Page 47 of She’ll Steal Your Heart
In Mia’s alcohol-soaked memories of last night, Lauren had looked at her as if she’d wanted to kiss Mia just as badly, but that couldn’t be right, could it? Surely Lauren would rather date someone her own age, or was it possible she felt this too? Mia was too out of sorts to even think about it right now.
Lauren sat across from her at the table. “You did do one strange thing last night.”
Mia’s skin flushed so hot, she knew her cheeks must be bright red. “Oh?”
“When we walked past the law firm next door, you flipped off their office. What’s that about? Do you know them?” Lauren lifted her mug for a sip, eyes locked on Mia’s.
She exhaled as nervous laughter threatened to escape her throat. That was a lot more innocent than she’d feared. “No, I don’t know them. I was just irrationally annoyed when a law firm moved in next door. I don’t even know why.” She pushed a hand through her hair. “Pettiness, I guess?”
“Pettiness?” Lauren gave her a look of pure confusion. “About what?”
“Because…” This sounded even pettier when she admitted it out loud. “I walked away from that life, and lately, it just feels like everywhere I turn, there are lawyers.”
“Why does that bother you?” Lauren asked. “Do you miss being a lawyer?”
Mia exhaled. She hadn’t admitted this yet, even to herself, but… “I guess I must, on some level.”
“Do you regret leaving?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t.” No regrets, and that was her final answer on the subject. She put her empty plate and mug in the sink and started gathering her things to head downstairs to the café, having decided to forego the gym this morning. “I’m having dinner with my dad after work, so I won’t be home until later.”
“Okay,” Lauren said. “Have fun.”
“Thanks.” Mia paused at the door. “I meant to offer… Feel free to use my laptop if you want to work on your book.”
“Oh.” Lauren blinked at her. “Really?”
“Yes. I don’t use it much these days, mostly just to answer emails, since as you know, I’m painfully slow on my phone. Anyway, there’s a guest login option, so help yourself.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
“No problem.” Mia caught herself staring at Lauren’s mouth, alarmed to realize she wanted to kiss her as much right now as she had last night. She yanked her gaze back to Lauren’s eyes, desperately hoping this attraction would fade before she damaged their friendship…if she hadn’t already. “See you later.”
* * *
Lauren satin Mia’s living room, laptop on her knees and a giddy smile on her face. She didn’t have to leave for her shift at the market for two hours, and that meant she had a rare opportunity to work on her book. It was incredibly generous of Mia to let Lauren use her laptop.
She’d been so adorably embarrassed this morning, and Lauren wondered how much of last night she remembered. Did she know she’d tried to kiss Lauren? And even more importantly…was she attracted to Lauren, or had it just been the alcohol talking? After all, Mia had been making heart eyes at Piper’s photo last night, and she didn’t usually go for her either.
Either way, Lauren needed to be careful. At this point, her feelings for Mia went so far beyond friendship or even a simple crush. If she closed her eyes and thought about the kind of person she could see herself falling in love with, well…she looked a lot like Mia.
Lauren’s idea of love felt like what she and Mia had shared since Lauren moved into her apartment: laughter at the dinner table, a shared appreciation of each other’s interests, and the kind of friendship where they had each other’s backs. Of course, the chemistry was there, at least for Lauren. She had no doubt sex with Mia would be amazing, but she was just as enamored with their emotional connection.
When she was with Mia, Lauren felt safe. She felt important and worthy of her goals, and comfortable and free to be herself. She didn’t take any of that for granted. Mia was arguably the best friend she’d ever had, and if Lauren ever did have sex with her? Well, she’d almost certainly fall head over heels in love.
And that meant it was going to be more painful than ever to watch Mia keep dating other women. Lauren needed to figure out where they stood and take an emotional step back if necessary to keep herself from getting hurt.
Pushing Mia from her mind, she logged into her Google account and opened the draft of her book. It was a romance, tentatively titledMeet Me at Midnight, about two women who met on the subway after late-night shifts at very different jobs. The first draft was finished, but it still had a few missing scenes and needed several rounds of revisions. As she placed her fingers on the keyboard, a thrill raced through her.
An hour and a half later, she’d added over a thousand new words, and maybe even more importantly, she’d fallen in love with the story and her characters all over again. She’d been so invested in this book when she first started writing it, and then her life had gone to hell, and she hadn’t had the means or the motivation to keep writing.
Now…she was back, and nothing was going to stop her from achieving her dream. She had messaged with another fanfic author last year who’d self-published a book. She’d given Lauren some publishing advice and the name of her editor. Lauren could do this. The thought was thrilling. A little bit terrifying too, but mostly thrilling.
She shut down the laptop and stood, stretching. It was time to get ready for work. Her gaze caught on the urn in the corner, and before she knew it, she’d crossed the room. Her fingers rested against its cold, smooth surface. “I miss you every day. You know that, right? I can’t even tell you how much I wish you were here, making a new life in Brooklyn with me.”
Tears welled in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks. It hurt so much that she’d never get to introduce Craig to Mia or show him the first printed copy of her book. Oh, how she missed his smile and the sound of his laugh. She’d never get to see the man he might have become. At twenty-three, he’d had his whole life ahead of him.
“Anyway, I’m doing okay,” she whispered. “Better than okay. I just wish you were here to see it.”
