Bend for Me

by Jessica Yeh

  “You know what I meant.” She pinned Avery under her.

  “Yeah.” Avery spoke playfully before lowering her voice. “I was just hoping to hear you say it.”

  Kadence softened. She dipped her head down, fingers pressed into Avery’s waist. “I’m falling for you, Avery Bennett.” Her heart thrummed as the words left her lips. In their tightly pressed position, she could feel Avery’s heart beating just as quickly.

  “I’m falling for you, too.”

  Chapter Thirty

  KADENCE’S HEART WAS RACING. Logically, she knew it shouldn’t be and she had no real reason to be this anxious. She saw Avery all the time. But this was their first official date as a couple, and she had no idea what to expect. Avery had done an irritatingly great job of remaining tight-lipped about the entire plan for the evening. The only tip Kadence managed to weasel out was that she should dress comfortably, which wasn’t much to go by.

  She decided on a simple skater skirt, tucking a soft pastel top into the waistline. She fastened a loose, thin belt around her middle before flipping her hair once more. Just as she was satisfied with her appearance, a knock resounded on the apartment door.

  She smiled, heart skipping as she answered. Avery was wearing a pair of black leather shorts and white tank top. It was not her usual attire, but Kadence could definitely appreciate the change, eyes trailing down Avery’s smooth legs until they fell to her black sneakers, laces undone. She giggled, enjoying the small sense of familiarity as she kneeled, slender fingers working quickly to tie the strands back into place. When she stood, meeting her girlfriend’s gaze, she noticed Avery’s amber eyes had darkened.

  “Sorry,” Avery said with a bashful pink in her cheeks. “I’m a mess.” She shook her head to ward off what Kadence could only assume was a lustful thought.

  “Yeah.” Kadence smiled. “But I like it.”

  The red deepened. “You look really nice,” Avery complimented her with a bite of her lip as she shamelessly scanned Kadence’s figure.

  “So, do you.” Kadence invited herself into Avery’s personal space, catching her bottom lip between her own.

  Avery groaned. “Nooo. If we start, I’m not going to be able to focus.”

  Kadence chuckled, wrapping her hands around Avery’s waist, pecking her nose. “Okay, okay. I’m sorry. What’s the plan?”

  “Well, I was thinking we could take a little walk to dinner. I have a nice little reservation set up.”

  “Do you?” Kadence raised a brow suspiciously. “And where might that be?”

  “Not far.”

  “But aren’t you gonna tell me where?” She leaned in again, batting her eyes with an innocent jut of her bottom lip.

  A flash of Avery’s resolve wavered in her eyes. Avery whined. “Kadence!”

  “Okay, okay. Lead the way.”

  Avery took her by the hand, not letting go of her gentle grip until they arrived at their destination.

  ***

  “Hello. I’m Ryan and I’ll be your server tonight. And may I just say that you are the most…” He paused to glance into the pocket of the apron that was tied around his neck.

  “I mean…you are the most beautiful and breathtaking person in the world. Avery is very lucky to have you as her date this evening,” the boy recited, shooting Avery a grin as he poured them each a glass of sparkling cider from a picnic basket.

  Avery must have already dropped it off before she picked up Kadence. She gave him a thumbs up. Kadence nudged Avery with a kick under the table.

  The swing set had been redecorated with battery powered fairy lights, hanging from the top beam and woven around the handles of the swings they were now sitting on. Avery had also managed to set up a collapsible table for their dining experience, complete with cutlery and glasses.

  “For tonight’s main course, we have a lovely rosemary and garlic chicken, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, wine, and the chef’s secret ingredient.”

  Kadence pretended to listen to the recitation with rapt attention. But she found her eyes drifting toward the woman sitting across from her.

  “So how much are you paying him?” she asked when Ryan skittered off to bring them their meal from wherever the picnic supplies were hidden.

  “Psh, what? Ryan is doing this because he adores me and would do absolutely anything for me.”

  “Mmhmm.” Kadence rolled her eyes. “Hey, Ryan,” she called out to the bushes. A few moments later, a freckled face emerged.

  “Yes, Miss Cooper?”

  “How much is Avery paying you to do this?”

  “Uhh.” He looked hesitantly between the couple, finally catching something in Avery’s eye that decided his answer. “Nothing. I’m doing this because…you deserve the best?”

  Kadence snorted as Avery beamed.

  “What if I told you I’d double it?”

  His jaw dropped. He looked to Avery, eyes pleading for some sort of out.

  “When you double zero, you still get zero,” Ryan replied eventually.

  Kadence threw her head back in laughter.

  “Well played, kid,” Avery complimented, hitting Kadence with a smug smile.

  Kadence shook her head, allowing him to finish his tasks, but not before subtly slipping a ten-dollar bill into his front apron pocket.

  After delivering their food, Avery sent him off with a ruffle to his hair and a quick hug. She whispered something into his ear, and he grinned with nod. She also caught Avery sliding a twenty-dollar bill of her own into his apron. Kadence didn’t mention it, offering a farewell wave to the youngster as he departed.

  The meal itself, starting from the appetizer all the way to dessert, was phenomenal, which still somehow came as a surprise to Kadence. She knew Avery was an exceptional cook, but her own dietary habits suggested otherwise.

  ***

  They concluded dinner with an easy stroll across cobbled streets. Rainbows dancing in the water fountain in the square reflected the dusk of the sunset. They sat on the ledge, Kadence’s head resting on Avery’s shoulder as she traced patterns on her arm as they watched the sky fill with stars.

  “I know I’m not good at doing fancy things, but I hope you had a good time,” Avery said when they returned to Kadence’s apartment.

  “I didn’t have a good time.”

  Avery’s shoulders fell.

  Kadence took a step forward, hand cupping Avery’s cheek. “I had a wonderful time.”

  Avery grinned from ear to ear, slithering her hands around Kadence’s waist. One kiss led to a second. And the second led to a third. And a third led to a question.

  “Do you want to spend the night?”

  “I don’t put out on the first date,” Avery said. “But a few kisses won’t hurt.” Avery brushed the hair from her neck, placing a chaste kiss at the base of her skull.

  “Sure, just kissing,” Kadence purred.

  By some miracle, they managed to find their way to the bedroom without injury or separating from one another’s grasp. Lost in the feeling of fingers combing through hair, breathy sounds escaped their lips.

  “What are we doing?” Avery panted as they fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. Her lips were swollen, pupils dilated, and her hips were starting to roll against Kadence’s thigh.

  “I don’t know.” All Kadence knew was that Avery was under her and it felt really, really good. “Do you wanna stop?” Avery’s hips rose against Kadence’s thigh involuntarily causing both of them to moan.

  “God, no.” Kadence pressed down. “Tell me what you like,” she whispered in Avery’s ear.

  “I like you,” Avery said earnestly causing Kadence to chuckle. She nibbled Avery’s collarbone, eliciting a low groan and a jolt of her hips.

  “Biting.” Kadence nodded. “Noted.”

  Before taking off their clothes, Avery halted her hands. “Kadence, wait…”

  Kadence froze after propping herself on her hands. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m g
reat. Just…if anything doesn’t feel right, or you’re uncomfortable, just tell me, okay? We can stop if…”

  “Avery Bennett.” Kadence cut her off with a lighthearted roll of her eyes. “If you don’t kiss me right now, I swear…”

  Avery grinned and pressed her lips against Kadence’s with willing obligation.

  ***

  “You, Kadence Cooper, are ridiculously sexy,” Avery said, rolling onto her back to lie next to her girlfriend atop the ruffled sheets.

  “You’re not too bad yourself.” Kadence smiled, before surprising Avery by finding a second wind, pinning Avery’s hands above her head. She gazed hungrily at Avery’s figure— creamy skin, wild hair, and glowing cheeks. She hovered micrometers above her mouth.

  “Fuck me,” Avery gasped, turned on yet again.

  “I mean, I just did.” Kadence captured her lips in a heady kiss. “But I’d gladly do it again.”

  Avery shook her head. “I’m happy just doing this.” She opened her arms for Kadence, the mood easily transitioning between lustful to domestic.

  “Okay.” Kadence placed a kiss atop her breast, right above her beating heart.

  Avery’s finger drew lazy patterns on her back as she yawned, body spent and heart satiated. “That was better than any sex I’ve ever had.”

  “Yeah?” Kiss-bruised lips tilted to the side in her signature smirk.

  “Don’t get cocky.” Avery arched to give her chest a jerk causing Kadence to wobble.

  “I’m not.” Kadence laughed, waiting for Avery to settle before resituating herself into the previous position. Her fingers skimmed along Avery’s jaw.

  “Hmm.” Avery threaded her fingers through Kadence’s waves, combing the wild sex hair. “Do you know why it was better than sex?”

  A sparkle danced in Avery’s eyes as she nodded. She placed a kiss to Kadence’s knuckles, palm, and finally her wrist.

  “Because it wasn’t just sex.” Avery’s eyes filled with enough affection for Kadence to drown in time after time. “We…” She giggled, burying her face in the sheets.

  “We made love,” Kadence finished for her.

  “Yes, we did,” Avery agreed. “I love you, Kadence Cooper.”

  Her heart soared. “I love you, too, Avery Bennett.”

  “Wanna make love to me again?”

  Kadence grinned as she moved to straddle her waist. “Gladly.”

  ***

  Kadence woke up to Avery gone and a terrible wave of anxiety washed across her. She frowned, throwing the sheets off her body before scurrying around the room to pick up the discarded articles of clothing from the night before. Just as she was about to grab her T-shirt dangling precariously from the desk chair, she caught a glimpse of a bright sticky note.

  Kae,

  Didn’t want to wake you. I’m in the living room.

  Avery ♥

  She sighed in relief, slipping on a T-shirt before retrieving the fallen snapback she had knocked off Avery’s curls in her eagerness. She smiled to herself, placing it on her head for safekeeping. Her heart fluttered at the sight of Avery sitting cross legged on the floor, bedhead tied into a messy bun. She had one of Kadence’s button-ups draped across her shoulders, buttons undone. Kadence’s stomach somersaulted.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” Avery looked up from her makeshift workspace. “I may have gotten some paint on it.” She looked down at herself. Sure enough, a small drop of acrylic paint made its mark on the left breast pocket.

  Kadence chuckled, shaking her head before approaching. She pointed her finger in the small spot, smearing it into a sad excuse for a finger-painted heart. Avery didn’t seem bothered by her subpar artistry. “I don’t mind,” Kadence said, kissing soft golden curls as she settled beside her. “What are you working on?”

  Avery had managed to drag some supplies from the bedroom without waking Kadence from her slumber. The blank canvases that were normally stashed against her dresser were now propped against the coffee table, streaming with lively colors.

  “Another painting for the new gallery exhibit,” Avery said cryptically as she gestured to the stockpile around them. “It’s more of a series though, I guess.”

  Kadence took a moment to observe them. One by one, she recognized them. Her eyes welled with tears she was met with reflections of herself, her profile, various angles of her form, and her wrist with flecks of gold and intricate patterns shaded into her skin.

  She gasped. “Is that…are these all of me?”

  Avery nodded, handing her a small index card where she had written the title of the collection.

  Making _____

  Kadence cocked a brow, confused by the blank space. “Am I supposed to…?”

  “Turn it over.”

  Kadence read the subheading with a bit of difficultly, tears clouding her vision.

  There are two things in this world that I want to do endlessly, make love and make art. And with you, they are one and the same.

  She surged forward, only to be stopped by the rim of the snapback bumping into Avery’s forehead. “Sorry.” She giggled.

  Avery looked back at her with adoration, removing the cap and setting it on the table. “Now, where were we?”

  Kadence tugged her by the collar, properly connecting their lips.

  “Good morning, Avery.”

  “Good morning, Masterpiece.”

  “You’re such a sap,” Kadence accused, though her cheeks were now aflame.

  “Only for you.” Avery placed the cap back on Kadence’s head. “Don’t tell anyone else though.”

  “I don’t think I have to.” Kadence tilted her chin at the paintings scattered around them.

  “Touché.” Avery chuckled. “I guess I’ll bend the rules for you.”

  “Care to bend for me in other ways?”

  “What?”

  Kadence burst into laughter, mischievous demeanor falling away. “Yoga, Avery. I’m talking about yoga.”

  “You did that on purpose.”

  “I did. But for the record, you’re my exception, too. And I’d bend for you,” she said with a wink before sauntering into the kitchen to make breakfast.

  She only managed to crack one egg before a pair of paint stained hands snaked around her waist.

  “Breakfast can wait,” Avery whispered in her ear. “Let’s work on my flexibility.”

  Kadence laughed, following her girlfriend back into the bedroom.

  Truth be told, they did a lot of bending after that.

  Author’s Note

  To those who know the inspiration for the novel, may these two lovers continue to live on.

  And to those who do not, I hope this new story brought a smile to your face. No matter where you’re going, or where you’re coming from, remember that your experiences should shape who you are, not hinder who you want to be.

  May each and every one of you find that person that makes you bend over backwards, question everything you thought you knew, laugh until you cry and cry until you start to laugh. But most of all, I hope that person is so special that you realize you could never live without them. And that they cannot live without you.

  About Jessica Yeh

  As a little girl, Jessica Yeh had always expressed her thoughts was through pencil and paper. Jessica attended the Pennsylvania State University, graduating as a Dean's List Scholar with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising. Two years later, she began writing her debut novel, Something Tragic. Shortly after completing the manuscript in 2017, she was signed under Desert Palm Press. She now resides in California where she works in as a creative marketing specialist. When she's not working, she spends her free time immersing herself in any and all creative outlets including drawing, painting, music, and more.

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  Bright Blessings

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty - one

  Chapter Twenty - two

  Chapter Twenty - three

  Chapter Twenty - four

  Chapter Twenty - five

  Chapter Twenty - six

  Chapter Twenty - seven

  Chapter Twenty - eight

  Chapter Twenty - nine

  Chapter Thirty