Title: Snapshots: Anthology of a Life Well Lived
Author: Kimberly21570
Fandoms: Guiding Light / All My Children
Pairings: Olivia and Natalia / Lena and Bianca
Disclaimers and Other Assorted Ramblings: The characters of Olivia and Emma Spencer, Natalia and Rafe Rivera, Maureen "Maury" Reardon, Ashlee Wolfe, Josh Lewis, Phillip, Lizzie, James, and Peyton Spaulding, and Beth Raines-Spaulding are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The characters Bianca Montgomery, Lena Kundera, and Zach Slater are owned by All My Children, ABC/Disney and Prospect Park. The characters Sterling and Blair Wesley, and April Stevens, are owned by Teenage Bounty Hunters creator Kathleen Jordan and Netflix. The original characters of Jordan Montgomery-Kundera, Sutton Keller, and Dylan Jackson-Morgan are the property of this author, and any resemblance to fictional characters, or real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No copyright infringement intended with regard to Guiding Light, CBS/TeleNext, Proctor & Gamble, AMC, ABC/Disney, and Prospect Park, Netflix, or any other person or entity. The dialogue, settings, and story content in these scenes are original. Written for fun, not profit. All other standard disclaimers apply.
Rating: Overall, Chapter 8 is rated R, though this particular update is rated PG-13 for mild sexual content and strong language.
Synopsis: It's a stroll down memory lane for Olivia and Natalia, Lena and Bianca, and their friends and family, as two of our favorite couples' daughters prepare to enter into wedded bliss, in a double wedding… of sorts…
Author's Note: Pay particular attention to the transitions in time, as this chapter contains flashbacks within flashbacks.
Snapshots: Anthology of a Life Well Lived
Copyright September 2012
"No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm."
Charles Kettering
Chapter 8.7—Showers and Thunderstorms:
Emma's Apartment, The Farmhouse of Love, Springfield, Illinois—Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 10:15 p.m. Central Standard Time
"Are you sure you won't change your mind and come with us to The Vineyard for Thanksgiving, Sweetheart?" Olivia asked for the umpteenth time since Emma arrived home from college earlier that afternoon.
It was Senior Year, but there would be no Big Game for the Spencer-Rivera's or the Jackson-Morgan's this year, or any other, for that matter, after Dylan's accident the previous Christmas, and that had left a gaping hole in both their collective hearts and holiday schedules, which led Olivia and Natalia to accept an invitation from Lena and Bianca to spend Thanksgiving weekend with them. "The whole Montgomery-Kundera family would love to see you. Especially Jordan."
"Which is exactly why I can't go, Mom," Emma sighed. Crushing her pillow to her chest, she rolled over, facing the wall.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Olivia brushed a gentle hand across her daughter's back. "Why did you lie to Jordan and tell her you were staying in Ann Arbor?"
Emma jerked back toward her mother, meeting her with anxious eyes. "You didn't tell her otherwise, did you?" she sounded panicked. It had torn her heart to shreds when Jordan texted her, so excited about their impending holiday weekend together, because she knew she could never see her face-to-face, to touch her, to sleep next to her, and still hide the truth about what she had done. Not after having told her how much she loved her. So rather than carrying on a conversation that would have killed her inside, and broken Jordan's heart slowly, she had simply texted back that she was stuck in Ann Arbor for the holiday weekend, studying for final exams.
At least the exam part was true, she had reasoned. Other than Thanksgiving dinner with her Dad and Beth, she planned to spend the entire weekend with Sutton, their noses buried in a pile of books. After all, that's what she'd been doing to cope for the better part of a year already. Why mess with what was working?
"You know none of us has interfered in your relationship with her," Olivia reminded, speaking of herself and Natalia, as well as Lena and Bianca. "That's yours to handle, Em. But you do need to handle it. Leaving her hanging like this is unfair—to both of you, and to us."
Relaxing a smidge, Emma turned toward the window again, staring out across the field and into the wooded area behind their house. All of the trees looked dead, and Emma felt a kinship with them, because that's how she felt deep inside. "I can't tell her the truth, Mom," she said, her voice quavering as she fought back more tears. She'd spent the better part of a year crying over what she had done to Dylan, and she just couldn't bear any more. "I can't tell her how I ruined Dylan's life. She'll never understand."
"It's easy to argue that when you've never given her the opportunity," Olivia gently pointed out.
"Is that your polite way of saying my argument is a cop-out?"
"You're the only one who can answer that, Sweetheart," Olivia replied. "I just hope you figure it out before hearts are broken beyond repair. And I'm not just talking about Jordan's, Dylan's, and yours."
Emma rolled over, tears in her eyes as she looked up at her mother. "I've left a trail of broken hearts, haven't I, Mom?"
"You're not the first," Olivia said gently, thinking about how she had nearly done the same thing with Josh when she was trying to forget she was in love with Natalia.
"And I probably won't be the last," Emma reasoned. "But theirs will be the last hearts broken by me. I'll see to that."
As much as it hurt to watch Emma suffer, Olivia knew there was little she could do to intervene without becoming overbearing, which was something she vowed never to be with her children, given the way her own mother parented. "If you change your mind, we can send the jet back for you," she said.
"I won't, Mom," Emma replied. "Sutton and I are spending Thanksgiving with Dad and Beth. Peyton, James, and Lizzie will be there, and I haven't seen them in a while, so I don't want to miss it," she reasoned. "Plus, I wanna see Rafe and Ashlee and the kids while I'm in town. I haven't even met Gus-Gus in person yet. I can't wait to snuggle my new little nephew."
"Okay," Olivia said, nodding to indicate she was letting it go. "Well, I'll call you tomorrow when we land. And we'll talk again on Thanksgiving Day," she assured as she stood to leave.
Emma reached for her, grasping her hand. "Thanks, Mom," she said, sounding both grateful and a little sad. "I love you."
"I love you too, Jellybean," Olivia said softly, leaning over to kiss Emma's forehead. "Get some sleep, okay? I know you have a lot of studying to do tomorrow."
"I will, Mom," Emma agreed. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Olivia said as she slipped through Emma's bedroom door out into the living room of the tiny apartment above their garage. She said goodnight to Sutton as she passed by, and exited through the door into the upstairs hallway, closing it behind her.
A few minutes later, the faint, yet distinctive sound of Emma's crying caught Sutton's attention. Flipping the living room television off, she slid the remote into the holder on the table alongside those for the Blu-Ray, Bluetooth speaker system, and other electronics, and padded barefoot across the room to Emma's door. She knocked softly, before entering, though she knew it wasn't necessary, and a moment later she was sliding beneath the covers beside Emma, who promptly rolled into her arms, clinging to her as she sobbed into her worn Michigan t-shirt.
"I'm so sorry it hurts like this, Em," Sutton said supportively, as she gently stroked Emma's hair.
"I love her so much, Sutton," Emma hiccupped, barely able to form words.
"I know, Babe," Sutton said softly, understanding instinctively that Emma wasn't seeking solutions, only comfort. "I know…"
And she held her until the last of her tears were spent, and Emma had fallen asleep in her arms, and then she pressed a kiss to her temple, wishing with everything in her that Emma would find the strength to tell Jordan the truth, before it was too late.
Jordan's Dorm Room, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts—Wednesday, December 14, 2022, 1:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time
"I know given everything that happened with Emma last Christmas this has been a rough time of year for you, Jordan," Sterling Wesley said comfortingly as she settled cross-legged on Jordan's bed across from her, sparkling blue eyes saturated with empathy. "I'm so sorry for that."
"Honestly, Sterl, I don't even want to go home for the Holidays," Jordan sighed, sounding forlorn as she sniffed back tears. Her suitemates had already left for winter break, their finals having finished earlier in the day, and she found herself alone, thinking about Emma and the phone call they'd shared last Christmas Eve. And how Emma had basically ghosted her after finally admitting that she was in love with her.
She reached out, but of course, Emma didn't answer. And that only prompted another swell of emotions—this one completely overwhelming. So, she called Sterling, a Sophomore from Atlanta who was in the Political Science program with her, and who had been her friend and mentor since the beginning of Freshman Year. They met the first day of classes, bonding quickly because it was easy to love Sterling's quirky optimism and sweet, Southern charm, much like her suitemate Ashton. And soon she found a friend in Sterling's high school sweetheart, April Stevens, who was a Sophomore at Harvard, as well.
And she was never more grateful for their friendship than in this moment when she'd needed someone most, because the second Sterling heard her voice, she headed straight to her. "I've never felt that way before," Jordan continued. "Not wanting to be with my family, I mean. But… I've also never been in love, or in pain, like this before."
"I know, Sweetie," Sterling said softly, as she recalled a conversation they'd had before leaving on Thanksgiving break a few weeks prior. "Gosh, how I know…"
Jordan's Dorm Room, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts—Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 11:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
"Her entire family will be with us for Thanksgiving this year, but she's staying in Ann Arbor," Jordan explained. "I mean, that doesn't even make any sense. The Big Game is at Ohio State this year. She goes every year. They all do."
"Plans change," Sterling reasoned gently.
"Not these plans," Jordan countered. "It's Dylan's Senior Year. He should be starting quarterback. It's his turn to shine."
"Sorry," Sterling grimaced, as she tucked a wayward strand of streaky blonde hair behind her left ear. "Luke was captain of the golf team," she said of her junior high and early high school boyfriend. "And April, well, as she likes to say, she was the first white female captain of our debate team—don't even ask," she intoned dryly. "So, it stands to reason, I'm not really up on the whole football thing."
Despite herself, Jordan chuckled. "No need to be sorry, Sterl. I'm just confused, and… overly emotional because Emma has been so distant," she said.
"Hey, you feel what you feel, right?" Sterling normalized. "No need to downplay it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jordan agreed, thinking about what her mother would say if she knew to totality of what was going on. She'd done her best not to burden either of her mothers with this, because she didn't want her personal issues to interfere with her parents' business relationships.
"You know what April would say, don't you?" Sterling grinned, her question rhetorical.
"That I should tell Emma to go fuck herself, and move on," Jordan answered with a laugh. And then she cleared her throat, sobering. "Pardon the language."
Ignoring the vulgarity, Sterling gave a little shrug, her eyes sending the unspoken message.
"I guess you're saying you agree," Jordan inferred.
"Look, I'm not saying you should give up on her, but why don't you just… take a chance with Ashton, and see where it goes?" Sterling cautiously suggested. "It's obvious she's interested, and… you could maybe have a little fun while Emma gets her crap together."
Coming from anyone else, such a suggestion might've sent Jordan into a tailspin, but she knew that Sterling only had her best interests at heart. So, she took it in stride, and looked up from the mug of hot cocoa she cradled in her hands, meeting that crystal-clear blue gaze. "What if the tables were turned?"
Sterling scrunched her nose, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, if you and April hadn't gotten back together before college, would you have considered moving on, or… 'having a little fun'?"
Jordan's question totally hit home, and Sterling fell silent for a moment as she studied her own mug of cocoa. Not that she needed to contemplate her answer, because she didn't, but being faced with what might have been her own reality gave her pause.
Finally, she looked up, meeting Jordan's gaze. "Never," she said with conviction. "The moment she first kissed me, everything fell into place—a lifetime of memories and moments that finally made sense, and I knew she was the one. I don't know how to explain it, except that I can't imagine my life with anyone else."
A soft ironic laugh slipped from Jordan's lips as she nodded. Though it was a dance, not a kiss, she could totally relate, and now she knew that Sterling understood. "Me either, Sterl," she said quietly.
"I'm really sorry, Jordan," Sterling said comfortingly. "I never meant to dismiss or invalidate your feelings for Emma. I just… I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."
"And I am, in general," Jordan assured. She looked up, meeting Sterling's gaze again. "I love her so much, Sterl. And I know she loves me. I just wish she would let me help with whatever this is that she's going through."
"Believe me, J, I get it," Sterling sighed, speaking from her own experiences with April. While short-lived in comparison to all that Jordan had been through with Emma, the early days of Sterling's relationship with April had been a struggle, to say the least, and she'd honestly never related to a person more, which to her, explained their instant connection completely. "I totally get it."
Jordan's Dorm Room, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts—Wednesday, December 14, 2022, 2:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time
And truly, she did, she reminded herself as she turned her attention back to Jordan. Having been through her own trials in the early days with April, Sterling's heart ached for her friend and the pain she was feeling. She only wished there was something she could do to help.
Leaning back against the headboard of Jordan's bed, she pulled her friend close, pressing a cheek against the top of her head, as Jordan burrowed into her embrace, her tears continuing to fall. And quietly, she held her, gently stroking her hair until every last tear was spent.
And then she held her a little longer, until Jordan broke the silence.
"Thanks for being here, listening tonight," she said appreciatively. "It's been rougher than I thought it would be with everyone gone."
"You're welcome. Any time," Sterling said sincerely. "I'm just glad I was still on campus."
"When do you head out?" Jordan asked quietly.
"I have a final at nine in the morning, and then I'm off to Cambridge," Sterling answered. "April's not finished until Friday, so I'm gonna camp out in her bed with Sergeant Bilko while she studies. Wanna come with?"
"As appealing as that sounds, my dad will be here first thing in the morning," Jordan said, politely declining. "Thank you for the offer though. If he wasn't stopping to get me on the way back from a business trip, I would totally take you up on it."
"Next time," Sterling said cheerily, as she kissed the top of Jordan's head.
Jordan smiled. "Yes. Next time," she agreed. And then she thanked Sterling again for coming when she called, because it meant the world to her in a moment when she felt like her whole world was falling apart.
The Cottage, Martha's Vineyard—Saturday, April 21, 2029, 12:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
"I am so sorry we're running so late."
Her usually perfectly coifed head of honey-blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun, April Stevens looked an odd amalgam of stressed and slaked as she bustled through the back door of the cottage, her muscled arms overloaded with packages, a backpack slung haphazardly over her right shoulder.
"You know how much she hates being late," Sterling Wesley remarked, entering immediately in her fiancée's wake, her own hands full with a large, brightly decorated bag of shower game supplies, and a slew of gift bags for the winners. Her streaky blonde hair was pulled back in similar fashion, with a few strands dangling, loosely framing her bright, cheery face.
The moment they arrived, the chatter in the room ceased, and six pairs of curious eyes landed squarely on them. Immediately, Jordan's suspicions kicked into gear. She knew these women. And she knew them well.
Suddenly nervous, April's ears turned crimson, matching her cheeks as they sprouted a grin. Her eyebrow arched. "Girl, that car is still the sweetest ride…" she intoned, repeating what she'd said to Jordan of the classic Aston Martin Lena and Bianca always loaned them when they visited, after her first time behind the wheel nearly four years ago.
Jordan arched a rivaling eyebrow. "Is it now?" she challenged with a smirk.
"Y-yes…" April stammered.
Realizing they were busted, she set the packages and backpack down, and busied herself with unloading the contents of the large bag Sterling was holding.
"Hmm…" Jordan hummed, feigning contemplation as she eyed the two of them up and down. "I suspect there's another kind of sweet ride involved," she postulated. "I should know. I've lived in the bedroom across the hall from the two of you for the past three years."
Easing back into her seat beside Jordan, Emma barked out an amused laugh. "You two spent the morning fucking, and missed the early ferry, didn't you?"
Jordan elbowed her, earning a yelp for her efforts.
"What was that for?" Emma whined, rubbing the offended rib with her right hand. And then she noted the expression on Jordan's face. "Sorry, Sterl," she apologized, realizing her language was the issue.
Sterling's grin was positively roguish. "No need, Em," she said. "When you're right, you're right. That car is very sweet, Jordan. But I'm a much sweeter ride."
April's blush deepened, but that didn't deter her from being honest, especially in this place, with these people who knew them so well. "She doesn't lie," she said, pulling Sterling to her. "Nearly ten years in, and the sex just keeps getting better."
"Wait 'til it's been twenty-five," Bianca interjected, a saucy grin on her face as she flitted into the room, hugging Jordan's law school housemates each in turn. "It'll blow your mind."
At this point, Jordan had known them since Freshman year at Smith, and they were considered part of the family, just like Jordan's suitemates from undergrad.
"How are my girls?" Bianca asked, her arms still wrapped around their shoulders as she stood sandwiched between the two young women.
"Not gonna lie, Bianca, we're pretty spectacular," Sterling announced. "Graduation is a few weeks away, and weddings to look forward to in the coming months; who wouldn't be?"
Homing in on her eldest daughter, Bianca's smile was as bright as Sterling's. "Have I told you lately how much I appreciate your ability to pick friends? I just love this woman's positivity," she said, giving Sterling an extra squeeze before releasing both girls.
"Thanks," Sterling shrugged, grinning bashfully. And then she was all business, as she turned her attention to the job at hand. "So, where are we thinking for games?"
"Probably out on the back deck," Bianca directed. "There's so much more room out there."
"That's perfect," Sterling declared. "A couple of the games might be a little messy. They'll be easier to clean up outside."
"Please tell me none of them involve glitter," Jordan groaned.
Planting a hand on her hip, April arched an eyebrow. "Think about who you're asking," she smirked. Jordan should know better.
Emma just laughed.
"Would you mind giving me a hand with something out in the car, Em?" April requested, earning a curious look from Jordan.
"Sure," Emma readily agreed. "Be right back," she said, giving Jordan's hand a brief squeeze before springing up the sofa.
As Emma and April stepped into the kitchen, heading toward the front door of the cottage, Sterling turned her attention to Ashton, Miah, and Taylor, asking them to help out with the game set-up outside, to which Jordan responded, "What I am, chopped liver here?" an adorable pout on her face.
"No," Sterling said decidedly, as she grasped Jordan's hand, pulling her from the sofa and into a hug. "You, my darling, are filet mignon."
Laughing, Jordan returned the hug. "Good god, I've missed you," she declared.
"It's been like, a day and a half since I last saw you, J," Sterling said dryly.
"I know," Jordan shrugged, still holding Sterling loosely in her embrace. "But three years of living with someone, you kind of get used to their face. I mean, think about these knuckleheads," she grinned, glancing at her undergrad squad. And a moment later, she found herself engulfed in the swarm of young women with whom she had traversed some of the most difficult and most joyous times of her life, and she felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for them, for having stood by her side through it all, as yet another memory of those difficult days resurfaced for her, unbidden.
The Pied Piper, Provincetown, Massachusetts—Saturday, June 21, 2025 10:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
The second time Emma and Jordan saw Tessa Porter perform at The Pied Piper in Provincetown was an entirely different experience than the first nearly four years prior, and neither of them could have been any happier. They had spent the previous Saturday with Mariah and Tess, along with Sterling and April, cruising from Provincetown to Martha's Vineyard and back on Zach's luxury sailing yacht, Rising Phoenix, and this evening they all gathered together again to watch Tessa in action.
They gathered around that same table near the stage, enjoying the music, the atmosphere, and the company of close friends. And this time, when Jordan took Emma's hand, leaning in, the sweet warmth of her breath against Emma's ear as she whispered, "Come dance with me," Emma didn't hesitate for a moment. And as the lyrics to their favorite songs poured forth from Tessa's lips filling the air with her melodious voice, they danced together, their bodies unabashedly close, and making up for lost time, Emma took every opportunity she found to kiss Jordan, to touch her in ways that had been forbidden to her in the past.
And Jordan certainly didn't protest.
Instead, she reveled in it, soaking in every moment as if it might be the last, because nothing had ever felt more perfect, more right, for either of them.
"I love being with you like this," she murmured against Emma's ear as the music waned, and Tessa began orating about the backstory of her next song. And then she leaned back in Emma's embrace, her fingers tangling loosely in the soft chestnut locks that draped Emma's neck.
"I love it too," Emma said softly, leaning in to kiss her. "I can't imagine a more perfect way to end an incredible week," she declared, her fingertip trailing along the edge of Jordan's jawline.
Arching an eyebrow, a roguish grin spread across Jordan's face. "I can," she intoned, and the suggestion in her eyes as she searched Emma's gaze left absolutely no question as to what she was insinuating.
"Jordan…" Emma breathed, her body tingling in places she'd barely contemplated in years. Not since Dylan's accident, if she was being honest with herself. But she couldn't think about that. Not now. Not with Jordan right there in her arms. It was all just too much. And so, she shoved the thoughts aside, kissing Jordan again, this time with increased fervor, as Tessa began crooning about a love once thought lost, and yet found again because it was just simply too powerful to be denied.
"Looks like the two of you are finally making up for lost time," Sterling said to Jordan as she leaned close at the table nearly an hour later. Emma and April had gone in search of fresh drinks, leaving them to chatter during a break between Tessa's sets.
"So far, so good," Jordan grinned. And then her face flushed. "I think tonight may be the night."
Sterling arched an eyebrow. "I can't believe it hasn't happened already," she said. "You've been here together all week!"
"I know…" Jordan sighed, disappointment edging her tone.
"But I'm like, super excited for you, Girl!" Sterling exclaimed, wrapping Jordan in a tight hug.
"Thanks," Jordan grinned.
"Wait a minute, do you want the hotel suite tonight?" Sterling offered, realizing she and April might be a deterrent. "We can totally move to another room."
"What?" Jordan chuckled. "No, of course not. The suite is yours for the week. It's your graduation gift!"
"Yeah, but tonight is almost like, your wedding night," Sterling grinned giddily.
"It's hardly that," Jordan said, amused.
"Well, at least stay in the suite with us," Sterling invited. "I mean, it's not like you two don't have your own room there."
"We were just gonna stay on Dream Chaser," Jordan said of the sailboat she and Emma had traveled to Provincetown on.
"You would prefer a sailboat with a charred galley and a cramped shower to a luxury hotel suite with a jacuzzi tub?" Sterling queried with a teasing grin, and Jordan laughed.
"Well, when you put it that way…"
"So, you'll stay?"
"As long as Em's good with it, yes," Jordan agreed, and Sterling flailed herself into Jordan's arms, squealing with delight.
"Should I be jealous?" April intoned, returning from the bar with their drinks in hand. She set the bottles of imported beer on the table, just in time for Sterling to turn toward her, smiling.
"Never," Sterling assured, her blue eyes twinkling as they blatantly cruised her gorgeous fiancée. And then she leaned over, a hand settling lightly against the center of April's chest as she kissed her. "Always and forever, you are the only one for me."
April smiled and brushed her mouth against Sterling's in a light kiss. "Ditto, Love."
"So, what are we celebrating?" Emma asked, arriving a few steps behind April, with fresh drinks for her and Jordan in hand. Clearly there was something that had Sterling excited.
"Thanks, Babe," Jordan said appreciatively, as she accepted the bottle of beer from her. And then she leaned in to kiss her. "How would you feel about staying in the suite tonight?"
"Fine by me," Emma readily agreed, wrapping her arms around Jordan's waist from behind, thrilling at the sensation of Jordan's weight leaning into her. "It's been awhile since we stayed there together."
"It's been awhile since you've stayed there at all," Jordan noted, no hint of judgment in her tone.
But she didn't need it in her voice, because Emma had plenty enough of it to go around.
"Maybe we can make good on our promise and take you out on Dream Chaser tomorrow afternoon," she suggested to Sterling and April, ignoring Jordan's comment because it was just too much to unpack at the moment. "It's supposed to be a gorgeous day out on the water."
Turning her head, Jordan's dark eyes swept Emma's face, and she smiled softly as a wave of empathy swept over her. She still had no real idea of what Emma had been through the past few years, but she knew it had been painful, and for that, her heart ached. "That sounds like a great plan," she declared, looking at Sterling and April, who were nodding enthusiastically.
"You should come too," Jordan said to Mariah and Tess, who approached at the tail end of the conversation, drinks in hand.
Tess looked intrigued. "Come where?"
"Well first, you should join us in the Penthouse Suite for a little after-party tonight," Jordan invited. "If you're not too tired, that is."
Tessa's eyebrow arched. "When have I ever been too tired after a performance?" she intoned.
"Excellent point," Jordan laughed, recalling how they'd officially met Mariah and Tess a few years ago.
"Yeah, it is," Emma chuckled, sharing the memory with Jordan.
"And then you should come sailing with us on Dream Chaser tomorrow afternoon," Jordan added, knowing they weren't planning to fly out to Genoa City until Monday afternoon.
"Is this the one you're actually gonna sail?" Mariah inquired.
"It is, so you can all rest easy, knowing I will not be cooking anything," Jordan laughed, a throwback to their conversation on Rising Phoenix the weekend prior, where she and Emma shared the story of how Jordan had caught the galley on fire making breakfast for the two of them after an impromptu night on the water.
"Good call," April commented, that playful sarcastic lilt in her tone.
Jordan made a face at her, causing them all to laugh.
Shrugging, Mariah looked to Tess, receiving a nod of agreement. "Sounds great," she agreed.
And with that, their plans were settled.
A few minutes later, Tessa returned to the stage, performing a second set, and taking Emma's hand, Jordan led her back to the dance floor where they remained, their bodies entwined at every possible juncture given their surroundings, until the very last note was played. And then the six of them adjourned to The Prism, where they lingered together well into the night.
The Prism, a BGRC Property—Sunday, June 25, 2025, 2:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
It was late, when they finally found themselves alone for the night.
Really late.
But neither of them was tired.
Jacked up on alcohol and adrenaline after a night of dancing to Tess's music with a little DJ mixed in for good measure, they returned to the suite at The Prism for a few hours of laughter and conversation over coffee with friends, and now their buzz was fueled by caffeine and implicit promises.
The other girls had gone to bed a half-hour before, leaving Emma and Jordan on one of the loveseats in the sprawling living room at the center of the suite, Jordan settled comfortably in Emma's lap.
"This week has been all kinds of perfect," Jordan said, as she draped her arms around Emma's neck, and kissed her.
"It has," Emma said on a contented sigh. "Only thing missing was Sutton and Maury," she contended, thinking of her other close friends.
"Yeah, it would've been nice to have them here," Jordan agreed.
"Maybe next time," Emma said, brushing her lips against Jordan's. "This trip was about us."
"I hope it wasn't too much, having April and Sterling here too," Jordan said, brow furrowed.
"No, not at all," Emma reassured. "It was my idea, remember?"
Delivered on a teasing lilt, Emma's reminder made Jordan laugh. "Yeah," she said, "and I've loved having the time with them away from school, so thank you."
"You're welcome. I've loved getting to know them," Emma said sincerely. "But I'm not gonna lie, it's been great having you mostly to myself."
Jordan grinned, and kissed her. "That's been my favorite part," she whispered against Emma's mouth.
"Mine too," Emma breathed.
"It's late," Jordan noted a few kisses later, as her mouth skimmed lazily along Emma's neck, drawing the most delightful little noises from slightly parted lips. "We should probably go to bed."
"I don't think I can share a bed with you after tonight," Emma whispered, as her mouth swept against Jordan's once again. The scent of her, the taste of her kisses, were overwhelming, in the most delightful way.
"What? Why not?" Jordan sounded surprised, and more than a little disappointed.
"Because I want more," Emma confessed, the turquois tint of her eyes darkening with desire as she locked into Jordan's gaze.
She had managed to keep things light and easy throughout the week, by tempering the amount of physical contact with Jordan while maintaining their emotional connection. But tonight, out on that dance floor, with music that had served as a soundtrack to so much of their relationship, it had been impossible not to give in to her desire for intimacy with Jordan. Her body was still buzzing from touches and kisses they had shared hours ago. How on earth would she survive sleeping in her arms without giving in to the desire that had been building between them for years?
"You can have more, Em," Jordan husked, as their mouths met again. "You can have it all."
"No," Emma sighed. "No, I can't," she insisted, raking her fingers through her thick chestnut mane. Not with you… You're too important to let me fuck it up.
"We should stop, before things get out of hand," she declared, as she shifted Jordan's legs off hers, standing up in a single motion.
"Please don't pull away from me, Em," Jordan said longingly as she stood, reaching for her. "We've waited so long for this."
No, Jordan had waited.
But Emma, she had avoided—the way she always did.
When Emma responded with silence, Jordan sighed in frustration, crossing her arms. "I don't understand, Em. You've never been uptight about sex before," she said, more accusingly than she'd intended.
Emma's gaze snapped into hers, holding steadily. "It's never mattered like this before," she said softly. "I love you, Jordan."
"You loved Maury too," Jordan said with hint of neither judgment nor jealousy in her voice.
And in that moment, Emma realized that not only did Jordan not know about Dylan, she hadn't a clue about Sutton either, except that they were friends. And that made her feel more toxic than ever. "Not like I love you," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
Delivered on a fettered breath, Emma's confession struck a note of tenderness in Jordan's heart, and she came to her, gathering her close. "I've never loved anyone like this either," she whispered.
"I know," Emma sighed, giving in to the need to be held. "Which is why I'm so desperate to protect you."
"From what?" Jordan pleaded.
"From me…"
TBC in Chapter 8.8…
