Page 124

about sex. She’d never imagined actually sharing her life with another

person like this. Never allowed herself to actually dream.

Not like she was doing now. She imagined Romi moving in with her

eventually. Sharing a room. A bed. The house. She imagined going on dates

with her, experiencing life, maybe even having a family one day. Now it

was more than just her chest pinching. Her entire body felt like it was being

crushed under a weight, but it wasn’t a terrible weight. It was just a heavy

sensation. Disbelief. Maybe that’s what it was. She was daring to believe

that everything she’d never thought could be possible for her might actually

happen.

“I bought wine,” she whispered, since that seemed safer than grasping

both of Romi’s hands and asking her if she

wanted children one day.

Romi glanced around the house. “That’s great. Thank you. This place is

amazing. I love the neighborhood. Everyone’s houses are so beautiful.”

“They have that old-world charm that most new places don’t.”

“I wasn’t sure what the inside would look like when I was standing

outside trying to get brave enough to knock on the door,” Romi admitted

with a soft, self-depreciating chuckle.

“You were nervous?” That surprised Kiera. Why didn’t she ever consider

that Romi would be scared too?

“Yes. Of course. You’re so beautiful. And perfect. I keep thinking that

you’ll change your mind about me.”

“About you?”

“Yes. I’m just so ordinary compared to you.”

“Ordinary?” Kiera scoffed. This time she did take Romi’s hand. She

smoothed her finger over the smooth, soft skin of her knuckles. She gasped

when Kiera looked straight into her gorgeous jade eyes. They were so filled

with emotion, hope, vulnerability, fear, that it made the ache in her chest

that much harder to bear. “You’re not ordinary. Even if you were, that’s not