Chapter 9
HANNA
Hanna reached under the covers and gave Lily a small flick.
“Ow,” Lily said, even though Hanna knew it hadn’t hurt.
“Ladies,” Maya said in mock admonishment.
A serious silence fell over them, and while it didn’t feel uncomfortable, there was a bit of a tension that Hanna could feel.
She squeezed her hand furthest away from Maya to keep herself in the moment.
Part of her was anxiously waiting to try and process the night before and the morning.
She couldn’t believe that she was here, in Lily’s treehouse with not one but two women she really enjoyed, in more ways than one.
She had to remind her anxious self that she was still in the moment and couldn’t afford to not be present.
“So,” Hanna said eventually.
“So,” Lily responded with a raised blonde brow.
“Are we going to do the thing now?” Maya asked, sounding amused.
“Do what thing?” Hanna asked, but she knew.
“Do the, what’s after this, yaddi yadda, conversation?” Lily said, and Hanna felt like the fuckboy Lily had come back. “You know, outside the group chat, IRL?”
But it sounded like Maya wasn’t having it. “Yes, I suppose we can because we are adults,” Maya said, and Hanna watched the fuckboy facade slip off Lily’s face, and Hanna’s crushes on them both continued to grow.
“I really had a good time,” Hanna began.
“Understatement, I think, speaking for me,” Maya said, smiling.
“No complaints,” Lily replied.
“Maya, you’re, I mean we go to school close by…” Hanna mumbled.
There was another silence, then Hanna watched Maya turn to Lily.
“Are you jealous,” Maya teased, another type of smile on her lips.
“Wow, and I get called the fuckboy,” Lily said.
“Because you are, apparently,” said Maya. “Yes, I would love to meet up again, especially if you want, you know, more practice.” She turned towards Hanna, winking.
“Practice?” Lily repeated. “Okay, yes, I am jealous.”
“Sarah Lawrence isn’t that far away, it’s on the train line,” Hanna found herself saying, because while she loved the idea of practicing with Maya, she loved the idea of Lily also being there even more.
The interest that she had formed around Maya and the renewed crush she felt herself dusting off for Lily were equal in their weight and curiosity.
They also felt intertwined now, a part of each other.
“I mean you could easily take the train,” Hanna started but stopped when Lily laughed slightly.
Hanna’s face flushed at her apparent foolishness.
“A whole train to get laid,” Lily laughed, and it was a statement, not a question. Then Lily’s eyes met Hanna’s, and as if seeing the effect of her words, she said, “I mean, you two are totally worth it, and I don’t mind Boston.”
“That makes one of us,” Maya said, and continued,”But perhaps we can be more strategic about when we meet up.”
Hanna smiled at Maya. She appreciated the assist, as she wasn’t sure how she felt not having Lily there. Whatever had happened last night, it had felt like the three of them sliding into place.
Lily pursed her lips. “Should I be jealous that you both will be in Boston, though?”
“Should I be jealous that there is undeniably some tension and history between you two that I have no context for?” Maya countered.
After a beat, Lily shook her head. “Fair, okay, but to be clear, we aren’t U-Hauling times three, right?” Lily said, and Maya snorted.
“I just, I just want last night again. To share that,” Hanna said quietly.
“I mean there’s always the option of a video call,” Maya said conspiratorially.
Truthfully, that had been the best sex of Hanna’s life, a life plagued by lots of mediocre, if not plain bad, sex.
She didn’t see how anyone could blame her for wanting it again, and again, and again.
Hanna also knew that there was some kind of chemistry between the three of them that made it feel even more right.
A feeling she knew she’d want to continue to chase and hoped Lily would let her. That Maya would let her.
“So are we really making plans to do this again? When is everyone home again?” Maya asked.
“Leave it to the business major to help us get down to business,” Lily mused.
“I am home for a bit over winter break, though I usually try to figure something out so I am not home the whole time. Maybe we could go somewhere? My parents have a house outside of Miami.”
“I would love to but I do have to come home a bit, I feel like my mom is going to need me longer than a weekend. I have already talked to my dad about it and he agrees. I am all for going somewhere though, maybe somewhere close by? Or here?” Maya said.
“Actually, I have the perfect place. My aunt runs a crunchy retreat up north, we can have our family cabin all to ourselves,” Lily piped up as if energized by the idea.
“Rich people,” Hanna said smiling, but she was serious. She knew that if this is what Lily described as a ‘treehouse,’ whatever she was referring to as a ‘cabin’ was something much grander than the modest ranch-style home her parents had in Florida.
“I mean yes, and if we can all take advantage of it…” Lily trailed off.
“Not complaining, but let us know how we can contribute or help or—”
Lily cut Maya off, “Don’t worry about it. You both would be my guests. I just need to check on some things. I usually work up there over break for a change of pace, so in addition to nudes, I’ll be sharing more details in the group chat.”
Hanna smiled at Lily, and Lily melted slightly.
“Sounds good, Lilith,” Maya said, also smiling. “Any chance you have food in this place or should we make our way to your house?”
“I need to get going and get ready to take on the day with my mom,” Hanna said, sitting up again and looking around the room for her clothes for the first time.
This was perhaps the most time she had spent naked, especially naked with others, and she’d loved it.
It was like they were all just being their true selves with one another.
“Let’s go up to the house, see what our moms have been up to,” Lily said.
They dressed quickly, and then Lily folded up the blankets along with Maya, reassuring them that she would be back to do laundry.
Hanna was pretty sure someone would be up to do laundry.
They made their way down the wooden steps into the cool morning, the sun well and high in the sky now, bathing the entire property in light, the fall leaves aglow.
They walked in comfortable silence through the trees and Hanna took the time to breathe in the fresh air, as though she were walking on a new path.
Maybe this is how mind-blowing sex makes you feel. She smiled to herself.
Just before they reached the main house’s back door, Hanna suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.
What if Maya and Lily were just humoring her, what if this is just what you did when you had a one night stand, maybe you just pretended or leaned into the overly optimistic idea that something would continue.
Before Lily reached for the door, Hanna blurted out, “So this can happen again?”
Lily turned to her and smirked. “You bet your sweet ass,” she said, and then opened the door just as Maya slid a reassuring arm around Hanna’s shoulders and squeezed her close as they entered the house.
Hanna felt relieved and already warm with the idea of having her hands on them again. She’d meant what she said; she’d had the best sex of her life. She wasn’t under any impressions of romance and love at first fuck, but still, last night had felt like something more.
Like something inside her had soared, and wouldn’t be coming back.