Unexpected Lines.

Getting Closer.

Nobody's POV

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Kaia stirred slowly, blinking at the faint morning light filtering through the curtains. She wasn’t in her hotel room. She was curled against Leah, her head pillowed on Leah’s arm, Leah’s fingers absentmindedly combing through her hair.

Kaia shifted, enough so she could see Leah’s face properly. They were close, far too close for anything casual, but neither moved away. Leah’s lips curved into a soft smile as she whispered, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Kaia murmured back, her voice husky from sleep.

For a long while, they just looked at one another. Kaia’s hazel eyes, sometimes more green, sometimes more amber, held Leah’s gaze. Leah’s own blue eyes glinted in the morning light, striking and unguarded. It felt like they were memorising each other’s faces — every freckle, every crease, every softness.

Leah’s chest tightened as she noticed it again — the way some of Kaia’s features resembled Alexia, even Steph. This world was far too small. Especially considering how, once upon a time, the two of them had run off drunk in Los Angeles and gotten married.

Kaia didn’t remember. But Leah did.

She remembered the bar, the tequila burn, and how bold she’d been with this mysterious stranger who leaned into every spark she threw. She remembered the heat of that bathroom, Kaia’s mouth on hers, Kaia’s hands roaming with confidence, their laughter between kisses. She remembered how wild it had been, how they’d stumbled out into the night and onto a random flight — literally random — as if the world was theirs to tear apart.

The details blurred after that, but she remembered the arcade, winning tacky plastic rings and laughing so hard her stomach hurt. Then the sudden, reckless decision to use them. The two of them at the register, blurting out vows with drunken grins, fire in their veins. Leah had never done anything like it. Never wanted anyone so badly. Those few days had been a blur of heat and hunger, the kind of connection that burned itself into her memory.

And when she woke, head pounding, throat dry, Kaia had still been there. Sleeping, soft and soundless, hair tangled across the pillow. Leah hadn’t even known her name then. That had been the problem. She did what anyone would do — she’d sorted the papers, left paracetamol and water on the side, made sure Kaia’s bag and passport were safe, her phone charging on some cheap cable they’d bought in a corner store. Then she left. Because how do you stay married to a stranger?

And now… here she was again. The same girl. The same fire.

Kaia’s stomach growled loudly, breaking the spell. She laughed, rubbing her belly. “I’m hungry.”

Leah’s lips tugged up, though instead of letting her go, she tugged her closer, their bodies pressed flush together. Kaia froze, swallowing hard, her eyes flickering down to Leah’s lips. Leah’s gaze dropped too, tension thrumming between them.

“I’m hungry too,” Leah said lowly, voice tinged with something heavier.

Kaia blinked, deadpan, and shoved her lightly in the chest. “Let’s eat then, idiot.”

She slipped out of bed, and Leah sat up, watching her with a tight jaw. Kaia padded across the room, only to have Leah toss a bundle of clothes her way.

Kaia caught them, glancing down at the shirt and sweats. Her mouth opened automatically. “I’ll wash them and—”

“Keep them,” Leah cut in quickly.

Kaia’s lips pressed into a thin line. Her hazel-green eyes lifted from the clothes to Leah, lingering. It was just a look, but it made Leah’s breath catch. She felt herself crumble inside, every part of her wanting to give in, to grab Kaia and kiss her until there was nothing else. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. She mentally chained herself to the spot, holding her ground, even as her body screamed otherwise.