The front door sprang open, ringing the bell hung above it and drawing Kayla’s gaze. This was the thirteenth time she had looked up, expecting to see Skye strut through the door like she owned the place. She had been disappointed twelve times, but the things that were lucky for other people were unlucky for her. Apparently, the reverse was also true because the thirteenth time it was, in fact, the woman she loved slipping into the hazelnut-roast scented room.
Kayla’s breath caught in her throat and she could only stare. She had expected Skye to look exactly the same as she had in all of Kayla’s fantasies and memories. She had expected time to stand still for her until she reentered Kayla’s life. She wasn’tentirely wrong. Not much had changed in Skye’s appearance or the effect it had on Kayla’s body.
Skye was on the shorter side, just like Kayla, and her entire frame was covered in lean, almost imperceptible muscle. Her hair was short, raven black except for a chunk of bangs colored bright green that swept across one eye. She was further onto the masc side of presentation and preferred a relaxed T-shirt and shorts approach to life. Today’s shirt showed the logo of the bike store she managed when she wasn’t off competing on the BMX circuit.
But Kayla catalogued all those mundane physical markers in a heartbeat so she could focus on what really drew her to Skye. She had the most stunning eyes of any woman on the planet. They were bright, emerald green and sparkled with laughter, but when she was serious they burned with an ethereal glow that could never be matched. She vividly remembered the way they seared twin holes into her soul the night Skye first told Kayla that she loved her. She had always been captivating, but that night she had painted a picture of their future together that Kayla would never forget.
Skye scanned the room, her eyebrows furrowing, and then that penetrating gaze landed on Kayla in her little corner. The second most compelling thing about Skye was her smile. It positively quivered with joy. Well, normally it did. Today, it was hesitant, almost strained. Like she was waiting to see if Kayla would fall apart again just at the sight of her. Determined to prove that she wouldn’t, Kayla forced her most radiant, welcoming smile and held out her arms.
“Hey there,” Skye said.
“Hey, yourself.”
After an awkward moment, Skye stepped into the circle of her arms, but she didn’t lean into the hug, even though Kayla gave her plenty of space. Skye released her quickly and looked away.It was okay. That was to be expected. She knew there would be awkwardness at first, so she didn’t let herself be disappointed by it.
Skye shoved her hands into her pockets and looked at the long line at the register. “Should I order for us? My treat.”
“Sure. Sounds good. I’ll save the table.”
Without any further prompting, Skye hurried off to secure her spot in line. Kayla watched her go without releasing her smile. Sure, it was a little awkward, but she knew Skye would loosen up soon. Kayla would make sure of it.
“Then Mr. Pebbles tried to jump on one of the hospital beds. It was this little boy who broke his arm playing baseball and he was in a lot of pain. Mr. Pebbles did his little hop a few times and then jumped with all his might.” Kayla couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore, remembering her memorable afternoon.
Skye leaned forward, her long bangs falling from behind her ear and flopping forward, nearly making contact with her coffee cup. “If memory serves, Mr. P is not a great jumper. I’m guessing he didn’t make it far off the ground?”
“Oh, he made it off the ground. He smashed his cute little face into the side of the mattress and fell in a heap.”
Skye’s deep, reverberating chuckle sent a pleasant shiver up Kayla’s spine. Her throaty voice had much the same effect. She said, “That sounds like him.”
“In the end, he did his job perfectly. That little boy was crying with laughter. He climbed out of his bed and sat on the floor with Mr. Pebbles licking his face. His smile was totally worth it.”
Skye’s smile lit her eyes with warmth. Kayla’s breath hitched. There was so much love in those eyes. So much happiness. They were perfect for each other, and Skye knew it. Kayla knewthis would happen. Just a little time together and Skye would remember why they should spend the rest of their lives together.
“What you’re doing with those dogs is so special. I love that you’ve found this,” Skye said.
Kayla’s heart thudded in her chest so loud her ears rang. Would she have rather had Skye say that she loved her? Sure. But this was basically another first date for them. Kayla could wait for the declarations of love. After all, their first first date had ended tangled in sheets for thirty-six hours. Maybe history would repeat itself?
Skye might’ve been thinking of the same thing, since she suddenly averted her gaze, breaking their intense eye contact. She busied herself by taking a long sip from her cup and scanning the busy coffee shop. That was a good sign. Skye was always terrible at hiding her nervousness. It was so adorable, Kayla’s hand itched to pull her chin in for a kiss.
Instead, she spent a few moments studying her ex-fiancée to see if she could spot any changes from the last thirteen months. There wasn’t much difference. She had the same leanly muscled but comically short frame. She was deliciously masc presenting, but at just over five feet tall, she didn’t have the same presence that a taller butch would. Since she was bisexual, her height didn’t bother the men she very rarely dated, but Kayla wasn’t the only girlfriend who had teased her about being shorter than them. Rather than carrying a chip on her shoulder, she laughed off the teasing like she laughed off just about everything else in life.
Skye’s skimpy shorts and T-shirt showed off the rich umber of her skin. She was biracial, and her adventure-junkie lifestyle meant she had a year-round tan. Of course, much of her skin was hidden under an assortment of tattoos, all in black ink exclusively. Scanning her arms, Kayla saw a few new ones, including one that disappeared tantalizingly beneath her shirt.The mischievous twinkle in Skye’s forest green eyes seemed to indicate Kayla might get a better look later if she was lucky.
Skye cleared her throat, interrupting Kayla’s examination. “So, how have you been?”
Kayla’s cheeks ached as they turned upwards. Skye seemed to remember that she’d already asked this question more than once. Her cheeks took on a dusty blush and she ran a hand through the long sweep of hair over her ears. She avoided Kayla’s gaze again. It was all too easy.
Kayla sat forward and placed her hand gently on top of Skye’s. Her heart raced, and her mouth went dry, but Kayla knew what it meant to perform when the pressure was at its peak. She could do this. “It’s okay, Skye. You don’t have to be nervous.”
Skye’s eyes flicked to her for a heartbeat, then settled on their joined hands. “I’m not nervous. I just…don’t know how to do this. I mean, after the last time we saw each other.”
Kayla swallowed hard, wishing she could forget, too. “Yeah. That wasn’t a good time for me, but I’m doing much better now.”
That was an understatement if there ever was one.
“Are you really? Because I don’t ever want to be the one to…do that to you again,” Skye said.
“It wasn’t you, Skye.” A flush of shame washed over Kayla’s skin. She didn’t want to be talking about this. She didn’t want to be thinking about it. But if there was one thing she had learned from Dr. High Heels, it was that she had to face this. “I have to take accountability. And I’ve made a lot of strides with my therapist since then. I’ve been working really hard.”
