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“What?” Sophie looked around the room. “Where?”

“When I found you, he was like ‘peace out, I’m hitting the pool.’ That man has not had a proper vacation in a very long time.”

Sophie grinned. “We should watch over the deck. Maybe he’ll be the one who is pulled up on stage to dance.”

God no.The last thing she wanted to see was Thomas dancing on a cruise ship and ruining the CIA-agent vibe he’d been carrying for years. “Nope, no thank you. What if he wears a Speedo or something? I’ll be scarred for life. I’ve never seen him outside of a shirt and tie, and my brain has had enough activity for now. Not sure I need to see his bare chest. What if he waxes? What if he’s super hairy? Both would be awful.”

Sophie laughed and pinched the tip of her nose. “So where do you go from here? Are you coming back to work?”

“I am, but only part-time.” She shifted to look at Sophie’s face. “And I talked to my dad about maybe interning with the graphic department.”

Sophie’s face fell. “You don’t want to work with me anymore?”

“That’s not it. I just think that drafting project plans is not my passion… like at all. I want to do something art related. And I need to find a balance.” Ella really hoped Sophie resonated with this message for her own well-being. “But the hours, the schedule, it’s not healthy. And I’m prioritizing my health.”

When Ella started, she didn’t think she was ignoring her health. She took her medication every day, and somehow convinced herself that was enough, while knowing damn well the stress and lack of sleep were poison to her system. “I wanted the money for my own place and to prove to myself I could do it, and I did both. I earned respect. It was not just given to me based on my last name. And I’m going to take that with me.”

Sophie nodded. “And the team loved your artwork. You created something fresh and new, and they ran with it. You’re the reason that we are all here.”

“No, I’m not.” Being an only child with overbearing parents and artificial friends, she never grasped the concept of a work family. “I’ve never been on a team before, never understood team mentality, but now I get it. You all earned your spot on this vacation before I was hired. I was just a small part of the relay team bringing you all to the finish line.”

A quietness fell over Sophie. She dug at her freshly polished manicure for a moment, then dropped her hands in her lap. “I’m really sorry about what happened with Jasmine and how I reacted. I never gave you the full grace to understand why you would be mad at me.”

“I had no right to be that angry with you.” Ella was so hurt when it happened but had some time to come down from the shock. The seizure interrupted her processing time, and she’d have to grapple with this more later, but it was clear Sophie didn’t sleep with Jasmine to hurt her. “The only person here to blame is Jasmine. I couldn’t see through my anger to separate you from what happened.” She peeked back at the greenery, inhaling a warm breath. “I’m really sorry, too.”

Sophie stood and motioned for Ella to follow. She interlocked her fingers with Ella’s and escorted her off the deck. They made their way to another outdoor space on the top floor.

The breeze was fierce, even with the sun, but Ella was filled with warmth. She gripped the rail and absorbed Sophie, watching the ocean, her green eyes calm, her body relaxed. She looped her arm in Sophie’s and rested her head on Sophie’s shoulder. “So, what does this mean for us?”

“It means we can give ourselves some solid credit for having a mature grown-up conversation.” Sophie’s chest lifted. “You don’t want us to end?”

“What?” Ella gripped Sophie’s face, her heartbeat hammering. “No. Of course not. Do you?”

“Ineverwant this to end.” She kissed the top of Ella’s head. “We don’t know what the future holds, right? No one does. But what I know is I’m so grateful that we found each other.”

Ella pressed her lips into Sophie’s. “And I want to be with you.”

Sophie kissed Ella back, soft, warm, and with intention, then pulled Ella into her arms.

When Ella started at her dad’s company a couple months ago, she couldn’t have predicted this would be the outcome. Sophie’s tears that she flicked away, and her lip ring bouncing with her smile, and feeling the way she did when Sophie kissed her, confirmed everything she’d gone through was worth it. “I want one more thing. If you can do something for me?”

Sophie pulled back, her gaze sliding between Ella’s eyes. “Anything.”

“I really want some hash browns.”

Sophie kissed Ella with the promise of tomorrow. Ella’s heart lifted, soared, and then settled. This right here, being with Sophie, repairing her insides, knowing she was enough, was everything she needed. She didn’t need to know what the rest of her life looked like, or where they’d go from here. But she was confident that together, they’d figure out the best agenda for themselves.

Sophie kissed Ella once more, then touched her forehead against Ella’s. “Deal.”

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