Mistakes Were Made(104)

Cassie laughed. How were they even talking about this? “I mean, kinda. But we managed.”

“Good,” Parker said. “You ready to go or do you need to kiss my mom goodbye first?”

She cackled at whatever Cassie’s face did in response. Cassie wasn’t even sure what it was—something between a cringe and an attempt at a smile.

“I’m ready.”

“Be back in an hour, Mom!” Parker called on their way out the door.

The last time she’d gone to the airport, Cassie had fallen asleep in the front seat, Erin’s hand gentle on her thigh. It was supposed to have been the end of whatever was between them. It was the last rule Erin had made and the last they broke. Six months later, Parker asked if Cassie wanted to kiss Erin goodbye before they left. Other than that, though, she acted normal the whole ride: talked about how excited she was to see Acacia, who all was coming over to swim today, where they’d watch the fireworks tomorrow. She cranked the volume on the radio and belted along to Olivia Rodrigo.

Cassie spent the whole time trying to believe Parker was being sincere. She gave no indication she wasn’t, but Cassie still had a hard time trusting it. It felt too easy. Then again, everything with Erin had always felt too easy.

Acacia was waiting on the sidewalk outside of arrivals. Her hair was still shaved close on the sides, but the top was a little longer now, styled in 360 waves. Cassie rolled down her window as they approached.

“Best friend!” she shouted, earning a glare from the airport security guard near the door.

“Best friends!” Acacia shouted back.

Cassie was out of the car before Parker had put it in park. She had never needed an Acacia hug so badly. Kaysh held on tight until Parker made it out of the car and demanded a hug of her own.

“Calm down, there’s enough of me to go around,” Acacia said as she hugged Parker.

Cassie piled into the back seat with Kaysh for the drive back. Just like talking to her on the phone last night, things felt easier with her around.

“I can’t believe you’ve gotten to spend any weekend you want here, while I was stuck in Chicago with Emerson,” Acacia said.

“Please,” Parker said, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. “Don’t pretend like you’re not insanely close with your brother. Not as close as Cassie, but still.”

Cassie groaned. “It was one time.”

“That you made out with my brother? Yeah, we remember.”

Cassie regretted what she said next before it was even out of her mouth. “And now that everyone in this car knows why I made out with your brother over Family Weekend, maybe we could stop giving me shit for it?”

Acacia’s mouth dropped open, but Parker burst out laughing.

“Nah, I’m definitely going to keep doing it,” she said.

Cassie buried her head in her hands. Acacia leaned over to pat her thigh. It wasn’t even that bad, actually. If being teased about making out with Emerson to avoid thinking about Erin was the worst thing that came out of this, Cassie could handle it.

Cassie had spent most of her free time this summer sharing the same air as Parker and Erin at the same time. But when they got back, after Erin hugged Acacia hello, the four of them just stood there, awkward as hell. Cassie wanted to smile at Erin, she always wanted to smile at Erin, but she was stuck with something more like a wince on her face, watching Parker out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know what was allowed.

“I’m gonna take Acacia’s stuff to Cassie’s room for now,” Parker said. “We can figure out sleeping arrangements later.”

Cassie wanted to die. Did Parker know about all the nights Cassie had snuck down the hallway to sleep in Erin’s bed?

“I’ll come with you,” Acacia said. “You can give me the tour.”

It was a transparent excuse to let Cassie and Erin have a moment, but Cassie seized it, let Parker and Acacia disappear up the staircase.

“How was it?” Erin asked.

Cassie took a step toward her, would’ve liked to collapse against her but held back. “Normal? Shit, I don’t know. It was normal, which was fucking weird.”

Erin closed the space Cassie had left between them and wrapped her arms around her. Cassie wished the feeling of being held didn’t make her sag in relief, but it definitely did.

“You okay, babe?”

Cassie shrugged.

“It’s a lot to get used to,” Erin said.

“Yeah,” Cassie said. “But I mean. She might actually be okay with it? It seems like it, anyway? Or she’s plotting ways to kill us.”

Erin smiled. “There’s always that option. But I don’t think she’d leave us alone if that were the case.”

“Yeah.”

“And she’s done it a lot this summer,” Erin said, rubbing Cassie’s back. “All while apparently knowing about us.”

It was true. There had been so many times when Parker had left them alone, and always for longer than she’d needed to. Coming back from Adam’s late or taking too long at the store or in the shower. And she’d known the whole time.

It was weird, but it made Cassie’s heart jump.

“So maybe she doesn’t want to kill us after all.”

Erin chuckled and brushed a kiss against Cassie’s cheek.