Eliza’s hands were beading sweat against her fleece jacket. She couldn’t meet Hannah’s eyes. "So – yeah. That’s it, I guess.“
"You’re a lesbian.” Hannah pulled her legs up under her on her bed, cupping her chin in her hand. "You like girls.“
Eliza nodded. The prospect of the conversation had been terrifying, informing her closest female friend of her previously hidden desires. Well, not for her. Not necessarily. Eliza steeled herself against that. It was enough to come out of the closet to her best friend since three.
"That’s cool,” said Hannah. "So do I.“
Eliza twitched, but otherwise her expression remained neutral. She managed to say, with some semblance of calm, "You do?”
Hannah’s smile slipped from knowing to pleased. "Oh yes! Don’t get me wrong, I have a giant obnoxious crush on Jamie Bamber. But…“ She shrugged, her smile ending on something beatific. "There are beautiful people all over the place, and who am I to say no to a gorgeous pair of legs?”
“O-ohhhhhh,” Eliza said. It was almost a moan.
“Look.” Hannah put her hands out, palm up. "I want you to answer something. And if you can’t say it out loud, I don’t care at all if you just, well, answer how you will.“ Without looking up, she motioned at her hands with her chin. "Ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you tell me first because you are attracted to me?”
The dreaded question. But Hannah had asked her for an honest answer, so Eliza’s fingers crept forward across the bedspread and tickled the tips of Hannah’s. Just so.
“And did you hope I would do more than not freak out?”
It hung in the air, heavy and still. Eliza wriggled her fingers higher up into Hannah’s hand. Now they were a full knuckle overlapping.
“Okay,” Hannah said, and engulfed Eliza’s hand in hers. The girls locked eyes. Hannah smiled. "You’re so adorable when you’re flustered. C’mon, Lizzie, you think I didn’t notice all those times you accidentally kissed my back, or my arm, when we were waiting on the wall to swim?“ Eliza’s face flamed red. "And you think I couldn’t have moved down the line to avoid it, if I didn’t like it?”
Now her red face was for an entirely different reason as the possibility rushed over Eliza. "Oh,“ she said.
Hannah pushed Eliza back onto the comforter, her head facing the door towards the foot of the bed. She lifted Eliza’s plaid skirt and kissed the insides of both thighs. Eliza, her eyes clasped shut and her balled-up fists sweating like crazy, could only shudder. She knew her panties were soaked through, from nervousness and instant arousal, and clenched her face when Hannah began to peel them away.
"Oh please,” she whispered, “I’m gross.”
“You’re the loveliest I’ve ever seen,” Hannah said, and her voice said that it was true. She began to nibble, a little bridge of kisses, and Eliza’s brain whirled with the possibilities of being with her first girl.