Angel woke up to the quiet rhythm of the morning. No noise. No notifications. Just peace—and the steady breathing of the girl lying beside her.
She turned slightly, head resting on her arm.
Erica.
Asleep.
Her hair was messy and her mouth was slightly parted. Angel didn't even realize she was smiling until her cheeks started to ache. She reached out, softly brushing a strand of hair away from Erica's face, tracing the line of her jaw with her eyes.
She never thought she'd see this—Erica, the wild one, the unpredictable one, so quiet… so close.
"God, I love you," she whispered.
And then, before she could stop herself, she leaned down and kissed her—softly, gently, like a secret.
Erica blinked awake, her eyes adjusting to the soft light. She looked up at Angel, still half-dreaming.
"Mmm… what time is it?" she mumbled, voice raspy.
Angel smiled. "Too early for anything except kissing you."
"Oh my god," Erica groaned, hiding under the blanket. "You're such a freak."
"You love it."
"…Yeah. Unfortunately."
They both laughed, tangled in each other for a while, before finally getting up. Angel made eggs. Erica burned the toast. They argued over who gets the last piece of bacon and ended up sharing it—half-eaten and all.
It was messy and loud and perfect.
By noon, the doorbell rang.
Kim barged in first. "The lovebirds are alive!"
Steph followed with snacks. Audrey with her camera. Risha with a giant blanket. Even Nicole showed up, trailing behind like she wasn't sure if she should be there… but came anyway.
The condo turned chaotic in seconds.
Movies played in the background, but no one was really watching. They were too busy laughing, teasing, throwing pillows, and stealing each other's chips.
"Angel," Kim said with a sly grin, "how does it feel to finally tame the beast?"
Erica threw a sock at her. "I'm not a beast!"
"Oh please," Steph added, "you were literally feral a month ago."
"Feral and in denial," Risha added.
"Totally in love though," Audrey said, snapping a picture of the two on the couch. "Say 'girlfriend goals!'"
Angel just laughed while Erica buried her face in her shoulder.
But Nicole?
She was quieter than usual.
She smiled at the jokes, even laughed once or twice, but her eyes kept drifting—to them. To Angel's arm wrapped around Erica's waist. To the way Erica looked up at her like she was her whole universe.
Kim noticed.
She leaned over to Nicole, nudging her. "Jealous much?"
Nicole blinked. "Huh?"
"You've been staring at them for ten minutes."
Nicole scoffed. "I have not."
"Liar," Risha chimed in, grinning. "Your eyes say I wish that was me."
"Shut up," Nicole muttered, cheeks turning red.
Erica caught the exchange—and for a split second, something flickered in her eyes. A ghost of the past. A memory. But it faded. Because now… now she was here.
With Angel.
That night, after everyone left, and the condo was finally quiet again, Erica and Angel lay on the bed, the city lights glowing faintly outside the window.
Erica was brushing her fingers lazily across Angel's arm. "Did you see Nicole's face?"
Angel chuckled. "Yeah. She looked like she swallowed a lemon."
Erica rolled over and looked her in the eye. "I meant what I said, you know. Back at the cafe."
"I know."
"I'm never going back to her. Even if she begs. Even if she cries. I'm done."
Angel's smile softened. "You sure?"
"I'm not just sure," Erica whispered. "I'm yours."
They held each other a little tighter.
And for the first time in a long, chaotic, emotional mess of a story…
It felt like the start of something real.