Chapter 31

They carried the bags to the coffee table, spreading out the cartons and containers until the entire surface was covered in steaming takeout. Celeste dropped cross-legged onto the rug, her oversized shirt slipping off one shoulder. Rowan sat beside her, nudging a container toward her.

“Try this one first,” Rowan said, popping open the lid. “It’s my go-to. If you don’t like it, that might be a dealbreaker.”

Celeste raised an eyebrow, plucking a piece with her chopsticks. “A dealbreaker, huh? Bold claim.” She took a bite, chewed, then leaned back with an exaggerated sigh. “Damn. Okay… maybe you’re onto something.”

Rowan smirked, leaning a little closer. “So I pass the test?”

Celeste gave her a sideways glance, lips curving. “For now. You still have a long way to go before you’re officially approved.”

Rowan scoffed playfully, opening another box. “Please. I already know I’m your favorite.”

Celeste nearly choked on her sip of water, laughing. “Your confidence is ridiculous.”

“Confidence,” Rowan corrected, pointing her chopsticks at her. “Not ridiculous. Sexy.”

Celeste bit her lip, trying not to smile too much. “Oh, so now you’re sexy?”

Rowan leaned in, eyes glinting. “Now? I’ve always been sexy. You’re just finally admitting you noticed.”

Celeste’s laugh softened into something warmer, her gaze lingering longer than she meant to. “You’re impossible.”

Rowan grinned, popping a bite into her mouth. “Yeah… but you like me anyway.”

Celeste shook her head, but the smile on her lips betrayed her.

The food between them grew smaller, the conversation lighter, and the air between them despite the teasing only seemed to hum stronger with each glance.

Celeste set her chopsticks down, her eyes still on Rowan, and before she could stop herself the words slipped out.

“I wish I could have you right now.”

Rowan froze mid-bite, chopsticks hovering in the air. Her eyes flicked to Celeste’s face, searching, like she wasn’t sure she heard her right.

Celeste blinked, exhaling, then gave a rueful little laugh. “Sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud.” She paused, leaning back against the couch. “But I did mean it.”

The room fell into a quiet charged with something heavier than their playful banter. Rowan set her food aside slowly, like she needed both hands to steady herself.

“So…” Rowan began carefully, her voice low. “Let’s say we actually tried this. How would we make it work?”

Celeste didn’t hesitate. “Well, we keep it work only when we’re on set. No slip-ups, no blurred lines while the cameras are rolling. If we hang out in public people will just say it’s for the movie anyway, so no one would question it.”

Rowan tilted her head, studying her like she was analyzing every word, every subtle shift in expression.

“And here?” she asked.

Celeste’s lips curved, soft but certain. “Whenever we’re here, at my place… nothing is off limits.”

Rowan’s brows lifted slightly, impressed but cautious. She kept watching, waiting for Celeste to falter. But Celeste only shrugged, like she’d been ready for this conversation for a while.

“Yes,” Celeste said finally, almost taking the words right out of Rowan’s mouth. “I’ve thought it through.”

Rowan leaned back, her eyes narrowing just a little in wonder. “I see that.”

For a moment, neither of them moved just the hum of the city outside the windows and the quiet between them, thick with possibility.

Rowan let the silence stretch for a beat longer, her eyes still locked on Celeste’s. Then she leaned back into the couch cushions, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at her lips.

“How about,” she said slowly, “we think about it and decide in the morning? No pressure tonight. Let’s just… enjoy each other’s company.”

Celeste studied her for a moment, the intensity in her chest easing at Rowan’s words. She nodded, a quiet smile curving her lips. “Deal.”

Rowan reached for her food again, handing Celeste the sauce she’d been reaching for without a word, the gesture casual but intimate. Celeste chuckled, shaking her head, the weight of the conversation slipping away as they settled back into an easier rhythm.

For the rest of the night, they didn’t talk about what could or couldn’t happen. They just laughed, shared bites of food, brushed shoulders when they reached for the same dish. Every so often, Rowan’s knee would bump Celeste’s, and neither of them pulled away.

The decision could wait. Tonight was about the comfort of being together.

After the food was finished, their containers stacked neatly on the coffee table, Rowan stretched with a quiet groan. “I don’t know about you, but I could use something mindless after the day we’ve had.”

Celeste tilted her head, watching her with a half-smile. “Movie?”

“Movie,” Rowan confirmed, her grin returning.

Celeste slipped off first, flicking off the dining lamp as she padded toward her bedroom. Rowan trailed behind, carrying her drink and the last of her fries like a prize.

Within minutes, they were under the covers, laptop balanced at the foot of the bed, the glow of the screen painting their faces in soft light. Rowan curled against Celeste instinctively, her head finding the crook of her shoulder as if it had always belonged there. Celeste’s arm came around her without hesitation, pulling her close.

The movie played, but it was background noise. Rowan’s quiet laughter vibrated against Celeste’s chest, her warmth soaking into her skin. Celeste found herself less focused on the plot and more on the way Rowan’s breathing synced with hers, the way her hand occasionally brushed across Celeste’s stomach when she shifted.

For the first time in days, the weight of set life, the blurred lines, the tension — it all faded. Here, in the soft glow of a silly movie and the comfort of Rowan pressed against her side, Celeste felt at peace.