Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Bright Falls, #2)

by Ashley Herring Blake

“There’s running from something,” Angela said, “and there’s running to something new.

She felt suddenly ancient. She was barely thirty-one. She’d already met, courted, married, and lost the love of her life. She was too young to feel this goddamn old.

The Two of Cups whispered of romance and love, of new relationships. A perfect pairing. Matched souls.

but she was starting to believe you were never too old to feel lonely, to wonder where you belonged in the world.

“She left you like you didn’t mean anything. And you do. You mean something.”

“Sexuality is complicated. It’s not static. People change and sexuality can change too.” She took a sip of her coffee. “But this is you we’re talking about here. You’re pretty much the poster kid for compulsory heterosexuality.”

“Like this. The way I feel when I’m with you. Like I’m twelve years old and going through my first crush. Like I might explode if I don’t see you, talk to you. Like I don’t care about anything else in this whole messed-up world but what you think about me. Feel about me.”

But as she joined Claire in the doorway, she did glance back to see a grin settle over Jordan’s face as she looked at her phone, no doubt seeing the name Astrid had entered for herself in Jordan’s contacts. Semi-Decent Human Who Wants to Kiss You Again

“By kick her ass, I mean kick her ass true lesbian style, where I glare at her with my mouth all twisted up like a butthole and give her the silent treatment.”

Then, before Astrid could laugh or protest or react at all, Iris grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto the bed. She yanked both Claire and Delilah into her embrace as well, until the four women were wrapped up together on the bed, laughing and crying and swearing, everyone’s hair and makeup ruined good and proper. And no other moment in Astrid’s life had ever felt so perfect.