Page 85 of Late Bloomer
Opal’s smile is slow, hesitant. The prettiest thing on this farm. “I remembered you telling me that Grandma Lou gave a lot of flowers to neighboring farms. So, I called on them. Ones that were already growing flowers in hothouses were more than happy to return the favor and then some. Tal reached out to a few of their contacts too for some of the harder-to-find varieties.”
I feel dizzy from the growing pressure behind my eyes, anda tiny sob is pulled from my throat. I shake my head, trying to find a pinhole of clarity in the fuzziness of emotions.
“Do you hate it?” Opal asks, worry marring her face. “I’m scared you hate it. Was this an awful idea? I’m sorry. I thought it would be a fun surprise. I’ll—”
I cross the distance between us in two long strides, one hand reaching out to cradle Opal’s jaw, the other diving into her hair and tilting her head so I can press my mouth to hers, swallowing the rest of her words and her nonsense and her overwhelming kindness.
And Opal kisses me back, throwing her arms around my neck, pressing her body against the length of mine.
The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s frantic and hot, like I can’t get close enough fast enough. Like I’ll die if my lips stop touching the unbearable softness of Opal’s. But there’s something peaceful about it too, like every cell in my body can finally sigh in relief at the touch of her mouth to mine. The return of her kiss.
I finally gain a bit more control, taking my time to taste and feel the heat of her, trying to tell her how I could never hate anything she gives me.
“You bought this?” I finally manage, only pulling my lips far enough away to murmur the words against her temple.
Opal shrugs. “I… Yeah.”
“You bought anentiregreenhouse?”
“There’s actually another one,” she mumbles.
I laugh at the absurdity of it. “Opal. My God.”
She shrugs again. “I wanted to help you.”
“Why? Why would you do this for me?”
And, to my dismay, Opal lets out a frustrated sigh, untangling herself from me and backing up until her legs meet one of the tables, the leaves of the potted plants trembling.
She stares at me with incredulity.
“Because Ilikeyou, Pepper,” she says, throwing her arms up in the air. “Really like you. And dammit, I just want to make you smile.”
Her words are huge and terrifying and make my muscles and joints lock up with the shock. Even in the best circumstances, I’m slow to process big moments. Or small ones. Or most moments at all.
But this one?
I’m not sure I’ll ever recover. And I’m kind of panicking from the swirl of joy in my chest.
I wish I could take these feelings like a shot. Let them flood my blood and take over my nerves, but only for a little bit. Instead, they’re slow. Consuming. Tugging me under until I’m lost to it, any hope of resurfacing gone.
“Could you say something?” Opal whispers, staring at me with a desperate look. “Please?”
I only manage to shake my head, lips parting as if they aren’t woefully incapable of saying everything I want to. Need to.
Opal’s face falls, and my heart plummets with it. I can’t let that stand.
I close the space between us, hands gripping her cheeks, our eyes meeting and locking. I still can’t get the words out, my throat constricting, breaths short and sharp. Whatever thisis in me, it’s bright and terrifying and white hot and I need something—anything—to dull the fire.
I do the only thing I can.
I kiss Opal in a way that I hope says everything my words can’t.
She responds immediately, fisting my shirt in her hands, tugging me forward with unexpected force, my body landing flush against hers, the heat of the greenhouse wrapping around us.
The kiss is hot and disorienting, my world folding itself inside out with Opal’s soft lips as the center point.
I’ve loved every kiss Opal has given me, but none of them have ever undone me like this, sending a shiver down my spine while my skin is singed with the heat radiating from the center of my body. It scrambles my thoughts, making me desperate and hungry and reckless. I want more and less and harder and softer. I want hands and lips and tongues and teeth.
