AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alex nodded, putting a hand on Lily’s shoulder when she started to stand to take a closer look. “Let’s not make them think someone’s watching,” Alex whispered, her eyes still locked on the silent boat. “Just in case.”
“I’m sure we’re making something out of nothing,” Lily said, sitting back down and returning to her yellow rice before it cooled off in the evening air. “Nothing ever happens in McCall.”
Alex shifted her attention as a truck pulled up to the parking area at the top of the marina, directly next to the path that led to the dock. The truck flashed its lights once as the passenger door opened, and two small figures hurried down the docks, their faces hidden by oversize dark hoodies. The truck pulled back onto the main road as soon as the doors slammed shut, and their hurried footsteps on the empty dock were the only sound. They jumped in off the end of the dock, and the boat accelerated quickly away in the opposite direction, still without a single running light. Lily and Alex watched it until it disappeared around one of the islands. Lily was about to ask whether Alex had recognized the boat from a nearby camp when Alex stood.
“Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Lily nodded and watched through the windows as Alex walked downstairs and pulled her phone out of her pocket. As she started talking, she turned away from the window, looking out over the water. She wasn’t gone long, but after she’d dropped her phone back into her pocket, she stayed to stare out the window for a moment before she returned.
Lily finished the last tostone and sat back with her wine. “Everything okay?”
“Totally,” Alex said, picking up the food and setting it aside to sit next to Lily. “Except for the fact that you’re still dressed.” Alex looked over at Lily and flicked open another button on her shirt with one finger.
“Well, that was certainly smooth, Suarez.” Lily laughed, melting underneath Alex as she rolled over on top of her.
“That shirt has been driving me crazy since you walked onto the patio. Did you do that on purpose?”
“Alex. Have you met me?” Lily flashed her best angelic smile. “I do everything on purpose.”
“Oh, I see how it is.” Alex laughed and rolled off her, gathering the last of the food from the blanket. “That’s some good information to have.”
“I’ll help clean up,” Lily said, reaching out for the tortillas. “Hand me those, I’ll wrap them back up.”
“Hell no, Larimar,” Alex said, swatting her ass and handing her a wineglass in the same second. “You’re lucky I let you get away with cooking. Now, go out there to the other side of the boat and drink that wine while you look at the stars.”
“Well, I’d insist on staying and cleaning up, but that sounds way more fun,” Lily said, reaching up to kiss her. “But don’t get used to telling me what to do, or I’m going to have to put you back in your place.”
“Well,” Alex teased, clearly watching Lily’s ass as she walked away, “a butch can dream.”
Lily walked past the velvety AstroTurf to the far end of the deck, which was floored with rich maple hardwood that felt oddly warm under the soles of her feet. She leaned onto the rail and glanced back, but Alex was busy texting, her fingers flying over the screen.
Lily looked up at the drifts of stars scattered across the inky night sky and tried to imagine what it would feel like when she had to go back to LA. She couldn’t stay in McCall forever, as dreamy as that sounded. Sooner or later, she’d have to go back to promotional appearances, endless events that had nothing to do with her actual writing, and probably more television cameos like the last one on The L Word: Generation Q, which everyone wanted, and she hadn’t enjoyed in the least.
But everything looked different from McCall. She was starting to realize that the further away from her writing she drifted, even in the interest of promotion, the more she felt like the world around her was going to swallow her alive. She loved meeting the readers; what she hated was the LA scene, where to stay current, you had to be seen and photographed at events constantly. It was a feeling reminiscent of drowning, constantly flailing to stay above water, to stay visible.
Lily caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye, then walked back to Alex, who had just finished the last of the cleanup. Lily held out her hand. “Come with me.”
“Hmm…follow a beautiful woman to the dark side of a deck to gaze at the moon?” Alex pretended to consider it for a moment, then took her hand and kissed it, following Lily b
ack to where she’d been standing. Lily stepped between Alex and the railing, leaning slowly back against the warmth of her chest.
“Do you trust me?”
Alex’s hesitated. “Is that a real question?”
“Yes.”
“Then the answer is yes,” Alex said, the words warm against the top of Lily’s head. “I do.”
Lily stretched both arms out and turned her palms to the sky. Alex did the same, her arms outside Lily’s, palms facing upward on top of hers. “I’m just going to concentrate for a moment.” Lily paused, searching for words to wrap around something she’d never been able to explain. “And all I need for you to do is not move, no matter what happens.”
She felt Alex nod behind her. “I can do that.”
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It took only seconds, as she knew it would; they were waiting. She opened her eyes to see three beautiful brown bats circling above their heads and felt Alex’s heart start to race against her back. One of the bats hovered above them for just a moment before it swooped gently to a stop in Alex’s open hands. It pulled in its wings and settled contently into her palms, black glittering eyes blinking slowly as she looked from Lily to Alex.
“Breathe,” Lily whispered softly. She smiled as she felt Alex draw in a shaky breath.
The other two bats continued to swoop in a crisscross pattern overhead, and one even landed on Lily’s shoulder for just a second before flitting off, the sudden wind from its wings stirring her hair.
