Chapter Ten

"Lane!"

Lane sighed. They'd almost made it out of the building. They were halfway down the steps from the education faculty, their sunglasses back in place, earbuds already in, but the voice was insistent. They turned around.

"Where's the fire?" Mia smiled widely at them, catching up.

"Oh, you know," Lane tried, pulling one ear bud out and leaving the other in place as a hint. "Gotta get home, I've got work."

"You're a nanny, right?" Mia fell into step with them, tucking a soft green curl behind her ear, her eyelashes lowered just enough. Lane nodded, distracted. Mia was extremely attractive, there was no ignoring that fact. They couldn't quite get past the weird prejudice they had against their fellow students, though. They'd been so alienated in the early days of college and so careful not to engage from then on, that it felt weird to consider the frank flirtatiousness of Mia's every glance.

"What are they like?" Mia asked. "Nice people?"

"Yeah," Lane said. "They're like family."

"Rich?" She raised her eyebrows. Lane shrugged.

"Yeah." They didn't trust anyone who wanted to sniff around Savannah, so they always kept that information on the down low.

"You allowed friends around?" Mia asked. "I bet you've got a pool, right?"

"Sure." Lane was starting to panic. They weren't sure how to get around this one. Mia was hot, but they had always enjoyed a good hard boundary between their school life and their home life. The idea of having a college girl wandering around the guesthouse, meeting the people Lane spent every other waking minute with and then seeing her back at school felt excruciatingly exposing.

"Ooh," came another voice from behind them as Aria caught up too. "Pool study party?"

"Uh." Lane hesitated.

"I haven't got a bathing suit with me," Mia cocked her head. "I guess skinny dipping is out of the question?" She glanced down at her curvaceous body and blinked innocently at Lane.

"Oh stop it." Aria elbowed her. "How about after class tomorrow? That way, we can come prepared."

She looked so hopeful that Lane found themself reluctantly agreeing.

The next day, both girls followed them out to the carpark.

"Shall we follow you?" Aria asked. "What's the address?"

"I…" They hesitated. They'd never had to do this before, but even though Brynn and Savannah had always told them to treat the compound as their own home, there were still security concerns. And Lane barely knew either student. They pulled the papers Chester had given them out of their book bag and handed one to each of them.

"Non-disclosure agreements?" Aria looked startled. "Where in the world are you taking us?"

"My employers are kind of private," Lane hedged.

"Is there going to be an orgy or something?" Mia mock-whispered.

"You wish." Aria rolled her eyes. "Okay, this is weird, but sure." She pulled a pen out of her bag and signed. Mia did the same.

"Okay." Lane still felt super uncomfortable, but this was what regular people did, right? Invited classmates over and hung out with them socially? There wasn't usually paperwork involved, but Lane's life had never quite been normal. "I guess, just follow me?"

They drove in convoy through the outskirts of town and into the countryside, the two women in Aria's little Toyota almost nudging Lane's bumper as they turned into the gate to the compound. Lane's security device opened the twelve foot gates to let them in. Lane tried to see the place through their classmates' eyes as the long driveway through the rolling pasture slowly opened up to the big beautiful piece of modern architecture that was their home.

They remembered the first time they'd seen the place and fallen spectacularly in love with it. Sometimes they missed living inside the glass walls, how the light played on different days, the way you could see the night stars from almost every corridor. It sometimes felt more like an incredibly luxurious form of camping than living in an actual house.

Lane pulled into the parking space behind the guesthouse, and Aria followed suit. Tumbling out of the car, the two girls gaped at them.

"This place is incredible!" Mia enthused. "What the hell do your employers do?"

"Oh, you know," Lane hedged again. They weren't sure if anyone was home that afternoon. There was no point going there if they didn't have to. "They're in the industry," they said as vaguely as possible. "I live here." They gestured to the guest house. "Want a drink?"

"I'll have a beer," Mia said chirpily.

"Just a soda?" Aria requested. "I'm driving this one," she said, inclining her head toward her friend.

Lane didn't keep beer in their fridge, but they knew the house was stocked for just about anything.

"Make yourselves at home." They shrugged, nodding toward the pool. They glanced behind them just in time to see Mia eagerly pulling her t-shirt over her head, generous breasts practically spilling out of her bikini. Lane quickly looked away and headed into the main house.

They headed through the quiet living room. No one seemed to be about. Savannah and Brynn usually took Lane's afternoon class time to spend quality time with their son; sometimes Lane came home to find them all in a cuddle pile watching a movie or heard raucous laughter filtering down from upstairs. But today the house was silent. They must have taken him out somewhere.

Wandering through to the kitchen, Lane stopped short. Already leaning into the fridge was a stranger. A bare limbed woman in tiny denim cutoffs and a spaghetti strap tank top was pulling out a bottle of sparkling water. Her blonde wavy hair just brushed her shoulders. Lane had just enough time to notice a solid jolt to their libido at the cute ass pointing in their direction before the woman straightened and turned and suddenly they were face to face with Cassidy.

"Oh! Hey," she said, the bottle of water dangling from her fingers as the fridge door swung closed. Lane just stared.

Gone were the conservative dresses and the long tangle of hair. Cassidy had always been pretty, but she'd also had a young, oddly wholesome, country girl vibe going on. Suddenly, she didn't look like a teenager anymore. With her hair lopped to a sophisticated length and an artful bedroom tousle to her locks, she looked like the beautiful and perfectly adult woman that she apparently was. Lane swallowed. They'd never seen that much of Cassidy's skin before, nor the shape of her body, now plainly evident in her tiny shorts and thin white tank top.

"I-" their voice cracked like Lane was the teenager. "I like your hair," they squeaked out. Cassidy considered them closely and a small, pleased smile appeared. Lane could only hope she hadn't caught them staring at her ass, but by the looks of that smirk they weren't too sure.

"Thanks," she said, running her fingers through her locks and tucking a strand behind her ear, giving Lane a glimpse of a bright shiny manicure as she did. Her skin was glowing and was that gloss on her lips? Lane swallowed. "What are you up to?"

"I've got a couple of friends around," Lane managed. "We're studying by the pool." A couple of gleeful shrieks wafted in from outside.

"Sounds like it," Cassidy said drily. "Have a great time." She turned and sauntered from the room. Lane could not for the life of them drag their eyes off the view as she left.

"You can join us, if you want," they called out, belatedly remembering their manners.

"Maybe," Cassidy called back, heading for the stairs. Lane shook themself. Why was this happening, exactly? It was fine when Cassidy was a pain in the ass, the little sister of their employer and a raggedy teenage-looking girl. It was a whole other situation to deal with when she was hot.

In a mild fog, they grabbed a couple of beers and a soda and headed back to the pool. Setting the drinks down on the pool edge, Lane pulled their t-shirt over their head and jumped into the cold water, hoping to clear their scattered thoughts.

"I can't believe you didn't invite us over sooner." Mia gave them a look of mock offense, water sparkling off her skin. She walked up the pool steps like a woman fully aware of her natural gifts and picked up one of the beers to sip. She was very clearly waiting to be admired, so Lane obeyed. It wasn't exactly a chore. Mia was blindingly sexy, dripping wet in a black bikini, but to their intense aggravation, a denim clad ass atop pale, pretty thighs was solidly competing in their mind for attention.

Lane turned and slipped under the water. Starting testosterone had been a gift in so many ways. Their firm muscles, ridged abs and a sense of rightness in their body were all evidence of that. But on occasion, Lane could really do without the raging libido that had come along with it. It nagged and pulled at them, where once they'd really been pretty chill. Not entirely lacking in libido exactly, but totally fine about getting laid or not. That version of Lane would not be thinking about Cassidy's thighs along the relentless track their brain kept heading.

Surfacing, they met Aria's eyes. She looked beyond amused, as Mia sat back on the water's edge, her shapely legs slipping into the water, her eyes laser-focussed on Lane. Don't leave me with her, Lane internally begged Aria and by the grin on her face, they were pretty sure Aria got it.

"Honestly, though, this place is stunning," she said conversationally. "You're so lucky to get to live here."

"Yeah, it's amazing," Lane agreed. A child's giggle rang out and Tucker appeared, racing along on the other side of the glass pool fence, chased by Brynn and followed at a slower distance by Savannah. Lane swallowed.

"Hey!" Brynn gave them a warm smile and a wave as she raced by. She'd been irritatingly pleased when Lane had announced they were inviting friends over. She was always on at them to make more varied and age-appropriate friends as if Lane had ever cared about any of that.

"Hi y'all, enjoying the pool?" Savannah gave her blinding smile as she walked past a few seconds later, absolutely no hope of catching her wild giggling son ten feet ahead of her.

Mia gasped raggedly and Lane turned to look at her.

"You live with Brynn Marshall?" she hissed. "What the actual fuck?"

Lane laughed, and Aria too.

"And Savannah Grace?" Aria pointed out, her eyebrows sky high. She looked beyond flabbergasted. Mia blinked.

"That's who that was? Holy shit! That's wild. But seriously," she gaped again, "Brynn Marshall? I am so fucking in love with her." Her mouth was still hanging open, her eyes watching the family as they disappeared into the main house.

"Er, cool?" Lane wasn't sure what to do with that statement.

"Oh, come on! Aren't you?"

"No," Lane said slowly. "She's my friend."

"Honestly, Lane, who even are you?" Mia's eyes were enormous. "You're such a dark horse."

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.

"Oh Lane," was all she said, with a shake of her head. "You are surrounded in trouble."

Dinner, quite frankly, was a relief. Cassidy reverted to form, responding with unnecessary snippiness to a weary Savannah's attempt to praise her new haircut, then huffed and sighed like an eight-year-old at Brynn's gentle intervention. Lane was sitting next to her, rather than in the line of sight, so there was no conflicting awareness of her new physicality to deal with. Instead, they felt a comfortingly familiar sense of general irritation toward Savannah's pain in the ass little sister and by the end of the evening, it all felt back to normal.

Except that from then on, at least once every day, Lane found themselves momentarily winded by how good Cassidy looked. They'd just be hanging with Tucker reading him stories or playing ball with him on the back lawn and all of a sudden Cassidy would saunter past in a cute little sundress or a tight t-shirt and Lane would have to swallow all the extra moisture that had suddenly arrived into their mouth. It was annoying.

They didn't especially like Cassidy. They got that she was struggling through a hard time and was probably dealing with some residual trauma, but honestly, who the fuck wasn't? The brattishness and ingratitude toward Savannah grated on Lane. Cassidy should be pleased as hell that she had a warm, generous, well-resourced family member inviting her to live in a gorgeous, safe mansion, but she just seemed pissy about it. Yeah, she could be sort of amusing and occasionally perceptive in a way that was a distant cousin of sweet, but that was on a good day.

It was aggravating that Lane's brain knew all that perfectly well and yet their body had a mind of its own. It didn't feel rational that despite Cassidy being Cassidy, Lane's eyes still wanted to gaze upon her. It didn't feel ethically correct how quickly their body lit up in her presence. Lane was slightly appalled that despite more than once being stirred to actual anger by Cassidy's personality, values and beliefs, apparently all of that was discounted just because the shape of her waist made their mouth water.

Perhaps taking Mia up on her clearly obvious offer would honestly be better for everyone. Lane just wanted their brain back.