16. Sydney
16
SYDNEY
An obviously surprised Katie waved back from the other side of the glass.
It was strange seeing her in the aquarium’s blue polo and tight khaki pants. The uniform somehow softened her. Although Sydney already knew about Katie’s soft side.
Butterflies swarmed Sydney’s stomach.
Would this be it?
A wave, then back to work for Katie?
It might be too late. Sydney may have taken too long to say what she came here to confess. And, after all, she’d ambushed Katie at her place of employment.
But Katie pointed towards the side of the exhibit, exciting those butterflies to dance around even more.
“Is that your girlfriend?”
Sydney looked down at the young boy, who was staring at her inquisitively. His mother flashed a mortified look and apologized, but Sydney just grinned at the kid.
“Not yet.”
The mother whispered, “Good luck,” then she shuffled her son away from the exhibit.
“Thanks.”
Sydney then headed to the area Katie had motioned towards and found a staff door that cracked open a moment later. Heat rose along the back of Sydney’s neck when Katie appeared in the doorway. But that heat soon turned to ice as she realized Katie wasn’t as happy to see her as she’d hoped.
Katie nodded her head sideways. “In here.”
Sydney entered the small hallway that apparently ran alongside the otter exhibit.
It had been so heartwarming to watch Katie with those otters. Sydney knew what she did for a living, of course, but seeing her in action felt like witnessing something really special.
If she hadn’t already been head over heels for this woman, that would have sealed the deal.
“Is Stephen expecting you? Because I can take you to the staff room. His shift should be?—”
“No, no,” Sydney stammered over Katie. “I’m actually here to see you.”
Her heart raced as she waited for Katie’s response. She knew this was a gamble. Katie’s text the day before had been so decisive. And her refusal to respond further, even more so.
But Sydney couldn’t let that be all between them. Not when Katie didn’t know the full picture yet.
She had been so nervous to come down here, and even more nervous to say the words she was about to say, but she had to say them. She couldn’t let this be the end of them. Not without laying everything on the table first.
“Oh.”
Nothing else but that word came from Katie, except a slight flush to her cheeks.
“You were great in that presentation, by the way. And those otters were so cute.”
“Thanks,” Katie said, her expression flat. “But I’m assuming you didn’t come here alone to watch an otter show.”
Sydney smiled. “You assume correctly.”
Katie shifted uncomfortably. “So why are you here, then?”
“So, first of all, I’m moving back to New Orleans. Officially.”
“That’s great.” Katie’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was an unexpected sadness behind them. “I’m sure Stephen is ecstatic.”
“Oh, he is,” Sydney said. “Me too, actually. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until I came back here for the week. And meeting with Rachel has opened up new career possibilities in my mind. So I have you to thank for setting that up.”
Katie’s smile looked a little more genuine now. “I’m really glad for that. Happy I could help. Both of you. I know Rachel appreciated the advice.”
“So that’s the first thing.”
Sydney’s heart raced. She’d stepped through the door. No turning back now.
The expression on Katie’s face tightened with apprehension. “What’s the second thing?”
“The second thing is…” Sydney took a deep breath. “The second thing is, I’m in love with you.”
Sydney watched a flash of annoyance wash over Katie’s face as her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
“That’s great,” she said. “But don’t you think that’s a little unfair?”
All Sydney could do was blink at Katie. Sure, she’d prepared herself to not have the sentiment returned. She felt she needed to say it, anyway. But unfair?
“What?”
Katie took a deep breath. She clearly had some things she needed to get off her chest, too.
“You aren’t ready for a serious relationship yet. And I respect that. It’s why I left yesterday. I’m sorry I bailed the way I did, but I’m giving you that space.” She took another breath as the rims of her eyes turned a subtle shade of red. “So you coming down here to say that you love me is just painful.”
Ouch.
Sydney definitely hadn’t been expecting that.
She had to fix this.
“But I don’t want that anymore,” she said.
A frown settled into the corners of Katie’s mouth. “Don’t want what?”
“Time. Space. A life without you,” she said. “Or at least the chance to make things work with you.”
“What if you change your mind?”
“I won’t. If this works out, it’s everything I want. I know we’ve only been together for a week. Well, less than a week, really, and not even officially. But I love you already, Katie. And I want to try to make this work.”
Tears formed under Katie’s eyes, and Sydney wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe them away.
“I love you, too,” she choked out. “But I also don’t want to make things weird with your family. Like… if it doesn’t work out with us, I don’t want to lose my connection to Stephen or the rest of them. And I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you, either, if we’d break up.”
“Why would you have to lose anything?”
A sob and a laugh came out of Katie at the same time. “You sound like Rachel.”
“Good. Because she’s right.” Sydney reached out and placed both hands on the sides of Katie’s face, the way she’d wanted to from the moment she stepped through that door. “My family adores you. You will always be welcome in that home. If this doesn’t work out, we’ll handle it. I’m not worried about that.”
“Maybe you should be.”
“I’m more worried about whether or not you really feel the same way about me.”
“Yeah, I do. But I’m afraid to hold you back. I don’t want to be a waste of your time when you could be exploring this new life of yours.”
Sydney held her gaze firmly as Katie reached a hand around Sydney’s waist. Tears spilled out of Katie’s eyes now, and Sydney wiped one away with her thumb.
“All I’m afraid of is you holding me back from being with you.”
Katie grinned. “We wouldn’t want that.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” Sydney said, returning the smile. “All I want is to sit in front of the river and watch fireworks with you tonight.”
Katie leaned closer, her lips just inches away. “I want that, too.”
Sydney slid her hands behind Katie’s head and pressed her mouth to hers. There was instant heat between them and a release of the longing that had been building all week, as if it had been a year since their last kiss at Katie’s apartment and double that since the party.
“Well, I guess I don’t have to ask if you’re coming over tomorrow.”
Katie and Sydney smiled against each other’s lips, then Katie turned to face Stephen behind her.
“I thought you were meeting me in the staff room.”
“And I thought something must have kept you after the last show,” he said with a sly grin. “Now I see what that something was.”
“Are you gonna be like this all the time?”
“About you two being together? Absolutely.” He put a hand on each of their shoulders. “But I’m really happy y’all are giving this a shot.”
Sydney pulled her gaze from her brother until it landed back on Katie. With a nod, she said, “Me, too.”
* * *
Sydney stared down at Katie’s hand in hers, resting on her thigh as they sat huddled on the icy cement bleacher seat. The air was bitterly cold even under the layers beneath her coat, but she didn’t care. Her heart was warming her enough to bear any temperature.
Her gaze lifted from their entwined hands to find Katie’s dark brown eyes locked on her. “You okay?”
Okay?
She was more than okay.
Sydney couldn’t believe she almost missed out on this. On this moment. On this potential between them. And for what? The fear of missing out on something else?
The truth was, she wanted nothing else than what she had at that moment, so there was nothing to fear. Certainly nothing to miss.
“Perfect,” she said.
Katie released her hand and put a finger in the air. “Not quite perfect yet.”
She dug inside the tote bag she’d brought to remove two plastic flutes and a small bottle of champagne. She poured it evenly between the glasses and held one out for Sydney.
“Almost time,” Katie said.
But it was already the perfect time. She felt like any moment she spent with Katie from here on out would be perfect.
Okay, so that wasn’t realistic.
But she was allowing herself to fully enjoy all the hope and delight that New Year’s Eve brought with it.
“10… 9… 8…”
The crowd shouted from the surrounding bleachers, and Katie and Sydney exchanged smiles while they joined in.
“7… 6… 5… 4…”
Their eyes remained locked as they raised their glasses along with the rest of the crowd.
“3… 2… 1!”
Around them, everyone shouted, “Happy New Year!” as a shower of fireworks erupted over the Mississippi River, illuminating the sky with bright, colorful lights.
Sydney just grinned, still staring into those dark brown eyes. She couldn’t believe she’d get the pleasure of staring into those eyes even more after this.
“Happy New Year, Katie,” she said softly beneath the roar of the crowd.
“Happy New Year, Sydney.”
They leaned in for a kiss. Soft and sweet. Lingering in the promise of the year ahead, and of all the days they’d have together from here on out.
When they broke the kiss, they each took a long sip of champagne. Sydney was already dizzy from the buzz her heart was giving her, but she wanted to stay up all night to sit and drink champagne with Katie.
“Too bad we don’t have a bigger bottle.”
Amid the booming fireworks and cheering, Katie’s voice lowered to that husky tenor that made Sydney go weak.
“There’s more at my place.”
Sydney felt her cheeks flush hot against the cold air, and they stood to exit the bleachers while carrying their flutes. They shimmied past people to hop to the ground, then Sydney took Katie’s hand in hers again and followed her girlfriend home.