a/n: I am not a huge fan of this chapter, but it shows a little bit of their dynamic. I'm sorry I feel like I've edged you for a while. I think the next chapter is gonna be really good so just get ready lol.
Like Paige had promised, they were taking things slow. A little too slow for Azzi's liking.
They texted more now, nothing dramatic, just small things. Paige's good morning texts had become part of Azzi's routine, and every night there was always a good night waiting for her before bed. Azzi found herself staring at those messages longer than she cared to admit.
She still stopped by with lunch whenever Paige was working, partly because she wanted to make sure Paige actually ate and partly because any excuse to see her was a good one. Paige seemed to know exactly what she was doing, too. She'd eat at an agonizingly slow pace, leaning back in her chair with that infuriating little smirk whenever she caught Azzi watching.
By the time Azzi left, she was usually already wounded tight. Then Paige would walk her to the door and steal a quick kiss in the corner, carefully hidden from anyone coming or going.
Azzi appreciated the restraint. She really did. This was new territory for her, and Paige was being patient in a way that made her feel safe. It was probably the smart thing to do. The problem was that every time Paige walked into a room, common sense immediately stopped contributing.
Which was exactly what Azzi had been dealing with since that morning. Once all of her furniture had been delivered, everyone had agreed to come over and help set things up.
Everyone had been there. Nika and KK had mostly come to witness the inevitable moment when Paige accidentally injured herself with a power tool. Caroline had immediately claimed the bathroom, determined to organize every product Azzi owned into a system that somehow made sense. The space was tiny, but Caroline treated it like a personal challenge.
Azzi would appreciate that later. At the moment, she was far too distracted. She sat curled into a suspiciously old beanbag chair Caroline had rescued from her parents' basement. The thing smelled faintly like mildew and poor decisions, but it offered the best view in the apartment.
And right now, that view was Paige.
Halfway through assembling the bedframe, Paige had peeled off the t-shirt she'd arrived in, complaining that it was too hot. Now she was working in a black sports bra and dark blue sweat shorts, entirely unaware of the effect she was having. Or maybe completely aware. Azzi honestly couldn't tell anymore.
She watched Paige kneel beside the scattered pieces of wood, studying instructions she clearly wasn't reading. Every movement seemed effortless. When Paige lifted one end of the frame into place, muscles shifted beneath her skin. Her shoulders flexed. The lines of her arms tightened. Azzi's eyes followed every motion despite repeatedly telling herself not to.
When Paige turned to grab another piece, the muscles across her back became more defined beneath the afternoon light spilling through the window. A few strands of hair had escaped her ponytail and stuck to the back of her neck. She looked ridiculously attractive.
Every time Paige tightened a screw or steadied a board, the veins along her forearms became more pronounced. Her grip tightened. Her wrists flexed. Then there were the moments when Paige stretched or reached for something across the floor. Her abdomen would tighten briefly, revealing sharp lines of muscle before disappearing again.
As the afternoon wore on, Paige's shorts slipped lower on her hips from constant movement. Enough that every time Paige bent down or stood back up, Azzi's stomach performed an alarming series of flips.
Every once in a while, Azzi had to look away and seriously question her own sanity. She was just sitting there, openly staring at...her girlfriend? Her friend who happened to be a girl? A girl she was talking to? They hadn't actually defined anything yet.
Still, they spent almost every day together. There had been one work trip where Paige had been out of town for two days, and Azzi had discovered she hated that more than seemed reasonable.
And then there was the kissing. That was definitely Azzi's favorite part. She couldn't remember the last time kissing someone had felt like that.
Every brush of Paige's lips seemed to send sparks racing through her chest. Her stomach would flip. Her heart would speed up. The rest of the world would fade into background noise until there was only Paige standing in front of her. It was equal parts wonderful and completely unbearable.
Every time things started to heat up, Paige would pull back with that knowing smile, press one last kiss to her cheek, and leave Azzi feeling like she'd forgotten how to function.
Which was exactly where she was now. Watching Paige tighten another bolt on the bedframe while looking unfairly attractive. Azzi dragged a hand down her face. She should be capable of sitting in the same room as Paige without becoming completely distracted.
Across the room, Paige glanced up. Their eyes met. The corner of Paige's mouth twitched. Azzi immediately looked away.
Caroline's voice cut through the apartment. Azzi looked over to find Caroline standing in the bedroom doorway, giving her a look that clearly said
what the hell are you doing?
Azzi climbed out of the beanbag and headed toward the bedroom.
Behind her, KK let out a quiet laugh.
"Shut up," Paige muttered.
The words were soft, but Azzi heard them anyway. Her ears immediately felt warm. She had told Caroline about the kiss. Well, technically she'd told Caroline about one kiss. That had somehow led to approximately ten thousand follow-up questions she hadn't been prepared for.
The only answer she could consistently give was that they were taking things slow. Getting to know each other. Spending time together. Caroline had been mostly respectful about it. That didn't stop her from asking every few days if they'd slept together yet.
Azzi's usual response was, "Hopefully soon."
Which only made Caroline laugh harder. Azzi wasn't entirely sure how much Nika and KK knew. Then again, she was almost positive Caroline had told Nika, or Paige had told Nika, and Nika had told KK. Keeping secrets in this friend group was basically impossible. At least nobody brought it up in front of them.
The other night they had all gone out together, and nobody said a word. Not when Azzi spent the entire evening hovering near Paige. Not when Paige automatically moved her through crowded spaces with a hand resting lightly against her waist. Not when Paige leaned down every so often to whisper something in her ear that left her grinning like an idiot.
The most she'd noticed were the occasional glances exchanged between Caroline, Nika, and KK. The kind that said, we see this. The kind that promised she'd hear about it later. Because Caroline always asked questions afterward. Always.
By the time Azzi stepped into the bedroom, Caroline was standing on a small stool near the window, arranging framed artwork on the wall. It was starting to look like one of those gallery walls people spent hours planning on Pinterest.
"Which one should go here?" Caroline asked, holding up two different prints. One was a soft ocean photograph. The other featured a small sailboat drifting across a pale blue horizon. Azzi studied them for a moment.
Caroline immediately made a face. "I'm doing the boat."
"Then why did you ask me?"
"I wanted to see if you'd agree with me."
"You literally just said-"
"The boat has better balance."
Azzi laughed. Caroline set the ocean print aside and reached for a hook on the dresser.
"Go through those," she said, nodding toward a stack of prints. "Pick one for the bathroom."
Azzi shook her head and started flipping through the stack. It was funny. This was technically her apartment, but she had absolutely no idea what it was going to look like when Caroline finished with it. Not that she was complaining. Every choice Caroline made somehow worked. Even the ones Azzi hated initially. She pulled out a print she liked and turned back toward Caroline. Caroline was carefully hammering a nail into the wall when she spoke again.
Azzi groaned immediately. "What?"
Caroline ignored the question. "You talk to the guy yet?"
She set the hammer down and reached for the frame she'd been working on. Azzi hummed.
"I meet with him tomorrow."
She said it casually, like it wasn't a life-changing conversation. Like she hadn't spent the last week thinking about it. Slowly, she turned around.
"Okayyyy..." she dragged out. "And?"
Azzi chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I'm gonna sign."
For a second, Caroline just stared. Then she squealed. Actually squealed.
Her voice echoed through the apartment. Azzi's eyes immediately widened. "Shhh!"
"I don't want to say anything until it's official."
Caroline slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh. Right. Sorry."
Despite the apology, she was practically vibrating with excitement. "That's huge, Az."
A smile tugged at Azzi's lips. It was huge.Terrifying.Exciting. A little bit unreal. Before either of them could say anything else, they heard the front door open.
"Foods here!" Nika's voice rang through the apartment.
Caroline immediately perked up. "Oh thank God. I'm starving."
She headed toward the doorway. Azzi followed. Or at least she tried to. Caroline spun around so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.
"You." She pointed dramatically.
"Stay here and finish hanging that painting."
Azzi frowned. "I'm hungry."
Caroline crossed her arms. "Oh, yeah?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "From what? Working up an appetite staring at your girlfriend's ass for the last two hours?"
Heat immediately rushed to Azzi's face. "Oh my God.”
Caroline grinned. The grin of someone who knew she was right. And knew Azzi knew she was right. "You haven't looked at anything else in this apartment all afternoon."
"Okay” she sighed in defeat.
"You're lucky Paige was busy building furniture because your staring was actually embarrassing."
Azzi groaned and buried her face in her hands.
Caroline backed into the hallway. "Hang the painting." The laughter followed her out of the room.
Once the bedroom was quiet again, Azzi let out a long sigh. Then she looked down at the two prints Caroline had shown her earlier. The ocean photograph. The sailboat. She still liked the ocean one better. Caroline was wrong. She picked it up anyway and held it against the wall.
After a few seconds, she had to admit it worked. The colors tied everything together. Annoying. Caroline was right again. Azzi hung the frame on the nail and stepped back. The wall looked good. Really good, actually.
She tilted her head, checking whether it was straight. As she adjusted it slightly to the left, she heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. A smile tugged at her lips before she even turned around.
"Hey." Paige's voice was low, barely more than a whisper against Azzi's ear. Paige stepped in close behind her, resting her chin briefly on Azzi's shoulder before pressing a soft kiss beneath her jaw.
Azzi closed her eyes. There was something unfair about how easily Paige could unravel her. The room suddenly felt smaller. Warmer. Paige lingered there for a moment, her hands settling lightly at Azzi's waist. When another kiss brushed against her jaw, Azzi finally gave up pretending she had any self-control left.
She turned in Paige's arms and immediately reached for her. Paige's smile appeared before the kiss did, like she'd known exactly what was coming. Of course she had. Paige always seemed to know.
The kiss was brief but enough to send Azzi's heart into overdrive. Paige pulled her a little closer, and for a second Azzi forgot they weren't alone in the apartment. Forgot there were three other people nearby.
When they finally separated, Paige was still smiling. That stupid smile. The one that always made Azzi feel like Paige knew a secret she didn't.
Paige's eyebrows lifted. "How'm I mean, ma?"
That nickname. Her brain immediately short-circuited. It should not have affected her this much. .She opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Before she could recover, Nika's voice echoed from somewhere down the hallway.
"Stop making out and come eat your food!"
Paige glanced toward the door. Azzi groaned.
"You heard the woman," Paige said.
Azzi rolled her eyes and brushed past her, deliberately bumping her shoulder on the way by. She'd made it exactly two steps before a hand settled at her waist.
Paige tugged her back just enough to stop her. "We can finish this later."
The words were quiet. Just for her. Azzi hated when Paige did that. Not because she actually hated it. The opposite, unfortunately. She hated how effective it was.
Turning her head slightly, she looked back over her shoulder. "Finish what?"
Paige's grin only widened. "Whatever you want."
Azzi immediately regretted asking. She could practically feel Paige's amusement.
Azzi shook her head, trying not to smile. Behind her, Paige laughed softly. The sound followed Azzi all the way to the kitchen.
The next day, Azzi met Dan at the municipal building. The whole thing felt strangely anticlimactic. For days she'd been thinking about this. Planning. Researching. And now it came down to paperwork. Stacks of forms. Signatures. Initials. A few awkward conversations with a clerk.
Dan sat across from her, sliding documents her way as they worked through everything. When it came time to write the check, though, reality finally hit. Azzi stared at the number for a second longer than necessary. That was a lot of money. A truly horrifying amount of money. She carefully wrote it anyway.
The moment she handed it over, her stomach dropped. There it goes. Years of savings. Gone with one signature. Her chest tightened for a moment. Not because she thought it was a mistake. Because it suddenly became real.
For years she'd worked for other people. Followed someone else's vision. Helped build someone else's business. This time would be different. This time the success or failure belonged to her. The thought was terrifying.
Thankfully, she wasn't doing it completely alone. Nika and KK had already been talking her up to practically every business owner they knew. Every few days Azzi would hear about another potential client, another introduction, another person interested in hearing what she could offer.
She appreciated it. Even if it came with a healthy amount of pressure. Because now there were actual expectations. People believed she could do this. Which was great. Paige had been especially supportive. Every time Azzi started spiraling about budgets or timelines or whether she was making a giant mistake, Paige somehow managed to talk her down.
She'd offered to help however she could. Though technically Paige also wanted to become a client someday. Azzi had a feeling mixing business and whatever was happening between them could get complicated. That felt like a future problem. Right now she was too excited to care.
The entire process took a little over an hour. Once everything was finalized, Dan drove her over to the storefront. The keys jingled in his hand as they walked up to the door. Azzi couldn't stop smiling.
Dan unlocked it and held the door open for her.
Dan spent a few minutes walking her through some final details, pointing out a few things she'd need to know and answering last-minute questions. Before leaving, he mentioned one final thing.
"I also arranged for a deep cleaning crew to come through." Azzi nodded politely. Her landlord had promised something similar. Experience told her not to get her hopes up. Still, it was a nice gesture. After a few more handshakes, Dan finally headed out. The door closed behind him. Silence settled over the space. Azzi stood in the middle of the empty storefront. For a long moment, she didn't move.
Sunlight spilled through the front windows and stretched across the floor. The room smelled faintly of dust and old paint. The walls were bare. The floors needed work. But all Azzi could see was possibility.
A sitting area near the entrance. A workstation along the wall. A big whiteboards covered in campaign ideas. A meeting space. Branding mockups. Strategy sessions. Clients walking through the front door. Her clients.
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it. The sound echoed through the empty room. This was hers. Every terrifying, exciting, overwhelming part of it. And for the first time all morning, the nerves disappeared. She could do this. No. She was going to do this.
Thats how she ended up back at the Inn. Tangled up with Paige on the couch. She had just stopped by to say hi and check on her, but Melanie insisted that Paige take a break, so of course Paige brought her back to the room.
It started innocently just sitting together on the couch, a few quick pecks, and talking about each other's day. At some point, Paige had started rubbing her thigh which was a normal thing she would do, but paired with the look on her face, Azzi was having a hard time concentrating.
Azzi could only hold out for a few minutes before she was hopping into Paige's lap crashing their lips together. Paige couldn't hold back her smile, but Azzi was too pent up she didn't even care.
Paige let Azzi set the pace as per usual, but Azzi was getting impatient, and she could feel her underwear getting damp. She knew that soon Paige was going to try and stop from going any further. But Azzi was fucking horny.
She slightly rolled her hips to create some friction. The moment she did, she felt Paige's hand clench on her hips, and her breath stutter. That only made things worse for Azzi. That sound was like honey. She wanted to hear it again. She slowly created a rhythm, Paige seemed just as entranced since she wasn't making moves to stop it.
In fact, Azzi could feel Paiges hands guiding Azzis hips back and forth. She also felt Paige's hips buck up once or twice. Azzi couldn't keep the sounds tumbling from her mouth. Each roll of her hips, her moans got more persistent.
That only spurred Paige on more. One second Azzi was on Paiges lap, next she was on her back, and Paige nestled between her legs. Paige started kissing her cheek, slowly making her way down Azzi’s neck, stopping to bite and lick.
Just as Paige hand started making her way across Azzi's hip to the button of her jeans, her phone started buzzing.
They ignored the ringing for a few seconds. Neither of them moved. As if pretending it didn't exist would somehow make it go away.
The phone stopped. Silence settled back over the room. Then it immediately started ringing again. Paige groaned. A second later, she broke away and dropped her forehead against Azzi's shoulder with an exaggerated sigh.
"This time it wasn't my fault.”
Azzi laughed softly, still a little breathless. "Technically it's your phone, so it's still your fault."
Paige rolled her eyes but couldn't quite hide her smile. Unfortunately, the phone was still ringing. With another sigh, she carefully pushed herself off the couch and grabbed it from the nearby table.
"What's up?" she answered. Her tone immediately told whoever was on the other end that they had interrupted something. Azzi bit back a smile. Then she watched Paige's expression change.
Her eyebrows pulled together. "What do you mean?"
The smile disappeared completely. Azzi sat up a little straighter. Something about that tone made her stomach tighten.
Paige listened quietly. "Okay," she finally said. "Yeah. We'll be out in a minute."
The call ended. For a moment she just stared at the phone. Then she looked over at Azzi.
"Everything okay?" Azzi asked.
Paige hesitated. Only for a second. "Yeah." The answer came a little too quickly. "We should probably head up front. Megan needs help with something."
Azzi nodded. But the knot in her stomach remained. Something felt off. Paige wasn't acting upset exactly. Just… Different.
Azzi stood and quickly straightened her clothes, trying to make herself look less like she'd just been curled up on a couch making out with Paige five minutes ago. Paige was already moving toward the door. Azzi followed behind her. The walk down the hallway felt strangely quiet.
Paige didn't reach for her hand. Each step made the unease in Azzi's chest grow heavier. By the time they reached the lobby, she was already preparing herself for bad news. Some sort of emergency.
Anything. Paige headed toward Megan behind the front desk. Azzi turned toward the waiting area. And stopped.
Every thought in her head vanished.
"Hey, Azzi." Jason stood in the middle of the lobby. Hands clasped awkwardly in front of him. Looking almost as nervous as she suddenly felt.
Her heart dropped. For one terrifying second, her brain went completely blank. What the hell was he doing here? A sharp, immediate panic.Then anger. Her mother. Of course. That little snitch. Azzi was already mentally drafting a text message when Jason spoke again.
"I know you're surprised to see me." His voice was careful. Like he was approaching a wild animal. "I was just hoping we could talk."
The silence stretched. Jason shifted his weight. "Please."
Azzi stared at him. A hundred different responses fought for attention. None of them made it to her mouth. Instead, she gave a small nod. Jason visibly relaxed.
"Maybe we could grab a coffee?" He gestured toward the front windows. "I saw a place down the street." Again, Azzi just nodded. Words still felt impossible
"Okay." Jason headed toward the door.
Azzi remained frozen for another second before forcing herself to move. Right before she reached the exit, she glanced back. Megan immediately looked down at her computer screen, pretending she hadn't been watching. Not very successfully. Azzi's eyes shifted to Paige. Their gazes met across the lobby. For a moment, neither of them looked away. Paige's expression was impossible to read. Not angry. Not upset. But definitely not thrilled. Then Paige gave a small nod. A silent reassurance.
Azzi swallowed hard. The knot in her stomach tightened. Then she turned and followed Jason out the door.
The walk to the coffee shop was silent. It was only a block away, but it felt much longer. Jason stayed a few steps ahead, never trying to walk beside her. Never pressuring her to talk. Just letting her follow at her own pace. Azzi appreciated that. Mostly because she wasn't entirely convinced she knew how to function right now.
One minute she had been tangled up with Paige on the couch. The next she was following her ex-boyfriend down the street. It felt like emotional whiplash. She wouldn't wish this on anybody. Well. Maybe one or two people. But definitely not most people.
When they reached the coffee shop, Jason held the door open for her.
"You grab a table. I'll order."
Azzi nodded automatically. A few minutes alone sounded amazing. She slid into a chair by the window and immediately dropped her face into her hands. What the hell was happening? Why was he here? Why had her mother talked to him? And why did she suddenly feel guilty when she knew she hadn't done anything wrong?
The chair across from her scraped against the floor.
Jason carefully set a coffee in front of her. "Still take it with oat milk?"
The question caught her off guard. "Uh... yeah."
For a moment neither of them spoke. Jason took a sip of his drink. Set it down.
Took a deep breath. "How are you?"
Jason gave a small, nervous smile. "I asked how you are."
"What kind of question is that?"
The smile disappeared. "The normal kind?"
Azzi stared at him. "Jason."
A beat passed. "I know you're surprised I'm here."
"Why the fuck are you here?" The words came out louder than she intended. Several people glanced over.
Jason immediately looked around the room before lowering his voice. "Az."
Months of confusion suddenly rushed to the surface. "What are you doing here?"
Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "I know showing up was weird."
"Okay. Weird was the wrong word."
Despite herself, Azzi almost laughed.
Jason's expression softened. "I'm not trying to cause problems."
He paused. "I just wanted to check on you."
Azzi frowned. Jason looked down at his coffee.
Then back at her. "We were together for a long time, Azzi."
His voice was quiet now. "Those feelings don't just disappear in a week."
The words landed heavily between them. Azzi looked away.
Jason gave a humorless laugh. "Well..." He shrugged. "Maybe yours did."
"That's not fair." The response came out immediately. Because it wasn't fair. But it wasn't completely wrong either.
Jason seemed to notice the hesitation. Azzi hated that he could still read her so easily.
"It's not like I never cared about you," she said. The words sounded weak the moment they left her mouth. Because caring had never been the problem.
Jason leaned forward slightly. "Hey."
She looked up. "I'm not mad at you."
The statement surprised her. "You're not?"
He let out a long breath. "No." Another pause. "Heartbroken?" He nodded. "Yeah."
The honesty made her chest ache.
"Hurt? Definitely." Another nod. "But not mad."
Jason stared down into his coffee. His fingers tightened around the cup. "Unfortunately, I still care about you."
The confession was simple. Matter-of-fact. Which somehow made it hurt more.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Azzi swallowed. "Thank you."
The words barely made it above a whisper.
Jason nodded. "Your mom said you were doing okay."
That immediately caught her attention. "My mom?"
Jason winced. "Before you get mad, I reached out."
Azzi groaned internally. Of course he did.
"You weren't answering my calls." A small smile tugged at his mouth. "Which, to be clear, I completely expected."
That earned the tiniest smile from her. "What did she say?"
Jason looked out the window for a moment. Thinking. "She said you seemed happy."
"She said you seemed more like yourself than you have in a while." Slowly, he looked back at her. There was sadness in his eyes.
But there wasn't bitterness. Which somehow felt worse.
"She said you seemed lighter."
The guilt hit immediately. "I'm sorry."
Jason frowned. "For what?"
Azzi stared at her coffee. Searching for the right words. "I'm not sorry we broke up."
The honesty slipped out before she could soften it.
Jason barked out a laugh. "Well." He lifted his cup. "No sugar-coating there."
Azzi huffed a small laugh. Then her expression fell again. "I'm sorry that I didn't figure it out sooner."
Jason's smile disappeared.
"I cared about you." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "I still care about you." The words felt important. Necessary. "But I don't think I loved you the way you loved me."
Silence settled over the table. Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Jason nodded. Slowly. Like he had already known.
Honestly..." His jaw tightened. "I think I knew something was wrong."
Jason laughed softly. "There was always this feeling."
Azzi didn't say anything.
"I just didn't want to lose you." The words were barely above a whisper. Jason swallowed. "And I think part of me knew that if I ever said it out loud..." His eyes found hers. "It would become real."
The space between them felt impossibly small. For the first time since she'd sat down, Azzi understood why he'd come. He'd come because he needed someone to finally say the thing both of them had been avoiding.
"What made you think that?"
Jason stared down at his coffee for a moment. "There were a few things."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Well..." He shrugged. "For starters, you couldn't even hold my hand in public."
Azzi immediately looked away. Jason wasn't wrong. Any kind of public affection had always made her uncomfortable. Holding hands. Putting an arm around each other. Taking pictures together. Things that seemed effortless for other couples had always felt strangely forced.
"We'd be walking somewhere and I'd reach for your hand and you'd act like I handed you a live grenade."
Despite herself, Azzi laughed.
Jason laughed too. "I'm serious."
"I know." The smile faded from her face. "I'm sorry."
The words came out barely above a whisper.
Jason immediately shook his head. "No." His voice was gentle. "Don't apologize."
"Seriously." Jason leaned back in his chair. "I'm happy to see you happy."
The sincerity caught her off guard. There wasn't any bitterness behind it.
A smile slowly appeared on Azzi's face. A real one.
"Thanks." She looked down at her drink. "I am really happy."
The words felt good to say. Because they were true. She thought about the apartment. The business. The friends she'd made. The way her life felt like it was finally moving forward.And then, inevitably Paige. Jason noticed the expression immediately.
"Does any of it have to do with that woman?"
Jason quickly lifted both hands. "I'm not judging."
"I've known you for eight years, Az." A soft smile crossed his face. "I know you."
Azzi stared at him. Waiting.
"You don't look at people the way you looked at her."
The words landed heavily. After a moment, Azzi lowered her hand.
Jason's expression softened. "Yeah?"
Azzi nodded. A small smile appeared before she could stop it. "Yeah."
Just thinking about Paige made her smile. That probably answered the question by itself.
"She makes me really happy."
Jason's shoulders relaxed. "Good."
The answer surprised her.
"Of course I do." Jason looked genuinely confused. "Why wouldn't I?"
Azzi didn't have an answer. They sat quietly for a moment, each taking a sip of their drinks. For the first time since she'd arrived, the tension between them felt lighter.
Eventually, Azzi spoke again. "Can you not tell my mom?"
Jason immediately nodded.
"I'm not really ready for that conversation."
The nod came a little too quickly.
Jason cleared his throat. "What?" His eyes darted away.
Azzi pointed at him. "Nope. What was that?"
Jason shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Nothing."
He sighed. "I think your mom might already know."
Jason winced. "I don't know for sure."
"But..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "When we talked recently, she mentioned you might be interested in someone."
"And I kept asking questions, she wouldn't answer them, but..." He paused. "At one point she slipped and said 'her.'"
Her mother knew? Or at least suspected? How? When? Why hadn't she said anything? A hundred questions collided in her head at once. Maybe she'd been waiting. Maybe she'd known for years. Maybe she was just letting Azzi figure it out herself. The possibilities somehow made it worse.
Jason watched the realization unfold across her face. "You okay?"
Azzi continued staring into space. "No." A beat. Then another."Damn."
They caught up for a little longer after that, slipping easily into the kind of conversation that felt familiar in a way Azzi hadn’t realized she needed. Nothing too deep. Just life updates. Small stories. A few laughs in between. By the end of it, Azzi felt lighter.
Strangely lighter. Jason seemed okay too. Really okay, actually. That made it easier.
But as they walked back toward the inn, the relief slowly started to fade into something else. Thoughts about her mom crept back in. Why hadn’t she said anything? Why let Jason be the one to tell her?
By the time they reached the building, her mind was already spinning again. Jason stopped near his car.
“Hey,” he said, giving her a small side hug. “I mean it. If you ever need anything, just call.”
Azzi nodded, hugging him back briefly. “Thanks.”
And then he was gone. The second she turned back toward the entrance, everything shifted again.
Paige. Azzi paused at the doorway. Right. She hadn’t really thought about Paige. Not through any of that. Not through Jason. Not through her mom. Not through any of it. Her stomach tightened. She stepped inside.
The lobby was quiet except for Megan speaking with a guest at the counter. Paige stood a few feet away, flipping through a stack of papers, focused but still. Until the door opened. Her head lifted immediately. Their eyes met. Paige hesitated for half a beat, like she wasn’t sure what version of Azzi had just walked back in.
Azzi started toward the counter.
Paige met her halfway. “Hey,” Paige said carefully.
“Hi.” Azzi’s voice came out softer than she expected. A beat of silence. “Can we talk?” she asked.
Paige tilted her head slightly. “A good talk or a bad talk?”
There was humor there, but it didn’t quite hide the edge of concern underneath it.
Azzi scoffed, shaking her head. “Come on.”
Paige didn’t argue. She just reached for Azzi’s hand. And squeezed. Like she was checking in without words. They walked down the hallway together in silence. Just Paige’s hand steady in hers.
By the time they reached the room, Azzi’s chest felt tight again but not from panic this time. From everything she hadn’t said yet.
The moment the door closed behind them, she let go of Paige’s hand. For half a second, she just stood there. Then she moved forward. Wrapping her arms around Paige’s neck.
Resting her forehead against her shoulder like she could physically reset herself there. Paige didn’t hesitate. Her arms came around Azzi’s waist immediately, firm and grounding, one hand rubbing slow circles into her back.
“Hey,” Paige murmured. “You okay?”
Azzi didn’t answer right away. Just breathed. Because somehow, after everything that had happened today, this was still the safest place she knew how to be.
“I’m gonna need more than that,” Paige said with a quiet chuckle.
Azzi lifted her head. Her hand came up to Paige’s face, thumb brushing lightly along her cheek as she guided her in. She kissed her softly. No teasing this time. No tension. Just reassurance.
When she pulled back, she stayed close. “I’m good. Really good.” She exhaled, like she was finally letting something go. “I think I really needed that conversation.”
Her eyes dropped for a second. “I think part of why I’ve been…”
Paige smirked. “Blue balling me?”
Azzi’s jaw dropped. She smacked Paige lightly on the shoulder.
“Need I remind you, you’re always the one stopping things. You’re blue balling yourself.”
Paige laughed under her breath, shaking her head. “I’m just saying,” she said, still smiling. “I’m playing,” she added quickly, like she didn’t want Azzi to actually stay mad.
Azzi rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
“Part of why I’ve been hesitant,” she continued, more serious now, “is because I’ve felt guilty.”
Paige’s expression softened.
“I mean… you know. Our friends know. But no one else does. It feels like I’ve been lying.”
“You’re not lying,” Paige said immediately.
“I know,” Azzi nodded. “But I wasn’t being fully honest either.”
“I couldn’t even say it out loud to anyone except you and Caroline. But talking to him today… I had to. Out loud. To someone outside this little bubble I’ve been living in.”
Paige studied her for a moment. “That makes sense.”
Azzi let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Right?”
Paige’s mouth curled slightly.
Azzi narrowed her eyes instantly.
“I swear to God, if you say something stupid—”
Paige didn’t let her finish. She pulled Azzi in and kissed her, slow, grounding, just long enough to shut her thoughts off completely before pulling back with a grin.
“Let me take you on a date.”
Azzi blinked. “We’ve been on dates.”
“I want to do it right,” Paige continued. “Pick you up. Take you somewhere nice. Real romantic shit.”
“Real romantic shit?” Azzi repeated, amused.
“Yeah,” Paige said seriously.
Azzi shook her head, smiling despite herself.
Paige tilted her head, suddenly more earnest. “Azzi Fudd?”
“May I take you out on a date tomorrow night?”
The room went quiet for half a second. Azzi leaned in, their lips barely brushing, her smile soft and certain.
“I would love nothing more.”
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