Chapter 10: We Need to Talk

Iris yawned. She was wearing a light purple sleeping gown. It was almost knee length. It was see-through, allowing a clear view of her black undergarments. She stretched. Looking around, she realized that her roommate had already left.

She ran her hand through her purple hair. It was slightly messed up from sleeping. She took off the hair bands that held her hair in place. She grabbed Cynthia's brush from the small nightstand between their beds. She brushed her hair.

She heard a knock at the door. She placed the brush back on the nightstand before hopping out of bed, skipping as she headed for the door. She checked to see who it was through the small peephole in the door. Lance was standing outside her door. He was wearing a black muscle shirt with long sleeves and a pair of black pants.

Iris opened the door to let in her fellow Champion. She giggled. "You're not wearing a cape today?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "I don't have to wear it all the time. It's just part of my professional appearance."

"It's nice though. You look great in civilian clothing."

Lance sighed. He rubbed his shoulder. "I hate to admit it but I miss my cape."

Iris giggled again. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "The poor Dragon Master misses his security blanket."

Lance chuckled. "It's a cape."

"Whatever." She sat down on her bed. "So what brings you to my simple adobe?"

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Do you really need to ask?"

Iris grinned. "I like hearing it."

"I want you."

She winked at him. "Come and get me."

Lance pounced on her. His mouth met hers, their tongues entwining in passion. He grabbed her left thigh and caressed her brown skin. She reached for his shirt and he helped her take it off. Once it landed on the floor, Lance focused on her neck. He nibbled on the side of neck as his hands went under her gown's material. He unlaced her bra. Her breasts were average size for a girl her age. Her nipples were small and perky. He left her neck and lifted the gown to put her breasts into his face.

Iris giggled. "I can take it off, you know."

"Keep it on. It's sexier."

Lance cupped her left breast while he sucked on her right. Iris cooed and played with his red, spiky hair. Lance continued to fondle and suck on her chest. He took his time in moving down her front, kissing every bit of her flesh. When he reached her lower abdomen, he grabbed her panties from her hips and pulled them off her. He tossed them on top of his shirt.

When he turned back to Iris, she placed her legs on his shoulders. He gladly got closer. Her thighs around his neck, he plunged into her moist lips. Iris moaned. Lance had gotten incredibly good at pleasuring her. She gripped the sheets as pleasure overwhelmed her.

Quicker than she had hoped, she felt herself climax. She gasped, clutching Lance's head for dear life. Waves of euphoria ran through her. It felt like electricity running up and down her spine.

She lay still on the bed. Only her chest moved. She tried catching her breath. By the time she did, Lance had already unbuttoned his pants and prepared his penis with a condom. He rubbed the tip against her opening, teasing her. She couldn't help moaning loudly. He slowly penetrated her. She clenched her eyes shut. It had been awhile since she had sex. It hurt quite a bit, especially since Lance tried filling her up as far as he could.

"It still hurts if you go slowly, you idiot." She told him.

Lance grinned. "It was getting cold."

She pinched his arm. "You put it in a bit at a time, not the whole damn thing!"

He apologized. "I'll remember that."

He began thrusting in and out of her. He raised her legs, her feet dangling in the air. She meant to wrap them around him but he continued to hold them up. She winced a little. Her body wasn't as flexible in the morning. He kept pushing her lower half upward. Now, her knees almost bumped into her face. Lance's weight was all on her. She felt exposed but loved it. Her legs were starting to hurt a little. She felt a bit of a cramp on her left leg; she ignored it.

Lance gasped and started to ram her as hard as he could. He kept pushing hard against her until his legs gave in. He fell on top of her as he came. His hips jerked forward each time he shot his cum out.

Iris waited for him to get off him. When he did, he removed the condom and threw it in the little waste basket near the bed. Iris sat up, dangling her legs on the edge of the bed. She grabbed him from the hips and pulled him closer. His member was near her face. She was about to take it into her mouth when Lance stopped her.

"Why don't you use your breasts instead?"

Iris rolled her eyes. "They aren't that big."

Lance grinned. "I like how they feel though. I'm going to squirt into your mouth anyway."

Iris sighed. "Okay. Let me take this off then." She took off her gown.

She grabbed her breasts, fondling them playfully for Lance to see. She slowly rubbed them against the bottom side of his shaft. They were still wet from his earlier attention on them. His dick was slick from his cum. She rubbed him slowly. Her breasts smothered him, their softness making him throb. She moved her breasts higher then slowly lowered them, constantly holding him between her breasts.

Lance was enjoying it. He was moaning. Iris kept her eyes on him, a lustful expression on her face. She began to rub her breasts against him in opposite directions. His penis would swing to the sides as she moved her breasts alternately in quick motions. She would switch back and forth, always keeping his member between her breasts.

After a few minutes, Lance got caught up in it. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to rhythmically thrust towards her face. She kept up with his thrusts, squeezing him a bit harder. He wasn't big enough to reach her mouth so she only focused on his member with her breasts.

Lance began to tense up. His thrusts were very quick, Iris becoming unable to keep up. She instead focused on rubbing him while not moving the rest of her body.

"I'm gonna cum!" He growled.

Iris smothered the tip with her breasts. His seed shot into her cleavage. A few strands made it to her neck, while a few drops landed on her chin and lower lip.

Lance sighed in pleasure. "That was…awesome."

Iris giggled. "Thank you. Remember to tip your waitress."

Lance laughed. He reached down to kiss her on the forehead. "You are so damn sexy and beautiful."

Iris smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself."

Lance zipped up his pants. He then lifted her legs, placed his arm under them and picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let's get you cleaned, okay?"

Iris nodded. Her maroon eyes stayed locked onto his brown eyes. They held each other's gaze as he took her to the bathroom. Even when he cleaned off his seed off her, they kept looking into each other's eyes. They smiled.

"I will not wear that, not even if you paid me my weight in gold!" Samantha exclaimed at Cynthia.

"Stop being a big baby! It's just a bikini!" Cynthia yelled at her.

Chelsea was in the stall next to theirs. She was stifling her giggles as she undressed out of her clothes. She was putting on the bathing suit she had just bought at the resort's swim gear and accessories store. It was a two piece bathing suit with black and white stripes. It covered more than a bikini, which she was glad for. She never felt comfortable in bikinis.

Cynthia sighed. "What do you normally wear for swimming?"

Chelsea heard Samantha stay quiet. She finished putting on her bathing suit. Her regular clothes were neatly placed in her bag.

"Why are you blushing?" Cynthia asked Samantha.

"Well…"

Chelsea stepped out of her stall, closing the door behind her. She sat with Wallace, who was waiting for the girls on the other side of the store. There were several benches for customers to relax, especially after they finished their swim or between swimming time.

Cynthia lowered her voice so that only Samantha could hear. "Don't tell me you swim naked."

"Do you mean swimming for fun or for training?" Samantha asked.

Cynthia closed her eyes. There was a small vein throbbing in her forehead. "What do you wear when you go swimming for fun?"

Samantha looked away. "I uh wear nothing."

Cynthia started laughing. "I can't believe the Samantha swims-" Samantha put her hand over Cynthia's mouth.

"I don't want you shouting things like that!" Samantha whispered angrily.

She waited for Cynthia to stop giggling before letting go. "So is this new or have you always been a nude swimmer? I've never even seen you swim, Samantha."

Samantha sighed. "After the whole thing with Lance trying to drown me, I realized that I should be a strong swimmer. The problem was that I was scared to death of getting into the water. I hadn't known how to swim anyway. I always avoided bodies of water that required swimming. I don't train in water that is deeper than three feet."

"And so when did you start swimming?"

"A few months after I disappeared, I learned how to swim. I can swim nonstop for a few hours now." Samantha chuckled nervously. "I learned from a certain indigenous civilization in a far, uncharted region. Unfortunately, they were unaccustomed to clothing and I was banned from their villages until I conformed. Seeing as they could hunt big Pokémon with ease, I decided to ditch my clothing into my bag. Thankfully, I had stumbled into the island completely inhabited by woman. Not a single man or boy saw me naked."

Cynthia was confused. She shook her head. "How could they all be woman?"

"Oh, that's simple. Their tribes separated several generations earlier. There was a similar island that was two hours away by boat. That one was inhabited by men. They separated for religious reasons, to stay pure. Whenever woman and men came of age, they could travel halfway during the summer. By then, the water would recede from a sandbar. They would hold festivities and rituals before the water came back. Anyway, the woman taught me how to swim. It kind of sucked that I learned in the middle of December where the water could be near freezing temperatures, but I got through it the same way the women would."

Cynthia was fascinated. "How was that?"

Samantha frowned. "I'm not supposed to say. All I can tell you is that it's a special type of meditation. It makes your body stronger than it should be, but it only lasts a few hours."

"That's something I think Eon would love to hear. I'm amazed by it. Was there a lot you learned?"

Samantha smiled with sadness. "Yes, but not all of it was good. Human greed and the desire for power is everywhere."

Cynthia shared the same smile. "Aren't we all the same?"

"Well…at least Pokémon Trainers don't normally hurt people."

"Anyway, put this on!"

Samantha laughed. "I'm wearing shorts and a one piece."

Cynthia groaned. "Fine, do what you want."

Samantha cheered. "Yay, I get my way!"

"Shut up and hurry."

Samantha stuck out her tongue. "Get out then so I can change."

Cynthia ginned mischievously. "Who said I was stepping out?"

While Cynthia teased Samantha, Wallace was trying to chat up with Chelsea.

"So what brings you to this resort?" Wallace asked.

"I wanted a vacation before returning to my other seasonal job. Why are you guys here?"

"It's pretty much for the same reason. After we leave, we have challenges to accept and other Champion related duties. Did you know Champions actually have paperwork to do? Most people don't know about this. Everyone thinks it's the best career ever. It's not. It's pretty good but I think Samantha had it better. She got to leave and enjoy things however she wants. We have to make sure the Pokémon League knows where we are." He shook his head. "Our Pokégear even have tracking devices."

Chelsea chuckled. "I'm glad Pokémon battles are just for fun for me. My real jobs include tutoring and teaching."

"Aren't they kind of the same or at least similar?"

She laughed. "I'm thankful they aren't! Usually I tutor children in the summer and usually for higher pay. I teach at school in Kanto throughout the year, except summers."

Wallace was intrigued. "Teaching the minds of the youth has always been a good thing. I once had a pupil who wanted to be taught in beauty."

She laughed again. He explained what he meant, laughing himself. "I'm talking about Pokémon contests."

"Oh! That makes sense. You're very skilled at them. Well I teach about Pokémon. I'm also pretty good in sciences. I normally teach about Pokémon theory, their abilities, their habitats, their natures and behavior with humans, and how they can be domesticated."

Wallace sighed. "I'm guessing they're left in the dark about Pokémon battles and their attacks."

She nodded. "Unfortunately, the education system dislikes how children are allowed to skip their studies and fend for themselves in the wild as Pokémon Trainers."

Wallace shrugged. "It's the way it's always been done. It's one of the reasons Pokémon Trainers are so frequent nowadays. It isn't a lifelong thing though. Many people grow out of it."

"Will you grow out of it?" Cynthia asked. Chelsea and Wallace were surprised to see Cynthia and Samantha in front of them.

Cynthia had donned a black bikini. She had a slim body with a medium-sized bust and a firm rear. Her legs were slender and long. Samantha had convinced Cynthia to let her wear shorts and a black bathing suit which didn't accentuate any of her curves. She still looked like a regular teenage girl, in opposition to Cynthia's sexy appearance.

"Are you?" Cynthia asked again.

Samantha rolled her eyes. "He's too busy burning the image of your body in his mind."

Wallace chuckled. "I want to preserve such beauty in my memory forever. And no, I'm stuck with Pokémon in my life, just like I'm stuck with you. I'm grateful for both of these." He held both of her hands. He kissed her on the lips.

Cynthia blushed slightly. "You always know how to charm a lady."

"Wait you two are together?" Samantha asked.

Wallace and Cynthia nodded.

"So Eon is with Lucy, and you two are together. Does that mean Lance is dating that purple-haired girl?"

Her three companions looked at her in shock. "Oh that's right! You wouldn't know. You remember Alder briefly, correct?" Samantha nodded. "Well he was replaced by Iris about a year after you split. She's from the Unova region. She's also a Dragon Master. It's the reason the two hit it off."

Samantha smiled. "Well, I'm glad he found someone."

Wallace sighed. "I'm glad too. I can't believe he tried getting with you."

Chelsea was shocked. "Wait what?"

Samantha cleared her throat. "That's water under the bridge. Can we go now? I feel weird already."

Cynthia giggled. "This will be fun."

Eon had his arms around his love, Lucy. They were lying in the sand near the water. Lucy was humming in Eon's ear. They had spent the morning relaxing on the beach, enjoying their time together.

"It's been six years, hasn't it?" Lucy asked, momentarily stopping her humming.

Eon chuckled. "I still remember the day we met. You tried drowning me."

Lucy laughed. "Hey, I thought you could be food."

They both exhaled peacefully. "So much has happened."

Lucy sighed. "It's been tough these last three years though. The first ones were amazing. We became so strong, we fell in love and then we…" Lucy looked into Eon's eyes. Eon placed his finger gently on her lips.

"Shh, my love…" He pulled her close and kissed her. She returned the kiss. They continued but kept softness to their light petting. The environment remained as peaceful as they were.

It was several hours after Samantha had left her group. She sighed. Stella hadn't returned any of her calls. It was already the evening. She had begun to worry when she was in the pool. Thankfully, no one noticed. It had been fun though. She had really enjoyed her time with them. Chelsea had exchanged contact info with them and they did the same with her.

Samantha had gone to her room and to the beach twice since then. Stella hadn't been next door.

She remembered she had to call Blue. Seeing as Stella didn't seem about to call her, she dialed Blue's number while walking towards her room again. Unfortunately, she heard his voicemail. She hung up and searched her Pokégear for the Viridian Gym's phone number. She called. This time, someone did answer. It was the receptionist.

"Hello, thank you for calling the Viridian Gym of Kanto, the last journey before the Indigo Plateau. How may I help you?"

Samantha rolled her eyes. She remembered when Blue had to answer the phone himself. He never bothered saying Viridian Gym unless they specifically asked. "Hi, I'm a friend of your gym leader. Well, I think I am. You guys didn't lose your gym leader again, did you?" She remembered her four year absence.

"Huh? Of course not! Who is this? I'm sure a friend of Blue would know he's still gym lead-"

"Could you tell him to call his friend Black? Tell him I'm sorry my Happy Birthday is four years late."

She could tell the woman was unwilling to relay her message. However, she suddenly calmed down. She could hear the woman sigh. "You said Black, right? Normally I'd just hang up but my boss informed- no, demanded- that he should be contacted in case a girl named Black calls. This was four years ago. It's one of the only remainders he keeps telling me to write down. Anyway, I'll let him know. Would you like his whereabouts and condition?"

"Of course, I would. Has he been okay?" Concern invaded her voice.

"For the most part, he's been okay. There's been a decrease of trainers so he's been researching for his grandfather. Well…that's what he tells me." She whispered the next part. "By the way he keeps obsessing over some picture he carries, I think he's looking for someone."

Samantha almost dropped the phone. "Oh, well thank you. I'm pretty sure he has his reasons." She faked a joking tone. "Who knows…maybe he's looking for a wife."

The receptionist laughed. "If he is, I'm out of luck. He's so dashing in his suit."

Samantha laughed. She couldn't imagine Blue in a suit. "Thanks again for updating me. Let him know he can contact me from this number and not to try the old ones."

"I sure will. Thank you for calling, miss. I'm sure your call with delight him."

"I hope it does. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Samantha hung up. She sighed. She hoped Blue had more success than her.

She wondered whether she should call Stella again. She shook her head. It would be better to check her room.

She made it to their rooms in a few minutes. She knocked on Stella's door. There was only silence. She tried knocking again.

Surprisingly, she heard the door open. She didn't see Stella though; instead, she saw Stella's Eevee. Her eyes were already closing. She apologized to the Pokémon for waking her. She asked the Pokémon if she could come in. The Pokémon gave her approval. Samantha closed the door behind them.

She noticed that Stella was better organized than her. Samantha had been impressed at how Stella prepared her clothing for several days in advance.

She sighed. She hoped Stella wouldn't be angry at her for being in her room. She sat on the bed. She let her upper half fall onto the soft bed. Samantha remembered waiting in the same spot for Stella to get ready only two days earlier. It felt like months. She yawned.

Eevee jumped onto one of the chairs in the room and yawned as well. Samantha sighed. She yawned again. She remembered she had gotten only a few hours of sleep at Eon's and Lucy's. She couldn't help closing her eyes for a few minutes. "I'm just closing them for a bit," she told herself.

"I can't thank you enough for working two shifts in a roll. I didn't know you were that dedicated!" Mr. Smith exclaimed to Stella.

Stella bowed. "I wanted to get acquainted with the job. I hope you don't mind about me working sixteen hours straight."

"Well I was a bit worried but you did an amazing job! For future reference though, we only allow employees to work eight hour shifts. This is a vacation for you. You shouldn't spend it working. A nice girl like you should be having fun with your friends."

Stella smiled. "I'm sorry. I get carried away with Pokémon grooming."

Mr. Smith laughed. "It's okay. Anyway, take the next two days off. You've worked enough for several days at the resort actually. I've never seen anyone work with so many Pokémon and do it so well. If you keep this up, the resort will end up paying you to stay here free of charge!"

Stella laughed softly with Mr. Smith. "Well, thank you for letting me work here. Should I call tomorrow for a schedule?"

Mr. Smith nodded. "I'll make sure it's done tomorrow. I'll have the reception call you actually. Just enjoy yourself."

Stella bowed again. "I will. Have a good night, sir."

Mr. Smith told her the same.

Stella stepped out of the grooming shop. The resort seemed to get a bit chilly. She shivered. "I better hurry back. I don't want a cold."

It took about fifteen minutes to walk back to her room. She grabbed her keys from her pocket and opened the door. She didn't bother turning on the light. A small lamp had been turned on by the maid service. There was nothing in her way to the bathroom anyway.

She yawned. She was rather tired. It had been several days since she groomed Pokémon. Before undressing, she made sure the blinds were closed and the doors were locked. She let her clothes fall on the floor. "I'll pick them up in the morning." Stella muttered to herself. She grabbed the clothes she had prepared for her sleep: a long, dark blue long-sleeve shirt, a light blue bra, a pair of light blue boyshorts, and white socks.

Stella sang to herself in the shower. She was unaware that her singing gently stirred her friend up. Samantha groaned. She rubbed her eyes. She noticed that she slept for almost four hours. Hearing the water running in the shower, she guessed Stella wasn't angry with her. She decided to wait.

When Stella finally stepped out of the shower and dressed, she remembered how tired she was. She stretched her arms over her head, the sleeves falling down to her elbows.

Stella finally noticed Samantha. Stella just smiled. "Hey there, buddy." She told Samantha.

Samantha blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up. "Hello, Stella. Listen, I wanted to-" Samantha paused. Stella had walked towards her. She leaned over Samantha's body and kissed her on the forehead. She hovered over her for moment. "Sweet dreams."

Samantha's mind went blank.

Her body seemed to react without thought. Her hands were on Stella's cheeks. Her lips were brushing against hers. She pulled the girl closer. Stella collapsed on top of her. Their lips stayed locked.

Samantha could taste cherry on Stella's lips. She thought Stella was shivering but realized she was the one trembling. Heat spread over her cheeks. She refused to let her lips depart from Stella's. They girl obliged to her friend's wants. She also placed her hands on Samantha's face, touching her tenderly.

It was several minutes before they had to stop to breathe. Both girls were breathing heavily. Samantha wrapped her arms around Stella's waist while Stella wrapped her arms around Samantha's neck. Samantha flipped over, pinning Stella under her. Her body pressed against her. Each girl could feel the other's heartbeat. Both rhythms were rapid. Stella couldn't hear anything besides their breathing and the sound of her heart beating against her chest.

Their eyes remained focused on each other for what seemed an eternity. Neither girl let go.

Samantha could finally think again. She hadn't expected this. Stella hadn't either. Neither girl knew what to do now. Neither girl wanted to stop.

"You make me happy." Samantha blurted it out. More red flashed on her cheeks.

Stella's voice was only a whisper. "You also make me happy."

"I-I've never had a boyfriend before, nor have I ever gone out on a date. My w-whole life I've always focused on Pokémon and nothing else." Samantha stopped. She tried regaining her composure. "When I saw you, I got this weird feeling that I couldn't shake. The day we arrived and that guy tried talking to you," Stella's ears turned red. Samantha noticed. She frowned. "I felt jealous. I know I shouldn't have. We just met. I can't help it though. Yesterday, I had this terrible feeling. You saw him, didn't you?" Stella diverted her eyes away from Samantha.

Tears strolled down Samantha's face. "I couldn't bear the thought of him getting to touch you."

"H-he didn't!" Stella exclaimed.

Samantha wiped the tears from her eyes. "What happened though? I know something did. I felt it."

Stella sighed. She closed her eyes. Tears started welling up and falling slowly from her eyes. "It was nothing."

Samantha let go of Stella and pulled herself up a bit, removing her weight from Stella's body. She gently titled Stella's face towards her with her hand. "You can tell me anything."

"W-we just talked. He t-tried to kiss me but I told him he shouldn't. We w-were mostly near the beach. We stayed under an umbrella. H-he had to leave around eleven. I stayed until midnight before going to my room. Then…I kind of drank."

"You did what?"

"I found this bottle of c-champagne in my b-bags from my sister and brother. I drank it and ended up tipsy. You can even ask Eevee."

Samantha turned towards Eevee, who had stirred from her sleep to eat. She mentally communicated with Eevee. The Pokémon was initially startled but allowed Samantha to see her memories. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I feel like an idiot. Eevee showed me her memories. I overreacted and worried for nothing."

Stella was surprised. "You can talk to Pokémon telepathically?"

Samantha nodded.

Stella blushed. "What exactly did she show you?"

Samantha blushed. She giggled. "You have a cute butt."

Stella couldn't help giggling. "You do too."

They stayed quiet for a bit. Eevee went back to sleep. Samantha broke the silence. "So…I should probably get off you."

Stella grabbed her arm. "You don't have to."

Samantha continued to blush. "What do you want me to do then?"

Stella giggled. She pushed herself up onto her elbows to give Samantha a light peck on the lips. "Stay with me."

Samantha nodded. She leaned down. Stella embraced her. Samantha and Stella began kissing again. They were both still shy about things though.

Samantha took the initiative and tried getting her tongue into Stella's mouth. The girl gasped but allowed her. It was her first time experiencing this. Their tongues awkwardly mingled together. Samantha was unsure what to do next. She wasn't going to let go of Stella or her remove her lips from hers.

Exhaustion crept on both girls. Samantha gently pulled away. She groaned. "I'm sorry, Stella. I'm still so tired."

Stella giggled. "It's okay. I'm tired too. I worked two shifts today."

Samantha was in shock, being unaware that Stella had planned on working. Her expression changed. She looked hurt. "You never told me you were going to work."

Stella pouted. "You never asked."

Samantha sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. Is there anything else I should know?"

Stella giggled. Her cheeks were red. "I prefer sleeping topless."

Samantha turned red. Her mouth opened to make some comment but paused. It took her a bit to find her voice. "You're lying."

Stella let go of Samantha. She moved closer to the pillows on the bed. Grabbing the blanket to shield herself, she unbuckled her bra from behind her. She discarded her shirt with it onto the chair next to her bed. Her body was covered with the blanket though. All Samantha could see was how red her face was. "I told you: I sleep topless. I only put them on so I'm not walking around topless. It gets cold, you know."

Samantha was frozen in place. It took her a few minutes to register the half naked girl who was inviting her to stay. She practically hopped to Stella's side. She got under the covers with Stella. She was about to grab her friend when she remembered her own clothing. "Should I take off mine as well?" She asked. Her eyes looked mischievous.

Stella giggled. "It'd feel better if you did. You just want to cuddle, don't you?" Samantha grinned.

She took off her top and her bra. She tossed them where Stella had thrown hers.

Stella inched closer to her. The girls were only separated by two inches of the blanket. "So…want to cuddle, Samantha?"

Samantha nodded. Both girls giggled. Samantha lifted the blanket, shocking Stella. She lowered it and embraced Stella. "Sorry. I wanted to peek first."

Stella blushed. "Hey! No fair! You saw me and I didn't get to see you!"

Samantha laughed. "How about I do this?" She threw the blanket over their heads. "You can see all you want…" She whispered to Stella.

Stella surprised her. "I think I love you."

Samantha flinched. "I don't know what to say."

Stella's cheeks were still red. "It's okay. Seeing you," Stella traced her fingertips against Samantha, causing her to tremble. "Just seeing you is enough for now."

Samantha hugged her. "I feel the same way. I don't want to be apart anymore."

Stella laughed. "You barely know me."

Samantha laughed with her. "…says the girl who thinks she loves me."

Stella held her tightly. "I think I do."

Samantha could tell Stella was smiling, she just could. "I feel the same way."