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“Don’t say that,” Blake playfully flipped Ellie’s arm as she walked past her into the house. “Your bag’s in the back still. Close the door when you get it out, okay?”

“Will do, sis.”

Nodding her head toward the SUV, Ellie and Sadie walked over to it. Ellie took out her backpack and suitcase, which Sadie offered to carry up the stairs for her.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s heavy.”

“I can do it.”

Sadie smirked at her as they walked toward the garage. Ellie unlocked the door to the stairs and let Sadie inside. She watched as Sadie lifted the suitcase and carried it up the stairs. Her eyes focused on the way Sadie’s arm muscles were more pronounced than before as she walked in front of her.

As Sadie sat the suitcase down at the top of the stairs, she turned to look behind her.

But Ellie had yet to move from the bottom of the stairs.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” Blushing and shaking her head, Ellie quickly scampered up the stairs to Sadie. She put her backpack beside the suitcase and suddenly realized she hadn’t cleaned her room in weeks. “Sorry for the mess.”

“It’s fine.” Waving her off, Sadie walked around the apartment.

Her parents had originally built the apartment to be a guest house. The whole room was open, aside from the bathroom, and featured a large living room, a small kitchen, and a queen-sized bed. Most of the artwork on the walls were family pictures from over the years along with several cast photos and posters from plays at the community theater.

Sitting on the couch, Ellie watched Sadie walk around the room. She seemed to be taking it all in, and Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Not that she cared that Sadie was looking around her room. Ellie didn’t. It was more than Sadie was getting to know her and that excited Ellie in ways she didn’t understand yet.

As she walked by the small table, Sadie picked up Ellie’s script forMamma Mia!and held it up.

“Shouldn’t you have taken this with you?” Sadie asked with a laugh.

“Babe, please,” Ellie jokingly waved her off. “I’ve had that script memorized since I was four.”

“Oh, really now.” Sadie smirked as she walked over to the couch and sat by Ellie.

“Yup. And Mom is playing Donna, so we’ve been able to practice before rehearsals start next week.”

Sadie flipped through the script. Ellie wasn’t sure if she was actually looking at it or just mindlessly glancing at it. “How long do rehearsals last?”

“Three hours, four nights a week for six weeks.”

“Damn. That’s a lot of work.”

“You’re telling me.”

As Sadie sat the script down in her lap, she leaned toward Ellie. Their lips met softly as Ellie felt her entire body come alive again. Ellie hadn’t realized how much she’d missed kissing Sadie until she was doing it again. She gently caressed Sadie’s neck as Sadie ran her hands through Ellie’s hair.

Ellie could have stayed there for hours, but she knew someone from her family would come looking for them sooner rather than later.

And Ellie knew if she didn’t stop kissing Sadie, she’d want to do more. Which was something Ellie had never felt before. Those feelings would definitely have to be explored before anything more happened between them.

“Do you want pizza?”

Sadie giggled as their kissing stopped. “What?”

“My parents got pizza for everyone. And if we don’t go down there soon, they’ll come looking for us.”

“And it probably wouldn’t be good if they found us making out on the couch.”

“Correct.”