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It felt normal—good, even. Being close to someone she trusted. Someone who really knew her.

But even though it felt good, something about it didn’t feelright.

As Tiana leaned in, Sam instinctively pulled her head back.

“Not tonight,” she murmured, her voice soft but firm.

Tiana hesitated for a moment before nodding and stepping back with a small, disappointed smile. “Guess some thingsdochange then, huh?”

Chapter seven

Sam looked up from her computer to the window of her apartment, where the morning sun streamed through the glass, casting golden stripes across the hardwood floor.

She glanced down at the time glowing on the corner of her monitor, sitting atop the wide white desk cluttered with notebooks and pens. Even after working for a couple of hours, it was still relatively early in the morning.

She stifled a yawn, lifting one hand to rub at her tired eyes while the other hovered over her keyboard.

A knock at the door broke through the quiet. Sam frowned, glancing up. It was too early to be expecting anyone.

Stretching her neck, she pushed back from the desk and trudged toward the door.

Sam pulled it open and blinked in surprise. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face.

“Hey,” she said, her voice hoarse from hours of quiet. The headphones bobbed around her neck as she shifted in the doorway.

Jess smiled back. “Sorry, I know it’s early. I just—couldn’t sleep. Figured you’d be up, too.”

Sam smiled softly. “It’s fine.” She stepped aside, letting Jess in.

“I brought coffee,” Jess said, holding out the cup like a lifeline.

Sam groaned, taking the cup from her quickly, like it was the last drop of liquid left on earth. “You’re the best,” she muttered, taking a sip, the bitter edge pulling her out of her fog.

As Jess wandered past her into the small space of the living room, Sam made a beeline for the kitchen, navigating around the mess of papers, boxes, and everything else she hadn’t gotten to in the past few days.

“Sorry,” she called over her shoulder, setting the cup down by the sink as she tried to quickly organize the chaos. “Got sucked into work this morning. Thought I’d have more time to clean up before you got here.”

The second Jess froze near the couch, Sam knew exactly what she’d walked into. She didn’t even need to look. Her gut twisted, a wave of embarrassment surging through her before she even spotted it—the strap-on, sitting there in plain view.

“Shit,” Sam muttered under her breath, crossing the room in two long strides. She snatched it up, quick but not quick enough to erase the awkwardness choking the air. “Sorry. I—uh, forgot she left this out.”

Jess’ face flushed, her eyes darting everywhere but the couch. “It’s fine,” Jess muttered, her voice too high, too tight.

Sam could see it, how Jess’ mind was probably working overtime, piecing together whatever thoughts about Tiana she’d been avoiding. Hell, it wasn’t like Sam wanted to think about it either, at least not in that moment.

Without another word, Sam disappeared down the hall, dumping it onto her bed before she could overthink it. The apology fumbled out of her mouth as she came back. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t—”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Jess cut her off, her voice hitting that painfully awkward tone, followed by a laugh that was obviously more nerves than humor. “Really. You don’t have to explain anything.”

Sam knew that laugh, and more than that, she knew Jess didn’t want an explanation. The tension between them was so thick it was suffocating, but when their eyes met, Sam couldn’t hold it anymore. The ridiculousness of it all cracked her, and before she could stop herself, she was laughing.

Jess’ eyes widened in surprise, but a second later, she was laughing, too. Not just a nervous chuckle, but a deep, genuine laugh. The kind that made her shoulders shake and her cheeks flush.

And just like that, the tension shattered.

Sam ambled to the kitchen, still chuckling, as she grabbed her coffee and returned. She stepped around the couch, dropping onto the gray cushions.

Jess wrinkled her brow, looking down at the couch with apprehension.