Open Hearts

Bella Rolland zipped her suitcase and met Mocha's eyes. She hated the idea of her lover sleeping alone while she flew halfway across the globe. Permission slipped from her lips before she could second-guess it—Mocha could touch other women if the nights grew too cold. Mocha shook her head, stubborn at first, but promised she would try when loneliness started to bite. Twelve months later the front door opened and Bella stood in the foyer, skin sun-darkened, nerves raw. Old messages had spilled the truth: Mocha had kept her word and taken someone new. Bella's stomach knotted at the thought of being forgotten. Mocha crashed into her anyway, arms fierce, mouth tasting of salt and longing. Their kiss made the months vanish. Yet when Ember's name drifted into the air, the temperature shifted. "She isn't replacing you," Mocha said, cupping Bella's face. "I want the three of us. Give her a chance." Bella drew a shaky breath and nodded. Hours later Ember stepped through the same door, soft-spoken and unassuming. Conversation flowed, hesitations loosened. Bella felt the pull Mocha had described and, finally, laid her fear on the table. Ember met it with steady eyes. "I'm here for you, too," she whispered. Something inside Bella unclenched. She reached for both women and let the night decide what came next.