Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 125117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125117 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“Oh my god, I can’t believe there was a time when I’d never met you!” Greta announced to the Mississippi.
“You were so cute when you came up to me. So awkward. I’d seen you through the bar window, you know.”
“What? No way. Tell me.”
Carys smiled and sat at the edge of the pier. Greta sat beside her.
“I was chatting with a friend, and I saw you coming down the street. I thought you were hot. When I came outside, it might have been because I was gonna talk to you.”
“What? And you just let me blather on like a doughnut?”
Carys grinned. “It was sweet,” she insisted. “You were so nervous and so not slick. I liked it.”
“And how ’bout now?” Greta asked.
“Now, you’re still sweet, you’re still occasionally nervous, and you’re almost never slick. And I still like it. I love it. I adore you.”
The lump in Greta’s throat made it hard to force out words.
“Fuck, I adore you too.”
“Listen,” Carys said, twining their fingers together. “What would you think about moving into Eleventh House with me when your lease—Truman’s lease—is up?”
“Really?”
“No, I’m playing a very mean and horrible prank. Of course really!”
A swarm of butterflies were fluttering in Greta’s chest. She turned to face Carys, sitting cross-legged to try and stop herself from bouncing up and down. It didn’t quite work.
“Yes! Yeah. Fuck yeah. Yes.”
Carys let out a breath, and Greta realized she had been nervous to ask her. Self-possessed, confident Carys had worried she might not say yes.
“I love you so much,” Greta told her, pushing her curls away from her neck and leaning in to kiss her throat, then her cheek, then the corner of her mouth.
Then something occurred to her.
“Wait, but are you sure, because I have a lot of plants. Like. A lot.”
“Hello, yes, of course I know, and yes, I’m sure.”
“I want to get a cat,” Greta said. She hadn’t even realized it was true until it was out of her mouth.
“Great. I love cats. Not a hairless one, though, okay? I think they’re cute but Helen has a legit phobia.”
“A full-of-hair cat, then.”
Greta couldn’t stop smiling.
“I take weirdly long showers for someone with almost no hair. And Adelaide says I snore, but I think she was just messing with me.”
“Oh, I know you snore.”
“I do?”
“Oh, honey, yes. You for sure snore.”
“Wait, have I been snoring this whole time?”
Carys nodded.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
Carys shrugged. “I’m fairly sure it’s not something you can control. I didn’t want to make you self-conscious.”
“Damn.”
Greta didn’t have it in her to be mortified about that revelation because Carys was looking at her with such fondness.
“I want to live with you. The idea of waking up with you every morning makes me so happy. I can’t wait to make you coffee and bring it to you in bed because you’re so snuffly and cuddly when you first wake up. I can’t wait to eat dinner with you and plan our weekends together. I can’t wait for Helen to yell at you for wasting water when you take really long showers.”
Carys grinned but squeezed Greta’s thighs tight.
“I…wow. I want all that stuff too. I just worried… You and Helen and Veronica have your whole thing going on, and I would never want to interrupt it.”
“What? You’re part of the whole thing we have going on. You’re part of the business, not me. And V and Helen love you.”
“I love them too.”
“Listen, I only want this if you want it too,” Carys said seriously, eyes anxious.
“No, no, I want it. I want it so much!” Greta grabbed her and pulled her close, heart zipping with joy. “I want it. Please don’t doubt that for one second. I was just feeling a little insecure.”
Carys stroked her hair. “Babe, you have nothing to be insecure about. You’re so fucking lovely. I can’t wait to plan all the things with you.”
“Me too.”
Greta had to work hard to keep herself from screaming her joy into the night.
But why? Why was she trying to hide her feelings from Carys? That was the whole point of joy, right? To feel it and share it?
Giddy and shaky with adrenaline, Greta stood.
“I’m gonna move in with the best girlfriend in the world!” she yelled at the dark, sludgy river. The Mississippi ate her words and skipped them out again, because someone shrouded in night called back “Congratulations!” (Someone else called back “Shut up,” but it’s all about mindset, so Greta ignored it.)
Carys snorted and stood up beside her, slinging an arm around her waist.
“I can’t believe I used to live in Maine. On an island.” Giddy had become slaphappy, and Carys squeezed her tight.
“I can’t believe you came here as part of a house swap,” Carys joined in.
“Omigod, I know!”
“So listen,” Carys said, suddenly serious. “I want to run something by you.”