13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"I think I'm going to pass out," Kinsey announced their second morning in Vermont. She and Cassidy were exploring the band room downstairs. " Beware the Fury is literally haunting these walls, don't you think?"

Cassidy tried to look unimpressed as if her sister's talent was debatable, but her eyes were shining. The basement room was low-key and comfortable, all soft dim lights and instruments that were so beautiful Kinsey was afraid to breathe on them. She could see it perfectly… Savannah Grace after Twice Struck's break-up, beautiful and heartbroken, trying to make it on her own; Noah Lyman all casually cool and grungy; and epically talented Brynn Marshall, yet to be discovered.

"They totally fell in love in this room," Kinsey decided, both hearts and stars in her eyes.

"Gross," said Cassidy, pulling a face, then holding her songwriting notebook she flopped down on the big, comfy, designer sofa.

"Yeah," Kinsey continued dreamily, "they definitely had sex for the first time on that couch right there."

"Argh!" Cassidy slid immediately to the floor and gave her a filthy look, and Kinsey grinned back.

"Probably still do," she added, ducking as Cassidy threw her pen at her.

"I hate you."

"You love me," Kinsey said automatically, without even thinking. Cassidy went silent, her face turning slightly pink. Somehow, Kinsey felt her own cheeks heat a little. "Oh," she said. "Still haven't told Lane, huh?"

"I… I don't know what's wrong with me," Cassidy said softly. "It's like the words get stuck."

Kinsey considered her. "But you do, right? You love Lane?"

Cassidy met her gaze head on. "I do," she said. "Completely."

"You can tell me you love Lane, but you can't tell them?"

"I guess so," Cassidy said, her eyelashes flickering as she squinted at the floor. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

"So what are you afraid of?"

"I think," she said slowly, "I'm afraid they won't say it back. Or that if I say it first, they'll stop… chasing me."

"Cassie," she said, "I think it's pretty clear you're caught already. I mean, you're monogamous right? For like, half a year?"

"Of course!" Cassidy looked shocked. "But there's other ways you can still be kind of running," she said, casting her eyelashes low. After a while, she looked up. "Lane had this pattern, before me, of only dating girls they couldn't really have, or of ending it as soon as it got real."

"You think if you admit you love them it'll get real? Too real?"

"I don't know," Cassidy said quietly. "But I do know they've never once used the L word about me. Or at least, not about all of me."

"Huh?"

"You know, they'll say like I love your eyes or… whatever, that kind of thing."

"I love your tits," said Kinsey and Cassidy went scarlet, her head jerking up. Kinsey giggled, her eyes going wide, "I was impersonating Lane, jesus christ, Cassidy."

"You get my point, at least," Cassidy said, her face still flushed, avoiding Kinsey's eyes.

"Look." Kinsey stopped laughing. "I don't know what's going through Lane's mind but you could ask literally anyone who's ever seen you two together. They're in love with you. Like so in love. If they run because you love them back… that would be the stupidest damn thing I've ever heard."

Cassidy sighed. She seemed deflated, her fingers picking at the end of one shoelace, her shoulders hunched. Then she straightened.

"Want to write a song about that?"

"Hell yes."

There really must have been something in the air in that room because the song came together so fast it felt like actual magic. As Kinsey sounded out chords and sketched out lyrics she thought of Rosalie, in the streetlight, telling her you literally don't know me enough to like me and not for the first time she wondered if Kinsey saying I like you was the real reason she'd run so damn fast. What did it mean, to Rosalie, to hear that someone liked her, that would make her shut it all down? And, God could Kinsey have come off any less cool? Maybe she should have taken a leaf out of Cassidy's book.

"Wow," Cassidy breathed as they played it through again, the whole thing starting to fit together. "I'm glad you came to Vermont with me, cos this whole thing," she waved her hand around at the room and at the space between the two of them "is ridiculously good."

Kinsey's knees felt slightly weak, her heartrate spiking at the potential lighting up around them in sparks so bright she could almost see them. "It is, isn't it?"

——

After a few hours, they decided to take a break and let the music breathe for a while. Cassidy left to go and find Lane, and Kinsey stayed a little longer, just soaking up the atmosphere of the hallowed space, lost in her own thoughts. When she drifted up the stairs, she stepped out the door into the hall, and instantly collided with someone going the other way.

"Oh god," she said, hands shooting out to steady them both. "Sorry!"

The words were barely out of her mouth before she recognized that silken auburn hair and sharp inhale of breath. She was holding onto Rosalie's hips, those bright green eyes wide and staring. She felt unbelievably good, but Kinsey forced herself to release her and take a half step back. It was the first time they'd been alone since the night they'd been together.

"Hey," Kinsey said. "How've you been?"

Rosalie was slightly flushed from the closeness of the unexpected encounter and already Kinsey imagined tugging her back in and kissing her. It felt like it would be so easy to. She thought of yesterday, in the hot tub, Rosalie's gaze roaming her body, that same deep hunger she'd seen flash in her eyes before. There was want here, sparking furiously between them, of that Kinsey was perfectly sure.

"I'm… good," Rosalie said, her voice uncertain. How anyone could look this tempting in jeans and a little knit sweater, Kinsey had no idea. "And you?"

"I'm very well thank you," Kinsey returned, her voice deliberately aimed at prim. "Thank you so much for asking."

A small smile broke on Rosalie's face.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said quietly, tucking back a lock of her beautiful hair. For a few seconds, they just looked at each other. Kinsey had never been so aware of someone else breathing before. A few bars of the song she and Cassidy had just written echoed in her ears.

"Listen," she said, still standing close. "This doesn't have to be weird."

"No… of course not." Rosalie's fingers were still fiddling with her hair.

"It was a couple of fun hours, that was all," Kinsey told her lightly. "No big deal."

Rosalie looked up at her, a flash of something in her eyes.

"Right," she said. "I mean, of course."

"And it was months ago," Kinsey continued, with a small shrug, "so it's water under the bridge by now."

"Definitely," Rosalie swallowed.

"So we're cool, right?"

"Totally," Rosalie said. "So cool."

"Well," Kinsey smiled at her, "I'll see you around." She took a couple of steps, then turned back to see Rosalie was rooted in place, watching her go. "How long are you staying?" she asked, her tone friendly.

"Another couple of weeks," said Rosalie, her voice a little tight.

"Oh," said Kinsey. "Me too. Catch you at dinner?"

"Mmhm," Rosalie said.

Kinsey walked away, feeling eyes on her body, a small smile still on her lips.

That night as they sat by each other at dinner again, something had shifted. Rather than spending the whole meal trying to pretend Kinsey didn't exist, like she had the night before, Rosalie seemed to subtly orient her body towards her. There was nothing blatant, no touching, no flirting, just somehow an implicit acknowledgment that they weren't quite strangers. Kinsey felt an almost irresistible pull to turn toward her too, but she ignored it. She could feel it, like an energy shift, Rosalie becoming more and more tuned into her, the less she gave her. Kinsey was not especially into games, but the effect was… intriguing, to say the least.

"How was writing today?" Brynn asked them.

"So good," said Cassidy, turning to Kinsey "Wasn't it?"

"It was," she confirmed. "We wrote a killer song, actually."

"Has it got a name?" Brynn asked.

" The Runner, " said Kinsey.

Savannah looked interested. "I take it it's not about athletics?"

"No." Cassidy and Kinsey looked at each other. Cassidy wasn't about to elaborate on her end.

"Just a little thing," Kinsey said, "about people who run."

She felt, rather than saw Rosalie shift beside her. Savannah looked at Kinsey, her thoughtful gaze assessing.

"Huh," she said simply.