Page 104 of Sparks Fly

Not consciously. Not cruelly.

Just quietly. Out of habit. Out of years spent curating a life that fit expectations I hadn’t questioned until recently. With Sawyer’s people, it wasn’t about hiding.

It was about stepping into something I hadn’t learned how to navigate yet.

* * *

By five o’clock the message was still unanswered. It wasn’t avoidance exactly. It felt more like gravity, the weight of it lingering quietly in the back of my mind all day.

I touched up my makeup before leaving the office, swapped my work blazer for a slouchy sweater and jeans, stopped for a bottle of wine, and headed to Tiff’s apartment.

I knew she’d see straight through me. I kind of hoped she would.

Tiff’s had something herby bubbling in the oven while Taylor Swift drifted low from the speakers.

Rowan was already there, perched on the arm of the couch with one socked foot tucked beneath them and a glass of red in hand.

I dropped my coat and spread my arms dramatically.

“I need a second life,” I announced while stepping into the living room. “One without bridal spreadsheets and rich clients who think Selling Sunset qualifies them to rewrite contracts.”

“You say this every Tuesday,” Tiff said while handing me a glass.

“Because every Tuesday reminds me my life is a slow-motion satire,” I replied.

Rowan raised one eyebrow over the rim of their wineglass.

“You said that last week after the sage-bringing woman,” they reminded me.

I collapsed into the armchair and threw my head back.

“She brought sage to a showing,” I said flatly.

Tiff laughed as she leaned against the counter. “So. What is it tonight? Lilly spiraling again?”

“Oh, absolutely,” I muttered while taking a sip of wine. “Charleston Chaos is a thirteen-person text thread. Four Brittney’s. Three Ashleys.”

Rowan winced. “That’s bleak.”

“It’s pastel-coded anarchy,” I said.

They both laughed, and Tiff topped off my glass. “At least Mystic was good,” she said casually.

I felt warmth creep up my cheeks as I nodded. “It was… more than good.”

“She’s your girlfriend now, right?” Tiff said gently.

I nodded again. “As of Friday evening. Officially.”

Saying it out loud sent a warm rush through my chest.

Tiff smiled immediately. “You look happy.”

“I am,” I admitted. “But I haven’t told anyone else. Besides you two. And Benji.”

Rowan tilted their head slightly. “Why not?”

I exhaled slowly and watched the wine move in my glass.