Chapter Nine
Shae
SHAE SLIPPED THROUGH THE kitchen door, still damp from her morning run. The house was still asleep, which was becoming the norm. She snatched a banana from the kitchen and tiptoed up the stairs to her room. Kira stirred, squinting over at her. “What time is it?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Just after seven,” Shae whispered. “Go back to bed, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She knelt on the ground rifling through her still unpacked suitcase.
“What are you doing?” Kira questioned sleepily.
“I’m...” Shae threw a piece of clothing over her shoulder. “Looking for my other swimsuit. I’m gonna take a quick dip in the ocean.”
“Ooooh,” Kira said. “I’m coming.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, yeah. Let me brush my teeth first and pop into my suit.”
Shae followed Kira down toward the water, towel slung over her shoulder, phone in hand.
The cool morning air brushed against her still-damp skin as she peered up at the overcast sky.
Seagulls cried above them, their calls carrying over the waves.
Shae adjusted her sunglasses on top of her head and dropped her towel onto the sand, setting her phone beside it.
Kira did the same, their things landing in a messy sprawl on the damp sand.
“Make a run for it?” Kira asked, bouncing into a little dance, wriggling her brows.
“Let’s do it.”
Shae took off, racing toward the ocean, the gentle perfume of salt and morning mist filling the air.
The cool sand kicked up beneath her feet as Kira squealed beside her, then pulled up short at the edge of the water, shivering.
Shae didn’t hesitate she dove straight in, the shock of cold swallowing her whole and stealing her breath in the best way.
“Kira, come on!” Shae called. Kira waded out to her, making it waist deep.
“There’s no sun. I’m offended! The one day I wake up early and come out to the beach.”
“It won’t be just one day, chill,” Shae said, splashing water in Kira’s direction.
“I’m still offended,” Kira stuttered, teeth chattering.
“Yesterday was fun, yeah?” she questioned, glancing enigmatically over at Shae.
“What? What’s that look mean?”
“Nothing. So… you talked to Claire a lot last night.”
“I guess.”
“I guess,” Kira mocked. “I thought you said she was super annoying?”
“I did,” Shae said, “but maybe she’s growing on me. I don’t know… I think she’s just misunderstood.”
After they arrived home from cliff jumping, Claire and Shae had sat by the pool together chatting while Brodie grilled, and Seth and Julian flirted nearby.
Everyone else was relaxing. She’d promised Claire she’d suggest places to go in Florence and show her some photos.
So that was mainly what they’d discussed.
It was innocent, but yeah, Claire wasn’t what she thought, not at all.
“Hmmm. Well, she’s gorgeous, so… I’m sure that helps,” Kira said.
“For sure.”
“She’s a lot, but so am I,” Kira admitted. “I like her.”
“Yeah? Same. It took me a minute, but… yeah.”
“When did she and Lennon become friends anyway?”
“Freshman year. They were roommates. First time I met her was at a Holiday party, and I thought she was so fucking gorgeous. After that first night, I was like hell no. She was all over the place and in everyone’s business, and the talking, ugh, nonstop.
It was aggravating. I think I've seen a different side of her here, though.” Shae stood there a second, a half-smile on her face.
“Her body is...” Shae clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth, “Wow!”
Both girls glanced up, grinning.
Kira’s grin turned wicked. “You wanna fuck her,” she sang, flicking water at her.
“I don’t want to fuck her. I mean… I would, but that’s not why I’m talking to her. I’m down to be her friend or, you know, get to know her is all I’m saying.”
“Shae, shut up. I know how you ‘get to know’ girls. Especially hot ones. Do not break that girl’s heart.”
“I’m not doing that anymore. High school was… high school, that was years ago. And, I’m a changed woman,” she said in a playful falsetto.
“Haha, well… we’ll see about that,” Kira chuckled, shaking her head.
Back at the house, Seth was already talking about lunch.
“Okay. But hear me out. Grilled cheese and waffles. Sweet and salty. Iconic,” he said, half-lounging across the kitchen island as though he'd been awake for hours.
Claire, in an old flannel and mismatched socks, barely lifted her head from the counter. “You’re unwell,” she deadpanned.
“I’m a visionary,” Seth replied, opening the fridge as if starring in an episode of Top Chef.
“We have cheese. We have bread. We have eggs. We have… okay, this sausage looks like it fought in a war, but still. We can work with this.”
Shae and Kira strolled over as Claire groaned and hurled a spoon in Seth’s direction. Em wasn’t far behind them, deep in a text conversation. They both went to grab an apple from a bowl on the island, their arms brushing.
“Go ahead,” Shae said, backing her hand out of the way and then reaching back in to grab one for herself, neither of them making eye contact.
“Nice flannel!” Shae remarked, looking Claire up and down. “Where’d you find that?”
“I stole it from Lennon.”
“Ha. Lennon stole it from me!” Shae said, glaring jokingly over toward her sister.
“You were in Italy, like you were going to use it,” Lennon explained as she headed toward the door for the pool.
“Well, my clothes look good on you. Lemme just...” Shae stepped forward and straightened the collar. “Hmmm, it works.”
Claire lifted a hand to Shae’s waist, guiding her in closer before letting it drop. Shae caught it before it fell completely, giving it a brief squeeze.
It was the smallest touch between her and Claire, but it made Shae's stomach jump unexpectedly.
Shae caught the flicker of Em’s stare in her peripheral vision before Em spun around and walked off.
“Why don’t we just have leftovers?” Kira suggested.
“Because Seth ate them for breakfast,” Claire explained.
Seth pivoted dramatically from the fridge, pretending to lower invisible sunglasses from his eyes, beaming a look at Claire.
“Stop talking about me, lit-ter-ally behind my back,” he demanded, playfully.
He spun away, sauntering into the living room and throwing himself dramatically onto the couch.
“I tried to help, but if you guys don’t like my suggestions, well… fend for yourselves.”
Lennon popped her head in from the patio door.
“Guys, Brodie’s passed out on a pool float, face down.
Snoring. There’s a seagull by the pool, standing there watching him.
” She lowered her sunglasses, taking a better look.
“It probably thinks he’s a lobster… he’s red enough to be. Do seagulls eat lobsters?”
“OMG!” Claire said. “That’d be one way to go.”
Kira leaned her head out the door, Lennon holding it open for her, and snorted.
“Wake up, Brodes!” she yelled. He rolled over sleepily, lifting his head to glance over at her, then gave her the finger before readjusting his position.
“Oh gosh, let me just...” Lennon chuckled nervously. She closed the door, making her way over to Brodie.
Shae smiled, shaking her head at the chaos around her. Her eyes rolled across the room, landing on Em. She was quieter than usual, her back to them as she grabbed a mug from the cabinet. She turned without making eye contact with anyone, and the smile slipped from Shae’s face.
Later that evening, Shae sat at the edge of the pool, dipping her feet in and out of the water, splashing it up with her toes. Kira was out making a food run with Lennon and Claire, and the boys were upstairs napping. She hadn’t seen Em much today other than at lunch.
The day had rushed past in a blur, as had all the days since arriving.
She couldn’t believe she’d been in Chatham for almost a week.
It was as though she’d never left. She wasn’t sure if that was comforting or disorienting.
She launched herself off the pool's edge, letting her knees bend and allowing her whole body to submerge.
When she came up for air, she saw Em drifting over to the pool.
“Oh, my God!” Em startled. “You scared the shit out of me!” Her hand clutched her chest. “I didn’t know anyone was in here. I looked and I… I didn’t see anyone.”
“Sorry,” Shae said.
She stood over Shae, her cheeks flushed, her blue and white gingham bikini making Shae forget what she'd been thinking. Her blonde hair spilled down her shoulders in long waves, and she reached up to pull it into a messy bun.
“Mind, if I?” Em motioned to join her, and Shae took a few steps back. “I know, free country, right?” She cocked an eyebrow at Shae, a smug look on her face as she lowered herself into the water.
Was she mocking her? Shae crossed her arms, one side of her mouth curling up into a crooked grin.
“You should complete that smile, Hemingway. It looks good on you.”
Shae flicked water up at her, feeling amused when it splashed Em square in the face.
“Hey,” Em chuckled, wiping her face with her forearm. “Can’t handle a taste of your own medicine, I see.”
She was grinning, her eyes bright and locked on Shae, playful in a way that used to feel effortless for them. Em using her last name—Hemingway—was a thing of the past. It sat wrong, too famil-iar, too easy. Shae’s expression dropped, her lips flattening, her ener-gy shifting.
“Alright, not in the mood to joke. Hmm, oh-kay.”
They both held silence for a moment. Being uneasy around Em never used to be a thing. The two of them had spent countless hours talking and joking. Playing with one another like they were kids. Then again, Shae thought, they had been kids then. Had they both changed that much?
“So, are you ever going to tell me about Italy? I’m curious about these tattoos, are they… peonies?” Her eyes traced the ink—like she was remembering something she wasn’t ready to say aloud.
Shae ran her hand over the tattoo. “Yeah.”