When they finally walked out of the police station after giving their statements, Tara felt every muscle in her body ache with exhaustion.
Lena drove them back, pulling up to Selena's building. Before she could drive away, Tara knocked on her window.
"Why don't you head home? I just need a few minutes alone with her."
Lena hesitated. "How are you getting back?"
"I already called a ride. Don't worry."
With a knowing nod, Lena drove off, leaving Tara and Selena standing under the dim glow of the streetlight. The light cast a warm halo around them, softening the shadows of the night. The wind tugged at Tara's black jacket, and as she turned slightly, her eyes met Selena's, an intensity simmering between them. A faint smile played at the corner of Tara's mouth as she whispered, "Hey, beautiful."
The soft words tumbled over Selena's heart, sending a gentle ripple through her. She swallowed, her lips parting slightly as her heart beat faster. After a long pause, she replied, "Let's go inside."
She took Tara's hand in hers. The remnants of the night's tension seemed to melt away as their fingers intertwined, and they walked in silence toward the building. Their shadows stretched long and intertwined behind them, and Tara gently pressed a hand over her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken in a pure, overwhelming wave of happiness.
Once upstairs, Selena adjusted the water temperature in the bathroom, then brought Tara a glass of lemon water. "Here," she said. "Something to clear your head."
Tara wrapped her hand around Selena's, her voice gentle and warm. "I'm not that drunk, you know."
Selena's lips curved into a smile, her eyes softening under the dim light. She pressed her forehead against Tara's, confirming she was no longer feverish. "Fine, our Tara's perfectly sober. Let me get some ointment for that cut, alright?"
Tara reluctantly released her hand, but only after Selena promised, "Be good, and maybe I'll give you a reward later."
Tara sipped the water obediently, although her gaze followed Selena's every move as she fetched the first aid kit.
Selena began dabbing the antiseptic onto Tara's cheek, her fingers gentle and steady. Tara winced, resisting the sting as Selena pressed a cotton swab to the cut. Selena didn't scold her, just continued with a steady patience, the corners of her mouth tugging up as she worked.
"You mentioned you had something to tell me," Selena said quietly, her tone tender. "But can I say something first?"
Tara nodded slowly, waiting.
Setting down the antiseptic, Selena took a long, steady breath, gathering her thoughts. "I love you, Tara. Long before I met you, I didn't think there was anything outside that mountain village. But you and your parents—you changed my life. Tara, if you hadn't come along when you did, my family would have married me off to God-knows-who in that village. I'd have been raising kids instead of dreaming of my own future."
Tara's eyes flashed with anger at that thought. She tightened her hold on Selena's fingers, unable to conceal her displeasure.
Selena smiled and squeezed back. "I know it sounds strange, but I never forgot what you said, about wanting to marry me." She paused, catching Tara's gaze. "And then, one day in high school, at a math competition, I saw you again. It was raining, and someone had stolen the last two hundred dollars I had. I was just sitting there, lost and alone. Everyone else passed me by, but you stopped to hold an umbrella over me. And you even paid my registration fee, got me a hotel room..."
Selena's voice softened. "You didn't recognize me, but I remembered you. And before you left, you gave me this little blue butterfly, saying I was just like it—beautiful and destined for brighter things."
"I wanted so much to tell you then," she continued, a bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. "But I didn't. I kept quiet, hoping that someday, if I became someone who was truly worthy, I'd get to stand by your side."
She looked down, as if gathering courage for her next words. "As for Ken...he was Lily's ex. He'd always been after her money, but when Lily helped me deal with Charles, he turned his resentment toward me. He was behind so much, pitting people against me, and eventually...well, that's why he's here tonight."
Selena's eyes searched Tara's face as she asked, "Tell me—do you still mean what you said back then? About wanting to marry me?"
The sincerity in her voice hung in the air, and Tara's eyes gleamed as she nodded. "Yes. I always meant it."
A grin spread across Selena's face, unguarded and radiant, her dimples flashing. "So, when did you start liking me, little one?"
Tara blinked, her long lashes lowering shyly. "I...don't know. Just—always, I think."
Selena leaned closer. "Really? So why didn't you react when I got close to you all those times? I thought you weren't interested at all."
Tara lifted her hand, pressing it to the back of Selena's head, guiding her closer until Selena's cheek was against her chest, right where her heart was pounding. "Don't look. Listen."
The rhythm of Tara's heartbeat pulsed steadily against Selena's ear, each beat loud and insistent, filling the silence with an unspoken confession.
Selena felt her own heartbeat quicken in response, mirroring Tara's rhythm. She closed her eyes, letting herself fall into the warmth of that heartbeat, the sound she'd longed to hear for so long.
After a while, she asked softly, "Tara, what was it you wanted to say to me?"
Tara shifted, feeling the stiffness in her muscles. "Let me take a shower first. My whole body feels sore."
Selena froze for a second, then nodded, a hint of amusement lighting her face. "Alright. Just don't use the bath—stick to the shower. You did have a bit to drink."
As Tara got up, she asked, "Where's the shower?"
"In my room." She could've directed her to the guest bathroom, but...Selena had her reasons.
As the sound of running water filled the air, Selena sat on the edge of her bed, her heart still racing. Tonight felt surreal, a whirlwind of emotions she'd never expected. She pressed a hand to her cheek, the residual warmth grounding her. It was real. All of it.
Moments later, Tara emerged, wrapped in a white bathrobe, her damp hair clinging to her neck, a few droplets slipping down her collarbone. She walked over and sat across from Selena, a soft but serious look on her face.
"Selena," she began, her voice tender. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
Selena reached out, placing her fingers over Tara's lips. "Don't say that."
But Tara smiled, gently pulling her hand down. "Let me finish."
"From the moment I first saw you, there was something familiar about you," she continued, a faint flush coloring her cheeks. "Not your looks, really, since you'd changed so much, but your presence. There was this pull...something I couldn't ignore. Maybe it was fate."
"At first, I thought you were straight, and that the whole 'blue butterfly' memory was something you shared with Ken. I warned myself to keep my distance, not to fall for you." She paused, taking a shaky breath. "But over time, I couldn't help it. You took up space in my heart, made me feel like no one else ever had. I realized it far too late...but I realized it all the same."
"This is the only time I'll say this to anyone, Selena," she whispered, eyes glistening. "I love you. More than anything."
Selena felt tears well up in her eyes, emotions she'd held back finally breaking free. She wrapped her arms around Tara's neck, pulling her close, feeling the heat of her skin, the strength of her arms. Tara gazed at her with a fierce intensity, brushing a strand of hair back from Selena's face, then leaned in, her lips brushing against Selena's with a slow, deep longing.
Selena closed her eyes, letting herself fall into the sensation. Tara's hands slid down, resting on her lower back, fingers tracing patterns against her skin, while Selena's hands found the knot of Tara's bathrobe, slipping it loose and letting the fabric fall away.
Their movements grew slower, more deliberate, as if each touch held a promise. Tara's fingers traced along Selena's spine, her breath warm against her cheek as she murmured, "Selena..."
The soft sound of Tara's voice, that low, reverent whisper, filled the room. The dim light blurred the lines of their figures, cloaking them in warmth and shadow.
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the window, casting a gentle glow over them. Tara opened her eyes, feeling the weight of last night's intensity in every muscle. For a moment, she wondered if it was all a dream, until the dull ache in her body reminded her otherwise.
Beside her, Selena stirred, her eyes slowly opening. A sleepy smile spread across her face as she looked over at Tara.
Tara felt a mixture of happiness and bashfulness rise within her, and without thinking, she blurted out, "Did I...I mean, was I too much?"
Selena's fox-like eyes gleamed, laughter dancing behind her gaze as she leaned in, fingers playing with a stray lock of hair. Her voice was a slow, drawn-out tease. "If having all of me doesn't count as too much, then no, not at all."