Page 45 of Loving Lauren
Lauren leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching Sierra with a soft expression that made her chest feel warm. “Actually, I might have an idea.”
They had the entire afternoon to themselves. No schedule, no rush. Just them. They grabbed some towels and headed down to the beach, holding hands as they walked along the water. Lauren kept pulling out their phone to take pictures. Some would end up on Instagram, but most were just for them. Sierra squinted adorably at the bright sun. Their shadows tangled together in the sand. The way the light caught in Sierra’s hair.
They bought ridiculously expensive fruit smoothies from a roadside stand and shared them, Sierra stealing Lauren’s last sip and then offering her own as compensation. They found a spot to watch the waves crash and laughed at the tourists who were way braver than either of them when it came to trying paddle boarding.
While Sierra crashed for a nap, Lauren snuck around packing stuff into a beach bag. They moved like a ninja so they wouldn’t wake her up.
When the sun started getting low, Lauren shook Sierra’s shoulder. “Come on, sleepyhead. I want to show you something.”
Sierra followed without asking questions, just kept shooting Lauren these curious looks as they walked down some random path she’d never noticed before.
Then they hit this little hidden beach, and Sierra’s jaw dropped. Paper lanterns were everywhere. Several of them were just sitting there waiting to be lit.
Lauren looked bashful. “So I maybe traded those cookies we bought for some help from housekeeping.”
Music was playing from somewhere. Lauren had hidden a speaker behind one of the tiki torches. The whole place smelled of flowers and the ocean. The sky was already turning pink and orange.
Sierra was awestruck. “You did all this for me?”
“I wanted to say thank you. For this entire week. All of it. For you.” They handed Sierra a lantern and a piece of paper. “You can write your wish on the paper and send it up with the lantern, and your wish will come true.”
They each wrote their wishes on the delicate paper. Lauren’s read,Let us always find our way back to each other, no matter what.Sierra’s was simpler but just as heartfelt:More of this. More of us. Forever.
They lit their lanterns and watched them rise, golden orbs floating higher into the darkening sky like tiny prayers being carried away.
And then, as if the universe was listening and decided to show off, fireworks suddenly exploded in the distance, bright blooms of color silhouetted against the palm trees.
Sierra gasped. “Was that part of your elaborate plan, too?”
Lauren grinned. “I wish I was that good. Pure luck.” They turned, brushed a strand of hair from Sierra’s face. “You look radiant.”
Her cheeks went pink, not from the sun. “Probably just the sunscreen.”
Lauren answered with a kiss, soft and steady, as if silence had finally settled over the world.
Back in their room, the shower steamed up around them. No teasing this time, no rush. Just unhurried touches, every movement deliberate. Lauren’s fingers traced along Sierra’s skin as if trying to memorize every line.
With the doors cracked open to feel the ocean breeze in and the sound of waves rolling outside, they made love again. Slower. More intentional. As if time had stretched out for them alone.
“I love you,” Sierra whispered against their ear.
Lauren said it back, quiet as a breath, but it landed heavy, deeper than anything they’d ever spoken before.
Afterward they lay tangled up in the sheets, skin damp, hearts racing, foreheads pressed close in the dark.
“I don’t want this to end,” Sierra said quietly, and there was something vulnerable in her voice that made Lauren’s chest tighten.
Lauren kissed her temple. “Then we won’t let it.”
Chapter 27
The flight home was somber, unlike the excitement of the flight out. It was quieter, and there was a hint of sadness, like the end of something beautiful.
Lauren conked out on Sierra’s shoulder pretty much right after takeoff, their fingers still locked together. Every time they hit a bump, Lauren would make tiny snoring sounds. Sierra grinned like an idiot every single time and kissed the top of their head.
Let people stare. She was so happy she didn’t care.
When they finally landed, Sierra’s phone lit up with the group chat exploding in welcome-back memes and messages from The Inner Circle. She responded with a sleepy selfie of her and Lauren holding hands across their airport coffee table, captioning it:Jet lag, but make it cute.
