Page 67 of Balancing Act

“True or false.” Beth’s voice was almost a whisper now. “You’d want to be with me if things were different.”

Jamie’s heart stuttered. It felt as though the ground beneath her feet were falling away. If things were different... what would that look like? What would it mean for her, for Beth, for Lily?

But the answer came before she could overthink it.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs, and the words stuck in her throat like they’d been lodged there for days. “True,” Jamie admitted.

It was the only thing she could say, the only thing that was real. The words felt like a surrender, as if Jamie was finally letting go of the armor she had built up around herself.

She was still reeling from that last question when Beth hit her with another. “True or false: you’re scared that if you let me in, you’ll hurt me.”

The words hit Jamie like a punch to the gut. The answer wasn’t just true—it was the truth she had been living with, the truth that had kept her at a distance from the beginning.

“True.”

As soon as it was out, her body buzzed with the aftermath of her admission. Sure, a small part of her wanted to run, like she had the day at the coffee shop. But a much larger part felt lighter—like she’d had finally stepped off the ledge she’d been teetering on for weeks only to be pleasantly surprised that that ledge was only a small step.

Beth stopped walking and turned to face her. “I get that,” she said gently. “I know it’s scary, Jamie. But you don’t have to carry that alone.”

“Beth, I-I’m—” Jamie’s breath hitched as Beth’s eyes searched hers. “I’m terrible at this. Saying how I feel.” Her shoulders slumped. God, she was embarrassing herself. She would never be able to look Beth in the eye after this.

“It’s okay if you’re a little clumsy with your words. Give it a try.” Her voice was so reassuring, sweet, and comforting,and Jamie knew she was truly a safe place to let herself be vulnerable. So she would try. She let out a small laugh, which made Beth raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Sorry. It’s a little ironic, isn’t it? Me, clumsy? I have seven Olympic gold medals in a sport that has zero space for clumsiness, but when it comes to putting my feelings into words, I’m an absolute nightmare.” Her nervous laughter persisted as she looked up at Beth, who wasn’t saying anything but was watching her with compassion and understanding.

Beth had this ability to stay steady and calm despite the storm of emotions swirling between them.

“One last question then?—”

Before Beth could ask her next true-or-false question, Jamie cleared her throat and spoke up. “Wait—can I ask one instead?”

Beth paused, considering her for a moment before smiling. “Alright,” Beth replied. “Go ahead.”

Jamie hesitated, the question she wanted to ask on the tip of her tongue. This was her chance. The rain was a mist now, but it felt like a thick curtain hanging between them, blurring the world’s edges outside this moment.

“True or false,” Jamie began. Could she do this? Could she really ask, knowing that Beth’s answer might change everything? She inhaled deeply, breathing in wet pine, her pulse roared in her ears, and let the rain blur the rest of the world until all that mattered was Beth’s presence beside her. It was now or never. “If I asked you on a date, you’d say yes.”

For a split second, she was sure she’d ruined everything. Positive she had gone too far. Beth then—Jamie saw a flicker of something—surprise? Relief? Beth’s eyes held hers, and the world seemed to narrow. Beth smiled, and everything inside Jamie stilled.

“True.”

The single word echoed through the air between them.

Jamie blinked, and a small laugh escaped her as she shook her head. “Really?” she asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and relief.

Beth smiled wider, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Really,” she replied. “But only if pineapple pizza is involved, or else I might have to reconsider.”

Jamie laughed, a real laugh, the tension in her chest finally easing. “Pineapple pizza it is,” she promised, feeling the warmth of the moment spread through her like a slow-burning flame.

Beth stepped closer, her shoulder brushing against Jamie’s. “In that case, I’d definitely say yes.”

Jamie felt like she could breathe again. Sure, the fear was still there, lurking at the edges of her mind, but it felt different now. Smaller. More manageable. She had opened herself up to the possibility of something new, something real, and it hadn’t broken her. The weight she’d carried for so long—the fear of not being enough—lessened, and she realized that maybe she was more ready for this than she’d thought.

They walked a while longer, footsteps mixing with the gentle patter of rain on the leaves. Jamie’s heart still raced, but it wasn’t from fear this time. It was from the excitement of the newness of them.

As they continued down the path, Jamie couldn’t help but grin to herself. She had taken the risk—and for the first time, it felt like the right thing to do. And now, she had a date to plan.

FIFTEEN