Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

“Something like that,” I mumble.

Her hands find my arms, sliding up to my biceps and latching on. “Say it.”

“Say what?”

Opal leans into me, pressing her breasts against my chest. “Say you’ll miss me,” she whispers, staring into my eyes, but it feels like she’s digging into my soul.

I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her tighter against my chest. “I’d miss you, Opal.” My voice doesn’t even crack as I admit that to her.

She smiles up at me, making my insides all warm. “Was that so hard?”

“Not as hard as I thought it would be.” I’ve never admitted my feelings easily to people, and with other women, I never even allowed myself to get close enough to form any. “But that’s only because it’s you, and I…”

“What?” she asks when I pause.

I lean my head forward, placing my forehead against hers, and close my eyes. “I think I’m falling for you and falling hard, and that scares the shit out of me.”

“It scares me too,” she whispers as we’re cocooned together outside my grandparents’ house. “I haven’t felt this close to anyone in a long time.”

“I’ve never felt this close to anyone else in my entire life.”

I open my eyes and lock gazes with Opal.

“And then there’s your family… God, I think I love them as much as you.” Her eyes widen. “I didn’t mean…”

I pull my head back, staring down at her beautiful face. “Do you love me, Opal?”

And for the first time in my life, I want her to say yes. I’m barely breathing, waiting for her to say the words. Maybe she made a mistake, using the term like she would if she were describing her favorite food.

She slides her hands to the front of my shoulders. “I do love you.”

My heart almost skips a beat, and my stomach does this weird roller-coaster thing I’ve never felt before aside from being on a ride. “I love you too,” I admit in a soft voice as the words feel completely foreign on my tongue.

“You don’t think it’s too soon to say it?”

“Are there rules to this shit?” I ask her, because while I’m experienced with women, feelings are an entirely different ball game.

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. It’s not like I have a lot of people I can ask about this stuff.”

“Then it’s not too soon if we don’t think it’s too soon.” I lean my head forward again, wanting nothing more than to kiss her lips.

But before I can, the front door swings open and Gigi, Tam, and Lily are standing there with goofy looks on their faces.

“It’s about damn time,” Lily says, clapping her hands.

“Fuck, that was painful to watch,” Tamara adds with her arms folded in front of her.

“It was romantic,” Gigi says, elbowing Tamara in the ribs. “Don’t bust his chops now.”

“What the fuck?” I snap at them.

“We were watching on the security camera. Sorry,” Lily says with a pained smile, but I know she’s not sorry in the slightest for what they did. “But it was also about damn time you admitted you were in love with her.”

Opal laughs, not looking even slightly upset about my sister’s and cousins’ intrusion into our private talk. “See?” she says, ticking her chin in their direction, “I love them too.”

The three girls come barreling out of the house, wrapping their arms around Opal and me. “We love you too,” they say to her, squishing us with all their might.

“For fuck’s sake,” I grumble, stuck in an estrogen sandwich with way too many feelings. “You’re all ridiculous and strange.”

“Normal is boring,” Tamara tells me, narrowing her eyes as she stares at me. “Get used to it, cousin.”

“What’s going on?” Gram asks as she steps out of the front door into the sunshine.

“They’re in love,” Lily says with her arms still wrapped around us.

“Anyone with two eyes and half a brain could see that, dear,” Gram replies before turning back around and heading inside. “Don’t let all the air conditioning out.”

She isn’t the least bit impressed by the revelation.

“Is she sick of our shit?” Tamara asks Gigi.

“Nah.” Gigi shakes her head. “She loves us too much.”

“Can we move this party inside?” I ask, starting to sweat from the heat of the sun and their bodies still wrapped around us.

Gigi peers up at me. “Can we hug again inside?”

“You’re fucking batty,” I tell her.

She gives me a wink. “Just fucking with you, but this was nice.”

Tamara, Gigi, and Lily slowly unwrap their bodies from ours, and before I can finish the kiss I so badly wanted, Lily snags Opal by the arm and guides her inside.

“Fuck,” I groan as I tip my head toward the cloudless sky.

“I’m proud of you,” Gigi says.

I straighten my neck, looking over at her as she waits for me by the door. “For what?”

“I know it was a big step for you, but I don’t think you could’ve picked a better person to say them to. You did good, little cousin. Don’t fuck it up.”