Graceless - Page 63

“Oh!” They heard Mia’s voice drifting in through the open window from the pool yard. “I didn’t realize you were here.” Her voice didn’t sound exactly pleased.

“I mean, I live here,” they heard Cassidy’s voice reply. Lane went still. This wasn’t an ideal situation. “I didn’t know you were here either.” Her voice was flat.

“Oh? I’m here with Lane.” Lane could hear the trace of smugness in Mia’s tone, even without seeing her face. “On a date.”

There was a silence for a moment and Lane felt stuck. Should they go out there and smooth this over? What in the hell would that look like?

“I guess you’d like me to go then,” Cassidy said slowly. “Don’t want to be a third wheel.”

“No, that would be a bit weird,” Mia agreed. “Don’t worry, we won’t be in the pool long.” The insinuation in her voice was clear. “You know what it’s like, when you first start seeing someone.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” Cassidy’s tone got slightly high. “Dating Lane?”

“Honestly?” Mia mused. “I’m not sure if we’re going to date. We’re definitely about to start having a ton of sex though.”

Lane dropped the knife on the cutting board.

“Is that all you want from them? Sex?” There was some kind of warning note in Cassidy’s otherwise calm tone.

“What else?”

“I don’t know, Mia, you tell me. Just seems like Lane is worth a little more than that.”

“Why are you always acting like some kind of jealous girlfriend around them?” Mia snipped.

“Because I am one!” Cassidy cried. “I mean… I’m not their girlfriend,” she amended. “But I am jealous. I’m jealous they’re wasting their time on just sex with you when I want… more.”

Lane’s eyes went wide.

“Oh wow, wasting their time on me.” Mia matched her sharp tone. “Please. Coming from you? Aren’t you, like, literally a straight girl?”

“How is that remotely your business?” Cassidy’s voice got even tighter.

“It’s my business because every time I’m here with Lane, you’re here too. Like you’re kind of all over them. So to me, it’s relevant as fuck if you’re actually queer.”

Lane stood frozen. Their brain had jammed still on Cassidy being jealous, but now it jarred back to life at the idea of the girl they knew being forced to defend her sexuality, way before they knew she would ever be comfortable.

“I like masculine people,” Cassie said, her voice perfectly calm. “I don’t care how they identify.”

A flood of warmth hit Lane’s chest as Cassidy stepped all the way out of the closet without so much as a flinch. But she wasn’t finished.

“The thing is, it doesn’t fucking matter either way. Lane is fucking sexy because they’re Lane.” Inside the guest house, Lane’s heart started to pound. For a moment, there was silence. When Cassie spoke again, her voice had lost the heated note, becoming tremulous like she was on the verge of tears. “And because they’re funny and patient and thoughtful and loyal and probably the best person I’ve ever met. So yeah, Mia, I am jealous, because I swear to god you don’t see them the way I see them.”

“How would you even know how I see them?” Mia’s voice had an edge and Lane realised they could not fucking stand there doing nothing for a second longer.

“Uh…hey…” they said, as they tumbled into the pool yard, feeling slightly short of breath. Both women turned to stare at them, Mia frowning hard, Cassidy flushed pink with tears. “I, um…” Lane’s eyes skittered from one to the other. “Mia, can we… um, can you come back inside?”

Cassidy froze still and Lane could not take their eyes off her. They’d never seen her look so miserable.

“Sure,” Mia said. Her eyes flicked from Lane and then to Cassidy, where they settled in a quick blazing stare that Lane could not interpret. They didn’t miss the extra sway Mia put into her hips though, as she turned her back on Cassidy and walked across the warm stone tiles to Lane, or the hand she placed low on the bare skin of their back as she all but pushed Lane back through the door, closing it behind her.

“Um,” Lane started. They looked down at their bare feet and then up again. They did not know how to say the thing they really needed to say. Mia just huffed. Then, a small smile hit her lips.

“It’s okay, Lane,” she told them. “I’m leaving. It’s pretty fucking clear what I’ve walked into here.”

“Shit. Mia… I’m sorry,” Lane managed, but Mia was already grabbing her bag, not even bothering to get changed from her bathing suit.

“I mean, yeah,” Mia agreed, “you should be fucking sorry. I’m a human being, not a distraction just because you can’t get your shit together.”