Jade woke up the next morning with sunlight streaming across her face and a heavy warmth curled against her side. For a second, she thought she was dreaming. Then she turned her head and saw Lila, still asleep, hair mussed, lips curved into the faintest smile.
Her chest fluttered, equal parts joy and panic.
The kiss from last night replayed in her mind—the softness, the certainty, the way it had quieted every question she'd been battling. She had kissed Lila. She liked it. No—she had loved it.
But now, in the quiet light of morning, her doubts began to creep back in. What did this mean? Was she really ready for this?
Before she could spiral further, Lila stirred, blinking her eyes open slowly. "You're staring," she murmured, her voice still husky with sleep.
"I am not," Jade protested, though her cheeks betrayed her.
"You are," Lila countered, smiling as she stretched. "Don't worry, I like it."
Jade groaned, burying her face in the pillow. "Why are you like this?"
"Like what?" Lila teased, poking Jade's side until she squirmed. "Irresistibly charming? Devastatingly beautiful?"
"Annoying," Jade muttered, though she couldn't fight her smile.
Lila grinned, propping herself up on one elbow. "You kissed me back, so clearly, you don't think I'm that annoying."
Jade's face flamed, and she grabbed the blanket to hide. "Can we not talk about it like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like it's some casual thing. It wasn't—it's not—" Jade stumbled, biting her lip.
Lila's teasing softened instantly. She reached out, gently tugging the blanket down so she could see Jade's face. "Hey. I know it's not casual. Not for me either."
Relief washed over Jade, though the knot in her stomach lingered.
"Good," she whispered.
They lay there for a while, the morning unfolding around them. Lila eventually got up to make coffee, humming as she moved around the kitchen. Jade watched her from the couch, the simple domesticity of it sending warmth through her chest.
It felt… easy. Too easy.
And that was when the panic hit again.
Because if it was this easy, this natural, what did that say about everything she thought she knew about herself? About all those dates with men, about the future she thought she was supposed to want?
She was still lost in thought when Lila returned with two steaming mugs. "You're awfully quiet," Lila said, handing her one.
"Just thinking," Jade replied, forcing a smile.
"Dangerous activity," Lila teased lightly, settling beside her.
But Jade didn't laugh this time. She looked down into her coffee, her fingers tightening around the mug. "What are we doing, Lila? I mean… what does this mean?"
Lila blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What does it mean? It means… I like you. You like me. We see where it goes."
"But what if—" Jade hesitated, the words catching in her throat. "What if I don't know who I am in all this? What if I mess it up?"
Lila was quiet for a moment, then set her mug down and took Jade's hand. "Then you mess it up. And we figured it out. Together."
Jade's eyes stung. "It's not that simple."
"It can be," Lila said gently. "You don't have to have all the answers right now. You just have to be honest—with me, and with yourself."
Jade swallowed hard, her throat tight. She wanted to believe that. She wanted to lean into this, into Lila, without fear. But years of uncertainty, of second-guessing herself, weren't so easily silenced.
Lila must have seen the storm in her eyes, because she squeezed Jade's hand and smiled softly. "I'm not going anywhere, Jade. Not unless you want me to."
The sincerity in her voice eased something inside Jade, even as her doubts lingered.
"Okay," Jade whispered.
"Okay," Lila echoed, leaning in to press a gentle kiss against Jade's forehead.
The simple touch grounded her, reminding her of the warmth she had felt last night, the way everything had clicked into place, even if only for a moment.
Maybe it didn't have to be perfect. Maybe it just had to be real.
As the day stretched on, they settled into a rhythm—making breakfast, bickering over music choices, laughing at nothing at all. It felt like the beginning of something fragile but beautiful, like a flower pushing through the cracks of concrete.
Jade wasn't sure what the future held, but as she curled up against Lila on the couch, listening to her hum absentmindedly, she thought maybe, just maybe, she was ready to find out.