CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
I ADORE YOU

BETH SAT THERE FOR A moment, her eyes were widened in surprise. Words refused to form in her mouth. Her thought process shut down, so all she could do was stare at Wanda. She was trying to process if Wanda had actually said those words to her. Or if she had simply just heard them and this was somehow a dream and she had yet to waken up. Her mouth open and closed like a fish, and she felt embarrassed.

Wanda herself were surprised at the words. She hadn't meant to say them. In fact, she hadn't even thought them. They simply came flying from her mouth without her permission, without giving her time to think and ponder the possible consequences. She and Beth truly didn't know one another that well. And it was true, Wanda wanted to change that aspect of their relationship. But they knew one another a lot better than they both thought.

     "Did I actually say that?" Wanda whispered. Beth only swallowed and nodded her head. "Okay. Uhm. Well, can't take it back, can I? It's already been said. The band-aid's been ripped right on off. Wow." She cleared her throat. "But it's true. I think that I am in love with you. And I know that we don't know one another that well, but I feel like I know you. And you do not have to say it back, because no one would say something as stupid as that without the goal of scaring that person off. I really hope this doesn't ruin our relationship."

     She stood up from the couch, rubbing her hands together before quickly turning to look at Beth. "You know what? Let's just pretend that those words never came out of my mouth. In fact, why don't we restart this whole morning. Or. . . maybe our whole relationship because I'm pretty sure I just ruined it and―︎"

     "I think I love you too." Beth looked up from the spot she had been staring at in order to look at Wanda.

     "What?"

     "Yeah. . ." Beth mumbled. "I think I started falling in love with you when we first met in my dreams. And when you kept appearing over and over again. . . I just kept falling. Wanda, you saved my life. Through my dreams of all things. I adore you. And that adoration has seemed to transform into. . . love? At least, I think this is what love feels like. Is my heart supposed to be beating this fast? And my cup of tea is about to fall out of my hands. You're my safe place, Wanda. You have been for a while now. And I know that we said we would take a little step at a time―︎"

     "Big step." Wanda cut her off, nodding her head. "The biggest step there is."

     "And we both just took it." Beth bit the inside of her cheek as she nodded her head. "But. . . I feel relaxed somehow? Now that I've quite literally skipped all of those other steps. I think that it's something that's been on my mind for a long time now without me even realizing it. But, I think―︎no, I know―︎that I love you and that I'm in love with you." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before softly saying, "So much for not believing in love at first sight, am I right?"

     Wanda looked at her for a moment before she started to chuckle and nodded her head. Beth smiled at this. "Out of everything, this was not one of the things I was expecting." Wanda cleared her throat, though a smile was still on her face. "We, uh, we have to train in a little while. So, I'll see you down there?"

     "Of course." Beth nodded. She then stood up, furrowing her eyebrows for a moment. "Wanda, can I try something?"

     Wanda turned to look at the woman before nodding her head. Beth stood in front of her and looked at her for a moment before leaning in and carefully connecting their lips before pulling away to find Wanda trying to hold back the large grin that wanted to fall on her face. "A first of many, I hope. I'll see you down there." Wanda turned and walked out of the room and immediately Beth laughed to herself.

     "Holy shit, did I just get my first kiss?" It was true that because she was running for all of her life, that she had never experienced a first kiss, or a first love. She didn't have the time. She was too paranoid to ever commit herself to someone. She didn't even take the chance of sleeping around with some random guy, so she was still a virgin, and she wasn't ashamed of it. Even if she hadn't been chased the entirety of her life, she would have waited. Waited for that perfect person to come along. And she liked to believe that Wanda was that person. Wanda was her person, her other half, and she couldn't have asked for anything or anyone better.

➩︎three chapters left
(not including the epilogue)