Chapter 66

The girl she’d been dancing with still had her hands on Naomi’s hips, but now there were others a cluster of people drawn in by her energy, the dress, the smile that made her glow like the lights themselves.

“Hey, what’s your name?” one guy pressed, leaning too close.

“You got a man?” another shouted over the music.

A woman slipped her phone into Naomi’s hand with a wink. “Put your number in.”

Naomi laughed it off at first, but the crowd tightened, voices overlapping, drinks sloshing as more tried to squeeze in. The mystery girl leaned in like she wanted more, but Naomi’s smile cracked under the weight of it. Her chest tightened, her hands fidgeting as too many eyes, too many hands pressed into her space.

Her gaze flicked up instinctively, searching and there she was.

Celeste.

Even with Rowan perched on her lap upstairs, Celeste’s eyes locked onto Naomi like a magnet. She read the panic instantly the way Naomi’s laugh didn’t reach her eyes, the way her shoulders had stiffened under the attention.

“I’ll be right back,” Celeste murmured, gently moving Rowan’s hand off her thigh.

Rowan blinked. “What? Where are you”

But Celeste was already on her feet, moving with purpose through VIP and down the steps toward the dance floor.

The crowd around Naomi barely noticed until Celeste’s hand slid firmly around Naomi’s waist, tugging her back against her. The energy shifted instantly.

“She’s with me,” Celeste said, her voice calm but carrying enough authority to cut through the noise.

A couple people protested, but one look at Celeste the movie star with the sharp jawline and the don’t-test-me glare and they backed off, muttering as they drifted away.

Naomi let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her as she leaned instinctively into Celeste’s hold.

“You good?” Celeste asked quietly, bending close enough so Naomi could hear her over the bass.

Naomi nodded, her voice low. “Yeah… just got a little overwhelming.”

Celeste tightened her grip, steering her toward the edge of the floor. “I’ve got you. Always.”

As they pushed through, Naomi’s hand found Celeste’s wrist, holding on tighter than she meant to.

Celeste guided Naomi through the last of the dancers until they broke free of the press of bodies. The club lights dimmed at the edges, the thrum of bass shaking the floor beneath their feet.

Naomi still hadn’t let go of Celeste’s wrist. Her fingers trembled just slightly, and Celeste felt it.

“You’re okay,” Celeste murmured, leaning down so only Naomi could hear. “You’re out of there.”

Naomi nodded, though her chest still rose and fell quickly. She tilted her head toward the glowing red exit sign. “I need to get some air.”

Celeste didn’t hesitate. “Come on.”

The sudden rush of cool night air hit Naomi’s skin like a shock. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, trying to slow the pounding of her heart.

Celeste kept close, her hand brushing Naomi’s arm. “Better?”

Naomi laughed faintly, still breathless. “Yeah… a little. Just needed to get out of there before I lost it.”

Celeste leaned against the brick wall beside her, watching her carefully. Naomi’s dress shimmered faintly under the yellow streetlamp, her hair a little messy from the dance floor, her cheeks flushed.

“You looked like you were drowning in there,” Celeste said softly.

Naomi finally met her eyes. “I kind of was. But then I saw you looking at me, and…” She trailed off, shaking her head with a small, crooked smile. “I knew you’d come.”

Celeste’s chest tightened at that, the words sitting heavy between them. She hadn’t even thought she’d just moved.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The city noise hummed faintly in the background, but here, in the pocket of quiet, it felt like the whole world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

Naomi exhaled, her arms folding across her chest. “Thanks for pulling me out, Cel. I don’t… I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”

Celeste’s gaze lingered on her, unreadable. “You’ll never have to find out.”

Naomi stepped forward without a word, closing the distance. Her arms slipped around Celeste’s waist, pulling her in tightly. Celeste didn’t hesitate she wrapped her arms around Naomi’s shoulders, holding her firm, grounding her.

Naomi sighed into the embrace, her head resting against Celeste’s chest. The tension in her body began to loosen with each steady breath she took.

Celeste dipped her chin, her lips brushing the top of Naomi’s hair. “I know,” she murmured softly, her voice low and steady. After a beat, she added, “We’ll figure it out.”

Naomi gave a little laugh, but it was bitter at the edges. “We probably won’t.”

Celeste pulled back just enough to tilt Naomi’s chin up, her eyes locking onto hers with a quiet intensity. “Look at me. I’m not letting you go. Ever. I need you in my life.”

For a second, Naomi just stared, her expression caught between disbelief and something softer. Then she leaned up, closing the small gap, and pressed a gentle kiss to Celeste’s lips. It wasn’t rushed or heated it was grounding, affirming.

“I know,” Naomi whispered when she pulled back, her eyes glimmering in the low light. With that, she straightened, smoothed down her dress, and turned, walking slowly back toward the VIP section as if nothing had happened.

Naomi slipped back into the velvet-lined VIP section, the music thumping through the floor beneath her heels. Rowan was still perched where she’d been before, sipping from a glass, her eyes scanning the crowd for Celeste.

Naomi leaned down, her tone calm but direct. “Celeste needs you. She’s just outside, by the side exit. Go to her.”

Rowan’s brows furrowed, but she didn’t hesitate. She set her glass down quickly and hurried out, weaving through the crowd.

Naomi exhaled and flopped down onto the couch, running a hand over her face. Simone, perched with a drink in hand, tilted her head at her. Lila leaned in closer, smirking.

Naomi muttered under her breath, “What did I get myself into?”

Simone and Lila shared a look, then said it at the same time: “Celeste’s pants.”

They both burst out laughing, nearly spilling their drinks.

Naomi’s mouth fell open, then she shook her head, unable to hide a small laugh of her own. “That’s not funny,” she said, but her grin gave her away.

Simone raised her glass with a wink. “Oh, it’s hilarious.”

Lila elbowed Naomi playfully. “Don’t act like you don’t know it.”

Naomi groaned, covering her face with her hands but the laughter bubbled up anyway, spilling out into the noise of the club.

Lila and Simone leaned in close, their voices lowered just enough to cut through the pounding bass of the club.

“Alright, spill it,” Simone said, narrowing her eyes at Naomi. “When and what exactly happened? Because the way you two keep looking at each other… something’s up.”

Naomi groaned, tilting her head back against the booth. For a second she stayed quiet, but then she sat forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “It was the night or two after I kicked y’all out of Celeste’s apartment,” she confessed, her voice steady but laced with guilt. “She was crying like, really breaking down. She said she couldn’t separate herself from the movie, like the lines between reality and the role were blurring. She was panicking, saying she couldn’t figure it out.”

Simone and Lila exchanged a quick look but didn’t interrupt.

Naomi’s voice dropped lower. “She asked me to kiss her. Just… to ground her. And I did. And then one thing led to another and” Naomi swallowed hard before letting it out in a rush, “we slept together. Right there on the counter.”

Lila’s mouth fell open. Simone slapped a hand over hers like she was physically holding back a laugh.

Naomi gave them both a sharp look, but her eyes softened. “And it was… amazing. We told ourselves it was just sex, tried to convince ourselves that’s all it was. But ever since, we keep having these little moments. Like, we’ll be joking around like normal, and then everything just… stops. It’s like the whole world freezes, and it’s just me and her standing there.”

She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. “Like tonight. All I had to do was look at her when I got overwhelmed, and she came for me immediately even leaving Rowan standing right there. I know she loves Rowan, and I know she’s in love with her, but… there’s something more between us. I feel it. And I don’t know what to do.”

For a long moment, Lila and Simone just stared at her. Then they looked at each other, silently agreeing on their answer.

Finally, Lila leaned forward. “We don’t know,” she admitted honestly.

Simone nodded, adding, “But maybe you should try to distance yourself a little. Take some time for you. See what you really want and need without Celeste being in your face all the time.”

“Yeah,” Lila chimed in. “Go journal about it. Go meditate like you usually do. That always clears your head, right? Maybe clarity will come if you give yourself some space.”

Naomi sat back, blinking at them, then let out a small laugh. “That’s actually good advice.”

Lila smirked and pointed at her. “We know. We got it from you.”

Simone grinned, raising her glass. “Yeah, don’t forget you’re usually the one dishing out the wisdom.”

All three of them laughed, the tension breaking, though Naomi’s smile lingered a little softer, her mind still circling everything she’d just admitted.