Chapter 249

I waited out on the dock while Becca dipped into the Singles Boat to go knock on Sherry’s door. I wasn’t entirely sure what the sleeping arrangement had been in there - Becca and Ami had been sharing a room, so that wasn’t an issue, but with Heather and Ginnie in Sherry’s room I had to assume that Zenya had crashed with Leia. I wasn’t sure whether Ginnie was a ‘sleep with the girls you hooked up with’ kind of girl or not.

Becca came back out after a couple of minutes, the dull blue of pre-dawn now lighting the sky and illuminating her shaking her head. “Heather grunted for me to get out, and I think Sherry was just starting to realize she might have fucked up. They aren’t leaving.”

I had to sigh heavily. “Well, there goes the easy answer.”

“You know I would kick them off the trip if I reasonably could,” Becca said, frustration clear in her voice. “I don’t want them fucking things up, but being a shitty girlfriend isn’t a valid reason.”

“I know, Becca,” I said, pulling her into another hug. “I know. That would be my answer too.”

We quickly went to work, unmooring the Singles Boat first, and then I quickly did the same with the Couples Boat. Once we were both ready to go we went up to the Pilot’s Cabins and started our engines just a couple of minutes after the sun started peeking over the horizon. Becca radioed over, even though we were probably close enough she could have yelled it, that she was ready and I acknowledged. She pulled out first, as usual, and I followed behind her as we got moving for the day.

Morning on the lake was a little cool, so I was happy I’d followed Becca’s lead and worn a long-sleeved shirt, but I kept the windshield open to enjoy the open water air. I loved living in Vegas - it was everything Cassidy and I had hoped for, moving to a larger city. And sure, Vegas was weird, but we lived out in the suburbs so it was a nice mix of weird and normal folks. One thing we didn’t get very often though was the sort of serene calm that came with being on a smooth body of water. The lake was like glass at the moment, reflecting the sky and the sunrise, and even though I knew it was actually flowing down towards the dam I felt like I could have dove in and just floated in place forever.

I was pulled from my reverie by footsteps on the stairs beside the cabin and I smiled as Cattie appeared in the doorway behind me. She was wearing a pair of my athletic shorts cinched around her waist and a crop top with long sleeves. “Morning, Catherine,” I said, reaching out a hand to her.

“Good morning, Tiger,” she said warmly, coming to me and taking my hand before stepping closer and hugging me with her other arm.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Sore in all the right ways,” she smirked softly. “And I think I slept the best I have in a while even though we got woken up early.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” I said. “But you know what I meant, gorgeous.”

“I do,” she said. She let go of me and leaned back against the counter next to me, just keeping her fingers tangled with mine as I drove the boat one-handed. “Are you still sure about last night?”

“I know I am,” I said. “Are you?”

“Yes,” she said with a happy sigh. “I just- I was breaking up with Heather no matter what, but that doesn’t mean you and Cassidy need to redefine your own relationship for me.”

“We may not ‘need’ to, but we want to,” I said. “Cattie, you’re good for Cassidy. Before you, she had friends but I don’t think she’d ever had a best girlfriend. You bring out good things in her, and a brightness. And you do the same with me. I’ve loved you for being what you are for her, but I never realized how much you were impacting me too. I adore everything about you, and having the chance to love you romantically is the chance of a lifetime.”