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The first thing Kiara did when she stepped into her bedroom was head straight for her bed.
The Carreras had just returned from their first family vacation in years. Their first peaceful one, that's for sure.
With the help of the new manager on the team, Mike finally felt comfortable taking a few steps away from the restaurant. So many steps, in fact, that he decided to take a family trip to France.
It came as a shocker to everyone when he brought it up at dinner one night. They were having a seafood boil - Kiara would never forget it because she'd been laughing at something Cleo said to Sarah when a piece of corn slipped out of her fingers. She'd narrowly escaped the buttery splash staining her shorts, but the cut side had hit her leg and it was hot.
In case you were wondering, corn has an exceptional ability to hold heat - a trivia fact Kiara now knew all too well.
It hadn't been hot enough to burn her so badly it scarred, but her skin felt like it had been set ablaze. She'd spent the rest of dinner with a wet paper towel pressed against the top of her thigh.
Not that that was the point.
All she knew was that she felt equally as shocked to hear the word 'vacation' come out of her dad's mouth as she did when that piping hot cob of corn scorched her leg.
Kiara wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she actually found herself enjoying spending time with her parents - which was incredibly new.
Their first few days were spent in Paris, leisurely exploring the city. To the girls - because of course they brought Cleo and Sarah with them, don't be silly - this meant eating every pastry they were offered. And let them tell you, the French have the pastry game on lock.
Don't even get them started on the old fashioned hot chocolate. Kiara's mouth was starting to water just thinking about it.
She got to learn about her dad's deep appreciation for art as they admired the pieces in the Louvre. Sarah managed to snag a picture of the two of them deeply engrossed in a discussion of how beautiful one of the sculptures were and how impressive it was that the artists could make stone look so much like cloth.
Kiara made a mental note to print that picture before it got lost and forgotten about in the depths of her camera roll.
They ended their trip on a more relaxed note, taking in the coastal beauty that was Marseille. Anna was sipping on cocktails, Mike was hilariously body surfing in the water, and the three girls were all beaming smiles and booming laughter the entire time.
Kiara had taken a moment on the last day just to soak it all in, not fully convinced this care-free family dynamic would hold up long once they returned to the states.
Whether it would or wouldn't, vacation was a great time. Amazing, even. But she was beyond exhausted. It never mattered how long a flight was or how much she slept during them, traveling always knocked Kiara's energy clean out of her.
She was so close to succumbing to the call of her oh-so-comfortable bed.
The pillows, so neatly stacked and still perfectly fluffed, were practically calling her name. Plopping theatrically, Kiara let herself slowly sink as the foam of her mattress used its memory to envelop her in a tight hug. She breathed through her nose and let out one hearty relief of an exhale.
This was what being home felt like.
Determined to provide it's nightly inhabitant with the warmest welcome, the comforter started to wrap itself around her, tucking her in all on its own accord.
Or maybe she simply curled up into her bed with her traveling clothes on and didn't want to be judged for letting airport air touch her inside blanket.
No one will ever know the truth but her.
"Ew, Kie, you're getting airport air all over your inside blanket?"
And apparently Sarah.
Kiara could hear the scrunch of the girl's face in the tone of her voice. Before she could stop them, her eyes were rolling behind closed lids. So much for not being judged.
"It's been five seconds," the brunette answered. Her delivery was exasperatedly monotone, and she wasn't sure if the explanation for that leant more toward her sleepiness or the rapid decline of her social battery. "I promise my bed isn't fatally contaminated."
Kiara was propping herself up on one elbow when the blonde's weight settled onto her bed. The girl's hair gently thwacked against the blanket as she lied down on her back.
"Yes, Sarah, of course you can lay on my bed while you're also in your airport clothes," Kie sarcastically started. "The more the merrier, they say! Full airport air contamination - commence!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, mouth minutely agape as she shook her head in disbelief.
"If more statements like that are what await me in this life, I think I might have to rethink supporting your relationship."
Kiara didn't even try to stop the huff of laughter from escaping her lips. "I don't know if I can fault you for that one. JJ's a horrible, influence. Hilarious," she admitted. "But still horrible."
Sarah snickered, glancing at Kiara before turning toward the opened door at the sound of footsteps climbing the staircase. Cleo appeared moments later, her face bright with amusement.
"You'd think we'd be sick of each other by now," she joked, choosing to lean against the door frame instead of joining them on the bed.
Sarah patted the spot between her and Kiara, earning a defiant wave from the Bahamian girl's hand.
"Not staying for long. I'm about 3 seconds from passing out myself. I'm just surprised you guys aren't already with your boyfriends."
The two girls shared twin reactions - the intake of breath that rose in their chests, the heat of their cheeks, and the bite they held on the inside of their lips. All poor attempts at not showing their unexplainable infatuation with two knucklehead boys who had smiles that melted their brains into loving piles of mush.
Emphasis on the poor in that attempt.
"Honestly, I'm a little more surprised that they weren't already waiting for us on the porch," Sarah joked.
Cleo nodded because, with those boys, it was a valid statement.
"JJ said they were helping Heyward with a few deliveries after their shift at the Swell," Kiara absently explained. With her head down, she focused her attention on typing out a response to JJ's most recent Snapchat.
Sarah peeked over at her friend's phone.
"1. Can't believe you two still use Snapchat. 2. Love the fact that you refuse to acknowledge the 'Big' that comes before 'Swell' in The Big Swell."
Finally satisfied with her reply, Kiara dropped her elbow and relaxed into her bed. She internalized her gratitude for the low maintenance friendship that existed between her, Cleo, and Sarah. They could carry on a conversation without needing direct eye contact the entire time, and Kiara appreciated that. Having to look anywhere that wasn't the inside of her eyelids required way too much effort at the moment.
"1. We've had a streak since they were invented in this app. If you think we're gonna let it die now you must not know us well enough. 2. The Big Swell is entirely too long for everyday use," Kiara replied, dismissively waving her hand for emphasis. "The Swell, the shop, the surf shop - it's all the same thing. We all know where they work and you both know what I mean."
"You can say 'the surf shop' but not 'The Big Swell'?" Cleo asked, an eyebrow raised in undeniable judgment.
"Are they not the same amount of syllables to you?" Sarah added.
Kiara just shrugged. "I guess. It just rolls off the tongue better, I don't know what you want me to tell you. Anyway, onto point number three - before I was rudely interrupted - he's not my boyfriend."
Sarah was up in an instant. Not just on her elbows, either. She shot herself straight up, hands resting on Kiara's bed, eyes darting between Cleo and the relaxed liar.
"Not your boyfriend?" she asked, her twisted face displaying exactly how baffled she was. "Since when?"
"Since... ever?" Kiara answered, voice laced with an equal amount of confusion. She stared at her friend, one eyebrow lifted as the blonde continued to look at her in disbelief.
"Interesting," Cleo said as the other two girls continued their staring contest. "You've had quite the handful of hammock make outs with a boy who's... not your boyfriend." Kiara caught the movement of air quotations in her peripheral vision.
There was another shrug on Kiara's shoulders, feigning indifference.
"We're taking things slow. We already know how we feel. It's just a title, doesn't really change anything."
Sarah could gasp at the ridiculous rebuttal. "It changes everything! I mean, even just saying 'my boyfriend' to yourself feels different!" the blonde said. "If you guys aren't official by now, what do you guys say is going on? It's been months at this point."
"Only, like, two months and some change, Sarah." Kiara laughed at the blonde's dramatics. "We don't have anything to worry about. We're together and we know it. That's all that matters."
It rolled off her tongue easier than it existed in her mind. Truthfully, she had been thinking about it a lot over the last few weeks. How badly she'd love to be able to refer to him as her boyfriend. How happy she'd feel hearing him call her his girlfriend.
He let babe slip out a few times already and it sounded different than when he used throw it into a sentence for emphasis. It was affectionate and endearing - almost territorial.
Kiara never thought she'd enjoy the feeling of silly little pet names. Up until now, in her mind, they were overrated and overused.
But, there was just something about the way they fell from his lips and she was starting to understand the hype.
The other two girls shared a look, Sarah letting out a dramatic eye roll while Cleo simply shook her head.
Kiara didn't have the energy to address her friends' blatant skepticism. Instead, she averted her attention to the phone vibrating in her hand.
jj: traveling take all your energy?
The answer was yes, but she wasn't going to tell him that.
kie: no more than usual
how long until Heywards done holding you guys hostage?
jj: why?
you miss me?
Kiara heard his teasing voice in her head and could picture the smug smile on his face the same way she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
kie: no more than usual
She chuckled to herself, the joke of her repetition clearly reaching its target audience - herself.
jj: soooo
a lot then
got it
kie: if that helps you sleep at night
jj: oh it does
speaking of
gotta tell you something
kie: can't wait to hear this one
jj: no really
i've been feeling kinda crazy
kie: why?
jj: don't know, just got this one girl stuck in my head
she's real pretty
got these brown eyes, crazy long legs
and those curls?
oooo wee
don't even get me started
A few moments passed as Kiara officially slipped into her own world. Sarah and Cleo shook their heads at each other, understandably abandoning their friend and carrying on their conversation.
jj: total smokeshow if you ask me
Kiara shyly smiled into her phone. JJ had always been flirtatious, but the affect he had on her now was way more than she'd ever anticipated or experienced. Her heart felt like it was fluttering in her throat. As new as it was, she leaned into it.
kie: damn, she sounds pretty cool to me
hope she has the smile to match
Can you blame a girl for doing a little fishing?
jj: prettiest smile i've ever seen
been taking up all the space in my dreams for weeks now
She outwardly chuckled at that one. Count on JJ to overdeliver.
kie: you're pathetic
It wasn't the clever response she wanted it to be, but her brain short-circuited whenever he made her blush too hard and it was the only coherent sentence she could form without letting him know how badly he stumped her.
jj: maybe
but i'll be home in like 30 if you wanna come be pathetic with me
kie: what an offer
but kk
gotta unpack and shit, might be a little late
jj: cool with me
____
She wasn't late. Not even by a minute.
In fact, she was early by several minutes.
Unpacking really just meant throwing her clothes in the laundry room and putting her toiletries back in their respective places. Once that was done all she did was take a quick body shower and grab her bike from the garage.
Of course, not without the incessant teasing from the two girls who have become the sisters she's always wanted.
She got to the Chateau a few minutes earlier than when JJ said he'd be home, but was relieved to see both the twinkie and his dirt bike parked in front of the house.
Faint music was playing as Kiara kicked the stand down to support her bike. She stepped forward, following the sound and smiling when she saw the Pogue in some kind of janky romantic set up John B must've been working on.
There was a tent secured to the bow of the boat and she could see the glow of the fairy lights from where she was standing. She squinted, catching the silhouette of the boy bobbing his head to the music inside.
She brought both hands to her mouth and called out, "Cute set up, Loverboy!"
The figure in the tent perked up and started moving toward the opening, Kiara fully preparing to tease the shit out of John B when he came out.
Except, when a head of blonde hair emerged instead of the mess of boyish brunette curls she was expecting to see, her breath caught in her throat.
In typical JJ fashion, he ran a hand through his hair, standing up when he was fully able to. The lights shone through the tent's entrance, casting the right side of his body in a sheen of amber. He took a proud glance behind him.
"Took a page out of our boy JB's book. Did a pretty a good job, huh?" he confidently called back.
Kiara took a couple slow steps forward, pulling her eyes away from him so she could take in all of his efforts.
Just off to the side of the boat sat a small table with the speaker, currently playing Bob Marley, on top of it. A cheesy "WELCOME BACK" balloon was tied to a folding chair, swaying in the coastal breeze behind a framed photo - which, by the looks of it, Kiara assumed to be one they'd taken on his phone a few days before she left.
She had both the photo and the moment etched into her brain.
---
It was one of the mornings they'd woken up at her house. Mike and Anna weren't home, already having started their work days, so it was one of the few moments the teenagers were able to peacefully enjoy together.
Kiara remembered them, faces freshly washed and breath freshly minted, as they settled back into her bed in one of their newly-found favorite positions. JJ sat in front, his back to her chest with her legs crossed over his hips like she was his own human backpack. She had her arms wrapped around his torso, sleepily resting her head on his shoulder.
He had taken a video for his memories, wasn't sneaky about it all. Kiara, still in her I-have-free-access-to-you-all-the-time phase, had been peppering sleepy kisses on neck for no other reason than the fact that his skin was right in front of her face.
"She's so obsessed with me," he had teased into the camera, which jolted slightly with his reactive jump to her pinching his torso.
"Shut up," she sheepishly mumbled against him. She had turned away from his neck so she could bite his shoulder instead.
"Ouu, someone's getting frisk-," JJ started to tease, eyes locked in on the camera as he smirked with a suggestive eyebrow raise. But then the phone dropped, and it was just a black screen as he yelped. "Ow, Kie! That was my nipple!"
There was a rustle in the video as he struggled to find his phone, Kiara giggling in the background.
She was able to get in one last, "That's what you get," before he turned it off.
---
JJ sent the video on her fourth day of vacation, accompanied by a Mariah Carey why you so obsessed with me gif. It was his way of telling her he missed her and she did not want to disclose how many times she watched it for the same reason he sent it.
While she may not want to discuss it, that was the exact reason she could tell what was in the frame from so far away. Because she'd also stared at the photo they took directly after that moment as many times as she had watched the video itself. She could make out the image of his goofy beam of a smile and her kissing at the camera without needing to be up close.
Kiara took another deep breath, tried, but couldn't hold back the smitten grin from spreading across her lips. She looked back his way, taking in the sight of her boyfriend-not-boyfriend with the sun setting behind him.
He stood there, boyish smile and anxious eyes like somehow she made him nervous. Like they haven't known each other forever. Like this was the first time he'd ever done anything that alluded to his feelings for her.
Honestly, it felt like the first time for her, too.
Her heart beat just slightly out of rhythm, a tinge of heat surging to her cheeks. She could only assume the smile on her mouth looked just as goofy as the one on his.
To most people, it made sense to say this side of JJ was unexpected. Who knew he could be so romantic?
But, truthfully? Kiara always had an inkling.
Or maybe, for selfish reasons, she was just hoping that he did.
Lucky guess or intuition - whatever you want to call it - clearly, she was correct.
She must've been eyeing him for a bit too long, because the sound of his voice interrupted her thought.
"You coming?" He asked, a hint of humor and hopefulness in his voice.
She was moving quicker then, the frenzied flutter of butterflies in her stomach intensifying with every step.
Interesting, she thought. So much had changed and, yet, nothing had at all.
His hand was outstretched to offer assistance he knew she didn't really need. She took it anyway.
Because she wanted to.
Because she could.
Just like she could tilt her head upwards and silently ask for a kiss. Just like she got to meet his smile as he tipped his head and greeted her lips with his own.
She laughed lightly in her mind because when the hell did they get like this? Hushed voices and goofy grins? Cheesy dates with string lights and the cleanliness of perfectly good cushions being sacrificed for the sake of romance?
"What's the occasion?"
He shrugged, bringing her arms up to his shoulders while his settled around her waist. "Just wanted to do a little something I guess."
She stayed still for a moment, standing with him on a boat they spent their entire childhood hanging out on. Now, jumping in front of all of the memories of four rebellious friends, would be this one - Kiara staring back into the ocean eyes of the boy who stole her heart.
"I missed you," she openly admitted, her voice melting into a sappy whisper.
He smiled and pecked her lips once before pulling back and placing another to her forehead. "I missed you too, Kie," he echoed.
Overwhelmed by the aggressive flutter in her chest, Kiara decided she wanted to scope out the little cozy camp he made for them inside of the tent. But, not before stealing another kiss.
It's been two weeks, alright? Sue her for missing him.
She untangled herself and took a step toward the tent. Holding onto the entrance, she shot a skeptical look back and asked, "With Heyward, were you?"
JJ chuckled and followed behind. "I'll have you know," he started, ducking his head and crawling into the cushions beside her, "I was actually with him this morning. Didn't have a Wavelet group today and the guys had the sales floor covered, so Doc sent me home. Wound up helping Heyward with a big delivery for some kook brunch-e-que, or whatever the hell they were calling it."
The brunette lifted an eyebrow. "Brunch-e-que?"
JJ didn't understand it any better than she did. "I don't know, I think it was supposed to be some play on brunch and barbeque," he tried. "But it was just Mrs. Bradford and a bunch of other overdressed middle-aged women sitting at a table in her backyard waiting to be served, like, bougie croissants or some shit. Total kook behavior."
Kiara scrunched her face and scoffed. "That sounds like a nightmare."
The blonde tilted his head in her direction, a playful smirk on his lips. "I don't know, I feel like I can picture you and Sarah hosting some weird shit like that when we're all in our 40s and hella cringy."
His laugh sounded through the tent as Kiara slapped his arm.
"Absolutely not," she aggressively defended. "Sarah might be into kook events, but I'd rather drop dead before I ever hosted something as ridiculous as a 'brunch-e-que'. Like, let's just invite some people over and call it what it is - brunch."
JJ chuckled at how easily she got worked up about kook antics. He took ahold of her hand, trying to distract her before she derailed herself too far into anti-kookland.
"Well," he interjected, "since we're on the topic of food - are you hungry?"
When Kiara gave him a dramatic nod he reached for the cooler just outside their cozy corner. He set it in between them and pulled out two deli sandwiches, watching his girl's eyes light up when she read the repeated logo.
"Val's?" Her question was fully rhetorical, just pure excitement over seeing her favorite local deli sandwich inches away from her face.
JJ mentally gave himself a brownie point and handed her the sandwich with 'VG' written on the paper. "Knew you were into capreese sandwiches -"
"Caprese," Kiara quickly corrected, peeling the paper away from the aforementioned sandwich.
He waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, exactly. They've got the best mozzarella in town, so - oh!" The boy shoved his hand back into the cooler, a few ice cubes rattling as he searched for something.
Kiara watched, waiting to see what else he was going to pull out.
"I asked Mrs. Martinelli to make the special glaze for you instead of using the regular one it comes with." He handed over a tiny glass sauce container that looked oddly similar to one of the ones she had at home. "You left this here a while back, so I had her use it so I didn't get yelled at for handing you plastic."
If she could, Kiara would've begged the butterflies in her stomach to calm down. It felt like they were mating in there.
She leaned over, pressing a thank you into her boyfriend's lips. Sandwich momentarily abandoned on her lap, she held his head in her hands so she could really drive her point home.
"Guess I should bring you that glaze more often," he breathily joked when they pulled apart. "Do I get another one of those if I tell you about all the fruit I have in here? 'Cause I'll list 'em all. I'll even grab more if you want me to."
____
Many kisses of gratitude later, the sun had finally set and their deli sandwiches were long gone. With the fall of the night came a darkness that amplified the warm glow of their make-shift cave of comfort. The longer they stayed inside, the further they drifted into their own world.
As she thought about how otherworldly this night was starting to feel, Kiara noticed the two of them weren't the slightest bit intoxicated. There wasn't a complaint in her mind, but she realized how nice it was to be able to have such a perfect night with him without any extra substances. No alcohol. No weed. Just... them.
When she mentioned it out loud he agreed. "Yeah, didn't really wanna be high for this one."
Something about the sentiment set off that familiar flutter.
"You know, this is our first actual date," Kiara pointed out.
JJ huffed a laugh. He was propped up on one elbow, legs extended passed the entrance of their cave so he could stretch his limbs. The way he nodded his response made the brunette almost feel a little silly for stating the obvious.
"Kind of had a bit of a hunch," he said, reaching up to twirl one of her curls around his finger. "How am I doing?"
He surpassed her date expectations the moment he stepped out of this tent. Blew them right out of the water.
"Pretty good," Kiara answered easily. She forked a mango - he packed three containers and she'd already chomped down the first two - and tried to stay as nonchalant as possible.
He brought his attention away from the soft curl of her hair, sported a complacent smirk as he found her eyes. "Yeah?" When she simply nodded, he fished some more. "Scale of one to ten?"
Luckily she had taken another bite so she'd bought herself a few more seconds. As she went to answer, she heard the first few seconds of Otis Redding's These Arms of Mine and completely forgot whatever witty response she was going to say.
"Ten if you dance with me right now," was how she finally answered, already closing the container of fruit and practically crawling out of the tent.
JJ - ever the perfectionist when it came to Kiara - followed suit, taking this chance to get a perfect score on his first date with his favorite girl.
As subtle as it was, the breeze felt good against his skin. He could use it as an excuse if Kiara brought up the goosebumps she could feel when he pulled her in and she rested a hand on his arm.
They side stepped for a few moments, until they realized just how awkward it was to try to dance on boat as unsteady as the Pogue. Water gently sloshed against the sides, the sound of it offbeat and slightly frantic, almost fighting with the music that was currently playing. Eventually they found their footing, settling into a gentle rock, working in tandem with the flow of the waves.
Kiara rested her head on JJ's chest. Eyes closed, she let herself get lost in the moment. Breathing in her almost-boyfriend's comforting scent, the girl was entranced by the motion of their dance combined with the sounds of rippling water and Otis Redding's soulful voice.
She felt the gentle rumble of JJ's voice in his chest as he started speaking. "I think of you whenever this song comes on."
"Really?" She asked, lifting her head off of his chest and focusing fully on him.
He nodded. "I think I always have."
Intrigued, Kiara tilted her head to the side. It was a move often seen in dogs and JJ found it equally as cute when she did it. If not, more. There was a beam in her eyes that mixed into her natural curiosity.
"What about it makes you think of me?" she asked.
"Dunno. Guess I just missed you," he shrugged.
"I texted you the whole time, J. And it's not like it's my first family vacation." She pushed playfully, desperately wanting to hear why this song, of Otis Redding's entire discography, reminded him of her.
"No, I know. But it was just different this time. Before I'd miss you because I missed hanging out with you, having the full group around, y'know? But this time I missed my girlfriend. It's different."
Her heart beat a bit faster in her chest. It was the first time JJ had ever blatantly called her his girlfriend. She was used to him calling her his girl, and she had already come to terms the fact that she most likely was his girlfriend in his eyes. But hearing him actually say it still felt… Different.
He continued before she could even respond. "I guess I used to associate Otis Redding with you 'cause I knew you liked him. But I think I finally understand what he's singing about now. Yeah, we were talking on the phone, so I didn't have to be completely without you. I still couldn't hold you, though. And sleeping was a little bit difficult because there was a time difference and I couldn't just wake up, call you to make sure you were awake and crawl into bed with you 10 minutes later."
The words were coming out of his mouth so easily. JJ had a habit of doing this, confessing things so nonchalantly it made people think they were supposed to have already known whatever he was telling them.
Or maybe Kiara had a habit of reading into things, because she was pretty sure he was admitting to a feeling they hadn't discussed yet. Something they said to each other as friends. She knew where she stood, that it meant something completely different to her now. But until this confession - if you can call it that - she wasn't sure if he felt the same way.
And, again, he probably didn't realize what he was saying. But if Kiara knew him as well as she thought she did, then she could hear the implications of what he meant. Instead of fishing and trying to get him to say it out-right, she took it for what it is and let it sink in. One day he'll realize and one day she'll be brave enough to say it back. But, right now, they had Otis Redding to do the talking for them.
She did meet him halfway, offering an "I know what you mean," and an ,"I missed you too," before they settled into the silence once again. The air felt thick - heavy with words that hadn't been said, confessions that lingered in the air because both of them were too scared to say exactly what was in their hearts.
When the saxophone faded out, Kiara decided that she wasn't ready for this moment to be over, yet. So she clung to him a little bit tighter and asked, "Can we play it again?"
JJ fished the phone out of his pocket in an instant, pressing the backwards triangles to give his girl exactly what she asked for.
He loved the way the request came out. The way her voice sounded soft and low, like she wanted to make sure only he could hear it. As if other people were around and she wanted to make sure this moment stayed just between them.
They danced in silence this time, drowning out the sounds until it was just them and Otis Redding.
"You called me your girlfriend," she said as their dancing slowed. There was a small prideful smile on her lips, a glint of surprise in her eyes that he wasn't expecting to find.
JJ couldn't really help the chuckle that left his mouth. What else did she expect him to call her?
"Yeah?" He said, the word both a statement and a question at the same time. "You sound so surprised."
"Not really surprised," she explained. "Just didn't know I had the title, yet."
His pinched his eyebrows, taking his turn at being the confused golden retriever.
"Yet? You've had it since that night."
He didn't have to elaborate on which night he was referring to. She remembered it perfectly. The feeling of his hand in her own on their walk home. The shift in the air when they entered his room. The fragility with which he handled the situation because he really, really didn't want to fuck anything up.
She remembered waking up the next morning, her head on his chest and a new, free access to his lips that she didn't have before. How they agreed to finally give themselves a shot. How they promised to take things slow and keep their friendship at the forefront as they navigated whatever this new space was for them.
A light laugh left her lips. Apparently, the whole time she'd be waiting for him to ask her, she was the only one who didn't know she already was his girlfriend.
She didn't want to admit it, but maybe she owed Sarah an apology. The title definitely changes things. Nothing outwardly, she learned, but everything internally.
JJ's voice reached her again, sounding amused, confused, and unsure all at once. "Is that okay? I just kind of assumed..."
She shook her head, then nodded immediately after. The mixture of movements probably didn't offer him any clarity into what was going on in her mind.
"No, yeah. Of course it's okay," she answered. "I like the sound of it."
Something in her heart told her that wasn't enough. Maybe she wasn't brave enough to say the other thing, but she thought her boyfriend deserved more than what she'd given him. So she met his gaze fully, searched his eyes to make sure he knew how earnest her next admission would be.
"As long as I'm yours you can call me whatever you want."
She said it easily, with the nonchalance she knew he needed to hear it in. She was just hoping he could hear the other confession that lied underneath.