Selena's fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the table, her neatly manicured nails catching the morning light, soft and subtle. A gentle smile played on her lips as she looked at Tara with a slightly raised brow. "Oh? You met her as a child? Quite the coincidence."
Seeing that Selena's mood had brightened, Tara was eager to keep her talking, glad to see her distracted from the recent gloom. She began to recount the memories carefully.
"I must've been about five or six at the time," she began, thinking back. "My parents took me with them on a charity visit to a sponsored family they'd chosen. The girl was older than she was in the photo—maybe eight or nine—but she was so small, scrawny even, from poor nutrition. She looked like a little seedling that had barely been given water, so pale and thin."
Selena's gaze didn't waver, and Tara felt encouraged by her rapt attention to dig deeper into her memory. "Her family treated her poorly… she was always carrying around a chubby little boy, her brother, so heavy for her that her back would bend until she was practically doubled over. It took a lot of talking from my parents for her family to finally agree to let her go to school with some of the donations. For the next few days, as we sorted out everything for her, she'd take me up into the hills, showing me all sorts of butterflies…"
"And that," Tara finished with a soft laugh, "was when I first grew interested in butterflies."
As Tara's story ended, Selena reached across and laid her hand gently over Tara's, just warm enough to comfort her. Tara looked up, meeting Selena's eyes.
"Don't worry," Selena said softly, "with your family's help, I'm sure she's living a much better life now."
Tara smiled, holding Selena's hand a little tighter. "Thank you, Selena."
Selena was not one to stay idle, and even in the hospital, her mind was on work. A few phone calls later, she had finally confirmed her next meeting with Wayne. She put down her phone with a sigh of relief.
After a two-day hospital stay to make sure she was fully cleared, Selena was finally allowed to go home, though her shoulder injury still stung with any sudden movement. Tara, of course, was prepared. She managed everything—car doors, bags, even fetching Selena's things. When they finally settled onto the small sofa at home, Selena was overcome with an unusual sense of peace, a feeling that only deepened when she glanced over to see Tara carefully hanging up their coats.
Tara noticed her watching and called out, "Selena?"
Selena tilted her head, smiling. "Come, sit with me," she said, patting the cushion next to her.
Selena's gaze always had a certain mesmerizing pull, something Tara was quickly growing to realize. She was already defenseless under that look, and found herself crossing the room, her mind too clouded to argue. Sitting beside Selena, Tara gave herself a mental scolding—hopelessly enchanted, she mused. She had no excuse for letting her guard down so easily.
But as the faint trace of Selena's familiar perfume wafted over, Tara found herself leaning a little closer, mesmerized. She had to admit it was more than just Selena's looks—there was something naturally magnetic about her.
Selena handed her a tube of ointment. "I can't quite reach the injury on my shoulder. Can you help me apply it?"
As Tara took the tube, she felt Selena's fingers brush her palm, ever so subtly. She heard herself ask, "When should we…?" before she realized how it sounded.
Hoping Selena didn't read too much into her eagerness, she looked up and, sure enough, caught a knowing gleam in Selena's eyes. Just as she relaxed, however, her eyes widened in shock as Selena started to unbutton her shirt—right there in front of her!
Sure, Tara had already seen Selena during the hospital rush, but that had been under very different circumstances. Now, though, it felt entirely different.
For a moment, Tara told herself she should probably look away out of respect, but she didn't.
With each button Selena unfastened, the shirt opened, slowly revealing a thin line of bare skin. When Selena shrugged her shoulder slightly, the fabric slipped further down her arm, catching on her elbow.
Tara was frozen, almost breathless. Her gaze dropped to the elegant collarbone now visible, but realizing she was staring, she lowered her eyes further, only to be confronted with the delicate lace of Selena's black bra.
Her face burned as she realized just how intently she was staring, clutching the ointment tube so tightly she nearly squeezed it open. She felt like a fish caught in a net, unable to look up, down, or anywhere without feeling utterly flustered.
Amid the silence, she heard a quiet laugh, and before she knew it, her chin was being lifted gently by Selena's fingers. They were close now, and Selena tilted her head with a mischievous smile.
"Is this your first time seeing this? What's got you so nervous?"
Her teasing lit a little defiant spark in Tara. Nervous? She thought. She had no reason to be. She had, after all, seen everything before. Glancing down instinctively, she only had to admit that Selena's figure was… a little more than her own.
"I'm not nervous at all," Tara replied, managing to hide her blush behind a cool tone. "I have what you have. What's there to be nervous about? I was only worried you'd be uncomfortable."
Selena's eyes sparkled, a playful gleam. "Same size?" she mused, her tone dripping with challenge. "Show me."
Tara blinked, taken aback by how smoothly Selena made the request, as if it was the most casual thing in the world.
Do "straight friends" really talk like this?
The tension in her chest felt unbearable. As the heat inside her threatened to overtake any remaining restraint, she lifted her hand and placed it over Selena's eyes.
"Let's just focus on the ointment," she said, her voice rough.
Selena didn't tease her further, turning slightly to reveal the wound—a line about three inches long, still raw and painful-looking against her pale skin.
Seeing the injury made Tara's chest tighten. She applied the ointment with the utmost care, but even so, Selena winced slightly. Tara stilled her hand, concerned. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Selena's voice was soft, almost a murmur. "It's just that the ointment is a little cold."
"Just hold on. Almost done," Tara replied gently.
With the ointment finally spread, Tara practically fled to the bathroom, setting the tube down with relief.
From the doorway, Selena watched Tara's retreating back and smirked slightly. Tara had kept such a calm expression throughout that Selena was beginning to think she hadn't flustered her at all. But hearing the water run in the bathroom, she realized she might have been wrong.
When Tara finally emerged, forehead damp and eyes steady, Selena had regained her own composure. As Tara walked by, Selena raised a brow thoughtfully. "You mentioned you trained in kickboxing, right?"
Nodding, Tara replied with a calm, "That's right. Would you like to learn?"
But Selena's gaze drifted downward, resting on Tara's midsection. "So… do you have abs?"
Tara, always honest, answered without a thought. "I do."
A mischievous glint lit up Selena's eyes, and she leaned forward, voice low, full of teasing warmth. "Show me."
Tara felt her mind spiral. She could tell Selena had found a hundred ways to make her blush and, from the way things were going, wasn't done yet.
"Selena…" she began, a touch of pleading in her voice.
Selena's delighted laugh was quiet but unmistakable. "Oh, come on, it's not like I've ever seen them before. You don't have to take your whole shirt off… just a little peek."
Tara knew Selena was only teasing her, but something about that soft, honeyed tone, even though she could see right through it, melted her resistance. "All right," she relented softly.
The moment she said it, Selena's whole demeanor changed. She was instantly beside Tara, as if she hadn't been hurt at all, and her hand reached out for the hem of Tara's shirt.
There was a gentle insistence to Selena's touch, and her fingertips brushed Tara's skin lightly as she lifted the shirt, taking her time.
At that moment, Tara understood Selena's game. But Tara wasn't one to back down. In one fluid motion, she reached out, drawing Selena's hand directly to her heartbeat, her gaze steady. She leaned down just enough for their eyes to meet and murmured, "Selena, since you're already here… feel free to explore a little more."