Chapter 24 #2
Jess clenched her jaw, frustration piling up. This could not be it for Vivienne after the stellar season she’d had—losing in the championship final in three straight sets. And she didn’t want to be the reason Vivienne’s star crashed and burned like that.
There had to be more. She had to find a way to calm her mind, to get the job done. To be there for Vivienne. There had to be a way she could snap out of it.
Jess made a decision. She put her water bottle down. “When you kissed me, what were you thinking?”
Vivienne gave her a look that went from surprised to amused. “I was thinking that I really wanted to kiss you.”
“What made you actually do it?”
Vivienne shrugged and wiped a drop of water from her lip. “I don’t know, I guess I just thought … fuck it. I’m gonna do it.”
“Were you worried about getting rejected?”
Vivienne’s lips quirked. “Yeah, a little, but in that moment I didn’t really care. Getting rejected was not as bad as not kissing you.”
Jess only hesitated for half of a second before she put her hand on top of Vivienne’s. “That’s sort of how I feel right now. There is nothing as bad as not kissing you.”
Jess waited while Vivienne’s eyes lit up and her smile grew. One heartbeat. Two. Finally, Vivienne spoke. “You want to kiss me?”
Jess’s heart thudded against her rib cage. “So badly. I sort of feel like I have to, in fact.”
Vivienne turned her hand over and laced their fingers together.
Jess’s heart rate accelerated.
“I want to kiss you, too,” Vivienne admitted. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a mess out there. Kissing you is kind of all I can think about.”
Jess realized she had swayed closer to Vivienne. “I think we should go for it.”
Vivienne looked around at the sea of faces. “Like … right now?”
“Yes. Right now. And after the game, but especially now.”
“Everyone will see.”
“Yup.”
Vivienne tipped forward and murmured, “Fuck yeah. Let’s do it.”
Jess touched their lips together, and the stars began to sing.
Vivienne’s lower lip fit between hers like it was made to be nowhere else.
Her lips were so soft, and so sweet, and the kiss flooded Jess’s body with euphoria and clarity and calmness, with the sense that this was exactly the right thing.
In the back of her mind she heard wolf whistles and cheers from the crowd.
Their lips shifted and they kissed again. Joy zinged through Jess’s body and bubbled up her throat. She pulled away and laughed. “Viv…”
Vivienne stared at her. “You called me Viv.”
Jess grinned. “Let’s go win this fucking thing.”
Vivienne’s smile … it was magic, brighter and more dazzling than a thousand shooting stars. She stood and pulled Jess to her feet. “Let’s go win this fucking thing.”
The crowd roared as they stepped back onto the court.
Jess turned to find Tania in the sea of faces.
Tania was beaming, hands clasped to her chest. She whooped when their gazes met. “GO GET THIS, JESS!” she hollered over the voices.
Jess grinned back.
She and Vivienne slapped hands. She adjusted her ponytail and took her position at the net, ready for Vivienne’s serve. She smiled.
Vivienne’s serve split Athena and Faith down the middle. Ace.
Her next serve hit the sideline on Faith’s weaker side. Ace.
Jess hugged her. “This is a good game plan. You got nineteen more aces in you?”
Vivienne slapped her butt. “I got a few.”
Jess was so happy she wanted to burst. She jumped a mile in the air and blocked Athena. She jumped even higher—nothing up there but her and the stars—and scored another kill. They were winning 7–2 when Athena and Faith called a time-out.
They sat on their bench and grinned at each other.
Jess had to laugh. “This is fun.”
“Yes, it is.” Vivienne shook her head. “But we should stay focused. Athena and Faith will be more ready now. They’re not going to go down without a fight.”
Jess raised an eyebrow. “Can I make a joke about going down?”
Vivienne’s gaze swept over Jess in a way that made her feel naked … and she loved it. “You can do anything you want … tonight.”
Jess shivered. “God, you’re sexy.”
Vivienne patted her hand. “You can tell me about it later.”
Back on the court, they kept the momentum going and won the third set 21–12.
Vivienne unwrapped a protein bar. “You hungry? You should eat something—some food, I mean.”
Jess grinned. “I’m good for now.”
“Athena and Faith are pissed. They’re going to come out full force. You ready?”
“I can literally do anything right now, Viv.”
Vivienne wrinkled her nose. “You’re adorable.”
Jess could have flown in that moment. “Not as adorable as you.”
Athena and Faith were pissed. They fought hard. The game was closer this time, but Jess and Viv still won 21–18.
They hugged after the last point. “Amazing,” Vivienne breathed into her ear. “You’re … a meteor, blazing across the sky, Jess. You’re the moon, the sun, and all the stars.” She paused and pulled back to touch Jess’s tattoo. “That’s it. That’s your nickname.”
“What is?”
“You’re light itself. I’m going to call you Starshine.”
A warmth spread from the center of Jess’s chest, through her body, tingling her fingertips and heating her cheeks. Words failed her.
Vivienne blinked, eyes wide and dark. “No matter how this game goes … thank you for playing with me.” She kissed her again.
Jess kissed back, ready to catch a shooting star with her bare hands if Vivienne asked.
“We’ve got this,” Vivienne said. “We prepared. We know their rhythm. We know that when the game is close, Athena is going to roll shot. We know that Faith likes to go short on her third serve. We know that Faith hits the second ball if it’s tight.
But they don’t know anything about how we play together. We can beat them.”
Athena and Faith, faces hard, settled in to pass Vivienne’s serve in the fifth and deciding set.
Jess gave Viv her blocking signal and admired the bomb Vivienne sent over the net. Athena hit one hard back and Vivienne’s dig was a little tight to the net.
“Hit it,” Vivienne said, low and fast.
Jess jumped without a blocker and crushed the ball sharp cross. Athena dove but had no chance.
“Fuck yes.” Vivienne hugged her. “Love that, Starshine.”
Athena scored the next point when she looped it over Jess’s block to the far corner and Vivienne couldn’t quite get there.
“So close,” Jess said, giving Vivienne five. “You’ll get the next one.” And she did. Vivienne was like the whirlwind around the court, picking up absolutely everything.
The battle was tight, but they edged ahead 14–13 with another tough serve from Vivienne. Match point serve for her now. A hush fell over the crowd as Vivienne tossed the ball in the air.
It was a rocket, and Faith had to send over a free ball.
Jess passed it to Viv and went in for the attack.
Faith blocked her. Vivienne dug it up and Jess hit it again.
Athena dove to get a fist on it and scrambled to her feet.
Faith bump set her and Athena went hard for the kill.
Jess jumped, watched Athena’s shoulders, and pressed her hands hard over the net.
The thrill of connecting with the hit reverberated into her core as the ball smashed straight down in the sand.
They won.
Vivienne whooped, Jess roared, and they jumped into each other’s arms, laughing and crying.
The crowd lost its collective mind, screaming and jumping and tossing hats and popcorn in the air. The earth shook. The moon trembled. Confetti cannons went off and filled the pavilion with pastel stars.
Jess pulled Vivienne into her, nose in her neck, breathed her in, sweat and sand, vanilla and the sky. “You did it, Viv.”
Vivienne shook her head. “We did it.”
“No, it was your focus, all season. You worked so hard. I’m so proud of you.” Winston and Troy stood on the sideline carrying a trophy and a tray of medals but Jess ignored them. “The game’s over now so … I’m going to kiss you again.”
Their lips met while their family and friends cheered, over the rumble of the ocean, over the singing of the stars.
Two days later, they had only left Jess’s apartment to walk Fleming. They had barely left Jess’s bed at all, really.
Curled up together, Viv traced Jess’s hand splayed on her stomach, her hair tickling Jess’s arm.
Jess was deliriously happy. The last forty-eight hours had been a dream.
Partying at Maggie’s with Vivienne’s hand in hers.
Even better, falling into bed with Vivienne after, kisses hot and frantic.
Waking up together the next morning, kisses slow and methodical.
Vivienne’s taste on her tongue, Vivienne’s legs and vanilla smell wrapped around her in equal measure …
everything she had ever wanted, right there in the bed next to her.
Well, almost everything …
“What if you get the pro invite and I don’t?” Jess whispered.
“You’ll get an invite.” Vivienne kissed her bare shoulder. “You played lights out.”
Jess didn’t know what she’d do if Vivienne had to be on the road half the year in the Pacific League. Fortunately, she had the immediate distraction of Vivienne’s rumbling stomach to worry about instead.
“You want something to eat?” Jess fished around on the floor for her own Veronica Doyle T-shirt to pull on.
“Sure.” Vivienne rolled over to watch Jess get up and dig through the fridge.
It was slim pickings in there. They’d really have to go grocery shopping soon. Jess got to work on omelets.
“Oh, Veronica says congratulations,” Vivienne informed her.
Jess plopped a frying pan on the stove. “Veronica Doyle does?”
“You’re such a dork.” Vivienne laughed. “Yes, Veronica Doyle said we were amazing. And … Okay, I have to tell you something. You know Constellation Prize, the book dedicated to me?”
Jess paused, egg in hand, and turned to face Vivienne, who was chewing on her lip. “Of course.”
“And you know Cleo, the main character?”
Oh, did she ever. Sexy, daring Cleo, Jess’s first gay crush. “I do.…” she said, wondering where Viv was going with this.