Page 71 of Shift the Tide

“Yeah,” Izzy murmured. “Just sleep.”

But she didn’t move away. Didn’t shift back into the pillow or turn away to settle in. Instead, she lingered, her fingers still resting against Kiera’s cheek, her breath warm between them.

Kiera felt her pulse hammer in her throat, felt the slow, inevitable pull of gravity drawing them together. She knew that this was new and delicate and terrifying in ways she hadn’t let herself think about yet. But none of that seemed to matter when Izzy was looking at her like this, like she was already halfway gone.

She wasn’t sure who leaned in first, only that it was pure instinct. When their mouths met, the kiss wasn’t rushed, wasn’t desperate. It was slow, confident — they didn’t need to rush anything right now, as if the outside world no longer existed and every worry of tomorrow had faded. The kiss was a promise of more to come. Izzy’s lips were tender and gentle, and Kiera found herself gripping the fabric of Izzy’s shirt, holding on like she was afraid of what would happen if she let go. The kiss deepened, just slightly, just enough for Kiera to feel the warmth spread from her chest downwards. Their bodies moved together,their hips moving slowly, carefully, like they were testing the waters.

When they finally pulled back, neither of them moved far. Izzy’s forehead rested against Kiera’s, the moment stretching between them.

A noise startled them both and they stilled, listening. Music. Gentle guitar, then Michael Stipe’s crooning. Kiera turned her head, her brow crinkling. “Is that what I think it is?”

Izzy grimaced. “Yeah, it’s… REM’s “Everybody Hurts” coming from Maggie’s room. She’s lucky those kids sleep deeply.”

“Should we go check on her?” Kiera asked, though neither moved.

“Let’s give Gwen a chance to take that one on. We’re a little busy,” Izzy said. She shifted her thigh away from Kiera’s legs. “Though, to be honest, I don’t want to have sex with you for the first time in the guest bedroom of our grieving friend’s home.”

Kiera’s eyes widened. “Okay, when you put it like that… I agree.”

Izzy bit her lip. “I know you’ve never had sex with a woman, and I want your first time to be… good, you know?”

Kiera raised an eyebrow. “What, you’re like on the welcoming committee or something?”

“No, not like that.” Izzy blinked in surprise.

Kiera leaned forward to kiss Izzy’s lower lip. “I’m joking. I don’t think there’s any way it’s possible for us to not have incredible sex, but yeah, this is… not the place for that.”

Izzy visibly relaxed.

“Are you, um, worried about the fact that I’ve never… you know, had sex with a woman?” Kiera hedged, watching Izzy carefully.

“Are you worried about that?” Izzy asked.

“You can’t answer a question with a question,” Kiera said.

Izzy rubbed at the back of her neck. “It does freak me out a little, you know? I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Izzy,” Kiera breathed. “I think that’s honestly impossible at this point.” She leaned in again, and just as their lips brushed, REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ started anew.

“I can’t believe we’re being cockblocked by 90’s alt rock right now,” Izzy grumbled.

“Do you remember that kiss in college?” Kiera asked.

Izzy scoffed. “Of course I do.”

Kiera raised a brow. “Why do you say it like that?”

“Because I’ve thought about that kiss… a lot,” Izzy confessed.

Kiera’s stomach clenched with excitement and nerves. She ran a hand affectionately through Izzy’s hair, playing with the short strands. “Oh, really?”

“Mostly I’ve thought, how did we wait so long to do it again?” Izzy said, her voice dropping lower.

Kiera squeezed her eyes shut in the darkness, needing the extra illusion of privacy. “I wish I’d been braver back then,” she whispered. “I wish I’d just been honest with how attracted I was to you.”

“I thought I was just some experiment,” Izzy said.

Kiera traced the shell of Izzy’s ear with her thumb. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel that way. That’s not fair of me. I was just a coward.”

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