Page 53

Izzy was in uncharted territory. She knew how to burn fast and pull away quicker. She knew the rhythm of want without being wanted in return. But this? Slow could mean messier. It asked more of her. Kiera wasn’t rushing toward her or away from her — she was justthere. Steady. Waiting. And it was both the kindest and most disarming thing Izzy had ever experienced. She didn’t know how to hold still in love, but maybe she wanted to try.

They weren’t solving anything tonight, but they weren’t running from it either. That was enough.

The conversation drifted after that, shifting into lighter territory — Kiera recounting a chaotic bedtime routine with her daughters, Izzy talking about a new smoothie place Pete had dragged her to that afternoon. The easy rhythm between themreturned, familiar and comfortable, like the best parts of their friendship had never wavered. But underneath the jokes and tangents, something had shifted — a quiet current neither of them named, but both of them felt.

When they finally said goodnight, Izzy lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her pulse still a little too quick. She tried to pretend she wasn’t already thinking about seeing Kiera again. But she was. And for once, that didn’t feel like something she had to talk herself out of.

A few days passed,and Izzy threw herself into work with a level of focus she hadn’t tapped into in months. Pete had been right to push her — she needed to start acting like she belonged at Second Star, prove just how invested she was. So, she did. She sat in on every meeting, spoke up when she had ideas, and didn’t let Pete make all the decisions. It felt good. Like she was carving out a place for herself in something that mattered.

She barely had time to dwell on Kiera. Except, of course, when she did.

Every night, after the work emails had been sent and the spreadsheets reviewed, Izzy found herself staring at her phone. They texted every day, but that last phone conversation played over in her head, the ease of it, the warmth tucked between their words. They had left things open-ended, undefined, which should have made her feel unsettled, given how she was used to chasing unrequited affection. Now, instead of feeling unsettled, it had given her room to breathe.

Still, she kept waiting. For what, she wasn’t sure. Maybe for Kiera to talk about it first, to set the terms of whatever this was going to be. Izzy was so nervous about pushing Kiera too far, too fast, but her excitement made her want to take a chance. Like Pete had said, only Kiera could make that call for herself.

Izzy picked up her phone, pulled up her last text with Kiera, and typed.

Izzy

Hey. I have a serious question for you.

Kiera

Oh god. What?

Izzy grinned, tapping her fingers against the edge of her desk before responding.

Izzy

If I were to ask you on a date, like a real, actual date… what are the chances you’d say yes?

There. It was out in the world. No going back.

The response didn’t come right away. The typing bubble blinked in and out a few times, and Izzy could practicallyseeKiera hesitating, debating, overthinking — the exact same way Izzy had done for days. Had she asked too soon? Should she have let things sit a little longer?

Then, finally, Kiera’s reply came through.

Kiera

Are you asking me on a date? Or are you just gauging my reaction for research purposes?

Izzy huffed out a laugh, relief flooding through her.

Izzy

Hypothetically.

Kiera

I’d say… hypothetically, I’d need to know what the date entails.

Izzy

Oh, you know. Something classic. Candlelit dinner, wine, long walks on the beach where I try very hard not to be weird.

Kiera

So you’re planning on being weird. On the famous beaches of Denver.