Page 82 of The Forbidden Fling

The sound of voices filtered through the door. She tiptoed closer, barely breathing.

“…not like you to be running late,” Molly commented.

“I overslept. Just give me five minutes to finish up in the bathroom, and then I’ll be right out. In fact, why don’t you wait at yours and I’ll come and knock for you once I’ve finished?”

There was movement on the other side. “Okay.”

She was leaving! Thank all the gay gods. Faye let out a breath of relief that was a moment too soon.

“What are those?” Molly asked, and Faye tensed.

What had she seen?

Diana’s voice came next. Careful. Measured. A little too easy-breezy. “Oh…they’re Faye’s sunglasses. I think she left them at class. I’m going to give them back to her today.”

Carla’s stupid pineapple sunglasses.

Faye aged twenty years in the silence as she waited for Molly’s response.

“Oh, right. I didn’t think they were your style.”

Giant pineapples aren’t my style either, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“I won’t be long, love. Five minutes tops.”

Faye didn’t dare breathe. Then more movement. The closing of a door. Diana entered the bathroom, her earlier carefree demeanour replaced with fear and dread.

They didn’t say anything for a moment, just their breathing and the steady drip-drip from the showerhead loud in the room.

“That was close,” Faye said, breaking the silence.

Diana nodded. “Too close.” She sighed, sweeping her wet hair from her face. “Right. Come on.” She started busying herself, but Faye stood still, droplets still snaking down her chest.

The moment to talk had gone. And it was going to require more than five minutes of their time to have that particular conversation.

With a sigh of her own, she started to dry herself, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

Because as much as there were challenges in their way, she’d omitted a rather important detail. What would they do about Molly?

Chapter Twenty-Three

Faye

Faye’s nerves didn’t settle until the afternoon. It might have been her imagination, but she swore Molly kept glancing her way during yoga class. Nothing could squash the unease growing in her chest—not stretching, not any of the breathing exercises, not even her last alignment session with Senhor Arenoso.

She cursed herself for not being more present, but she couldn’t tune in to the deep timbre of his voice. All she could think about was how differently this morning could have played out. If Molly hadn’t come in, Faye would’ve confessed her feelings for Diana. Would she be elated right now? Or nursing a bruised heart?

And what if Molly had walked in on them together? What the hell would’ve happened then?

The very notion made her skin crawl.

“Faye.” His calm voice sliced through her thoughts. “You seem distant. Is everything okay?”

She opened her eyes, meeting his concerned gaze. “Sorry,” she breathed, shaking her head. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“And the meditation isn’t helping?”

She shook her head again. “Sorry.”