Page 89 of Saving Graces
“And what way’s that?” Kinsey’s eyes were dark as she tugged back in the dim light of the bedroom.
Rosalie felt dizzy.
“All of them,” she whispered, her heart hammering in her ears. “All the ways.”
Kinsey melted into her and kissed her fiercely. Rosalie’s heart rate didn’t slow down, even as she kissed her back.
When she woke there were no arms around her. The bed was empty. Cold. For a moment she lay there, disoriented. Had she misunderstood when Kinsey was leaving? A small shard of ice entered her heart.
She got up, pulling on a t-shirt and underwear. Entering her living room she smelled coffee and saw Kinsey sitting up on the couch facing out over the yard, her phone in her hand, texting.
“Hey,” she said, trying not to frown.
Kinsey turned, putting down her phone and smiling at her.
“Hey,” she said, as Rosalie came over. “You were dead asleep and I didn’t want to wake you.”
Rosalie sat next to her, stealing a sip of her coffee. She didn’t want to wonder who Kinsey was out here texting; that would be stupid and insecure. She’d be out on the road shortly anyway, talking to whoever she wanted. Rosalie’s eyes flicked to the phone despite herself. Kinsey noticed.
“Cassidy,” she said. “Tour logistics.”
Rosalie tried not to flush. Kinsey pulled her in against her body and Rosalie let her head fall on her shoulder. She inhaled the scent of Kinsey’s body. She smelled sweet and citrusy. Rosalie let her lips find her neck, then Kinsey turned and kissed her.
“Now that you’re awake…” her mouth quirked. She stood up, took Rosalie’s hand and pulled her back to bed.
For the next hour Rosalie thought of nothing but Kinsey’s mouth, her hands, her fingers, her body, her sighs, her kiss. But when they finally made it back to the kitchen to make breakfast Kinsey wandered away to tap a couple of messages on her phone again.
“Is Cassidy annoyed at you for skipping out on celebrating together?” Rosalie asked eventually.
Kinsey looked up.
“No, she’s far too busy giving me grief for what I’m up to instead.” She smiled. At Rosalie’s startled expression, she rolled her eyes. “She knows there’s someone, but she just doesn’t know it’s you.”
“Right.” Rosalie struggled hard to keep the stab of awkwardness show. Was that a trace of disappointment in Kinsey’s exhale?
“We’ve been sharing a room the entire tour; it’s not like she wouldn’t know why I’m always on my phone,” Kinsey pointed out.
“Oh,” said Rosalie. “I didn’t realize you were sleeping in the same room every night.”
She hadn’t known Kinsey had to sneak off to speak with her for hours in the middle of the night. She was just about to nag her about her safety when Kinsey turned noticeably pink.
“Why are you blushing?” she asked, somewhere between amused and confused. Kinsey flushed even harder.
“I’m not.” Kinsey turned away immediately to top up her coffee. An alarm bell sounded somewhere deep in Rosalie’s brain. She thought of Cassidy, heartbroken and recently single. Looking very much like a young Savannah Grace and sharing a room with someone who looked like Kinsey. Sharing a bed?
“Kinsey,” she said, trying to keep her voice light. “You and Cassidy-”
“Oh my god. No!” Kinsey whirled around, her forehead slightly furrowed. “We’re just friends.”
“Okay,” Rosalie said. Her voice came out even but her fingers squeezed tight around her cup. She and Savannah had only ever been friends after all.
“Shit,” Kinsey said, her shoulders slumping as she put down her coffee. “I’m sorry. My ex was kind of jealous. I get a bit weird when I feel like someone is trying to monitor me.”
“I’m not monitoring you.” Rosalie’s jaw got tight. Kinsey was sneaking around texting, blushing, getting defensive, and yet Rosalie was the one in the wrong?
“I know.” Kinsey tugged her in. “I’m sorry.” She leaned in for a kiss and Rosalie let her, but she had a weird sense that she was being…managed somehow. “Let’s just enjoy our last morning together,” Kinsey murmured, kissing her again, and Rosalie went cold.
Last morning together? Had she misunderstood this? Was this just another fling between them, as far as Kinsey was concerned? Was taking her to dinner just a way to make a point? To win? She wanted to ask but suddenly, in the context of Kinsey being about to hit the road with her extremely beautiful and age-appropriate best friend, her voice stopped working. Her heart retreated in her chest, hiding behind her ribs.
