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of their hearts and the abstract white noise of the city beyond.

It was more like the other way around, Dani thought.

They’d crossed the line yesterday and now here they were,

playing house, having dinner together, and dancing in the

kitchen like two fools who had it bad. Dani knew she had to

stop, but just like everything they’d done the night before, like

falling asleep with Emily who, true to her word, had been

sleeping soundly on the couch when Dani woke up, it felt

right. It felt so wonderful that Dani couldn’t make herself stop.

She couldn’t make herself stop swaying softly. She couldn’t

stop herself from leaning in and absorbing the heat of Emily’s

body, drinking in the fragrance that clung to her clothing and

hair, listening to the gentle cadence of her breath.

She’d denied herself good things for so long. She knew why

she did it, but right now, she was having trouble balancing

reason with desire. She knew the risks of getting close. That in

getting close, you handed over your trust to another person.

Someone who, even if you knew them for a long time, you

would never know fully and with absolute certainty. Emily

was goodness in and of itself, but even goodness could still

take a wounded heart and break it. Even goodness and truth

and light were absolutely terrifying.

Dani knew all of that, but when Emily raised her head and

stared deeply into Dani’s eyes, she found herself moving

forward, dipping her face, closing the distance between them,

until her lips were on Emily’s. Emily sighed, and immediately

slanted her face so that Dani could deepen the kiss. Dani’s

stomach was knotted painfully, but that kiss undid it all. Her

heart pounded wildly, so loud it turned into a roaring in her

ears.