Mistakes Were Made(20)

“What?” Cassie stared at her. Parker looked over her shoulder to the short line of people at security. “What are you talking about? That’s gotta be like, hundreds of dollars.”

“I was good this year,” Parker said. “Santa helped out.”

“Parker, I’m serious. That’s way too much.”

“I gotta go so I don’t miss my flight. Love you both! You’re my best friends! See you after Thanksgiving!” Parker grabbed her suitcase and started heading inside. “And the ticket is already bought; you’re coming for two weeks. Bye!”

She was inside before Cassie could process her words enough to respond. She had to settle for angry text messages.

Cassie [Today 3:35 PM]

This is ridiculous. It’s too much. Your parents can’t pay for me to visit

Parker [3:35 PM]

Too late, it’s nonrefundable and they’ll never let you pay them back

Cassie [3:36 PM]

What if I had plans?

Parker [3:36 PM]

We’re best friends, babe. I already knew you didn’t

Cassie [3:37 PM]

I don’t want your pity.

Parker [3:37 PM]

That’s nice. You don’t have it.

Parker [3:41 PM]

Just say thank you and spend winter break with me. It’s gonna be awesome

Parker [3:42 PM]

My mom makes such good food

Cassie sighed. That was the thing, right there. She could get over the presumptuousness of Parker buying the tickets before asking her. She didn’t even care that it was a lot of money; she had no problem with rich people spending their money on her. But the idea of sharing a house with Erin for two weeks?

Cassie threw her phone into the center console and crossed her arms and stared out the window.

“You wanna talk about it?” Acacia asked. She’d been silent since they left the airport, letting Cassie process or something.

“It’s whatever,” Cassie grumbled.

She turned up the radio. Then turned it down.

“Did you know about this?” she asked.

Acacia nodded. “You’re gonna have fun.”

Cassie wasn’t so sure.

“You can’t fuck Parker’s mom while you’re staying with her for winter break.”

“I’m aware of that, Acacia.”

“But you’re going to want to, like, the whole time you’re there.”

Cassie was aware of that, too.

Kaysh tapped her thumbs against the steering wheel. “Remind me again why you can’t just keep it in your pants?”

“I can—I should—I will,” Cassie insisted. “I will.”

Acacia glanced over at her. Neither of them said anything.

“Erin’s just, like, super attractive, okay?” Cassie said eventually; Acacia’s patient quiet had always made her say too much. “And she’s pretty funny—I mean, we just made fun of Parker mostly, but whatever—you know how I feel about funny people.”

“Yeah, your panties drop.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“Just don’t fuck Parker’s mom.” She paused, then added, “Again.”

Cassie groaned. “I know, Kaysh. I’m not going to.”

They drove in silence for a while. It was just over two hours to Greensboro—they’d be there in time for dinner. Cassie would’ve liked to focus on the home cooking she was going to get all weekend, but the idea of two weeks in Erin’s house was not something her brain could set aside.

“She can’t even be that mad at me, though,” Cassie broke the silence. “Parker, I mean.”

“What?”

“She can’t be that mad at me for sleeping with Erin. She said I can bone whoever I want as long as I’m happy. Plus, she slept with Seth.”

Acacia stared at her for so long Cassie had to remind her to watch the road.

“She fucked your boyfriend so you get to fuck her mom?”

“Yeah,” Cassie said, because that only seemed fair, right? “Quid pro quo.”

“That’s not how that works.”

“Actually, that’s exactly how that works.”

“Her mother, Cassie.”

Cassie shrugged. “You know she’s a daddy’s girl anyway.”

Acacia punched her in the shoulder, but at least she kept her eyes on the road. “That is so not the point.”

“Quid pro quo,” Cassie said again, rubbing her arm where Acacia’s fist connected. She smirked. “Tit for tat.”

Acacia hit her again. “Stop thinking about Parker’s mom’s boobs!”

Cassie did, mostly.

Two hours later, Mama Webb, Mr. Ben—Cassie still couldn’t call Acacia’s dad just by his first name—and FloJo the dog met them in the driveway when they arrived. Dinner was chicken-fried steak with rice and gravy. For dessert, they cut the chocolate cream pie a day early. It wasn’t like Mama Webb didn’t have three other kinds of pie for tomorrow, anyway.

At the end of the night, though, Cassie was back to thinking about Erin. She was in Emerson’s room—his flight from Chicago was in the morning—instead of bunking with Acacia like she usually did. The privacy gave Cassie space for her mind to spiral.