AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, regardless. I’m glad you did eventually,” Parker said. She took a breath. “Back then, I hated you, but I missed you, too. And Acacia wore me down. And so, I came up with a plan to figure out if you actually cared about my mom or if you were just fucking her. To see if you’d fuck someone else who I knew you were into.”
Things clicked into place in Cassie’s head. “Gwen.”
“Gwen,” Parker confirmed. “When you turned down Gwen, I figured this thing with my mom was real.”
“I know I’m not supposed to be interrupting you, but I have to,” Cassie said. She couldn’t let this go. “This thing is real, but I wouldn’t have slept with Gwen in that situation even if I didn’t know Erin. I was serious when I said I didn’t want to fuck things up with you.”
Parker leaned her shoulder into Cassie’s. “I had thought I was okay with it at school. Like, I had accepted it. I could tell from talking to both of you that y’all were making each other happy. So, whatever, it was fine.” Parker picked at the comforter. “It was something else to see you together.”
Cassie dug her teeth into her bottom lip instead of grimacing.
“But at the same time, it like, wasn’t weird at all. It should’ve creeped me out or something, right? But fuck, the way y’all look at each other. You’re so obviously in love.”
Cassie choked on her saliva. Obvious to everyone but her, apparently.
“So,” Parker said, her I’m-in-charge voice on. “It’s still shitty that you lied, but I’m over it. And it’s still weird that you’re dating my mom, but it’s cool. I’ve known for longer than you have apparently—almost half a year at this point; I’ve pretty much worked through it. We’re good.”
“We’re good,” Cassie said.
Parker squeezed her hand.
“You’re my best friend,” she said.
Cassie’s breath caught in her throat. “You’re my best friend.”
After a moment, Parker said, “Don’t tell Acacia.”
“Never,” Cassie said with a grin.
Acacia herself joined them a few minutes later, pushing Cassie into the middle of the bed and climbing in.
“How we doing, kids?” she asked.
“We’re good,” Parker said.
Cassie interlaced their fingers. “We’re good.”
They just lay there, snuggled together, for a while. Cassie was almost asleep when there was a quiet knock on the doorframe, Erin standing in the hallway.
“Night, girls.”
All three said good night back, and Erin clicked the hallway light off as she left.
Parker elbowed Cassie in the ribs. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
“Tomorrow, maybe,” Cassie said. She was sandwiched between Parker and Acacia. “Right now, I’m exactly where I want to be.”
The next day Cassie actually started to believe things might be okay. It was the Fourth, and they started their day with homemade blueberry pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream.
“This is the most patriotic breakfast I’ve ever had,” Cassie said.
“This is the most patriotic I’ve ever been and it’s not even 10A.M.,” Acacia said.
They spent the day in true American style: drinking by the pool. Erin made homemade sweet tea, and Cassie drank two glasses before bothering to add alcohol, because it tasted so good. The whole crew from yesterday showed up early. Lila had UV Blue and Cassie only mocked her a little for drinking like a high schooler. Erin joined them in the early afternoon, happily taking the drink offered to her by underage Haylee.
“If any of you get drunk enough to crack your head open, you’re cleaning it up,” she said, then took the lounger next to Cassie, without being told this time.
Acacia was on the other side of Cassie. She bumped her arm and whispered, “Your girlfriend’s kind of awesome.” Cassie’s whole body flushed.
