Page 19

Pete and Izzy eventually joined in and passed out drinks. Maggie and Danica danced somewhere nearby, lighthearted and giggly, and Kiera grinned, her confidence growing with each beat.

Her gaze drifted to Izzy, who lingered at the edge of the group, swaying and nursing her fancy cocktail in a plastic cup. Kiera couldn’t help but notice how striking she was in the club’s neon glow.

The DJ switched to a slower, sultrier track, and the mood on the dance floor shifted. Kiera closed her eyes again, moving with the music, her body attuned to the rhythm. When she opened them, Izzy was closer to her, her expression unreadable but intense.

Kiera stifled a smile, glancing to see that Pete and Danica were in their own world and Maggie was getting another drink from the bar.

Izzy stepped into the space in front of her, not saying another word.

They began to dance, their movements hesitant at first but gradually falling into sync. Kiera’s pulse thrummed in time with the music, a deep, steady rhythm that felt like it had taken over her entire body. She could feel the heat radiating from Izzy, her presence like a magnetic force drawing her closer.

As the world around them blurred, Kiera’s thoughts began to wander. This wasn’t the first time she’d danced with Izzy. One of her most replayed memories came to mind, unbidden but vivid: a college party, both of them tipsy and laughing, the music loud and the room packed with people. Dancing, their hands brushing, their bodies finding an easy rhythm. It had been the night of their first kiss — their only kiss. Kiera could still remember the way Izzy had looked at her, a mixture of headylust and something deeper that made Kiera’s chest tighten even now.

She’d thought about that kiss so many times over the years, replaying it in her mind like a favorite scene from a movie. It had been fun and sexy and intense. She’d held back then, too scared to admit what she wanted — women, or perhaps just Izzy — and by the time she’d gathered the courage, the moment had passed. She often wondered what might have happened if she’d been braver, if she’d taken the next step.

Now, as Izzy moved closer, the memory felt like a spark catching fire. Kiera’s senses sharpened, every detail of Izzy coming into focus: the way her eyes glimmered in the neon light, the curve of her lips, the slight friction between them as they swayed. Her skin tingled with the excitement of being so near Izzy.

The air between them grew heavier, charged with an energy that made Kiera’s head spin. She was suddenly aware of everything — the faint scent of Izzy’s cherry and ginger perfume, the warmth of Izzy’s body so close to hers, the way Izzy’s fingers brushed hers as they moved together. It felt like the rest of the room had disappeared, leaving just the two of them in this electric bubble.

Kiera’s heart pounded harder, her palms damp with nerves and exhilaration. Her gaze lingered on Izzy’s lips, and she felt a pull so strong it was almost involuntary. The tension between them was unbearable, stretching taut, about to snap.

Izzy’s eyes flickered down to Kiera’s mouth, too, then back up, and Kiera felt something shift. A silent invitation. Her pulse roared in her ears, drowning out everything but the overwhelming urge to close the distance between them.

But just as her breath caught, Izzy’s expression shifted — hardening, as if she’d remembered something. Izzy took a small step back, breaking the spell between them.

“I’m gonna go try to find Maggie and grab another drink,” Izzy said, her voice quieter, almost reluctant.

Kiera nodded, swallowing hard as she forced a smile. “Yeah.” Danica and Pete were talking near the edge of the dance floor, but she couldn’t spot Maggie. “Probably a good idea.”

Izzy nodded and turned, heading back toward the edge of the dance floor. Kiera followed a beat later, her chest heavy with longing and disappointment. Izzy wasn’t ready, and maybe Kiera wasn’t either. Not yet.

The dance floor receded behind them, but something felt different. Within her, between her and Izzy… She couldn’t name what had shifted — only that it had, and now they’d both have to live inside the new shape of it.

CHAPTER 8

Izzy

Izzy adjustedher wetsuit under her arm as she quietly slipped on her sandals by the door. The house was still asleep, the faint hum of the refrigerator and the distant crash of waves the only sounds keeping her company. Dawn light filtered through the kitchen windows, soft and muted, casting long shadows on the terrazzo tiles.

She had hoped for solitude — her usual escape. Surfing at this hour meant no one was watching, no one was talking, it was just her and the ocean. The water was the only thing that had ever made her feel truly weightless, like she could shed the world’s expectations and simply exist. Out there, floating on the tide, she could disappear into something vast and steady, something that never required anything but to be present. As she turned to leave, Kiera appeared at the bottom of the staircase, her dark waves tied loosely back and her expression soft with sleep.

“Heading out already?” Kiera asked, her voice hushed as she glanced at Izzy’s wetsuit under her arm.

Izzy nodded. “Best time to catch a wave.”

Kiera hovered near the counter, looking as though she was still deciding whether to go back upstairs. “It’s not even light out yet.”

Izzy shrugged, reaching to adjust the heel strap of her sandal. “That’s kind of the point.” She paused, something in Kiera’s hesitant expression drawing her in. “What about you? Couldn’t sleep?”

Kiera smiled faintly, her arms crossing loosely over her chest. “Something like that.”

For a moment, they stood there, the silence stretching between them. Izzy's thoughts drifted back to the night before, to the charged moment on the dance floor when she'd felt the warmth of Kiera's body so close to hers. That near-kiss kept her up all night. She couldn't stop thinking about Kiera's breath on her lips. Had Kiera felt it too? Or had Izzy let herself get caught up in the moment, reading into something that wasn't really there? The charged energy between them was an undercurrent she couldn’t quite shake. She surprised herself by not rushing to leave. There was something disarming about seeing Kiera like this, the strain she'd been appearing to carry on this trip seemed softened by the early hour. Izzy surprised herself by asking, “Want to come with me?”

Kiera blinked, surprised. “Surfing?”

Izzy shook her head. “A walk. It’s quiet this time of day. Peaceful.”

The invitation hung in the air, and for a second, Izzy almost regretted extending it, feeling antsy and unsure. She half-expected Kiera to decline, to retreat back upstairs and leave Izzy to her solitary ritual. But then Kiera nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Alright. Let me grab a sweatshirt.”