Page 18 of Saving Graces
She trailed around behind her sister and Savannah, not letting them out of her sight. They seemed beyond fine, comfortable even as they greeted friends and Rachel disappeared again despite Rosalie’s vigilance.
Her eyes went wide when an extremely beautiful brown guy stopped and said something clearly cheeky to Savannah who cocked her head, then leaned up, and kissed him full on the mouth. He kissed her back, and murmured something in her ear that made her smile, walking away with a glance over his shoulder that absolutely said he’d be back.
“What the hell?” Rosalie demanded in her roommate’s ear. “I thought you were gay!”
“I like everyone.” Savannah said with a slightly dreamy smile. “And he’s cute.”
“Are you drunk?” Rosalie asked and Savannah just laughed.
“No,” she said. “But don’t you feel it?”
“Feel what?” asked Rosalie. She was mostly feeling very, very warm in her puffer jacket, her cheeks flushed and her limbs weirdly soft.
“Look.” Savannah pointed, her smile wide and goofy. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
Rosalie looked. The silver light beneath the mirror ball fell like shining water, the people dancing below bathed in the shards of light. They were young and achingly lovely, so fucking free and perfect and Rosalie loved every single one of them with her whole heart. Her mouth opened. She turned her head to look at Savannah, who saw her face and started laughing.
“Oh shit,” Rosalie said. “You’re so beautiful.”
Savannah smiled wider. Her friend was glowing, her big blue eyes, her lovely skin, that smile.
“So,” she said, her hand reaching out to briefly touch Rosalie’s hair, “are you.”
They smiled at each other goofily for a moment.
“Oh my god, come here,” Savannah commanded and grabbed the zipper of Rosalie’s giant jacket and pulled it down, tugging it off her arms. Rosalie let her. She didn’t care anymore and jesus it was hot. Savannah’s eyes went wide.
Rosalie looked down at herself. The dress Rachel had stuffed her into was short, and black, clinging over her hips and plunging down between her boobs like she was literally some kind of bargain bin Spice Girl. In the mirror at home she’d only seen the ridiculous revealingness of it, the way her far too curvy body was displayed for anyone’s eyes and felt intensely uncomfortable. But right now, the way Savannah was staring at her, Rosalie realized for the first time that maybe what the feeling was, was sexiness.
“Oh,” was all Savannah said, her eyes fixed on Rosalie’s body.
“Are you just going to stare at me?” Rosalie asked, unable to stop smiling. Savannah’s eyes drifted up to her face.
“Oh fuck,” she said, her eyes somehow a little shocked as well as hazy. A smile crept over her mouth too and they both began to laugh.
“There’s my favorite girls.” Suddenly Rachel was there, all three of them squished into a cuddle, before her sister pulled them both out onto the dance floor.
“Rachel,” Rosalie hugged her sister, pulling back to hold her arms urgently. “Rachel, you’re fucking beautiful. You are so goddamn beautiful. You have always been beautiful. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that.”
Rachel laughed, her perfect soft curls spinning down her back, her teeth straight and white and neat, her skin gleaming under the lights.
“I love you little sis,” Rachel told her as they spun. “I love you more than anyone even though you’re the most boring person I’ve ever met.”
Rosalie laughed.
“I love you too. Even if you don’t know how to dress without literally showing the entire world your ass.”
They danced for minutes or hours, the music filling up her chest, the bass swelling there until it made her vibrate and at some point she turned around to see Savannah kiss Rachel lingeringly on the lips before drifting off into the crowd. Rosalie gasped.
“What the fuck?” she asked her sister. “Are you dating? Are you and Savannah having sex?” The thought bothered her more than anything, because she desperately didn’t want to be the third wheel. She wanted to be Savannah’s favorite damnit. She wanted-
“What?” Rachel started giggling. “Fuck no. Our little squirrel just escaped ground zero of the bible belt,” she told her. “She’s kissing literally everyone right now.”
“Oh,” said Rosalie, relief crashing over her like a wave.
Rachel cocked her head and looked at her shrewdly.
“I bet she’d even kiss you, if you asked.”
