“I’m scared that you won’t accept it. That you’ll run from it.” She pulled back enough to look at her. “I’m afraid that you’re going to break my heart. But I’m not so afraid that I don’t want to give it a try.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Nic. You just have to live life and whatever happens, happens.” Abby squeezed her hand. “Please don’t run. Please don’t leave me. Take a chance on me, Nic. Let me be the one to love you. Won’t you please let me?”

The sky opened up, and the rain came down in a deluge. Neither seemed to notice the downpour as they stared at each other. Nic finally nodded.

“I am scared. I do want to run. I just don’t think that I can. It hurts to think about leaving you.”

They kissed there in the parking lot, with the rain cascading around them. It was one of those long, slow kisses with mouths and lips, nothing more. When Abby pulled away and looked at her, what Nic saw there nearly made her stumble. She’d never seen love before, but she knew without a doubt that she was seeing it now.

Abby looked up into the sky, the rain stopping as if someone had turned off a faucet. Abby reached out, wiping the rain from her face.

“You’ll need to be patient with me,” Nic managed. “This is all uncharted territory for me. I don’t know how to act or what to do.”

“There are no rules. You don’t have to act a certain way, Nic. I like you just the way you are.” Then she smiled. “Although you’re not quite as cocky as when I first met you.”

“Cocky? Me?”

“Yeah, you. You know, with your counteroffer and all. You were so certain I’d agree to it, weren’t you?”

“You had such a desperate look in your eyes when you came down and found me, I was sorry I’d made the counteroffer.”

“But you didn’t take it back.”

Nic smiled and wiped at the dampness on Abby’s face. “That’s because I knew you were going to agree.”

“See? Cocky.” Then Abby’s face turned serious. “If you hadn’t made that stipulation, do you think we would have still slept together?”

“Yes.”

Abby smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah, me too. I was very attracted to you. It just hit me. One minute I’m trying to keep my distance and the next, I wanted your hands on me.” She laughed lightly. “Speaking of that, let’s get out of these wet clothes, huh? I’m thinking a hot shower sounds good. Share?”