Page 86 of Derivation

“Is she okay?” Gabi asked.

“She’s fine. She’s just Sarai. We were talking about this big idea she has for the upcoming launch earlier today, so the doubt has kicked in, I’m sure. I think she’s working on that, but I don’t see it going away instantly.”

“You guys say that a lot, you know?”

“What?” Arlowe asked.

“That she’s just Sarai. You say that, but do you try to help her out of whatever mood she’s in that causes her to doubt herself?”

“We did that this morning, actually.”

“Oh,” she said, not expecting that.

“But I get what you’re saying. I don’t think we’ve done it enough. We let her go be alone, thinking that was the help she needed, but she came up with a great idea today after we talked to her, and honestly, I think you were the biggest help.”

“Me?”

“She told us you helped her with the whole influencer thing, and she’s also been speaking up with her ideas more recently. I think that’s because of you.”

“No, it’s because of her.”

“Yeah, you like her. I get it. Go talk to her,” Arlowe replied with a little laugh.

“Does she even want to talk to me? Violet suggested I give her some time.”

“Vi told us that you asked her to move out.”

“She did?”

“Yes. You should’ve asked her for vault status. That’s how it works around here. You want something in the vault, you say that, and we don’t tell anyone else.”

“No one told me that rule.”

“Now you know. Anyway, you don’t have to move out. If you want to, we won’t stop you, of course. We’ll be fine, just the three of us. But we like having you here, Gabi. I don’t want to say that there was a void when Violet moved out, but there was, and you’ve helped fill that. I don’t mean that you’re Violet’s replacement. You’re you. But we like you, and you fit here. So, I think you should figure this thing out with Sarai before you make any big decisions like moving out if you like living here, too.”

“I do. I love living here,” Gabi shared. “I wasn’t sure it would work at first because I haven’t had roommates in forever, but I love it.”

“Yeah, I figured. Go talk to her. My ice cream is melting.”

Gabi rolled her eyes and stood up, leaving her bag on the floor by the sofa. When she looked through the back window, she saw the most beautiful woman in the world sitting on the swing, staring off into space, not actually swinging. Sarai was lit by the moon and those walkway lights, but there was also a back porch light that either she or someone else had turned on for her, so Gabi could see her clearly, and it reminded her of their last night together when they had once again gone out with Sarai’s friends. They’d been standing outside of the bar on the street, and the lights all around them had landed on Sarai’s face. Gabi could still remember Enya snapping her out of her stare and telling her that they were going inside.

“Did you eat dinner yet?” Gabi asked when she walked out to meet her.

“I stole some of Arlowe’s frozen pizza. You?”

“I had ice cream cake.”

Sarai chuckled and said, “That’s your dinner?”

“I’m an adult. The best part about that is that I can eat whatever I want whenever I want, and no one can stop me.”

Sarai smiled over at her and said, “That’s the best part?”

“Well, there’s sex.”

Sarai coughed, and Gabi laughed silently at her reaction.

“Technically, you don’t have to be an adult to have it, but then, you’re worrying about your parents walking in or getting caught by the cops if you’re in a car at some secluded spot,” she added.