Chapter 17 #2
It wasn’t fair; Asha and Lucy were basically glued at the hip, but no one ever accused them of dating.
She didn’t know why Evie, and now Asha, were jumping to that conclusion, even if it might be true.
When Keira shifted in her seat, her calf gently grazed Amelia’s.
She kept her face neutral, even when it flared on her skin.
Lucy was telling them a story about her undergraduate adventures.
Incrementally, she moved her leg closer to Keira’s.
It felt nice knowing they shared a secret and were exploiting it in front of their friends, even though the last thing Amelia wanted was to get caught.
Her conflicting emotions were making her head spin.
Asha pulled her ear defenders towards her. A glazed look had come over her face.
“Do you want to head out?” Lucy asked, concern apparent on her face.
Amelia noticed Asha’s sluggish body language. Asha just nodded. Lucy gathered their coats, and the two of them slid out of the booth.
“We’ll see you guys at training,” Lucy said before she ushered Asha outside. Amelia watched them go, noticing how Lucy used her body as a human shield to stop anyone from accidentally touching Asha or bumping into her.
“Lucy is a good friend,” Keira remarked, taking a sip of her beer.
“She is. She and Asha balance each other out quite well. Asha keeps her grounded when her head is in space.”
“Is that even possible?” Keira laughed.
The pair descended into an awkward silence, their calves still touching under the table.
Amelia wanted to reach out and take Keira’s hand, but she wasn’t sure of the reaction.
Keira took her half-drunk pint and nursed it with both hands, removing the option.
Amelia didn’t know if it was intentional.
“I’ve had a really nice time tonight,” Amelia said shyly.
Keira smiled, staring down at her beer. Amelia thought it was a rueful, wistful smile; it didn’t light up her eyes the way Amelia knew was possible.
“Until Asha and Lucy showed up, and we nearly got caught?” Keira questioned.
Amelia squirmed in her seat; Keira took another drink.
This time, though, Amelia reached out and pried Keira’s hand off her glass, taking it in both of her own.
“I really did have a good time,” she said, her voice pleading with Keira to at least look at her. Keira hesitated, then turned sideways on the seat, tucking her legs up and facing Amelia.
“I had a nice time, too.” She smiled.
Amelia reached across, put her hand on the side of Keira’s face, and pulled her in for a gentle kiss. She slowly brushed her lips on Keira’s, memorising the way they felt as they moved against her own. The softness made Amelia feel like she was floating.
When they pulled apart, they both smiled bashfully.
Amelia didn’t know why this seemed so hard.
They were both consenting adults; they knew what they were doing.
But it felt like someone was trying to take a bulldozer to her carefully constructed walls, and she wasn’t necessarily ready for the fortifications to come down.
A brick at a time, maybe, but all at once was too much.
“We should probably head out soon, too. I’m working tomorrow,” Amelia said softly, still gazing at Keira.
“And I should get home to Dad.”
“Or, you could come over? Stay the night?” she asked. The heat in Keira’s eyes became apparent, giving Amelia hope. But as quickly as it arrived, it extinguished, and she turned away.
“I really should get home to Dad,” she said, taking a last swig of her beer. “He’ll be expecting me back.”
“We’ll have to get dinner or something soon though, okay?” Amelia suggested and gave Keira’s hand a squeeze. Keira brightened.
“Yeah, that would be good.”
They got up and left the bar. As soon as they stepped outside, the cold air chipped away at them, sending a chill down Amelia’s spine.
Keira pulled her close and engulfed her in a hug.
Amelia nestled her head into the crook of Keira’s neck and wished she could never leave.
Someone cleared their throat loudly behind them, alerting them to the fact that they were blocking the doorway.
They broke apart and moved out of the way.
“Do you need a lift home?” Amelia asked, knowing Keira likely walked.
“Nah, it’s okay, thank you. I know what my dad’s like. He’d be twitching at the curtains, just like when I was a teenager.” Keira laughed. Then she added quietly, “He’s keen to meet you.”
That made Amelia want to hold Keira closer and run away in equal measure.
“I can’t really relate. My parents never let me out of their sight for long enough to be twitching the curtains as I got back.”
“It sounds like you’ve got a lot of sneaking around to make up for.” Keira grinned mischievously.
“You’ll have to teach me,” she said suggestively.
Keira reached out and took Amelia’s arms, spinning the pair around and pushing Amelia back against the nearby wall. The crowd made them anonymous, allowing them to slip into their own little bubble.
“I’m not sure what I can teach you, Doctor Preston, but I’m happy to try,” Keira almost growled in Amelia’s ear, then she kissed her deeply, one hand on the wall beside her head, the other grazing Amelia’s stomach.
Then, just as soon as the kiss was there, Keira was gone and already several steps away, waving goodbye.
“See you at training!” She grinned in a way that indicated Keira knew exactly how she’d just set every nerve ending Amelia had on fire.
Amelia’s cheeks were aflame, and she ran her fingertips over her lips. She might just enjoy this particular lesson.