“For god’s sake, Caroline,” the exasperation in Hannah’s voice makes no sense to her until she says, “The night at the lake house! When we…” She swallows hard, taking in a sharp breath. “In bed together and you talked about… I was –” Hannah’s cheeks turn an even darker pink as she abruptly stops speaking, mouth moving, though, as if still searching for the words.

Caroline can recognize it, the way Hannah is trying to find the right words, but is flailing.

But all she can feel is shock. She thinks back to that night – the night she’d described just how she’d like to make Hannah come. The night she’d convinced herself was crossing a huge boundary, convinced herself she’d made Hannah uncomfortable.

But she hadn’t.

Hannah had liked it – and not in some sort of abstract way, but as in she liked the idea of Caroline doing all of it to her.

“I want you, too.” The admission, something she’d never expected to say, slips out. Her voice is barely over a whisper, the truth of the words cemented in her tone. “That night, and –” She forces herself to stop, because she just knows, by the way she knows Hannah. It’s not what Hannah needs to hear right now. Instead, she swallows hard, trying to force her body out of overdrive and just repeats. “I want you.”

She wants Hannah every night. All of the time. In every way.

Hannah’s mouth opens, a trembling breath escaping her with the slightest whimper and fuck.

Abruptly, the hand Hannah is clutching her arm with drops away, as if she can’t handle having any contact.

“This is just what –” Hannah wheels away, tunneling her fingers into her hair and messing up the cute updo. “I wanted everything to be normal and…” Once again, searching for the right words, but nothing comes out.

“For someone who wants everything to be normal, you didn’t call me last night.” Caroline keeps her voice calm, because the last thing she wants right now is to scare Hannah away from this, not when it feels like there’s some sort of hope at having what she wants.

“Because I knew this would come up!”

“You kissed me, though.” It comes out as a question more than anything, because she just can’t wrap her mind around this. Of course she has questions, when her presumed straight best friend kisses her on her birthday.

Hannah spins back around, the intensity in her eyes captivating her to the stop. It’s… incredibly hot, if Caroline’s being honest. “I know. I know I did. I kissed you.”

Her voice breaks, sounding honestly pained and Caroline doesn’t know what to do or say or anything, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Hannah doesn’t seem to be looking for her response.