“I’ll see you at home then.” Nodding, Emily pulled her keys out of the bag and bid them both a goodbye. They stood frozen in place until Emily’s taillights disappeared around the corner. Feeling the slightest touch on her pinky finger, she quickly looked down to see Blake slowly wrapping her pinky finger around her own.
Her brain wanted to spiral into its typical habit of convincing herself that she wasn’t worthy of such a sweet gesture, but Alexis stood firm and blocked out the negative thoughts. Alexis simply wanted to spend time with Blake, walking home in the moonlight. She’d deal with those intrusive thoughts later.
Chapter 13
Blake was surprised that Alexis didn’t pull her hand away when she’d looped their pinky fingers around each other. She’d wanted to take her whole hand but didn’t know if Alexis was on the same page as her or not. They’d flirtatiously touched each other on the arm or thigh throughout their time at the ice cream parlor. Emily had noticed it; Blake knew that from the bemused look on her face the entire time.
“So, do you and Emily live together?”
“No,” Alexis paused and tilted her head from side to side. “Well, I mean, yes but no. Our apartments are beside each other, and it might as well be one apartment for the fact we never lock the front doors and come and go as we please into each other’s apartment.”
“Gotcha.”
“Sophia – Emily’s girlfriend; the one you met with me the other day…”
“The hot French one?”
“Yes,” she snorted a laugh as Blake laughed at her adorableness. “She owned the whole top floor of our block and had her apartment built, and at the time, my apartment was her storage closet.” Blake loved the way Alexis said some words with such dramatics. “When I became pregnant with Harper, Sophia fixed up that closet for me so we could have our own space.”
“I love that.” Carefully, Blake wrapped her ring finger around Alexis’s. Once again, Alexis didn’t pull away. “It must be great to have people like that in your life. That would do anything for you and not expect anything in return.”
“Don’t get that in Hollywood?”
“Nope.” Blake let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve never had anyone in my life who didn’t want something from me. My dad always wanted me to make more money for him, and my ex was also my agent, so she always had ulterior motives. I don’t have many, or well, any real friends because people always want something from me and never want only to be my friend.”
“That makes me sad for you.” Alexis pulled her fingers free from Blake’s, only to immediately clasp their hands together. Their arms swung gently between them as they walked, and Blake noticed that they had already missed the turn onto Alexis’s street. “If it means anything, I don’t want anything from you, and I want to be friends with you. Real friends.”
“That means a lot, actually.” Blake squeezed Alexis’s hand tightly. “Thank you.”
“Oh, wait. I do want one thing.” Alexis dropped Blake’s hand as she took a few excited steps in front of her and walked backwards down the sidewalk.
“I knew it,” Blake feigned annoyance.
“Tell me what you thought about my performance tonight.”
“See,” she waved a teasing finger at her, “everyone always wants something.”
“Please.” Holding out her hand, Alexis stopped moving as Blake walked into her hand before she could stop herself. Alexis blushed as she quickly removed her hand from Blake’s breast and put it behind her back. Her green eyes went soft as she pouted and tilted her head like a puppy. “Please, I value your feedback.”
Blake took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. In all honesty, Alexis had surprised her in her performance as Elle Woods. All her insecurities seemed to melt away in the glow of the stage lights, and she lit up like a brilliant star who was born to be the center of attention. Which, if Blake had her guess, wasn’t a place Alexis was used to being.
“I thought you were really good.”
“Good, not great?”
“I thought you were great.”
“Great, not fantastic?”
“Why don’t you tell me what word you want to hear from me, and I’ll say that?” Blake continued her walk as her shoulder brushed past Alexis’s. It took a few steps before she heard Alexis’s eager footsteps hurriedly following behind her. Once again, Alexis took a few steps in front of her and walked backward to face each other again.
“I don’t want you to placate me.”
“I’m not.” It was Blake that stopped walking this time. Alexis stopped a few feet away from her and crossed her arms over her stomach. The move made her breasts move up slightly, and Blake let her eyes fall to them for a moment before returning to her green eyes. “Don’t give me that look.”
“I saw you writing notes furiously during rehearsals. I know at least one of them has to be about me.” As she lowered her eyes, Alexis’s dark blonde hair fell slightly over her face. She slowly raised her puppy dog eyes to Blake in a move that told Blake she knew precisely what she was doing.
“Ok, but remember,” Blake pointed a finger at her, “you asked for this.”
“Yay!” Clapping her hands excitedly, Alexis smiled at her and waited for her to go on.
“I thought your singing was solid. You have killer pipes, and you know how to control your range, and you hit all the notes you were supposed to.” Alexis seemed nervous under Blake’s compliments, and she shifted her weight from one foot to another, twirling the end of her long hair around her fingers. The smile on her face was so damn adorable that Blake would have gladly spent the rest of her life complimenting her if it would mean she could look at that smile forever.
“I feel a ‘but’ is coming, but I’m loving these compliments right now.”
“Well, you earned them.” Blake let her relish in the compliments a few more moments as they resumed their walking. They made a right at the next corner, and Blake assumed they’d make another one at the next corner to bring them back to Alexis’s apartment. “But…”
“Oh,” Alexis grabbed onto Blake’s arm and squeezed, “I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“You begged me to tell you, and now you don’t want to know?”
“I mean, I want to know, but I am a fragile baby bird, and I don’t want to be crushed.”
“You, Alexis Holland, are the farthest things from a fragile baby bird.” Blake knew her comment might have been overstepping, considering she still didn’t have an expansive knowledge of Alexis’s personal life. When Alexis stood straighter by her side but didn’t let go of her arm, Blake covered her hand with her own. “You seem like a badass bitch who doesn’t take shit from anyone.”
“Well, I like that version of me better than the real one.” Pulling her hand away from Blake’s, Alexis nervously popped her knuckles. This time it was Blake’s turn to walk in front of her and stop her. Alexis’s eyes narrowed for a moment as she tilted her head. “What?”
“I know that what I’m about to say might be overstepping, but I don’t get the vibe from you that you are fragile at all.” Blake reached out with both hands and took hold of the tips of Alexis’s fingers. “I get the vibe that you’ve been through some shit, but it’s made you stronger, and something’s happened in your past that’s caused you to not be able to take a compliment.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.” Tilting her head, Alexis lowered her eyes from Blake’s.
“I didn’t think so.” Winking, Blake watched Alexis’s tension disappear. Alexis pulled her hands free from Blake’s as they continued their walk down the street. “Do you still want my notes, or do you want to wait until Bryce has a chance to look over them?”
“I want them now so I can be prepared. I hate being caught off guard.”
“Noted.” Blake firmly nodded as she made a mental note. “Well, as I said, you’re an amazing singer, but your acting needs some work.” She quickly sped up her words before Alexis could say anything. “And I don’t mean major work, just som
e polishing. It’s clear you’ve acted before.”
“I’ve been in the ensemble for several plays before, yes.”
“And I can tell. You’re confident on the stage. But you have to engage the audience, too. You know how you kept looking at me?”
“I…I wasn’t looking at you.” Alexis scoffed and put her hand over her heart.
“Mhmm. Sure, you weren’t.” Blake played along with her. There had been innumerable times that Alexis had locked eyes with Blake through the rehearsal, and each time, Blake felt the unfamiliar feeling of butterflies in her stomach. She decided to keep that tidbit to herself for now. “Regardless, you need to do that with audience members all over the theatre. Make eye contact with them and engage them in the play. It’ll give you something to focus on that isn’t the same place on the back wall, and it’ll make the audience feel more connected to your character.”
“Got it.” Pretending to write down on a notepad in her hand, Alexis nodded firmly. Despite the humor in her actions, Blake knew she was serious and took her feedback to heart.
“Also, be sure you hit your marks the way Bryce tells you to because I noticed a couple of times your body was turned in a way that half the audience wouldn’t have been able to see your face.” Looking over at Alexis, Blake smiled as Alexis looked back at her. “You have such a pretty face; it’d be a shame if everyone couldn’t enjoy that.”
“You flatter me, but I’m not used to being the star of the play.” Alexis shrunk under the compliment as she waved Blake off with a dismissive hand. “I’m always the background girl. The one who helps the lead get the person they’re in love with or whatever.” She shrugged. “I’m not the girl who gets the lead or the person the love interest wants to be with.”
Blake’s heart hurt for Alexis. She could hear it in her voice that Alexis meant what she was saying, and Blake wanted to do anything to make her see that she was worth it, too. Someone had hurt Alexis in her past, and Blake wanted to strangle them for making Alexis believe she wasn’t worth being loved.
“Well, clearly Bryce saw something in you that made her want to cast you as the lead.”
“I was her only hope. The girl she’d wanted to cast as Elle Woods moved to New York with Andrew, our acting coach, so Bryce either had to find someone sub-par, like me, or cancel the show altogether, and the summer play is a big money draw for the theatrical company, so here we are.”
“You don’t see it, do you?”
“See what?” Alexis’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“You’re worth more than how you describe yourself.” Blake watched as Alexis scoffed ever so slightly and looked away from her for a moment. “You’re not used to being the center of attention, and it’s hard for you to realize and accept that you’re worth it.”
“I’m not worth it.”
“Who told you that?” The question left her lips before Blake could stop it.
“God, the list is long.” Alexis held up a fist as she counted on her fingers. “My mom, my perfect siblings, my ex, and, let’s not forget my biggest non-believer, myself.”
“Well, I hate to tell you, but all of those people are liars and idiots for not realizing your worth. And I’m sorry if no one’s told you that before now.”
“Sophia has.” She shrugged. “And Emily and my other friends, but I have a hard time believing them. It’s hard to see myself as more than the fucked-up person I see looking back at me in the mirror.”
“You have to stop with the self-deprecating stuff if you’re going to be playing Elle Woods.” She paused for a moment, giving Alexis the chance to protest, but instead Alexis remained quiet. After a few steps and another right-hand turn down a street, Blake continued. “Elle Woods is a badass bitch who gets into Harvard Law School like it’s hard,” she smiled at the line from the play, “and she realized that she could do anything she sets her mind to and doesn’t need Warner Huntington the third to find her worth. She needed to believe in herself and believe that she got what she wanted in life because she worked her ass off. She had to believe that she was worth everything she was getting.”
Beside her, she heard Alexis take in a deep breath and hold it for a few beats before letting it out slowly. She ran her hands up and down her arms a few times. Blake wondered if it was out of nervousness or if the slight chill in the air mixed with the ice cream they’d consumed that was getting to her. Playfully, Blake bumped her shoulder against Alexis’s. A wave of relief flooded over her face as she pursed her lips together in a smile and looked over at Blake.
“I never would have pegged you for an Elle Woods fan.”
“What can I say? I’m a woman of many facets.”
“Is that so?” Slowing her walk as they approached her apartment door, Alexis turned on one foot, so they were face to face once more. Blake watched as Alexis slowly licked her bottom lip as her eyes darkened and focused on Blake’s lips. Closing the gap between them, Blake reached out and caressed the side of her face as Alexis leaned into her touch. She knew they were on the same page when Alexis didn’t move; she simply tilted her head toward Blake’s.
Their lips slowly met as Blake slid her hand behind Alexis’s ear and to the back of her neck. She felt Alexis’s arms wrap around her neck as their bodies pressed into each other’s. Blake hadn’t been aware of their two-inch height difference until that moment, and she loved that way Alexis slowly pushed up on her tiptoes to get closer to Blake’s lips.
As their kiss deepened, Alexis’s tongue pushed past her lips and into her mouth. The feel of Alexis’s hand in her hair and her tongue in her mouth was more sensual than anything Blake had ever experienced before. She’d been in relationships with women since she was fifteen, but none of them had made Blake feel the way she did at that moment.
Alexis pulled away slightly, and as she did, the headlights from a car lit up her entire face. The engine’s sounds grew closer as their hands dropped from each other’s body, and Blake turned toward the sound. She recognized the Jeep instantly and felt exactly like a teenager being caught. Mom. Pulling the Jeep to a stop in front of them, Isla rolled down the passenger side window, and Blake could see the playful smirk on her face.
“Evening, ladies.”
“Hey, Isla.” Alexis nervously waved before she pointed behind her at the apartment door. “I was heading inside. Thank you for walking me home. Again.”
“Anytime.” Blake’s eyes sparkled as Alexis waved them goodbye, punched the code to the door, and bolted inside without another word. Opening the passenger side door, Blake got inside and buckled the seatbelt. When Isla didn’t put the car back into Drive, she knew she was in for either a lecture or teasing, and neither of which sounded appealing. “What?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Isla laughed as she put the Jeep into Drive and headed for the farmhouse. “But when I suggested you help Bryce with the play, I didn’t mean teaching Alexis how to French kiss in the moonlight.”
“Ugh.” Sliding down in the seat, Blake wished she’d never texted Isla to pick her up. She’d have rather walked home and risked being murdered in the world’s most quaint town than deal with Isla catching them in their intimate embrace.
“I’m teasing; lighten up.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Blake shook her head as she looked out the window. “I mean, I barely know Alexis. Hell, I never even asked if she was single.” She covered her face with her hands. “Oh, my god, what if she’s in a relationship?”
“She’s not.”
“Why did I blatantly assume she isn’t because she’s flirting back with me, but what if that’s her personality? What if she’s naturally touchy-feely.”
“She is, but she’s not in a relationship. You’d have heard that if you hadn’t been rambling.” A large smile accompanied Isla’s raised eyebrow. “Chill out, Blake. If Alexis didn’t slap you in the face when you kissed her, I can also assure you that she’s interested in you, too. Which is weird for me to say.”
“Why is it w
eird?”
“Because I’ve known Alexis since I moved to the Cove. She’s never shown interest in anyone except this awful bitch named Michelle.” Isla nearly spat the name out of her mouth. When Alexis talked earlier, she’d gotten the vibe that someone had hurt her, but Blake hadn’t wanted to push Alexis into talking about it. But she was altogether ok with answers from Isla.
“Who is Michelle?”
“It’s not my place to talk about this.” Isla turned on the radio.
“You brought it up.” She flipped the radio back off. “Spill.”
“Ok, but listen,” Isla pointed a finger at her, “if I tell you, you cannot tell Alexis you know about it, ok? This isn’t something I should even tell you, but I love you, and I want you to know that Alexis is closed off for a reason. Although judging by the scene I witnessed, she’s not as closed off as I originally thought.”
A playful slap in the arm by Blake accompanied Isla’s comment.
“Michelle was this TA at the college here in town when Alexis was a freshman. Alexis fell hard for her, but Michelle,” Isla seemed to choose her words carefully, “used Alexis, let’s say that. Because of how she treated Alexis, a lot of shit went down between them, and one thing led to another, and here we are today. And no, I will not go into detail about it because it’s not my place to say anything else. And promise me one thing?”
“Ok…?”
“Don’t press her to talk about her past unless she offers it up to you.” Pulling the Jeep into the garage, Isla turned it off as she looked over at Blake. “And Blake, if she does ever offer that up to you, let her talk. Don’t interrupt, ok?”
“Should I be worried about what’s hiding in Alexis’s closet?”
“No, she’s scared enough for everyone.” Isla sadly sighed. “If she trusts you with it, then she cares about you. Alexis isn’t close to many people, and we were all there when shit went down, and since then, she hasn’t let anyone new into her life. It’s a big deal if she trusts you.”
Blake nodded and swallowed hard. She could tell Alexis had been hurt; Alexis had all but told her that herself. But at that moment, Blake wanted to run back to the apartment and tell Alexis that she was more than anything some bitch named Michelle made her believe.
State of Grace: A Moonflower Cove Romance Page 12
