Days passed softly, like the quiet rhythm of waves brushing the shore. Kara and Avery fell into an easy pattern without even realizing it, weekday messages, lazy weekend adventures, and those small domestic moments that made everything feel right. Kara would show up outside Avery's office around lunchtime, leaning on her scooter with two iced coffees in hand, texting "I'm outside." Avery always came out smiling, teasing her, "You really like being my caffeine dealer, huh?" and Kara would grin, answering, "Only for you."
Their weekends became something they both looked forward to wandering through flea markets, exploring hidden cafés behind rice terraces, chasing sunsets across beaches they'd never seen before. Avery started sleeping over on Fridays; the two of them would fall asleep to the sound of some random show playing too softly to matter, and wake up tangled in sunlight and laughter. Kara felt lighter with Avery, like she could finally breathe again. But beneath that new warmth was a small shadow she couldn't shake.
Willow was still there.
One evening, while Kara sat cross-legged on her bed replying to her classmates messages, her phone buzzed. Willow's name lit up the screen. She hesitated, staring at it for a moment before finally picking up.
"Hey…" Willow's voice was soft, careful. "Sorry, I just needed to hear your voice."Kara leaned back against the headboard, her tone steady but quiet. "It's okay. How are you?""You never answer my texts anymore," Willow said, her voice breaking slightly. "Did I do something wrong?""No, it's not that," Kara sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I've just been… trying to sort things out.""Sort things out, or forget me?" Willow reply.
The question hung heavy between them. Kara could hear waves in the background, faint, like the sea through a cracked window.
"I'm not forgetting you, Will," she said softly. "I couldn't, even if I tried.""Then what are you doing, Kara?" Willow's voice wavered. "Because I still think about you. Every day. And I don't know where to put those feelings."
Kara closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. The image of Avery flashed in her mind... her smile, her warmth, the way she reached for Kara's hand without even thinking.
"I don't know either," Kara admitted after a long silence. "I care about you, but… things are different now. I'm different."There was a pause, and then Willow's voice, soft and trembling: "Is there someone else?"
Kara hesitated. She didn't want to lie."Maybe," she whispered finally. "And I don't want to pretend there isn't."Willow went quiet, and when she spoke again, her voice was small. "Then I hope she makes you happy. Just… don't disappear, okay?"
The line fell still except for the sound of her breathing, and then it clicked off. Kara stared at her phone for a long moment before typing, Take care of yourself, please. I'll always want that for you. She sent it, then placed the phone face down beside her.
It buzzed again almost immediately, this time Avery.
Avery:Still doing homework? Or secretly bingeing our show without me?Kara:You weren't supposed to find out I'm two episodes ahead.Avery:Unbelievable. That's betrayal, Karr.Kara:Then punish me tomorrow at lunch.Avery:Deal. See you tomorrow.
Kara smiled without meaning to. Even after the heaviness of her call, Avery's messages felt like sunlight cutting through clouds.
On Avery's side, her own past had been fading quietly into the background. Phoebe still texted sometimes, short, hesitant messages that felt more like echoes than conversations.
Phoebe:I saw your story. You look really happy. I'm glad.Avery:Thanks, Phoebs. I hope you're doing okay too.Phoebe:Do you ever miss me?Avery:I miss what we were. But I think we're meant to move forward now.Phoebe:Yeah… I guess I knew that.
That was the last time Phoebe reached out. Avery cried a little that night... not because she wanted her back, but because she finally felt the weight of something ending, and the quiet, steady beginning of something new.
A week later, while looking through her notebook, Kara found a folded piece of paper tucked between random pages, Avery's handwriting, a little messy, slanted, familiar.
You make me want to show up softer, Karr.You make me believe that maybe I can love again without breaking.I don't know if I've said it out loud yet, but… I love you.
Kara read it once, twice, then pressed it to her chest, smiling so wide it almost hurt. "Maybe this is the time," she whispered to herself.
That same evening, Avery sat at a café with Luke, stirring her drink absently. Luke raised an eyebrow. "You've been smiling at your phone for five minutes, dude. What's she saying?"Avery grinned, shaking her head. "Nothing special. Just… her. You know that kind of person that makes you want to be better?"Luke chuckled. "Yeah. You're in deep, Ave.""Yeah," Avery admitted, glancing out toward the horizon where the light was fading into gold. "I think I really am."
And for the first time in a long time, they both felt it... that quiet, certain kind of love that doesn't need to be rushed, just recognized. The one that feels like home finally finding its way back.
***
Beachwalk's evening hum was different at this hour, softer, slower, a kind of tired calm after a day full of chatter and footsteps. Most of the shops had dimmed their lights, but Avery's workspace still glowed bright under the fluorescent bulbs.
She was at the display table, double-checking the setup for a store opening, boxes stacked neatly, signage straightened. She'd been at it for hours, laser-focused, her hair pinned loosely and a pen tucked behind her ear.
Then she saw her.
Kara.
Standing near one of the glass railings at the far end of the floor, her red shirt fluttering slightly in the breeze from the mall's open-air atrium, hands tucked into her beige trousers, pretending to scroll on her phone.
Avery's heart skipped. Kara looked like she'd stepped straight out of a magazine, elegant but effortless, like she didn't even know how good she looked.
Avery bit back a smile, pretending not to notice, but she couldn't help glancing every few seconds. Kara caught her once, grinning, lifting her brows, mouthing hi.
Avery rolled her eyes playfully and gestured, five minutes. Kara responded with a dramatic thumbs-up and wandered toward a nearby café, still watching her from a distance.
When Avery finally wrapped up her tasks and dismissed her staff, she pulled out her phone.Avery: "Alright, stalker. Where are you hiding?"Kara's voice came through the speaker, teasing and bright. "Second floor, by the sushi bar. You took long enough, I was about to start flirting with the chef."Avery laughed, already heading toward the escalator. "Try it. See what happens.""Hmm, possessive now?""Maybe," Avery said, smile audible in her tone. "Be there in five."
By the time she reached the restaurant, Kara was already waiting by the window, her elbow propped on the table, her fingers circling the rim of her green tea cup. Her expression softened the instant she saw Avery approach.
"You made it," Kara said, standing a little. "I thought I'd have to come drag you out."Avery chuckled, sliding into the seat across from her. "You look way too good for a mall dinner. What's the occasion?"Kara shrugged. "I missed you. That's a good enough reason, right?"
Avery blinked, warmth flooding her chest. "Yeah," she said softly. "It's a really good reason."
Kara waved the waiter over before Avery could even open her menu. "She'll have the salmon aburi, fuji roll, and chicken teriyaki salad," she said, glancing at Avery with a knowing smirk."You remembered all that?" Avery asked, smiling.Kara grinned. "It's impossible to forget the face you make when you bite into the salmon."Avery gasped, half laughing, half flustered. "You're ridiculous.""I'm observant," Kara countered. "There's a difference."
When the food came, so did the ease between them, laughter spilling into conversation that danced from work stories to old memories. Avery shared the chaos of last-minute preparations for the new tenant's opening, while Kara joked about how her "surprise drop-ins" were becoming her new hobby.
"Seriously though," Kara said after a sip of tea, "how do you do it? You talk to tenants, solve problems, plan events, I get tired just hearing it."Avery shrugged modestly. "It's just part of it. You learn to manage the noise."Kara tilted her head, studying her. "You make it sound simple.""It's supposed to be. It's people who complicate things."
Kara smiled faintly, tapping her chopsticks together. "You ever think… relationships are kind of like that too?"Avery looked up, curious. "You mean complicated because of people?"Kara nodded. "Yeah. Or maybe because we're scared to say what we really want."
There was something in her voice... a softness edged with hesitation. Avery leaned in slightly. "And what do you want, Kara?"
Kara hesitated. Her eyes flickered to the window, the lights of Kuta glittering below, then back to Avery. "To feel like I can breathe with someone. No games, no pressure, just… honesty. Warmth. That kind of thing."
Avery smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "That sounds like you've thought about it a lot.""I have," Kara admitted quietly. "Maybe more than I should."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Their sushi sat between them, untouched. Kara's gaze drifted from Avery's eyes to her lips, then back again, and Avery could feel the air shift, that familiar pull that always found them no matter where they were.
"Why do I feel like you're about to say something dangerous?" Avery teased gently.Kara smiled, leaning forward, her voice low. "Because I probably am."
Avery's breath hitched. "Then say it."
Kara chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Not yet. I like the way you look at me when you're trying to guess."
Avery rolled her eyes, laughing to diffuse the tension. "You're such a tease.""Only with you," Kara said again, eyes glinting.
They went back to eating, but the silence between them wasn't awkward, it was heavy with unspoken things. Kara reached across the table once to steal a piece of Avery's sushi; Avery retaliated by flicking a drop of soy sauce at her. Kara gasped dramatically.
"You did not just...""Oh, I did," Avery said, smirking.Kara leaned closer, lowering her voice. "That's it. I'm declaring war."
Their laughter filled the booth, drawing a glance from a nearby couple. Kara reached out, grabbing Avery's hand mid-laughter and suddenly, everything stilled.
Her thumb brushed over Avery's knuckles, slow, deliberate."I really like this version of us," Kara said quietly.
Avery looked down at their joined hands, then up again. "Which version?""The one where we're not pretending," Kara said. "Where we get to show up… just like this."
Avery's heart thudded in her chest. She squeezed Kara's hand gently. "Then let's keep showing up."
Kara smiled the kind of smile that starts small and takes over her whole face. "Yeah," she whispered. "Let's."
The restaurant had grown quieter, the night outside deepening into navy blue. Kara leaned back, still holding Avery's hand, and for a brief moment, she thought, maybe this is it. Maybe this is home.
They lingered long after the plates were cleared, talking about nothing and everything, future trips, silly movies, which one of them would survive a zombie apocalypse (Avery insisted it'd be her; Kara said she'd just flirt her way out of danger).
And as they finally stood to leave, Avery couldn't help smiling again, watching Kara adjust her bag strap, still glowing under the warm lights.
"Next time you show up unannounced," Avery said, teasingly, "give me a warning. I need time to look as good as you."Kara grinned, stepping closer. "No need. You always do."
Avery shook her head, cheeks warm. "Stop.""Can't," Kara murmured, brushing her hand lightly along Avery's arm before turning toward the escalator. "Come on, let's go for a walk before I start falling harder in public."
Avery laughed, following her the sound of their footsteps echoing softly through the quiet mall.
***
The night air outside Beachwalk was softer than usual a kind of ocean breeze that brushed their skin and carried the faint scent of salt and roasted corn from the beach stalls. The hum of the mall faded behind them as they stepped down toward the boardwalk, the sound of sandals and laughter from the few late-night strollers blending with the rhythm of the sea.
Avery walked beside Kara, their arms brushing occasionally, every touch a silent spark neither acknowledged aloud. Kara had changed into a loose linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up, her hair pulled back by the wind. Avery caught herself glancing, again and again every time Kara smiled or tossed her hair.
"So," Avery said, her tone light, teasing, as they passed a row of closed surf shops, "how many dates before I get to be your official plus-one at work dinners?"
Kara chuckled. "Oh, so now you're counting?""Someone has to," Avery shot back with a grin. "I'm pretty sure we're past the 'maybe she'll text me back' stage."
Avery smirked, kicking a small pebble across the path. "You were never worried about that."Kara gave her a sidelong look, feigning confidence. "Who says I wasn't?""You," Avery said simply. "You're too charming to be insecure."Kara smiled, her voice dropping lower. "Maybe I just hide it well."
Avery looked at her, searching for the truth behind that playful smirk. Kara looked away first... toward the ocean, where moonlight painted a silver path across the waves.
"Let's go to our spot," Avery said softly.
They made their way down the small path toward the beach, the familiar sound of the waves growing louder, more intimate. Their usual beanbags were still there, tucked under a half-lit umbrella by a quiet beach bar. They ordered two beers and kicked off their shoes, sinking into the seats, the world falling into easy silence.
Kara leaned back, exhaling deeply. "This place always feels like it belongs to us."Avery smiled, resting her arms behind her head. "It kind of does.""Yeah," Kara murmured, her gaze fixed on the waves. "No matter what happens, we always end up here."
Avery turned to her, catching something fragile in her tone. "You say that like you're worried it'll change."Kara shook her head slowly. "Not worried. Just… aware."
The silence between them stretched, not awkward, but full of things unsaid. Kara shifted, then slowly leaned sideways until her head rested on Avery's chest. Avery instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, her fingers brushing along Kara's arm.
The steady beat of Avery's heart filled the space, a grounding rhythm that made Kara close her eyes.
After a long while, Kara spoke, voice barely above the whisper of waves."You ever feel like… you're living two different lives at once?"Avery's hand stilled. "What do you mean?""Like," Kara said slowly, searching for words, "one part of you feels so certain, like you've finally found where you belong. But another part keeps reaching for something familiar, even if it doesn't make sense anymore."
Avery's throat tightened, sensing the depth behind her words. She wanted to ask, wanted to reach that shadow in Kara's voice, but something in her told her to stay still.
"Yeah," Avery finally said, her tone calm but steady. "Sometimes I think we all do that. We keep one foot in the past because we're scared of what letting go might mean."
Kara didn't answer right away. Her fingers played absently with the fabric of Avery's shirt. "You make it sound so simple."Avery smiled faintly, looking down at her. "You make it complicated."Kara let out a small laugh, but it faded quickly, her voice turning soft. "You make it feel safe."
The words hung there, fragile, almost lost to the wind. Avery looked at her, her heart swelling with a tenderness she couldn't hide.
She didn't say anything, just tightened her arm slightly around Kara, letting the silence say the rest.
After a while, their breathing matched. The waves kept crashing softly in the background. The crowd at the bar had thinned until it was just them and the hum of the night.
Inside their minds, both were miles away together, yet alone in their thoughts.
Kara's thoughts:You don't even realize it, do you? The way I look at you... how every time you laugh, I forget how heavy my heart used to feel. But then the guilt creeps in again, the voice reminding me of all the things I haven't said. About Willow. About the calls I shouldn't answer. You deserve someone who's sure, Avery. Someone who isn't torn in half by ghosts. But then you look at me like that… and I can't help wanting to be better, for you.
She tilted her head slightly, brushing her cheek against Avery's chest, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume. You're my peace, Ave. And that terrifies me.
Avery's thoughts:She doesn't know. Or maybe she does. The way I've fallen... quietly, completely, like it's been happening all along. Every time she shows up, everything else fades. I keep wondering when she'll see it, or say it, or maybe I'll just have to. But I also see the flicker behind her eyes, the moments she drifts away, and I can't tell if it's me she's thinking of, or someone else. And still… I want to believe I can be enough to quiet whatever storm she's fighting.
She pressed a light kiss against Kara's hair, so gentle Kara almost didn't feel it.
The waves rolled on.Kara traced slow circles on Avery's knee, absentmindedly. Avery hummed softly under her breath, the melody carried by the sea breeze.
Neither spoke again. There was no need. The silence between them wasn't empty... it was full.
And as the night deepened, the moonlight silvered their skin, two silhouettes leaning together under the wide, endless sky, two hearts quietly learning what it meant to stay.
***
The night had grown quiet, only the whisper of waves breaking against the sand and the soft hum of the beach bar's last song floating through the air. Kara still lay against Avery's chest, tracing gentle patterns on her arm, lost in the rhythm of her heartbeat. The world around them had blurred until suddenly, the first burst of color lit the sky.
BOOM.
A small firework exploded above the shoreline, scattering streaks of gold and blue across the darkness. Kara startled slightly, blinking up, her lips parting in surprise. Then another one followed, and another, the night sky suddenly alive with color.
"Fireworks?" Avery murmured, glancing toward the horizon where more bursts shimmered.Kara smiled faintly. "It's midnight already. December first."Avery's eyes widened. "Oh." She chuckled softly. "Guess we lost track of time.""Yeah," Kara whispered, still watching the sky. "But I'm glad we did."
The light from the fireworks painted their faces, flickering reds, golds, violets. Kara sat up slowly, still facing the ocean, but her eyes weren't on the fireworks anymore. They were on Avery.
Avery tilted her head. "What?" she asked softly, smiling as Kara just stared at her.Kara didn't answer right away. She seemed to be memorizing everything, the way Avery's hair caught the light, the way her lips parted when she smiled, the calm in her eyes.
Then, in a voice that trembled but carried through the wind, Kara finally spoke."Avery," she said quietly. "I… I think I need to say something."
Avery straightened a little, her heartbeat quickening. "Okay…"Kara took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around Avery's hand. "These past weeks... every time we go somewhere, every time you make me laugh, every time you just look at me like I matter, it feels like I'm finally breathing again. Like I'm not pretending anymore."
Avery's brows softened, her lips curving into a quiet smile, but she didn't interrupt.
Kara continued, her voice trembling just slightly. "And I know I haven't been the easiest person to understand. I've been… confused. Trying to figure things out. But tonight..." she glanced at the sky, then back at Avery, "watching this, being here with you… I'm sure now."
She squeezed Avery's hand tighter, leaning closer until her words were only for her."Would you… want to be my girlfriend?"
Avery froze. For a second, the world seemed to stop, the fireworks, the waves, the noise of the city in the distance. Her mind blanked, her heart racing.
"What… what did you just say?" she asked, almost in disbelief.
Kara let out a shaky laugh, eyes glistening in the dim light. Then she said it again, louder this time with certainty. "Avery, will you be my girlfriend?"
The words echoed between them, carried by the sound of the waves and the next burst of color in the sky.
Avery blinked rapidly, her chest tightening with emotion. For months she had dreamed of hearing those words but now that they were real, they felt almost unreal. She pressed her hand to her mouth, half-laughing, half-crying.
"You're serious?" she asked, her voice trembling.Kara nodded, eyes bright and unwavering. "I've never been more serious in my life."
Avery let out a soft laugh that cracked in the middle. Then she reached forward, cupping Kara's face with both hands. "Yes," she breathed. "Yes, of course I will."
Kara's smile broke wide and radiant, the kind of smile that could pull every star closer. She threw her arms around Avery, holding her tight. Avery wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer still, their laughter blending with the sound of the fireworks.
"I can't believe this is real," Avery murmured into Kara's hair."It's real," Kara whispered back, smiling against her shoulder. "And it's ours."
When they finally pulled back, both of them were smiling so hard their cheeks hurt. Kara wiped at Avery's tears with her thumb, then leaned in and kissed her cheek, slow and certain.
Avery's eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and when she opened them, Kara was still looking at her the same way, like she was the only thing that mattered.
"Let's take a picture," Kara said suddenly, pulling her phone out.Avery laughed. "Now?""Yes," Kara said, already unlocking it. "We have to remember this, tonight, this exact moment."
She leaned in close, their heads touching, fireworks bursting behind them. The phone clicked, one, two, three times. Kara looked at the photos and grinned. "Perfect. December first," she said softly. "The day I stopped running."
Avery looked at her, a warmth flooding her chest. "And the day you made me the happiest person on this beach."
Kara leaned forward again, resting her forehead against Avery's."Happy one December, Ave."Avery smiled, whispering back, "Happy us."
The fireworks continued for a few minutes more, bright colors scattering into the endless night, but for both of them, it already felt like the world had gone quiet again. Just the two of them, sitting close on the beanbags, their fingers intertwined, their hearts finally steady.
And as the last firework faded into the horizon, Kara whispered, almost to herself..."I'll tell you everything one day. I promise."
Avery didn't hear her, not fully... but she smiled anyway, still holding her hand.
The waves came and went, the moon shone quietly above, and for the first time in a long time, both of them felt like they were exactly where they were meant to be.