Page 62 of Harper's Holiday Romance

Wow. Wow. Wow.

Julia Hanlow had stripped my vocabulary back to one simple appropriate word, and it was the only word I could use to describe thekiss.

It felt cliché to describe the events of the night before as a fairy tale. I wasn’t a Disney princess. I did have a desire to be the first sapphic Disney princess as a giant F you to the companies that continue to do the barest of minimums to incorporate LGBTQ+ characters and stories into their work.

It did feel fairy-tale-esque. As I sat playing with my new beaded bracelet the next morning it dawned on me: Ilikedthis girl.

Did I constantly think of her? Yes.

Did I make mental notes of all the things I wanted to tell her? Yes.

Did she make my heart flutter when she walked into a room? Yes.

I was scared to death to acknowledge what it all meant, but I couldn’t allow it to hold me back. We were only in this time and place once. There would be no do-over. I was living on a steady stream of adrenaline, riding the looping rollercoaster, and I didn’t want to get off. My phonevibrated.

Julia

Are you awake?

Me

Yes.

Julia

Come over? I have breakfast.

Me

Okay.(heart eyes emoji)

I snuck out of the room, careful not to wake Billie. I’d removed the book from her chest when I woke up. She was obsessed with a new romance novel from her favourite author.

Julia must’ve heard my door close across the hall because she stood waiting when I arrived at her room. She leant back against the large wooden door; her hair was still curled from the night before, but she had a black trucker cap on now. I wished hats suited me. It was such an easy way to hide a bad hair day. She had on a pair of jersey shorts and a tight white vest top that left little to the imagination.

“Hi,” she greeted, gesturing for me to come inside.

“Hey.” I placed my hand against her stomach as I passed and tiptoed up to plant a quick kiss on her lips.

“Mmm, can I have another one of those?” Julia shut the door and pulled me towards her. Our bodies collided with a thud, and I laughed hysterically until her lips landed on mine again, and I melted into her arms.

“Are you planning to eat me for breakfast?” I smirked.

“Dessert.” Julia winked and pulled me towards the balcony. I felt her wink all the way down in between my thighs.

“I ordered room service. I wasn’t sure if you were a savoury or a sweet kind of girl for breakfast, or both, so I have a selection.”

The table on the balcony was beautifully displayed with a small vase in the middle and a freshly cut red rose to add to the aesthetic. There were two cups of coffee, two glasses of fresh orange juice, a plate of pancakes, and a plate of waffles, which I appreciated because despite what anyone says, they may have some of the same essential ingredients, but they are absolutely not the same. There was a bowl of freshly picked blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Another plate held a posh fruit salad with kiwi, mango, and pomegranate stacked on a melon base. Lastly, there was a basket of warm bread—heaven.

“This looks incredible. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Julia’s balcony was bigger than ours, and the sea view was a real sea view, the kind that took your breath away.

Life was in technicolour. The sun had never been so bright. The sea had never been so blue, and the juicy strawberries atop my freshly made pancakes had never been so red.

“Are you a pancake or a waffle kind of girl?” Julia asked.