Page 19 of For My Finale

T he moment that Lilah pulled away, Blossom felt the absence like a gust of cool air rushing between them. Her lips were tingling, her heart was pounding in her chest, but Lilah was already rubbing her face, exhaling.

“Sorry,” Lilah muttered. “I was acting like a sheep.”

Blossom thought about this for a second. “Um, acting like a sheep?” she asked cautiously. “Not exactly what I thought you were going to say.”

Lilah groaned. “Yes. Sheep. Instinct. Doing what I wanted in the moment. That’s what George said.”

“So you did want it,” Blossom said, feeling warmth blooming in her chest. Then she stopped. “Wait. You’re taking love advice from George?”

“It wasn’t love advice,” Lilah said. “It was just… life advice. About going after what you want.” She let out another long sigh. “This isn’t going the way I thought.”

Blossom bit her lip to keep from smiling. “And how did you think it was going to go, sheep aside?”

“I don’t know.” Lilah shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking uncharacteristically uncertain. “I didn’t really think. I just… I just wanted to kiss you.”

“Don’t apologize,” Blossom said, stepping closer. “I liked it.”

Lilah’s eyes snapped to hers. “You liked it?”

“More than liked it. ”

Lilah made a small noise in the back of her throat and Blossom caught the way her teeth dragged across her lower lip, her eyes darting to Blossom’s mouth again, like she was considering another kiss but didn’t quite know what to do.

Blossom arched an eyebrow at her, then turned and walked away.

“Wait,” Lilah said. “What’s happening here?”

There was an unmistakable note of panic in her voice, which Blossom found ridiculously endearing in the normally unshakable Lilah.

“Calm down,” she said. “We’re going inside, to my kitchen, to have some Horlick’s and talk like adults.

” She paused. “Unless you want to stay out here in the dark with Billy lurking somewhere around?”

She continued to walk and then grinned as she heard Lilah’s footsteps pattering behind her. Lilah Paxton, she couldn’t help but think. She’d kissed Lilah Paxton. Her stomach was falling over itself and her whole body felt like it was glowing. She’d kissed Lilah Paxton.

BLOSSOM CRADLED HER mug of Horlick’s between her hands, breathing in the familiar, malty scent. Across from her, Lilah was staring into her own mug with something that looked like trepidation.

“What is it?”

“It’s Horlick’s,” Blossom said.

“Yes, I know that. I’ve seen it in Mrs. Wilkins’s shop. But what actually is it?”

“It’s a drink,” said Blossom. “It’s comforting. Try it.”

Lilah took a tentative sip, pulled a face, and then put the mug back down. “That,” she declared, “is disgusting.”

“Comforting,” Blossom corrected.

“It’s beige disappointment in liquid form,” Lilah said. She shook her head. “The English have a long way to go when it comes to drinks.”

Blossom laughed. “You do remember that you’re technically English, right? I mean, I’m sure you’ve been corrupted by fancy Hollywood coffees and green juices and all the rest of it, but you were born here.”

“I’m not sure that my nationality and your terrible drinks are the biggest issue at hand here,” Lilah said, staring into the depths of her drink again.

Blossom set her mug down and leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So, what is the biggest issue, then? You kissed me, I kissed you back. Enthusiastically, might I add. I liked it. I fully consented. But you’re clearly having some sort of break-down over it. So what’s going on?”

Lilah exhaled heavily, drumming her fingers against the table. “Part of it is who I am,” she said slowly. “I don’t want you kissing me because I’m—”

“Lilah Paxton,” Blossom finished. “Except I did kiss you because you’re Lilah Paxton.

I kissed you because you’re Lilah, my infuriating neighbor who hasn’t lit a fire yet because she doesn’t know how and at this point she’s afraid to ask.

I kissed you because you’re Lilah, who’s supportive and wants to see me succeed, even when I have no faith in myself.

I kissed you because you’re Lilah with the sexy lips and the eyes that are colored like wine bottles. ”

“That’s not what I meant,” Lilah said.

“I know what you meant,” said Blossom. “I kissed you because you’re you. I didn’t kiss you because you’re famous, if that’s any help?” She sighed. “What’s the real problem?”

Lilah looked down at her hands. When she finally spoke again, her voice was quieter, more uncertain. “This is the first time in a long time that I’ve actually wanted something. Really wanted it. It… it scares me.”

Blossom’s heart clenched. Just for a moment, she watched Lilah. Really watched her. The way she wasn’t meeting her gaze, the way her shoulders were slightly hunched as though bracing for something.

Then she reached across the table, resting a hand over Lilah’s. “Then we take things slow. But if this is something that you want, then you have to know that I want it too. ”

Lilah finally looked up, and something unspoken passed between them. The flickering of the unstable overhead light highlighted Lilah’s face. And Blossom could see hesitation warring with something else, something deeper and more vulnerable. She squeezed Lilah’s hand.

At last, Lilah exhaled and gave a small nod. “Alright.” She gave Blossom a stony look. “But on the down low. No telling half the village.”

“Good luck keeping a secret around here,” Blossom said. “But no one other than Ives will hear this from me.”

“I suppose that’s the best I can hope for,” said Lilah.

“I’m not going to put up posters or anything. No banner outside the cafe.”

A hint of amusement curled at the corners of Lilah’s mouth, and she looked down. Then she frowned, seeing the papers scattered over the table. “What are all these?”

Blossom started to gather the papers up. “Nothing,” she said.

“No, go on, tell me,” said Lilah. “Please?”

Blossom took a deep breath and then spread all the papers out again. The words and numbers started to blur together as she tried to explain her idea to Lilah, who was listening with an uncharacteristic amount of attention.

“A bookshop and cafe,” Blossom said. “Something cozy. People can come in, grab a coffee, find a book. Maybe a little reading nook in the back, somewhere warm and inviting. Horlick’s on the menu.” She hesitated, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “It’s… it’s just an idea.”

But Lilah’s face was shining, all lit up.

“That’s a brilliant idea. It’d totally set you apart from the chain place.

You could have readings and theme nights, maybe special membership where customers get to preorder books or get special blends of coffees.

” She sat up straighter. “You could do seasonal things too, summer poetry readings, mystery nights around Halloween, oh, or you could—”

“No.” Blossom held up her hands, overwhelmed. “Lilah, it’s too big. I can’t do this. ”

Lilah frowned, taken aback. “Why not?”

“Because…” Blossom sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Because it’s a huge change. And I’m just… I’m me. I don’t have the money, the time, or the business sense to turn my tiny, struggling cafe into something like this.”

Lilah tilted her head. “But do you want it?”

For a second, the only sound was the lightbulb buzzing overhead. “What?”

“Do you want it?” Lilah repeated, more softly this time. “Because if you do, then you should do it. Like a sheep. Like I wanted to kiss you, so I kissed you. If you want this, then make it happen.”

“Like a sheep,” Blossom echoed. She smiled a little, feeling the warmth of Lilah’s words spread through her. It sounded so simple, put like that. Want something, go for it. But it wasn’t quite that easy, was it? She puffed out a breath, then nodded. “I’ll think about it, alright?”

Lilah smirked. “You do that.” Then she yawned and stretched her arms high over her head. “And if you’re thinking, then I’m going to head back and go to bed.”

“Do you want to stay?” Blossom said, then immediately felt herself go red as she realized the implications of what she was saying. “I meant on the couch. Because of Billy.”

“Or burglars,” Lilah said. “I knew what you meant, I didn’t take you for the kind of girl that jumps into bed with strangers.”

“You’re not a stranger.”

“Not quite,” Lilah said. “And besides, I’ve had enough of couches. My back will never be the same again after living here.”

Blossom chuckled and stood up, walking Lilah to the door.

The night air was crisp when she opened it, sending a small shiver down her spine.

Lilah paused in the doorway, her gaze flicking between Blossom’s lips and her eyes, something even more intense than usual simmering beneath her normal bravado.

Then she leaned in. The kiss was soft, tender, slower than before.

Blossom melted into it, feeling the warmth spread from her lips to the tips of her fingers.

Lilah let out a low growl, barely more than a vibration at the back of her throat, and pulled away just enough to whisper.

“I might not be able to get enough of this.”

Blossom’s heart stuttered, but she smiled. “You can have as much as you’d like.”

Lilah made a small noise of approval, then, with a final glance, stepped out into the night and disappeared into the darkness.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Blossom let out a quiet squeal. She pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks and bounced on the balls of her feet, grinning like an absolute fool.

She’d just kissed Lilah Paxton.

And it was amazing.

Her instinct was to run out into the street and yell the news to the world, but she’d made promises. They’d agreed to keep things quiet. Instead, she grabbed her phone and quickly typed out a message to Ives.

I kissed Lilah. Well, she kissed me. But I kissed her back! Holy shit.

She stared at the screen for a second, waiting, but there was no immediate response. And no wonder. It was late, Ives was probably asleep.

Blossom took herself to bed. But for a long time, she lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling, wondering what further surprises Lilah Paxton might bring to her life.

And thinking that it would be exciting to find out.