Graceless (Grace Notes #2)

Then, the bottom dropped out of their stomach. At the pool gate stood Cassidy.

“Mind if I join you?” she paused. Everyone in the pool surveyed her. She wore a ridiculously cute red gingham swimsuit. It was a one piece, but somehow all the sexier for it with the way the heart-shaped neckline plunged between her breasts. She looked for all the world like a damned pin-up girl.

“Of course, honey, come in,” Mia said, her tone all excessive warmth, girl-to-girl, best friends already. Lane was not quite sure what that meant. As Cassidy entered the pool yard, she turned to close the gate and Lane swallowed hard as they saw the swimsuit cut so low that almost her whole back was exposed, the fabric clinging as it curved over her shapely backside. Lane wished momentarily for blindness. Nothing about the throb their lower body was doing right now was good news.

Lane swam to the edge and pulled themself out. They sat a few feet away from Mia and took a deep swallow of beer. Cassidy sat too, at the head of the pool, her creamy skin almost glowing in the fading afternoon light. She slipped her legs into the cool water and sighed. She looked over at Lane expectantly, cocking her head when they stared at her dumbly.

“I’m Cassidy,” she told the girls after a beat.

“Aria.”

“Mia. We’re at school with Lane. Are you… visiting?” Mia’s gaze was assessing.

“Kind of?” Cassidy kicked her feet slowly in the pool. “I sort of live here, I guess.” She smiled at Mia, who took a deep drink of her beer in response.

“You have to be related to Savannah,” said Aria. “You’re so pretty.” For once, Cassidy didn’t shoot the messenger. Clearly, the second half of the statement softened the terrible blow that yet again, someone thought she resembled her famously stunning sibling.

“Thank you. She’s my older sister,” Cassidy revealed, shifting slightly to lean back on her hands.

“Huh.” Aria looked at her. “That must be weird. Is it?”

Cassidy looked back for a beat, then a smile quirked her lips.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “It’s super fucking weird.”

As Aria and Cassidy bonded, Lane became aware of Mia’s eyes on them.

“Your body is so hot,” she said, her voice low. It was a compliment. It was, Lane knew that. But something in them nagged at them, that maybe Mia’s eyes were lingering on their chest scars a beat too long.

Lane knew they were good looking. It wasn’t a self-esteem problem holding them back from returning Mia’s flirting, certainly not these days. Not now that they could look in a mirror and see themselves looking back, just the way they’d always wanted to look. They knew that to a certain kind of straight girl – as well as a certain kind of queer girl – they were very much an object of desire. They’d been hit on a lot, both in public spaces and online and yeah, they’d definitely enjoyed some of the benefits of that. But occasionally that interest had an edge of exotic intrigue to it and that Lane steered clear of.

Mia misinterpreted their silence.

“You know that, right?” she said warmly, as though Lane needed reassurance. “You know you’re hot as fuck?”

Lane was suddenly aware that all eyes were on them, including Cassidy’s.

“Yeah,” they said, a slight bite of heat behind the words. “I know.” Great. Discomfort had made them sound like a narcissistic asshole.

“I’m pretty sure Lane doesn’t need you to tell them that,” Cassidy said, her voice light and teasing, perfectly covering the awkwardness. Mia gave her a slightly sharp look, which she ignored, instead flicking her toe in the water, expertly sending a small splash right across Lane’s chiseled torso, making Aria laugh and Lane splutter, then grin.

The moment passed, and they all ended up in the pool as the sun went down, water-fighting and laughing and shrieking. Lane did their absolute level best to keep their eyes diverted from the sight of Cassidy’s soft skin glowing in the fading light, and Mia did her best to be an extremely attractive diversion. It worked, mostly.

They all piled out as darkness fell, towels wrapped around dripping bodies.

“Should we get changed in your room, Lane?” Mia’s question should have been innocuous, except for the obvious glint in her bedroom eyes as she let her towel slip, just enough.

“Uh, sure, wherever suits.” Lane nodded towards the guesthouse.

“Oh, there’s a changing area in the pool room right there.” Cassidy smiled prettily at Mia, who blinked at her, as she gestured toward the small building right at the other end of the pool yard. “It was nice to meet you.” She looked both girls warmly in the eye, apparently oblivious to the frost radiating from Mia.

Then she stepped closer to Lane. A lot closer.

“I’ll see you at dinner?” Her tone was intimate as she looked up at them from under her lashes, slowly tucking a lock of wet hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering on the way down her neck. Lane nodded, faintly mesmerized. Cassie hesitated a second longer as they looked at each other, as if ensuring she had their full attention, before with a private, pretty smile for them, she turned to leave.

It was adamantly clear to Lane that Cassidy was pretending to flirt with them to gain them a little space from Mia. It was protective and it was cute, and Lane did not need to enjoy it quite as much as they were. Who even knew that Cassidy had a considerate streak? It took everything they had not to watch her walk away.

Mia turned on her heel and stalked away into the pool room without a backward glance. Aria hung back, regarding them with clear amusement.