NINETEEN #2
“I noticed you still leave your jewelry all over your apartment, just like you did in college. I’ve always thought it was wild, especially since you’re so strict about keeping everything else in its place.
I’ve literally seen loose diamond earrings rolling around on your nightstand.
” Gemma laughed, then pointed to where Hayley’s Rolex was lying forgotten by the couch. “See?”
“Thank you. It’s perfect.” Hayley hugged her best friend, holding on for a beat longer than usual. “I love you, Gem.”
After a minute, Caitlin cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to break this up, but we should probably get going, or else Maddie is going to be waiting by herself.”
Hayley stepped back from Gemma. They both turned and quickly touched up their makeup in the hallway mirror before heading out the door and climbing into the waiting black SUV.
——
Thirty-five minutes later, the car rolled to a stop in front of a place that Hayley knew by heart.
“Coney Island?” Hayley glanced at Gemma. “What are we doing here? I thought we were going out for dinner.”
Gemma and Caitlin shared a knowing look, saying nothing.
When the driver opened her door, Hayley stepped out and scanned the parking lot, looking for an explanation.
She spotted Maddie instantly, standing by the entrance to the boardwalk in a pair of low-rise jeans, a cropped tank top, and a flannel tied around her waist. Her long blonde waves were tousled by the ocean wind, and Hayley’s breath caught in her chest.
Hayley forced her feet not to run, even as her heart sprinted out ahead of her. She reached Maddie, slipping her arms around her neck and pressing a kiss on the soft lips she had been aching for.
“What is this?” Hayley asked once Caitlin and Gemma had caught up to them, her arm wrapped tightly around Maddie’s waist.
“Don’t look at us.” Gemma shrugged. “We already gave you your gifts.”
Hayley turned to Maddie, who remained tucked into her side.
“Happy birthday, Hayley,” Maddie murmured, her voice turning a little shy.
“I know you didn’t want to do anything crazy, but I couldn’t let us do the same thing we always do tonight—not on your birthday.
” She chuckled softly. “The boardwalk is ours for the night, so it’ll still be low-key, I promise. ”
Hayley pulled back to meet Maddie’s eyes in disbelief. “The whole boardwalk? You rented out Coney Island for me?” She shook her head, stunned. “I didn’t know you could even do that.”
“Most people can’t,” Maddie teased with a sly smirk that hit Hayley like a fatal blow.
All of her self-control evaporated. Driven by a sudden urgency to touch her, Hayley slid her fingers into the back of Maddie’s hair and drew her in.
The sounds of the rides, the music echoing from the speakers, even Caitlin and Gemma faded until there was only the warmth of Maddie’s mouth and the feeling of being completely seen.
Hayley couldn’t believe that the woman in her arms was hers, and she wanted to devour her right then and there. She sank her teeth into Maddie’s bottom lip. A sharp gasp tore from Maddie’s mouth. The sound ripped through Hayley’s entire body like a bolt of lightning.
“Get a room,” Caitlin called from beside them, and Hayley and Maddie broke apart in laughter.
“Thank you,” Hayley whispered against Maddie’s lips.
They took over Coney Island that night, playing every game and hitting every single ride at least once.
A steady stream of shots quickly pushed Hayley past the initial warm buzz she’d felt earlier from drinking in the sight of Maddie.
They demolished pizza, fries, and lobster rolls, capping their feast off with enough deep-fried desserts to nearly immobilize them.
Hayley’s one request had been that they end the night on her favorite ride—the Ferris wheel.
Tucked into one of the white carts on the wheel’s outer edge, Maddie curled an arm around her shoulders, and Hayley let her head rest against Maddie’s chest. She laced their fingers together in her lap and breathed in the salty ocean air, noticing the faint trace of lavender that always seemed to cling to Maddie.
As the ride paused—Maddie and Hayley swinging gently from the highest point of the wheel—a memory washed over Hayley in a tender wave, bringing a final understanding of why she had always loved Deno’s Wonder Wheel so much. It was a lot more than just the view.
“I just realized something,” Hayley murmured, staring out into the dark sky.
“Tell me,” Maddie urged softly, giving Hayley’s hand a slight squeeze.
“When we were kids, we would always end the night with a trip around the Ferris wheel, as a family. Jonathan and I would sit in our own cart, but I’d spend the entire ride turned backward, watching our parents behind us.
I felt like I was sneaking a glimpse into something private.
They’d kiss and giggle and whisper things to each other that I would never get to know.
Back then, I’d hoped that someday that would be me. ”
As the words left her mouth, Hayley felt something loosen inside of her, and she let out a slow, contented sigh.
She gazed at Maddie, watching the vibrant carnival lights dance across her eyes like neon ripples on the dark ocean.
Hayley laid her palm over Maddie’s heart, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips to Maddie’s.
Just then, blinding colors burst across the sky in the distance, and Hayley reluctantly pulled away from the beautiful woman beside her.
They held each other, losing themselves in the firework display as it bloomed over the boardwalk, then reflected again across the surface of the water.
It felt like a private celebration just for them, as if the city itself knew that two destined souls had finally merged.
Maddie’s face glowed with a joy so pure that it took Hayley’s breath away.
A rush of love swept through Hayley, steady and all-consuming.
She cherished the feeling burning inside her now, the honor of being held by Maddie, wanted by Maddie, known by Maddie.
In that suspended moment, with the sky lighting up around them, Hayley understood with absolute clarity that this was where her heart had always been leading her.
She leaned in and kissed Maddie again with the force of every desperate, aching hope that she held locked in her chest.