Page 118

Fuck.

They could never have sex in Emma’s apartment if Jo wasn’t going to let her bury her orgasm in a pillow. Emma’s walls were too thin, but at Jo’s the nearest house was half a mile in any direction, and so it didn’t matter when Jo made Emma scream.

—

Emma didn’t open hereyes at first when she woke up. She was in Jo’s bed. The sheets were cool and smelled of fabric softener; the pillow was like a cloud beneath her head.

And Jo.

Jo was curled up half on top of her. Emma’s arm was asleep where it was under Jo’s neck, but she didn’t mind, with Jo’s palm resting flat on her sternum and one leg thrown over Emma’s. Her breath fanned across Emma’s chest. Emma finally opened her eyes and looked at Jo.

She knew it was too soon, and she knew Avery would tease her relentlessly, but she was pretty sure she loved her.

She also knew how Jo liked her coffee every morning, and thought it might be sweet to wake her up with a cup. When Emma tried to ease her way out of the bed, though, Jo’s leg pushed down, her hand slid from Emma’s sternum across her body to her ribs, and it held on tight.

“No,” she said, voice thick with sleep.

“I was going to make you coffee,” Emma murmured.

“I like this more than I like coffee.”

“You must like this a lot.” Emma smiled even though Jo’s eyes were still closed.

“I love this,” Jo said, and Emmamelted.

—

When they did eventuallyget up, Jo made her own drink, and Emma’s, too. Emma beamed but didn’t comment when Jo pulled an unopened box of chai concentrate out of her refrigerator.

“What does Evelyn think about all this?” Emma asked over her mug. “About us?”

Jo chuckled. “I believe her exact words were ‘Thank God you finally got your shit together.’”

Emma laughed. “At least she didn’t bet on us,” she said. “Avery’s husband owed her a hundred dollars because we didn’t kiss over the summer hiatus.”

“Did the wrap party not count?” Jo smirked.

“No.” Emma blushed. “If it didn’t count for us, it didn’t count for the bet.”

“Yeah, I’d say our actual first kiss was better than that one.”

Emma’s face went redder.

“I can’t believe they bet on us at all. It’s embarrassing.” She didn’t feel particularly embarrassed anymore, though. Who cared if the world figured out their feelings before they did? They’d figured them out now. “They made the bet the day after the SAG Awards.”

Jo’s eyes flashed. “Speaking of,” she said. “You should come with me again this year. If you’d like. As my actual date this time.”

Emma beamed and agreed without a single worry about the red carpet.

Epilogue

They got ready for the ceremony together. Kelli smirked at them and Jaden talked too much and there were kosher pigs in a blanket for lunch. Emma couldn’t stop smiling the whole day.

Jo bought her a dress again, this time a one-shoulder red gown Emma adored. Jo refused to tell Emma what she herself would be wearing, and Emma almost passed out when she first saw Jo in the black suit, top button open on her white dress shirt, bow tie hanging undone around her neck.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Emma asked in the car on the way over, gesturing to Jo’s outfit.

Jo grinned. “Look who’s talking.”

Emma was as far as she could be from Jo while sitting in the same back seat. She couldn’t trust herself to be closer. Back at the suite, Kelli had already had to fix both their lipsticks. Twice.

They got out of the car, and just like last year, Emma was overwhelmed by all the people and all the cameras and allthe attention. Her adrenaline spiked, anxiety-induced fight or flight.

Then Jo caught her hand, interlaced their fingers, and smiled at her.

“You ready?” Jo asked.

Emmawas.