Since we didn't want to be thieves, Vera had dropped Ty's phone in the lost and found basket at club Ocean. He still had his keys, so I couldn't feel too guilty about leaving him at the climbing hall in his underwear, just as planned. 

We had made our getaway like in the movies too, according to Vera. She'd joked we should flee to a warm island somewhere in the Caribbean, but the closest thing we could get was laying on the beach. Far away from the club music so we could no longer hear it.

Since the sun was already gone and people had left, it was quiet. 

Vera and I had picked up a couple of blankets, which smelled like a flowery detergent, from her place. With two of them wrapped around me I wasn't cold.

"Do you think this was too mean?" I asked, watching little waves nibble at the sand. "What we did to Ty?" 

"Nah," Vera dismissed my doubts. "He doesn't live that far away and we didn't take his keys. The only thing that got hurt is his ego. But you're sweet for worrying." 

I blushed, which, luckily, wouldn't be visible in the dim light. Again, I wondered why Vera was so hard on Ty. She'd said she'd seen many hearts get broken... but that wouldn't make her as rough as she was, right? Unless he'd done it to a friend. 

Or to her. 

"Vera?" I asked hesitantly. "Have you ever... You know?"

"No, I don't know." I felt her staring at me, and I wrapped the blankets around myself a bit tighter. 

"Gone out with Ty yourself?" I managed to press out after a few seconds. 

Vera snorted. "No. I'm a lesbian." 

"Oh." 

It made sense. Duh, of course. I'd never seen her react even a little bit favourably to a guy hitting on her, and there had been quite a few in the short time I'd known her. 

"Oh. Just, oh? That's all you're gonna say?" Vera raised her brows at me expectantly. 

"Paisley thought I was a lesbian because I stared at her," I blurted, right before internally freaking out.

Really? That's what I was going to shoot with? 

For a brief moment their faces flashed through my mind. I wondered what my sister and the others were doing. What they'd think of what I was doing, sitting on the beach with Vera like this and admitting out loud I had just admitted. 

"And is it true?" 

My eyes shot to Vera, who had raised her eyebrows expectantly. 

"W-what?" 

"That you're lesbian." 

"No," I automatically replied without thinking, realising too late I wasn't with Joyce and the others and I didn't need to lie. 

Was it even lying? I licked my dry lips. This whole conversation was all kinds of awkward and I didn't know how to deal with it. 

Vera going all poker-faced and not responding at all to what I said wasn't helping. It's like she expected more, but I didn't know what. What to say, or rather how to say it. Or just... what. 

I cleared my throat. "I mean, I'm open to the idea that--" I trailed off.

I trailed off, and Vera still let me struggle. 

"Uh," I stammered, and a smile slowly spread on her face. 

Her smile was gorgeous, just like the rest of her. She made my stomach do funny things, and that was rather hard to deny when it was doing funny things right now, too. 

"I guess there's some truth in it. What Paisley said," I finally admitted, immediately wanting to take it back. 

I averted my gaze to the sand and pulled up my knees. 

"Hey," Vera said, nudging me gently through the blanket. "This will be kind of weird if you refuse to look at me. So, could you look at me?" 

"What's weird?" I asked meekly, needing a moment to do as Vera asked. 

When I did, I found Vera beaming at me. She was usually kind of stoic, sophisticated. But right now, she just looked happy. I liked this expression on her - it made her even more beautiful. 

"I understand if you've had your share of summer flings by now, Char," she said. "But now I know there's a shot, I have to ask. I was wondering if you wanted to go out some time. Together."

"You want to go out with me?" 

If my eyes went any wider, they'd be popping out of my skull. My heart was racing, and then Vera started laughing.

"Are you kidding me, you didn't know? Why do girls aways think I'm just being nice?" Vera buried her face in her blanket for a moment, before looking at me again. I've been trying to get your attention from day one, and you're telling me you didn't notice?"  

"I, uh, I didn't," I admitted with a beet-red face. 

Vera snorted and shook her head. "You think I offer free climbing workshops to everyone, then? That I personally dress every customer who's looking for a dress?" she teased me. 

"That I would," Vera wrinkled her nose, "pretend to want a threesome with a guy to get back at him for everyone." 

"I did wonder about that last one," I defended myself. "But I figured you just personally hated Ty."

"I kind of do, to be honest," Vera replied, tilting her head to the side. "And I hope your taste in girls is a bit better than your taste in boys. You haven't given me an answer yet." 

"Yes," I said, without hesitation now, even if my voice trembled from the tension.  "I'd like to go out with you." 

Was that even a question? Who wouldn't want to go out with Vera? Vera, with her gorgeous face, and her resolute but also incredibly warm personality. The only person who'd been there for me on this holiday.  

Vera, who was now so close to me. She touched my cheek, making me shudder. Then she leaned in even further and pressed her lips to mine, surprising me with a kiss. 

I was even more surprised when I found myself losing my nerves all at once, kissing her back. 

Her hand reached for mine below the blanket and our fingers entwined. The world around us faded, and I realised I was... calm. Not worried about Vera demanding more from me than I wanted to do. I was not thinking about my reputation or what kind of opinion Joyce, Paisley and the others would have of Vera. I didn't care that the clothes I was wearing weren't perfect. 

I was simply enjoying the moment.

And that was what I was going to do for the rest of the holiday as well - simply enjoy the the moment. Right there, in Vera's arms

The end