to happen? We have a fling in the islands and after our year is over we go back to our lives."

"Who says it has to be over?"

Kelsey closed her eyes. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered.

"What if we made it?"

Kelsey's eyes popped open and Isabella looked at her seriously. "I don't want to go back to my life the way it was before. The time we've spent here is the best part of my year. Why can't we have it all month long?"

Kelsey sighed. "This wouldn't just be a fling for me."

"It wouldn't be for me either. I can't stop thinking about you. And when I think about you, my next thought is of kissing you. I miss you when we're not here."

"I miss you, too," Kelsey said.

"But what do you think, Kels?"

Kelsey let out a breath and reached for Isabella's hands. "I think this is the best thing that's ever happened to me, yet I don't know how to make it happen."

Isabella scoffed then smiled. "Aren't we a couple."

That got a small smile from Kelsey.

"I want our next trip to be just us. We'll do some kind of relaxing vacation theme where we won't have to video and post as much. We'll have time to figure this out."

Kelsey raised her eyebrows. "Figure this out? You've never been with a woman. We can walk this back and still be friends, Bella."

Isabella felt heat rise to her cheeks and a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Can we, Kelsey?"

Kelsey sighed in frustration. "I'm afraid if I tell you everything that's swirling in my heart it'll scare you away."

"That's what next month's trip is for. We can talk about all our fears, doubts, hopes and what it means to this job we're doing?—"

"And our families," Kelsey said. "It's not such a big deal for my girls, but your boys are younger."

Isabella smiled. Of course Kelsey was thinking of her. "They won't always be that way."

Kelsey smirked. "You know what I mean. This is different from just going out with someone new."

"Because you're a woman?"

Kelsey nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, that adds another layer to the other things we have to consider."

"Do you want to date me, Kels?" Isabella asked.

Kelsey grinned. "Date you? We live in different states and see each other once a month."

"If you think about it, we've been dating pretty much since the moment we met," Isabella said.

Kelsey tilted her head. "Hmm, that's one way to look at it."

Isabella leaned over and cupped the side of Kelsey's face with her hand. "I know who you are, Kels. I want to know more and I think you do, too," Isabella said, staring into her eyes. "I'm falling in love with you and I think you're in love with me." Isabella smiled softly.

Kelsey opened her mouth to speak and Isabella reached over and put her fingers over her lips. "Don't start with the what ifs. Kiss me. Then you'll know we can make it work. Because how could we not."

Kelsey crashed her lips to Isabella's in a steamy kiss. They both moaned and Isabella felt Kelsey's fingers fist in her hair, holding their lips together.

All the waiting, all the anticipation, all the hidden emotions erupted into that searing kiss. Isabella reached around Kelsey's middle and pulled her closer.

After several moments Isabella felt Kelsey loosen her hold and they began to softly caress each other's lips in the most luxurious of kisses. Heated breaths with quiet moans were the build-up to another scorching kiss. When their tongues touched, once again Isabella felt her heart open grasping for more of Kelsey. If this was how she felt kissing this incredible woman, Isabella couldn't imagine what would happen next.

They pulled apart, both heaving for needed breaths.

Isabella looked into Kelsey's eyes with amusement. "Go back to being friends. Are you fucking kidding me!"

Kelsey chuckled. "I wasn't sure how you felt."

Isabella tilted her head. "Let me show you."

She grabbed Kelsey's face and pressed their lips together in a long, soulful kiss. Isabella took her time, gently touching her tongue to Kelsey's, softly exploring her sumptuous mouth and ever so slowly pulling away.

With her lips just touching Kelsey's, she whispered, "That's how I feel."

Kelsey smiled and Isabella could see the emotion in her eyes. Too soon, too soon, too soon, she chided herself. Oh, who was she kidding, she could see love in Kelsey's eyes.

"I don't want anyone to know yet," Kelsey said. "I want to keep this for just us."

Isabella nodded. "You know, right before you walked up, Dana told me she'd share you with me."

Kelsey's eyes widened. "She did?"

"Those girls love you and want you to be happy. They also don't want you to be alone."

"I'm not," Kelsey said with a smile and a sweet kiss to Isabella's lips.

"I know we have more to talk about, but while we're alone," Isabella said, wrapping her arms around Kelsey's shoulders and crawling onto her lap, "all I want to do is keep kissing you."

Kelsey smiled and kissed Isabella on the cheek then below her ear. Isabella melted into Kelsey's arms when she ran her tongue along the pulse point in her neck.

"Oh, God, Kels," Isabella moaned.

She felt Kelsey pull her even closer until her center was flush against Kelsey's stomach. Isabella found Kelsey's lips once again and as she slid her tongue in Kelsey's mouth, she ground her hips into Kelsey.

"Fuck, Bella," Kelsey groaned.

"Hey, Dana. Where's Mom?" They heard Emma yell down on the beach.

Isabella pulled her lips from Kelsey's and widened her eyes.

"Ignore them," Kelsey said, capturing Isabella's lips once again.

Isabella giggled. "I guess we've been missed. What is it with your girls? They like you."

Kelsey laughed. "They like you, too."

Isabella took Kelsey's face in her hands and smiled. "I know we won't get to dance tonight, but I'll play our song and think about you."

"Don't give up, Bella. Maybe I can sneak out of my room," Kelsey said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Isabella couldn't keep from laughing. "They're supposed to be sneaking away from us!"

Kelsey shrugged. "We're having more fun."

"Mmm, we definitely are now," Isabella said in a sultry voice as she kissed Kelsey again.

A few moments later she pulled away, stood up, and offered her hand to Kelsey. "We'd better go."

"I can't wait for next month," Kelsey said.

"We'll figure this out," Isabella replied. She led them down the stairway to Riley and Alex's bedroom then out of their apartment.

"Can you imagine living here?"

"Maybe someday," Kelsey said, putting her hand on the door that led to the bar before Isabella could open it.

Isabella turned to her and smiled, then she pressed her lips to Kelsey's for one more tender kiss. What was it about Kelsey's kisses? They lit Isabella on fire at times and at others soothed her soul. She reluctantly pulled away, but placed her hand over Kelsey's heart.

"My heart is talking to your heart," Isabella said.

"I know," Kelsey whispered and smiled. "I hear it."

Isabella groaned. "Fuck," she mumbled and opened the door.