Page 43 of Balancing Act

But she didn’t say anything else as she hugged Lily goodbye before Lily and Sarah headed off toward the parking lot, and Beth and Jamie headed into the dark, toward the ferry that would take them home to their little island.

As they walked toward the ferry, Beth felt a strange mix of relief and lingering guilt. She had made her choice, but the unease in her stomach hadn’t completely disappeared. Jamie’s presence next to her was comforting, yet Beth couldn’t shake the feeling that she was standing on the edge of something much larger than she could yet comprehend.

TEN

JAMIE

Jamie watched as the waves danced and splashed over the rocky shore, their rhythmic push and pull echoing the churn of her thoughts. She sat on a piece of driftwood, sipping on her coffee and nibbling on a protein bar—her feeble excuse for breakfast—and stared out at the water, turning over the previous day’s events.

The game yesterday was fun. Seeing Beth with Sarah, however—not as fun. She couldn’t quite piece together what the deal was with Beth and Sarah. At first, she thought she had been imagining it, reading too much into the familiar, casual touches she’d observed. But the more she’d looked for them, the more she saw, and yesterday, she’d seen something different. Beth seemed to tense whenever Sarah had been around. She had seemed generally off since they’d arrived at the stadium—it was subtle, but Jamie noticed.

That had been the most confusing thing to her—the two versions of Beth she had gotten yesterday. When it was the two of them, Beth seemed to finally relax. She’d laughed at Jamie’s admittedly lame jokes, accepted her sweatshirt, and smiled in a way that completely filled Jamie. And fine, maybe Jamie had even flirted a little. She couldn’t help it. It always seemed toslip out when she was around Beth. But the thing was, Jamie could’ve sworn Beth had been flirting right back.

But then there was Sarah.

Her stomach twisted as the questions filled her. Was she in the way of something she didn’t belong in? What if Beth and Sarah were working things out? Reuniting for Lily? What right did she have to interfere with Beth’s family?

She set her empty cup down and pulled her knees to her chest, searching for answers. Everything felt so messy, so complicated, and it really shouldn’t. She didn’t do relationships in the first place. So why did it bother her that she couldn’t figure this out?

There had been a choice. At the end of the game, Beth had hesitated when Sarah suggested dinner. But she’d chosen to leave with Jamie. That had to mean something, right?

Jamie sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. Her mind told her to be cautious. She was leaving at the end of the year, heading back to Oregon. That’s what she’d always planned. So why did the thought of leaving Beth behind gnaw at her?

She picked up a smooth rock and flicked it across the water, watching it skip and disappear beneath the waves. She had more questions than answers at this point, but she couldn’t keep pretending she didn’t feel anything for Beth.

A sigh left her body as her shoulders dropped. Confronting that feeling terrified her. She was so out of her element.

Her phone buzzed. Amanda’s name lit up the screen, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Amanda’s bubbly tone greeted her.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jamie replied, as she fished her keys from her jacket.

“Sarah’s running late with Lily, so there’s no rush to get here. You could come help with paperwork, though.”

“That’s a hard pass. Is Lily okay?” A surge of protectiveness rose in Jamie before she could stop it.

“Yeah, just a scheduling mix-up,” Amanda replied, her suspicion evident. “Why?”

Jamie shrugged it off. “No reason. Just curious.”

“Mm-hmm, sure. Enjoy your morning. Do something for yourself.”

“I will. See you in a bit.”

The call ended, and Jamie slipped her phone into the cupholder. She took a deep breath, glanced at the gray water one last time, then started the van. She needed to clear her head—to go for a climb.

A soft chime rang out as she pushed open the door to the Drip Drop Café. Jamie had wrapped up her climb at the rock-climbing gym a little early, leaving enough time to swing by the café for a coffee before making her way back to PGTC.

She made friendly chatter with the girl behind the register, who couldn’t be more than twenty-five, by Jamie’s best guess. Skye, with her electric blue hair tied up in two perky space buns, also turned out to be the shop owner’s new girlfriend. She made a mental note to file that tidbit away to share with Beth later as the lore of the infamous coffee shop continued to expand. Excitement filled her, and she could feel the smile tugging on her lips.

She had just finished placing her order and was about to pay when a voice rang out over her shoulder. “I’ve got this one for her.”

She knew that voice and turned to see Beth, her sapphire eyes sparkling.

“Hey, stranger,” Beth said, handing over her card. “Golden Dream Latte, please.”

Jamie grinned, unable to help the warmth that spread through her attheirgreeting. “Hey.”