AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fireworks exploded in Jen’s chest. ‘So, you’re not here to break up with me?’
Holly snorted. ‘Break up? Why would I bring you here? That’s what texts are for.’ A sly smile pulled at her mouth. She hid it by biting on her bottom lip.
Jen clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. ‘Miss Taylor, please tell me you do not break up with people via text.’
Energy fizzed through Jen like firecrackers. This was feeling like the old them.
‘A girl never tells her secrets.’ Her face fell serious and Jen’s heart did a little flip. ‘I’m sorry for the silence the last few days. I just had to get my mind round things.’
‘Like what? Can I help?’
Holly played with the hem of her shorts. ‘It’s just, I didn’t expect to have these big feelings for someone so soon after breaking up with Shona. On the one hand I feel like I still have a lot of healing to do, but on the other, I like you too much to be without you.’
Okay.A lot to unpack there. Jen’s hands ramped up the clam-factor. She turned the words over in her head once more, making sure she’d understood what Holly was saying. ‘That’s okay – we can go slow.’
Holly twisted to face her. ‘But that’s the problem: I can’t go slow when it comes to you.’
‘So?’
Holly shrugged.
The fireworks puttered out, fizzling to nothing. ‘I don’t understand.’ Whatever Holly wanted she could get. Anything. It didn’t matter.
‘I’m saying this is an all-or-nothing situation. And I think it would have been hard enough without Alison getting involved.’ Jen went to speak, but Holly cut her off with a wave of her hand. ‘Let’s never mention her again. Anyway, I just, what I’m trying to say is, if you can accept me as I am, a little bruised and broken, then I think I love you too.’
There were no words to describe how Jen felt. Euphoric didn’t even touch the edges. She leaned in and kissed Holly: the feeling of her smiling against Jen’s lips made her whole body flush. God, she’d missed that.
Jen could have happily kept the connection forever, but now was the time for words, not action. She had to be sure they were completely on the same page. Communication was key and there was no more room for fucking up.
She pulled back and was surprised to see Holly’s eyebrows raise with disappointment.
‘You okay?’ she asked, wiping at her top lip. ‘Sorry I’m so sweaty.’
Jen scooted closer, losing the gap on the bench, and taking Holly’s hand in hers. ‘I just don’t want you to feel you’re rushing into this. If you need time, I’ll wait, honest.’
‘But then what? I mope around, missing you while I wait for the magic moment when everything clicks back into place?’ Holly shook her head. ‘Do you remember what you said to me in your stockroom, the day we did the couples’ quiz?’
Jen’s brow knitted. Nothing specific sprang to mind. She stroked her thumb over Holly’s palm as she thought, relishing the feeling as her skin tingled, every brush igniting miniature sparks.
‘Something about your skirt?’
Holly chuckled. ‘Yes. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.’
‘I was hoping you’d wear it tonight.’
‘I bet you were. I didn’t have time to change. There was an accident near Hillhead and I had to change plans. I should have known to just text you then.’ Her eyes wandered to Jen’s lips before darting back to her gaze. A playful smile pulled at her lips and eyes. ‘No. Not the skirt. You said, “when life doesn't go to plan, I’m here to hold you until the pieces click back together”. Or something like that.’
‘I remember that. I just didn’t know I said it then.’ Thinking about how Shona had treated Holly made her blood boil. She couldn’t undo the damage, but it was her job to make sure Holly never felt that again. ‘I meant it.’
‘I know you did. That’s why I trust you.’
Jen felt Holly’s words like a flaming arrow to her heart. It stuttered a little as heat swelled in her chest, warmed by the sheer weight of them. She leaned closer and kissed Holly. A kiss to end all kisses. But it wasn’t frenzied, like their first proper kiss in the supermarket car park. Neither was adverse to taking their time, rediscovering the ebb and flow of how their bodies moved together. Jen placed her hand on Holly’s neck, pulling her closer.
In a dizzyingly swift move Holly straddled Jen. No interfering gear sticks here. Jen’s cored pulsed: this had gone from nought to one hundred, quick.
A burst of laughter from the other side of the chimneys paused Holly’s movement.
She leaned close to Jen’s ear, Holly’s panting breath hot on her skin. ‘Will we go somewhere a little more private?’
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
