Page 146 of Fly with Me

“Yes, what?”

Olive laughed and covered Stella’s hand with her own. “Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend.”

“Are you sure?” Stella’s dark brown eyes glittered with unshed tears.

Olive nodded and kissed Stella’s knuckles. “But incidentally, as I said, I was on a plane today. I was gearing up for some big romantic gesture, but this is better. Anyway, I actually didn’t hate it. I love that you’re a pilot for many reasons, not the least of which being that you look hot as hell in your uniform, and I still have many plans for that necktie of yours.”

Stella grinned and clasped Olive’s hand to her chest. “Gosh, when we were kissing after the awards banquet, I wanted to rip your clothes off even then. I’ve missed you so much. Not just the sex, which is amazing by the way, and I would really like to have it all the time with you. Additionally, I’m very interested in all future recreational necktie activities.”

Olive snorted.

“But I missed everything about you.” Stella traced a delicate line along Olive’s cheek.

“It was real before we knew it was real.” And Olive brushed her mouth lightly over Stella’s. She tasted like chocolate and honey today. “It was always real.”

Pulling away an inch, Stella smiled. “If it walks like a duck…”

“Exactly. If it texts like a girlfriend and”—Olive spoke between urgent kisses—“and kisses like a girlfriend and fu—”

“I get the idea.” Stella’s mouth drooped in a sudden frown. “I still think this was all my fault. I messed up your life. I hate I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. I’m so sorry about Jake.” Stella pulled her into a firm embrace. “I should’ve been there.”

“You didn’t mess anything up. It was my choice not to tell you about Jake, and it was the wrong one. And just so you know, I didn’t have a life before I met you. I mean, I did. But I wasn’t living it. I had a plane ticket and a race bib and a checklist. But I was doing it all for someone else. Someone who’s gone. It felt like going through the motions. Now I want it all for me. I want every experience. And ideally, that would mean spending those moments with you.”

“I’d like that.” Stella’s smile stretched, deepening her dimples.

“When I was on that tiny and scary plane today, I realized I was more afraid of losing you than of dying in a fiery wreckage crater.”

Stella pulled away enough so their eyes could meet. “You really do know how to sweet-talk.”

“I know how to sweet-talk you.” Olive kissed her neck. “Label makers.” She kissed her shoulder. “Rustic organizational wicker baskets. Color-coordinated binder tabs.”

“I hate you.” Stella’s mouth pushed into an adorable and also very kissable pout, so Olive took full advantage of it.

“Do you?” she said against Stella’s lips.

“No.”

“That brings me to the last thing I wanted to say… Don’t freak out.” She took a step away and stood to her fullest height.

“Okay…” Stella stiffened, looking confused.

“I love you. If there’s one thing I learned with Jake it’s that I shouldn’t wait about telling people how I feel, so I needed to tell you the whole truth right now.”

Stella swallowed audibly but didn’t speak.

“I love you even though you talk in paragraphs and can’t stand messes and you make elaborate binders with multicolor tabs in elegant fonts. I love all of those things about you. I love everything about you because for the first time in my life I’m not afraid. Life can suck. And I know it’s going to suck sometimes, but as long as we’re together, we’ll be fine.”

Stella grinned wider than Olive had ever seen her grin before. “I love you, too.”

It was Olive’s turn to stand frozen, barely believing it.

Eyes sparkling, Stella laughed. “Even though you’re surly and a little messy and think airplanes stay up by magic.”

“At least we both agree on Swedish Fish.” And between the kissing and the laughter, Olive knew everything was going to be okay.

Epilogue

Seventeen Months Later