Kylie Cantrall's Arc

Chapter 68 of 78

The last guests left the beach within the hour. Kara flew off with a wave. Dr. Carter packed her bag and slipped away in a car before dark. Kylie stood on the sand with her wife and realized they were finally alone. But her phone buzzed in the house. The world was already reaching for them, and the light was fading fast. Kylie made a choice. She turned the phone off without checking it. "No calls," she said. "Not tonight. We haven't had one minute as wives yet." Arianna laughed and kicked off her shoes. The puppy chased the ribbon on her red gown. They walked up from the shore toward the big house, past the pool where the fountain still poured. The water caught the last of the sun. Kylie took Arianna's hand and did not let go. They sat at the edge of the pool with their feet in the water. The palm trees threw long shadows across the tile. Kylie handed Arianna the sealed letter from the bench. "You can read it now," she said. "I meant every word. I just meant the other thing more." Arianna opened it slowly. She read the practiced lines Kylie had written weeks ago. Then she folded the paper and set it down. "Keep both," she said. "The letter and the thing you said at the altar. I want all of you, not just the parts you plan." Kylie leaned against her. For once she had nothing to fix, no crowd to face, no schedule to burn. She let the quiet sit. The fountain filled the silence. The puppy curled between them and slept. "I want to remember this," Arianna said. "Just us. Before it all starts." "Then let's mark it," Kylie said. She stood and pulled Arianna up. They danced on the pool deck with no music, only the sound of falling water. Arianna hummed the low part of their song. Kylie sang the harmony on top, the way it fit now that she knew her wife's voice. They turned slow circles as the sky went orange, then pink, then dark. When the stars came out, they were still there. One hour as wives, and no one in the world knew but them. Kylie felt it settle in her chest, solid and real. Then the house phone rang inside. Not her cell. The landline. Only one person had that number. Kylie went still. "That's my mother's line," she said. Her mother believed they were resting, not married. If she was calling the island at night, something had changed. Kylie looked at Arianna, then at the door. She walked inside and picked up the phone. Her mother's voice came fast and tight. "The label saw a photo," she said. "Someone posted a boat near your island. They're asking why you're really out there." Kylie gripped the receiver. Their week of hiding was ending. The secret would not hold much longer.