Page 106 of What We Got Wrong

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“I mean…you haven’t actually asked me out,” Quinn stated.

Liv’s face flushed. “Right. I went off script, sorry.”

“It’s okay, do you want to start over, or…” Quinn was trying to ease the tension of the moment.

“I’ll just pick it up from here, thanks,” Liv said, her beautiful grin growing. “Quinn Miles, do you want to go on a date with me on Friday night?”

“Friday,” Quinn replied, milking the moment while she finally stepped around the table, moving closer to Liv, who was trying her best to be patient. “Why wait? Are you free tonight?”

“Yeah?” It was a question, Quinn was certain, though she loved how Liv’s face had softened, and Liv melted even more when Quinn nodded. “Tonight works for me.”

“It’s a date,” Quinn said, at last close enough to touch Liv. She ran her fingers down Liv’s arm before threading their fingers and tugging her so that their bodies were touching. “Is a pre-date kiss allowed?”

At the movement, at Quinn’s words, Liv’s breath quickened, her face flushed, and Quinn became aware of how hard ‘taking it slow’ was going to be. But in this moment, with Liv standing here with her, looking gorgeous and saying all these beautiful things, she needed the contact, needed to feel her lips to know this was really happening.

“I mean, I did come all this way,” Liv said, parroting back her words from earlier, her blue eyes sparkling.

So Quinn pulled Liv even closer. She knew the road ahead for them wasn’t going to be easy, that they had work to do to rebuild the trust they’d once had, that they didn’t even know, really, if the people they were now would be compatible.

But as Quinn pressed a quick, chaste kiss against Liv’s soft lips, it felt like a promise.

Epilogue

Liv

One Year Later

As Liv felt Quinn’s body press hers into the back of the door, she tried to keep her head. Their friends were going to be there any second, and they did not have time for this, no matter how much she wanted it.

And she wanted Quinn, there was no denying that. No matter how often they touched, how many times they explored each other, Liv’s body responded to the brush of Quinn’s with unrelenting excitement, each and every time.

It was so much more than that, though.

Opening up to Quinn, allowing her to get to know this version of Liv, had made their connection stronger than ever before, and that bond was still growing. They’d intertwined their lives together in a way that, while Liv wouldn’t call it seamless, was working for them. Liv had never in her life existed in a space that felt like such uncomplicated happiness, all because of the woman standing in front of her right now.

Well, not standing, exactly, as much as leaning, full body into Liv.

“Babe,” Liv said, groaning into Quinn’s cheek as she suckled on Liv’s neck, nipping at her pulse point. “Mel and Emma are supposed to be here already. We have to stop.”

“I know,” Quinn acknowledged, sounding as if it was causing her great pain to pull away, though she couldn’t resist a quick flick of her tongue to Liv’s ear. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Liv replied.

It was Liv who’d said it first, only about three months into this iteration of their relationship. She was, frankly, proud of the restraint she’d shown in waiting that long. Even on that first date, she’d wanted to shout her love to Quinn, to make her understand that she was all in on this. Liv had understood, though, with certain clarity, that they needed time, that she had to show Quinn with her actions that this—Quinn, their relationship—was her priority.

They’d built slowly, first one or two dates a week, though after a couple months, they were fully swept up in each other. Still, they worked hard to ensure they’d stayed present in their separate friendships, their work, that even though their relationship was their priority, they could breathe both inside and outside of it.

She hadn’t been able to contain herself, though, during their first trip to Chicago to visit Liv’s family. Seeing Quinn so completely charm her parents, her mother, had unlocked something in Liv, and she’d spilled those three little words as soon as they’d gotten back to their hotel the first night of that visit. Quinn was quick to return them, and they’d touched each other so tenderly that night, as if they both needed the physical expression of their love, the tangible release of it.

A knock jolted them, and before they even had a chance to respond, Emma was calling through the door, “If you two are in there fucking, can you at least let us know what time you’d like us to return? We’re here for your housewarming, I’ll remind you.”

“Did she not bring Paisley?” Liv whispered, confused.

It wasn’t exactly out of the realm of possibility for Emma to say something grossly inappropriate, regardless of the audience, but she was usually a bit more careful around her daughter. It made sense, though, when they pulled apart and opened the door to find Emma cradling her now four-year-old girl, fast asleep, vibrant orange hair sticking to her tiny forehead.

“She passed out on the drive,” Emma explained, and Liv ushered her in. She was about to shut the door when Mel called out, and Liv turned back to see her coming up the walkway carrying a couple of bottles of wine.