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“Well, I think we’ve figured out why your relationships don’tlast.”

Elle had to laugh. “How pathetic of me not to get it. How dumb canI be?”

“Can I ask a more serious question now?”

Elle extended her arm, giving Holly permission and the floor.

“Do you think this revelation is about women, or just Gia?”

“Both,” Elle said without hesitation. “I notice women now. In away I never have before. I didn’tknowto notice them before.” She paused. “But more specifically, this is about her.She’s the one I think about. No one compares.”

Holly nodded, and considered Elle’s answer. “If you were tocomplete the following sentence, what would it be: ‘As far as Gia goes, Iwant…’?”

Elle squinted. “Did you learn this from your therapist?”

“Shut up. Just try it.”

“Fine.” Elle gave her body a shake and kept an open mind. “Heregoes. I want…to know more about Gia. I want to talk to her for hours until Ilearn as much as possible. I want to kiss her again. Big exclamation point overthat one.”

“And more?”

“I think so,” Elle answered meekly. “Is that crazy? I mean, comingfrom me? You can be honest. Give it to me straight.”

Holly passed her a look.

“Tell it like it is,” Elle said, in amendment.

Holly got up and squeezed herself into the oversized chair next toElle, linking their arms. “Nope. Not crazy. While I didn’t see this coming,I’ve never been prouder of you. You saw something in yourself and tackled ithead-on. You’re brave and doing the right thing. I love you for it.”

Elle dropped her head onto Holly’s shoulder. “Thanks, Hol. Ineeded to hear that.” A pause. “Am I going to survive this?”

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

Elle looked up at the ceiling as if it would have the answers.“She left here like the house was on fire.”

“Maybeherhousewas on fire, if you know what I mean.” Holly bounced hereyebrows.

“I don’t, but I think you’re using a euphemism.”

“I am. You’ve been out of the sex game for…well, your whole life,so you’re going to have to work on picking up on euphemisms, innuendo, sexytalk, all of it. Just think, Elle, a whole new world is about to open up toyou.”

Elle held up a hand, feeling excited but also a touch panicked.“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? It was one kiss. One very enjoyablekiss, but still just a single moment in time.”

“Too late. I have to enjoy this. A major breakthrough hashappened. So many questions have been answered.” She sat taller. “Oh! Wait tillthe surf rags get ahold of this.”

“There’s not anything to get ahold of yet. And if there is, they’renot getting it. It was one thing to have fun with us when it wasn’t real, butit feels different now somehow. I feel the need to protect it. Protecther.”

Holly nodded. “Did you hear yourself?”

Elle shifted in the chair to so she could see Holly. “What?”

“You just said it was real.”

Elle nodded, and felt herself drift back to a stolen moment in herkitchen when the world felt right for the first time. “I guess time will tell.”

Chapter Ten

Gia loved the way the small fire on the beach danced in an unpredictablepattern. She glanced across it at the smiling faces of her friends, allgathered for Autumn’s big reveal in a jumble of anticipation and excitement.And what better way for them to celebrate the news than with a beach fire? Oneof their favorite longstanding traditions. First, as always, they’d dined onsteak àla Hadley, straight from her trusty hibachi grill, and chatted as the sundisappeared beyond the water line. Between the grill and the beach fire, theywere breaking all the important Venice Beach rules. But they were carefulenough with the fire, and it didn’t hurt that Gia had made friends with thelocal cops, who happened to be fans and generally looked the other way.