Some Love was Made for the Lights

Prologue

Ellie's giggling as she takes the photo, a little tipsy on red wine and a sudden swoop of nerves. Arlo is sprawled on her couch, his head tipped back as he laughs, and she just can't help herself. By some miracle of technology the photo is perfect, despite her unsteady hands. Arlo's stupidly charming laugh is in focus, and the table lamp casts a soft glow across one side of his jaw, hiding the other in shadow. Ellie sinks onto the sofa and leans into him, tilting her phone screen so he can see the picture.

"What do you think? Should I post it?" She's 90% joking, but Arlo shifts away just enough to see her face. Okay, maybe she was 75% joking, and that number's quickly decreasing with the way he's looking at her. Something hot and pleasant squirms in her stomach.

"Yeah," he says softly. There's no hint of hesitation or a smirk or that sharpness his mouth gets towards the end of a day of press. "Post it."

Ellie bites her lip to try to reign in the smile trying to take over her whole face. It's a hopeless battle. "Yeah? You sure? The internet is gonna, like—"

"Implode?"

She laughs. "I was gonna say explode. Combust? Disintegrate."

Arlo ducks his head to hide his smile before looking back up at her. He shrugs. "So let it."

Ellie tries to hide the way her hands shake a little as she opens Instagram and chooses the photo from her camera roll. She peeks up at Arlo's face again, but he's just watching her hands and glances up with an encouraging smile when he notices her looking.

He stretches away for a few seconds to fumble for his phone where he'd left it charging on the side table. "Come on, I'll like it and everything," he says, giving her a little nudge when he's settled back against her again.

She makes a face, but considers the photo again for a minute before extra carefully typing out havin' a laugh :) with no typos. She looks up at him then, her finger hovering over the screen.

"Last chance to back out, Ace," he says, but his look is nothing but warmth.

She presses Share.