Page 112

"So are you." I looked up at her and kissed her softly. She melted into it with me, her body slouching in the pillows again. My hand slid down her belly to the top of her unbuttoned jeans. She stopped me though, when I made to sneak my fingers behind them.

"Not here," she said, her lips against my ear.

"But did you…"

She nodded and urged my hand back up to her chest. "Yeah."

"Why not here?"

"Only alone with you," was all she said, and I nodded my understanding.

"I want a brownie," I heard Nora croak and Caroline chuckled. "With ice cream."

"Ready for me to spoil you then?" Caroline asked, her smile broad when Nora nodded. "Okay, love." She kissed her gently. "Stay with Sam for a minute."

"Okay." Nora scooted closer to us when Caroline broke away from her.

"Rosie, want some ice cream?"

"No thanks, but a brownie sounds good," I said and Sam chuckled behind me.

"We already have those." Nora let the blanket fall around her middle when she sat up, then pulled the tray of brownies from atop the mini-fridge and into her lap. "Yummy."

Sam and I sat up to join her and she handed me a brownie. I took it and didn't hesitate before taking a heaping bite. Nora glanced to Sam, then leaned her shoulder against her while she plucked at her chocolate confection. I glanced between them and Sam draped her arm around Nora, but rested her hand on her head. That seemed to settle her some in Caroline's absence. Even though no sound filled the room, it felt loud to me, as if charged by our energies.

Caroline returned with two heaping bowls of ice cream, one vanilla, one chocolate, and rejoined us on the mat. She handed the vanilla one to Nora, who wasted not a second dropping some brownies into the bowl before diving in. She gave me the bowl of chocolate, and I took a spoonful without much thought. Caroline winked at Sam who chuckled. Nora broke away from Sam to sit between Caroline's legs again.

"I thought you didn't want ice cream." Sam laughed at me and I offered her a bite.

"Fake out," I said, grinning when she accepted it.

"Rosie, would you scene with us again?" asked Nora, seemingly out of nowhere. Caroline smiled and nuzzled Nora's cheek with her nose.

"Um...maybe." I looked to Sam and she tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Only if you want to, baby."

"Maybe." My face heated up as I took a bite of ice cream to distract from my shyness.

"It was fine in the heat of it, but now it's unusual to talk about, right?" asked Caroline and I nodded. "It's okay and normal. Take your time to think about it."

"Did you scene with just the two of them before?" I asked Sam and she nodded.

"Does that bother you?" she asked, her expression dimming slightly.

"It doesn't. When was the last time?" I propped the near-empty bowl on her knee.

"Before tonight, a few years ago," she said, her expression carrying an air of worry evident in her wrinkled brow.

I nodded and set the bowl down beside us before curling up against her again. She wrapped me in a hug before kissing my forehead. "Tired?"

"Very." I yawned and glanced to Nora who offered me a smile. She reached her hand out to me, and I glanced to Caroline who offered me a faint nod. I took her hand and she gave me a gentle squeeze before letting me go. Sam smiled and ran her fingers through my hair.

"You know, Rosie. It's very special for Nora tonight. She hasn't agreed to share a scene with anyone for a long time. She appreciates you and feels safe." Samirah explained Nora's motivations as if she could read her mind. Nora's soft smile remained as she snuggled with Caroline.

"If you ladies decide to crash here tonight, I solemnly swear to make piles of pancakes in the morning." Caroline lifted her hand in a Girl Scout salute that made us laugh.

"What do you say, my sweet?" Sam poked my nose. "Stay or go?"