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The after-party was in full swing. Music pulsed through the dimly lit rooftop venue, a high-end spot in downtown Los Angeles that Ella Purnell had rented out for the evening. The whole Yellowjackets cast was here, along with a few close crew members, all eager to unwind after the grueling intensity of filming the latest season.
Sophie Nélisse had always enjoyed these gatherings—laughing over inside jokes, trading set stories, celebrating their work. But tonight, she felt… off.
It wasn’t the drinks. She was nursing a gin and tonic, barely touched. It wasn’t the crowd—everyone here was family by now. No, the problem was a five-foot-four, effortlessly magnetic, golden-haired Englishwoman holding court by the bar, making everyone within a ten-foot radius laugh.
Ella.
Sophie had been avoiding her all night.
She could feel it in the way her body tensed when their eyes almost met, how she changed direction whenever Ella moved toward her, how she pretended to be deeply invested in conversations she wasn’t actually listening to.
She wasn’t subtle.
And people were noticing.
“What’s up with you?”
Jasmin Savoy Brown had slid up beside Sophie with that knowing look of hers, one eyebrow raised, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Jasmin didn’t miss a damn thing.
Sophie blinked at her, feigning innocence. “Nothing. Just tired.”
Jasmin let out an exaggerated scoff. “Bullshit.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “You’re acting like Ella’s a live grenade. Every time she walks in your direction, you suddenly find a reason to be somewhere else. What’s up with that?”
Sophie’s stomach twisted. “I—I’m just—”
She had no good excuse.
Jasmin smirked. “You like her.”
Sophie choked on her drink. “What? No. That’s ridiculous.”
“Oh, babe. It’s so obvious.”
Sophie stared into her glass. She could deny it all she wanted, but her body betrayed her. The moment Ella had walked into the party, radiant as always in a sleek black dress, Sophie had felt the air in the room shift. She had felt it on set too, that unbearable push and pull, the way their scenes together left her breathless even when the cameras weren’t rolling.
She was in trouble.
Ella, meanwhile, had been having a great time—until she started noticing something odd.
Sophie was avoiding her.
At first, she thought she was imagining it. But after the third time Sophie turned on her heel and fled the moment Ella entered her orbit, she knew it wasn’t just coincidence.
She watched Sophie now, across the room, lingering awkwardly near the balcony. Their eyes met—finally—and Sophie quickly looked away, pretending to check her phone.
Okay. Enough.
Ella excused herself from her conversation, set her drink down, and made her way across the room with quiet determination.
Sophie was about to step outside for some air when she heard a voice behind her.
“Are you avoiding me?”
Her stomach dropped.
She turned slowly to see Ella standing there, arms crossed, head tilted, a teasing smile on her lips—but there was something searching in her gaze, something uncertain.
Sophie forced out a laugh. “What? No. Of course not.”
Ella arched an eyebrow. “Mmhmm.”
A beat of silence stretched between them. The noise of the party seemed to fade, leaving only the pounding of Sophie’s own heartbeat in her ears.
Ella stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You’ve barely looked at me all night. Did I do something?”
Sophie swallowed. Hard. “No, I just—” She let out a shaky breath. “I need some air.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed toward the restroom.
Ella hesitated for a second before following.
The bathroom was quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside. Sophie leaned against the sink, gripping its edges, willing herself to get a grip.
She didn’t expect the door to swing open behind her.
She turned sharply to find Ella locking it.
Sophie’s breath hitched. “What are you—”
“Talk to me.” Ella’s voice was soft now, none of the teasing from earlier. She took a step forward. “Something’s up, and I think it has to do with me. So tell me.”
Sophie’s mouth went dry. She could lie. She could brush it off. But looking into Ella’s eyes, seeing the genuine concern mixed with something else—something unreadable—she knew she couldn’t keep running.
She exhaled shakily. “I like you, Ella.”
Ella blinked. “I like you too—”
“No,” Sophie interrupted. “I like you.”
Silence.
Ella’s lips parted slightly, but no words came.
Sophie let out a nervous laugh, running a hand through her hair. “God, this is so— I didn’t mean to make things weird. I just— I’ve had these feelings for a while, and being around you is just—” She groaned, shaking her head. “I didn’t want to make things complicated.”
Ella was still staring at her, unreadable.
Sophie swallowed. “Say something.”
A slow smile curved Ella’s lips. “You’re an idiot.”
Sophie frowned. “Excuse me?”
Ella closed the space between them in two quick strides.
“Because if you had been paying attention, you’d have noticed that I’ve been flirting with you for months.”
Sophie’s brain short-circuited. “You—what?”
Ella huffed a small laugh. “God, you’re clueless.” Then, before Sophie could react, Ella reached up, cupped her face, and kissed her.
It was soft at first. Tentative. Testing the waters.
Sophie gasped slightly against Ella’s lips, her hands instinctively coming up to grasp Ella’s waist. The kiss was warm, gentle, almost unbearably tender—until Sophie made a small, desperate noise, and suddenly, everything changed.
Ella pressed in closer, deepening the kiss, fingers tangling in Sophie’s hair. Sophie responded instantly, pulling Ella flush against her, her own hands sliding over the curve of her hips.
The kiss turned messy, urgent. Tongues brushed, breaths came quick, and Sophie let out a quiet moan as Ella nipped at her lower lip.
Ella grinned against her mouth. “You’re so fucking cute when you’re flustered.”
Sophie groaned. “Shut up.”
Ella kissed her again, harder this time, pressing Sophie back against the sink.
Sophie’s head spun. This was happening. This was actually happening.
She pulled back just enough to meet Ella’s gaze, breathing heavily. “What now?”
Ella smirked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Sophie’s ear. “That depends.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “On?”
Ella’s expression softened. “What you want this to be.”
Sophie searched her eyes. “I don’t want this to just be some after-party thing.”
Ella smiled. “Good. Because neither do I.”
A beat passed. Then Sophie exhaled a laugh, pressing their foreheads together. “We’re really bad at this, huh?”
Ella chuckled. “Disastrously.”
Sophie grinned. “So… we try this?”
Ella nodded. “Yeah. We try this.”
Sophie kissed her again, slow and sweet.
Outside, the party raged on. But in here, nothing else existed but them.