Page 68 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

Jamie had spent so much of her life being wary of people who took up space—especially people like Sarah, with their sharp edges and unwavering control. But watching her now, seeing the way Beth teased her and Lily leaned into her excitement, Jamie felt grateful. Yeah. It was weird.

She excused herself under the guise of needing some air. Beth shot her a concerned look, and Jamie responded with her most sincere smile. She was good, but she needed a moment.

April was beginning to roll into May. Outside, the evening was cool but not cold, the sky painted in deep blues and purples while the last remnants of sunset disappeared beyond the trees.

Jamie leaned against the porch railing. The weight of the last few weeks sat with her—not heavy, exactly, just ever-present.

Jamie took another slow sip of wine. Moving in with Beth, Lily’s competition, the Empwr launch looming in the background like a ticking clock.

.. It was a balancing act, but not in a way that felt like she was on the verge of falling.

It was more like she was learning to move between the life she had built for herself and the one she was stepping into, each demanding a different part of her.

It was more complicated than she’d anticipated, but maybe that wasn’t bad.

Maybe it meant that, for once, she had more than one thing worth holding on to.

Amid all the chaos, however, one thing lingered at the back of her mind—a thought she couldn’t shake. The doctor’s office still hadn’t called about her mammogram results. And the longer she waited, the harder it was to convince herself that no news was good news.

She heard the door click open behind her and wasn’t surprised when Sarah stepped out, bourbon glass in hand. She smiled at her, letting her know her presence was welcome. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Jamie watched the way Sarah held herself—casual but composed, always—the amber liquid in her glass catching the porch light as she took a slow sip.

Jamie took a sip, too, letting the wine settle on her tongue before finally breaking the silence. “You were right.”

Sarah glanced at her, her expression amused. “That’s a bit vague.”

Jamie smirked. “That thing you said about Beth.”

Sarah didn’t say anything; she just took another sip of bourbon.

Jamie turned her gaze back to the yard sloping down toward the water’s edge, fingers tracing the rim of her glass.

“I don’t think I understood what you meant in the moment, but then it clicked and—you know—thank you.

” Jamie couldn’t help the slight crack in her voice as she spoke.

As much as she hated it, Sarah’s words had gotten through to her.

That thought should have unsettled her, but it didn’t.

Sarah let out a quiet hum. Not quite an I told you so , but not not one either.

“You’re annoyingly good at reading people,” Jamie said.

“It’s a skill,” Sarah replied lightly.

They stood in easy silence for another stretch, the rhythmic sounds of water lapping against the rocky shoreline drifting to them.

Jamie had spent so much time resenting Sarah without really understanding her. But watching her now—watching how she took care of things without being asked, the way she made space for Beth and Lily and even her without expecting anything in return—hit Jamie in a way it hadn’t before.

Sarah wasn’t lingering or waiting for a second chance with Beth. She was just here. Because she loved them. Because she wanted to be.

It surprised her, but Jamie didn’t feel threatened by that. She didn’t feel like she was standing in Sarah’s shadow. If anything, she felt a quiet kind of sadness for her.

She studied Sarah, an impulsive question forming in her mind, and before she could stop herself, she asked, “What happened between you two?”

Sarah stilled.

Her fingers tightened slightly around her glass, but her expression remained composed. She turned, meeting Jamie’s eyes, her movements as effortless and purposeful as ever. After a measured sip of bourbon, she said simply, “It’s not important.”

Jamie let the words hang between them, watching Sarah as she said them—not with avoidance, not as a dismissal, but with the certainty of someone who had already made peace with the answer.

Jamie had spent so long worrying that Sarah was part of Beth’s past that she hadn’t considered that Sarah was part of who Beth was. And maybe that was okay.

Maybe it wasn’t important. Not anymore.

Jamie nodded slowly. “Maybe not.”

Another beat of silence passed before them before Sarah glanced at her again, wearing an unreadable expression that Jamie had decided she wasn’t meant to understand, now or maybe ever. Still, Sarah had let her see it, and that meant something.

Then, just as smoothly, Sarah’s lips quivered into the faintest smirk. “Beth’s going to come out here if we don’t go back inside.”

As if on cue, the door creaked open again, and Beth’s voice broke through the quiet.

“What are you two up to?”

Jamie turned and spotted her in the doorway, one eyebrow lifted in playful suspicion.

Without missing a beat, Sarah lifted her glass. “Discussing Lily’s D-score on vault. Riveting stuff.”

Beth snorted and crossed her arms. “Right. Because that’s exactly what you two would be talking about alone on the deck.”

Jamie smirked but didn’t argue.

Sarah downed the rest of her bourbon and clapped Jamie on the back. “On that note, I’m heading inside before you drag me into actual gymnastics talk.”

Beth stepped aside as Sarah brushed past her and disappeared into the house.

Jamie glanced back, looking where Sarah’s silhouette was moving through the kitchen.

At that moment, she understood that Sarah would always care for Beth.

Jamie knew that now, in a way she hadn’t before.

But for the first time, she didn’t feel like she was standing in the shadow of it.

Because Beth was hers now, and she wasn’t afraid to believe in forever.

Beth’s gaze lingered on her. “You okay?”

She nodded and set her glass down before stepping toward her.

“Yeah,” she murmured, sliding an arm around Beth’s waist, pulling her in just enough. “Needed a little air.”

Beth hummed in understanding, leaning into her warmth.

“You’re thinking about the results, aren’t you?” Beth murmured softly against the skin where her neck met her shoulder.

Jamie inhaled, her eyes looking out toward the dark water. She wanted to say no. She wanted to brush it off. Instead, she swallowed and nodded.

“Yeah,” she admitted softly. “I am.”

Beth hummed, tucking a stray curl behind Jamie’s ear before kissing her temple softly.

“In the time that we’ve known each other, Jamie, you’ve taught me something important—that showing up, even when it’s hard, is what matters.

” Jamie exhaled, the anxiety loosening in her chest even if just for the moment as Beth laced their fingers together, squeezing gently.

“You’ve got me. No matter what the results say, we’ll figure it out. Together.”