Viva33 lol. Sorry. Yeah, the phone conversation was an odd mixture of super awkward, and coolness.

Guest: What a way to wake up indeed. Glad you liked the conversation.

Guest: I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Author's Note I likely won't have a chance to get online again this week, so I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. Whatever you're celebrating, I hope that you do so with love and laughter.

XOXO Sam.

Chapter 48

The team was in good standing after the first day of races. Most of the girls had advanced to the finals, either in an individual race or as part of a relay, including Emily and Paige, who had won their heats for freestyle and butterfly, and breaststroke and backstroke, respectively, as well as for their relay. Even the ones who had not advanced were in good spirits. They had just competed at the state level, and put on a respectable showing.

Coach Fulton had reserved the banquet room of a restaurant down the street, where a celebratory dinner was now in progress. The mood in the room was boisterous. Despite being tired from a day of swimming, they were all full of energy. Conversations swirled, loudly and animatedly around the table, and laughter was a near constant sound.

Like last time, Emily and Paige sat beside each other, engaged in separate conversations. Unlike last time, this wasn't because of any sort of distance between them. They were actually quite in tune with each other.

Paige sat casually in her chair, one arm draped across the back of Emily's. There was nothing overt about the gesture, nothing that at least three other girls around the room weren't doing as well, as they tried to find comfortable positions for tired, aching muscles. Though, she doubted their fingers were lightly grazing the nape of the neck of the girl beside them, the way Paige was doing. Her nails scratching lightly at the sensitive spot just at the top of Emily's spine, causing shivers to course through her, and raising goosebumps. She also doubted that any of the other girls had one hand resting on someone else's leg, the way Emily was, with one Paige's knee, under the table, thumb stroking lightly against the rough fabric of her jeans.

Nor were any of the girls sneaking bites of food off others plates when they weren't looking. Or, in Paige's case, blatantly stealing it, with a grin on her face. Or, playfully jostling for space, or leaning in to whisper, lingering by the other's ear for a moment or too longer than necessary.

So, maybe their actions weren't as subtle as she would like to believe. She noticed quite a few sidelong glances being sent their way, a lot of nudging and nodding in their direction, and whispered comments that let her know that some of the girls on the team had figured them out. If any of the girls on the team were bothered by their realization, none let on, and conversations continued to swirl around the table as if nothing was amiss.

She even caught a couples of smiles, a few nods, and even a thumbs up, when her gaze happened to cross that of some of the girls glancing her way.

Not that Emily cared, one way or another, what the team thought of their relationship. She wasn't looking for their approval, and whether she got it or not was irrelevant, but, it still felt nice to receive their silent support.

She felt more at ease among her teammates than she had in a very long time. Maybe it was because the group was mostly juniors and seniors, all slightly more mature than the freshman and sophomores who were generally the root of the gossip and rumours flying around the locker room. Or, maybe she was just feeling more comfortable in her own skin. She no longer felt the need to shy away, or hide who she was. And, she didn't feel that same defensiveness that made her keep everyone at arm's length, rejecting them before they could reject her.

It wasn't just Paige who had come a long way in a month's time. Emily felt like a completely different person than she had been the last time she'd been in this position. She was sad to see the season at its end, because she felt like she had wasted so much time being angry and closed off, and she'd missed the chance to bond with these girls. Had denied both herself and them the opportunity to really get to know each other.

The group lingered over their dinners, and then dessert, and after dessert, over coffee. As much fun as Emily was having, she was also eager to spend some alone time with Paige. They hadn't gotten much chance to talk since that morning, and even then it had been a few words exchanged between races, like good luck, or great job, and always in the presence of others. Emily hadn't been able to kiss Paige, the way she'd wanted to, when she'd won a race, exuberant and excited, and full of energy to congratulate her. Or, slow and sweet and full of passion, to make her feel better when she lost one.

And, it had been hard, reining in her natural inclination to touch Paige, whenever she was within reach. Especially with how open, and tactile Paige had been since coming out to her parents. Not to mention, after everything they had shared, last night and this morning. It wasn't just that they'd had sex, it was that the sex made her feel even closer to Paige than she ever had before. And, it hadn't been easy to refrain from re-establishing that connection, even with just a simple touch, or kiss.

Not to mention how difficult it had been to see Paige strutting around in her competition suit, the dark blue material clinging to her like a second skin, leaving very little to the imagination and showcasing all of her best assets. That, combined with the way she moved, both in the water and on deck, had left Emily in an almost constant state of want, and arousal all day.

Now that night had fallen, and they'd spent a few hours having dinner and hanging out with their teammates, she felt like they were due for some time alone. When the waitress returned to see if anyone wanted a refill, Emily politely declined, and quietly asked for the bill, indicating that hers, and Paige's were together.

She squeezed Paige's leg, to get her attention. "I hope you don't mind," she said, when Paige turned to glance over at her. "But, I'm ready to head upstairs."

It hadn't even occurred to her that Paige might want to stay and chat with the others. And for a moment she felt guilty for assuming that Paige would be ready when she was. When Paige shot immediately to her feet, and reached for Emily's hand to pull her up out of her seat as well, she realized her guilt was unfounded.

"Whoa. Easy." She tugged Paige back down into her seat, laughing lightly at the frown that tugged at her lips. "Still have to pay the bill," she reminded her. Though, it felt nice to know that Paige was just as eager for some alone time as she was.

Her heart rate sped up as images of just what that alone time would entail flashed across her thoughts. And she cast a glance over her shoulder, wondering where the waitress was with their check.

She shifted impatiently in her seat, sliding her thighs together to relieve the ache that was forming there, in anticipation of what was to come. Paige's fingers drumming on the table told her she was equally as impatient.

Conversation continued to swirl around them, but Emily heard none of it, it was all just white noise in her head, until the moment the waitress returned to the table with a tray full of refills, and the billfold for her check in hand, and suddenly sound returned to the room like something fixing the station on the radio, voices and laughter overlapping and making her jump.

She reached for the check, just barely refraining from tearing it from the waitress's hand, offering a weak smile of thanks as she opened it, she stared at it for a long moment, unable to comprehend the numbers around her distraction. Eventually, the numbers made sense to her addled brain, and she dug into her jeans for her wallet.

"How much?" Paige had her wallet out as well, but Emily waved her off.

"It's on me."

"Em-"

"Paige, I got it. Please?"

Paige looked about to protest, but sighed, and nodded.

"Okay. Thank you."

Emily knew how much it took for her to give in. Paige was chivalrous, almost to a fault, and she liked to be the one treating Emily. While that was sweet, and Emily appreciated it, she also wanted to treat Paige to the same thing. She didn't want to take advantage, or take for granted, Paige's giving nature.

"But, I'll get the next one."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

She placed enough to cover the bill, along with a generous tip, into the billfold, and set it on the table next to her plate.

"Ready?" Her question was redundant, Paige was already on her feet, tugging on her jacket. Chuckling lightly, Emily rose to follow suit. Their movement caught the attention of a few girls at the table.

"Leaving already?" Amanda smirked as she asked her question.

"Yeah. We're going to head out."

Emily's answers sparked a round of cat-calls, and boos, her cheeks heated at the attention, as well as the implications. From the wolf-whistles, it seemed that pretty much everyone knew exactly why they were leaving. It was embarrassing, but also, oddly, sweet. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it, and their teasing was lighthearted.

Her gaze immediately shot to the coaches, who were sitting at the head of the table, to see what they thought of the commotion. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she felt Paige tense beside her, as Coach Fulton looked up.

"You girls leaving?"

Wordlessly, Emily nodded.

"Yes, Coach." Paige's voice cracked as she answered.

"Straight back to the hotel," Coach said firmly.

"Yeah, girls, no dawdling," Brianne, one of the girls on the relay team with them, called from across the table.

"Of course, Coach," Paige answered, while subtly flipping Brianne off. The other girl smiled back sweetly, and stuck out her tongue, before losing interest and turning away.

"Goodnight, ladies. Sleep well," Vicky called, earning a round of laughter. Emily shook her head and turned to go, Paige falling into step beside her. As soon as they were clear of the restaurant, Paige took Emily's hand, lacing their fingers together, and squeezing lightly.

"So, I think we just came out to the whole team," she said, sounding utterly unconcerned at the prospect.

"I think you might be right," Emily agreed. "How do you feel about that?"

"As long as none of them say anything about it to Coach before this weekend is over, just fine."

Emily glanced over, studying Paige's profile in the intermittent glow of the streetlights as they passed through them, before stepping back into the shadows again. She didn't appear to be lying, her features were calm, and there was no tension in her body.

"You really mean that?"

"I really mean that," Paige assured her. "I love the girls. And I enjoy being on the team, but ultimately, I don't care what they think, of me, or of us. Not anymore." She turned to face Emily, and shrugged. "I mean, it's nice to have their approval. At least, I think that's what that was," she added, with a laugh. "But, not getting it isn't going to change how I feel about you. Or whether or not I do this." She raised their joined hands.

Emily's steps faltered, her knees weakening on her, momentarily, as a wave of affection rolled over her at Paige's words. "I love you," she said softly.

Paige beamed back at her. "I love you, too."

"And, I feel the same. About the team. About everyone."

She had fought long and hard to feel comfortable enough in her own skin to walk down the street holding her girlfriend's hand. Whether that girlfriend was Maya, or Paige, or heaven forbid, someone else. She was glad that Paige was finally in that place as well. She knew that there were going to be people who disapproved. But, those opinions didn't matter, as long as she knew that Paige was with her on this.

The walk back to the hotel was brisk. The wait for the elevator to ascend to their room seemed endless, and she could swear that the hallways was longer than she remembered. But, finally they were stepping into their room at last.

The door swung shut with a soft click, and Emily engaged the lock. The moment she turned around, she found herself being pushed back against the solid wood surface as Paige's lips descended onto hers and she pressed bodily into her.

She gasped in surprise, and Paige's tongue slipped into her mouth. Her hands roamed restlessly across Emily's body, cupping her face, kneading her breasts, gripping her hips, an endless circuit of motion, as if Paige couldn't decide where she wanted to touch first. She tugged at the bottom of her shirt, half untucking it from her jeans, before giving up and fumbling with the buttons instead. A soft curse fell from her lips as she struggled with the first two, then giving up after she failed to undo the third, sticking her hand into the gap to grope Emily's breast, before reaching down to tug at the button and fly of her jeans.

Her kisses were hard, and bruising, and tore the breath from Emily's lungs. And her touch was rough, impatient, as she worked her hands beneath Emily's clothing, rendering Emily helpless to do anything but cling to her shoulders and withstand the onslaught. She groaned lowly and clutched at Paige's shoulders, pulling her closer, though there wasn't actually any space between them. Even so, it still wasn't close enough.

She was panting now, and trembling with arousal. The ache between her legs mounting to an almost unbearable throbbing.

Paige's breath was hot against her skin as her lips moved away from Emily's and dragged along the her jaw, and down her neck, nipping and sucking, never staying in one spot for more than a moment or two.

Her skin felt tight and fevered, yet goosebumps formed wherever Paige's mouth touched. Shivers coursed through her as her fingertips slid down her stomach and beneath the top of her jeans, beneath the hem of her underwear, to grip her ass and pull Emily's body, hard, against her thigh.

A wordless cry escaped her lips, and she clutched convulsively at Paige's shoulders as she arched her back of the door, angling her hips towards the friction provided by Paige's firm, muscled thigh. She cursed softly and let out a sigh of relief, even though she was far from satisfied.

"You're so hot," Paige mumbled against her chest, sucking roughly on the skin of breast between words. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to watch you walking around in your suit all day, and not touch you?"

Paige's words only served to create another flood of arousal, the wetness, she was sure soaking through her panties and onto Paige's thigh.

She knew Paige's struggle. She had suffered the same affliction all day, so close to Paige, able to gaze upon her lithe, muscular form, at the way the suit clung to her body and left little to the imagination, watching the way the muscles twitched and shifted as she moved, knowing how they felt twitching and shifted because of her touch. Knowing how Paige looked as she came undone because of what Emily did to her.

Paige's teeth grated over her nipple, the sensation against her the overly sensitive bud nearly making her scream. She clamped her lips together to mask it, a strangled sound escaping her throat as she slid one hand from Paige's shoulder to her head, tangling her fingers into her hair and trying to get her to repeat the motion.

Paige complied, nipping roughly at her nipple as she stuck one hand down front of Emily's jeans.

She thrust two fingers into her without preamble, the force of it sending Emily up onto her toes.

"Fuck, Paige." The little use curse word fell from her lips as she clung to Paige, her head falling back against the door with a thud, her body adjusting to the sudden intrusion. "Oh, God." She canted her hips towards Paige's hand, sparks flaring across her eyelids as Paige began to pump in and out.

Her motions were jerky, erratic, still a little un-coordinated, but lacking the hesitance, the uncertainty, of their previous two encounters. She'd lost her nervousness, and was acting with more confidence.

Paige had been enthusiastic with her before, but, never so demanding. Never so rough. Their sex so far had been making love. But this, this was fucking. Hard, rough, fast, impatient.

Emily had never been so turned on.

"Fuck Em. You feel so good." Paige panted against her chest as she thrust into her, fingers curling to find that sensitive spot that had Emily whining low in her throat and rolling her hips towards Paige's hand, towards the feeling of fullness that was just on the right side of pain and pleasure.

"Paige..." her voice cracked, and fell away, her breath torn from her throat as Paige's thumb swept back and forth in broad strokes across her clit. Her next cry wordless as she felt the telltale twinge low in her belly, the tightening of muscles and the spreading of heat through her body.

Her walls fluttered against Paige's fingers, tightening around them, and she continued to thrust into her, a rough, rapid pace. Her body bowing against the door, straining first towards Paige's touch, then away from its intensity.

A low buzzing filled her head, starting small and spreading rapidly, her thoughts become unfocused, the feeling spreading throughout her entire body, making her arms and legs tingle, almost like the sensation of pins and needles.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she clutched convulsively at Paige's scalp and shoulder, nails digging, possibly piercing, into her skin, as she came, hard. Her body shuddering in a seemingly endless wave, before she sagged back against the door with a gasp, all of the air in her body expelling forcibly, with a whoosh. Her limbs felt like jelly. She probably would have slid to the floor if not for the door at her back, and Paige's body pressing her upright.

Paige pulled out, and Emily immediately missed the feeling of fullness that having her fingers inside brought. She was finding that she really liked that sensation, and she whimpered softly at the loss, though her thoughts were already racing ahead, away from her own pleasure and all of the things she wanted to do to Paige. Her girlfriend was not the only one who'd been driven to distraction at the meet today. Emily had been fighting her own baser instincts, and the desire to push Paige into an empty locker room shower and have her way with her, all day.

She was exhausted. Entirely spent from the force of her orgasm, but also, energized. Using the hand tangled in Paige's hair she pulled her head up, crashing their lips together in a hard, bruising kiss.

She thrust her tongue into Paige's mouth, probing every inch of it. The hand on Paige's shoulder slid down to grip her hip, and, using the door for leverage, she pushed off, sending Paige stumbling backwards a few steps, Emily following suit on shaky legs. They crashed against the adjacent wall, sliding along for a few unsteady steps, before falling onto the spare bed amidst their bags and discarded outfit options from tonight's dinner. There was a thud, as something fell to the floor, but Emily barely registered it, her attention entirely focused on divesting Paige from her clothing as quickly and efficiently as possible. Not an easy feat, given their positions.

Without breaking the kiss, she tugged at Paige's shirt, getting it just past her stomach before it became trapped between their bodies, Emily unwilling to move, even long enough to pull the material the rest of the way over Paige's head, too enamored with the feeling of Paige's body stretched out beneath her, their hips rolling subtly against each other's', their breasts brushing together.

Paige pushed at her shoulder with one hand, and the hem of her shirt with the other, attempting to work her way out of it, but Emily had already abandoned that task, and began tugging at Paige's pants instead, getting the button fly undone, but struggling with pulling the tight denim down, over her hips.

"You have got to stop wearing skinny jean," she mumbled, hooking her fingers into the belt loops, and giving them a tug.

Paige huffed and attempted to lift her hips, wiggling to shimmy out of them, but they bunched around her thighs and wouldn't budge any further. Giving up, Emily reached for the hem of Paige's panties, pushing them down and out of the way as much as she could.

Paige braced her feet against the mattress and bucked upward, arching off the bed, and nearly dislodging Emily in the process, hands groping at the edges of her pants, trying to push them further down.

Emily braced herself against the mattress on either side of Paige's body and nipped at her lip. "Stop helping."

She batted Paige's hands away, then caught her wrists and tugged her arm up to rest on the pillow above her head.

Paige moaned low in her throat, and deepened the kiss, sucking on Emily's tongue when it thrust into her mouth. Her hips canted up toward Emily, sliding roughly along her thigh.

With her free hand, she began to explore along Paige's body, fingers trailing roughly down her side, nails scratching lightly along the curve of her ribs, and along the ridge of her abdomen.

She splayed her hand along the flat of Paige's stomach and trailed it up her torso, slipping beneath the elastic of her bra, to pinch and tug at her nipple, the already hard bud pebbling and tightening further beneath her touch. She gave it another rough tug, before thumb her back and forth over it rapidly.

Paige gasped and arched off the bed towards her touch, and grinding down against Emily's thigh, her legs spreading in invitation.

Which Emily eagerly took, her hand falling away from Paige's breast to slip between her legs. She thumbed her clit, circling it roughly, before dragging her nail across it, enjoying the strangled cry that tore from Paige's lips, and the way her body shuddered beneath her, her legs parting as far as the restrictive fabric of her jeans and underwear, gathered around the tops of her thighs, would allow.

She thrust two fingers inside Paige, flicking her tongue into her mouth in the same rhythm as she began to pump in and out of her in a rapid, punishing pace. Paige groaned, and strained upwards, her walls fluttering and then giving way, pulling Emily's fingers in deeper.

"Fuck, Paige." She broke from the kiss long enough to pant against her lips, overwhelmed by the feeling of slick heat encompassing her, of molten liquid coating her fingers. "You feel…you're so tight…."

Paige's breath hitched, and a low, keening sound left her throat, as she rocked against Emily's touch.

Emily's tongue delved back into her mouth, the warmth and moisture there mimicking what she found between her legs.

Her wrist was growing sore from the strain of keeping up such a rapid pace, and her fingers were starting to cramp up, but she was way too addicted to the feel of Paige's walls shifting around her to give this up.

Paige writhed beneath her, soft gasps and moans escaping whenever their lips parted, Emily swallowing the rest when she captured Paige's lips, her tongue plunging into her mouth in time with her finger, as they thrust into her.

Paige's walls tightened, choking her fingers, making her have to push that much harder to get inside. Emily heard the change in her breathing, the way it hitched in her throat before expelling with a whoosh, felt the tightening of her muscles, her body growing tight with tension. She was close.

All it would take was…a few…more…thrusts.

Paige came with a strangled cry, tearing her mouth away from Emily's, turning her head to the side, head pressed into the pillows, body arching up off the bed.

Emily slowed her thrusts, guiding her through it as she shuddered, and then fell still. Slowly, she pulled out, and collapsed against Paige, resting her head on her shoulder.

"Holy crap," she breathed against the side of Paige's neck.

"That was…"

"Yeah."

They lapsed into silence, the only sound in the room their laboured breathing, which gradually slowed and quieted. Emily could feel the seconds ticking by, the sweat cooling on her skin and the heavy, leaden feeling dissipating from her limbs.

Slowly she eased off of Paige, and flopped onto her back beside her, wincing as the raw areas, where she had repeatedly slammed into the door, rubbed against her shirt. She was definitely going to have some bruises tomorrow, she acknowledged, feeling somewhat proud of that fact.

"Oh, my God. Em."

Emily glanced over, to find Paige staring back at her, eyes wide with concern, a frown marring her feature.

"I hurt you."

Emily shook her head. "You didn't."

"Oh, yeah? Show me your back."

That was definitely not going to happen.

"Paige, I'm fine."

"You're wincing. Oh my god. I'm so sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize." Emily's voice came out harsher than she intended, but maybe that was necessary to break through the clear spiral that Paige had started on. Gingerly, she rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow so she could meet Paige's eye.

"Hey, look at me." She cupped Paige's cheek and gently guided her face up so she was looking at her. "If you apologize, that'll mean that what we did was wrong. And, it wasn't."

"But, I hurt you." Paige's gaze was cloudy with regret, her voice small and tinged with it.

"You didn't. Not in any way that matters. Sure, I'll probably have some bruises. But, bruises heal."

Paige still looked unconvinced.

"Did you hear me protest? Did I tell you to stop? Try to pull away?"

"No, but-"

"But, nothing. I held your wrists down pretty tight. That's probably going to leave a mark. Are you upset about that?"

Paige glanced down at her wrists, which were lined with a faint red circle. A small smile crossed her features as she rubbed them. "No," she said, her grin growing wider. "That was hot."

"Well, it was hot when you pinned me against the door."

Emily could see the conflict in Paige's eyes, the passion she'd given into warring with her natural inclination to protect, and cherish Emily. She held her breath, waiting, and after a moment, Paige's grin returned.

"Yeah, it kinda was. I can't believe I was ever afraid of having sex," Paige said. "It feels amazing. Man, I was so stupid."

"What? No you weren't Sex is a big deal. You were right to be cautious."

Paige snorted.

"I mean it. If you hadn't been…then I wouldn't have gotten to be your first. And, I'm really glad that I was." She knew it was selfish, because she had been with Maya before Paige, but she was proud of the fact that she was Paige's first love, her first time. That Paige had trusted her enough to be that vulnerable and open with her.

"Really?" Paige's grin was wide, and beaming.

"Yes." She pressed a soft kiss to the side of her neck.

"I wasn't your first."

"I know," Emily acknowledged softly. She couldn't bring herself to say that she wished Paige had been, because that would diminish how special her time with Maya had been. "Does that bother you?"

Paige was silent for a long moment, before shaking her head. "No. I mean, it would have been special, being each other's firsts, but, as long as I'm your last, I can handle your past relationships."

Paige's words tugged at her heartstrings.

"No worries there," she said, hugging Paige tighter, touched by the sentiment. "I'm never giving you up."

"Of course not. I mean, who could resist all of this?" Paige gestured up and down her looked ridiculous, with her pants gathered around her thighs and her shirt bunched up beneath her chin, her bra askew.

"Definitely not me." Emily shifted to straddle Paige, bringing their lips together in a slow, heated kiss.

Only to be thwarted by the ringing of her cell phone, in the front pocket of her jeans. Sighing heavily against Paige's lips she sat back on her heels and pulled out her phone.

"My parents," she said, bringing her thumb up to accept the call, only to let out a yelp and nearly drop the phone as Paige suddenly flailed beneath her, attempting to pull herself up into a sitting position and fix her clothes in the same motion.

Laughing, she shook her head. "They can't see you," she reminded Paige.

"But, they'll still know."

"You're a dork." She accepted the call and brought the phone up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Emmy."

"Hello, Emily,"

Her parents spoke at the same time, echoing tinnily through their speakerphone into her ear.

"Hey, guys. Did you just get in?"

"Not too long ago, yeah."

"We stopped for a late dinner, so we got here later than expected."

Paige wiggled beneath her, attempting to extract herself, but Emily held her in place with a stern look, and a hand on her stomach.

"How was the drive?"

"Long," her mom said flatly, and both Emily and her father chuckled. Pam wasn't a fan of road trips, unlike her husband and daughter, who loved the open road.

"Well, she's not lying," her dad said. "But, it was nice. Some beautiful scenery along the way."

"Yeah." Emily nodded in agreement. "Too bad half your drive was in the dark, and you didn't get to see all of it."

"Well, we got to watch the sun set as we drove, that was nice."

Her mom chortled, and Emily couldn't help but grin.

"How did things go at the base?"

"Long story short, you're looking at the new training and tactics instructor at the war college."

"Dad, that's amazing."

Emily bounced in place, making Paige let out a soft oomph. "Sorry," she mouthed, doing her best to remain still, despite her excitement. She was so glad that her father was going to be so close to home for a while. It wasn't quite the same as being as home, but at least she wouldn't have to be worried about him anymore. And, she would be able to see him more often.

He filled her in a little on what the position would entail, and what they could expect, in terms of being able to see him, all of which sounded good to Emily after so many years of having him in the thick of things overseas.

"How did your races go?" he asked, when he had finished, and Emily filled him in on how she, Paige, and the team as a whole had done, ending with how exhausted, but pleased, the day had left her.

"So, what are you girls up to?" her mom asked, innocently, Emily was sure.

Emily's throat worked as she scrambled for a lie. "Just…watching a movie."

"What movie?" Her father's question didn't sound quite so innocent.

She opened her mouth, but had nothing. And, from his laughter, he knew that.

"Oh, yeah, well what are you guys doing?" she shot back, almost instantly regretting her words. Because, knowing her dad, he'd just come right out and admit what she had just lied about.

"Watching a movie on the history channel."

Emily fumbled for the remote on the bedside table and flicked the tv on, half wanting to catch her father in a lie, half not wanting to. Because, if her parents really had been doing…that, she didn't really want to know about it. But, at the same time, it would be nice to be the one giving her dad a hard time for once.

"Liar. The history channel is playing some reality show about…lumberjacks?"

He chuckled, unperturbed at having been caught out. "Well, at least I sold my lie convincingly."

Her mom huffed. "Is this going to be a thing, between you two now?"

Emily was about to apologize, but her dad just chuckled.

"Probably, yeah."

She sighed heavily. "Goodnight, Emily. I'm glad you had a good day of races. Good luck tomorrow."

Without waiting for a response, she hung up. Emily frowned faintly, as her dad continued to laugh.

When Paige's cell phone rang a moment later, Emily couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle as well, watching as Paige dug into her back pocket for it and pulled it out, brow furrowing as she eyed the screen.

"It's your mom," she whispered, before answering the phone with a cautious, but polite greeting.

Their conversations didn't last long, a little more ribbing between Emily and her father, while Pam and Paige firmed up their plans for tomorrow, before they said goodnight and hung up. They both tossed their cell phones onto the bedside table, and Emily snuggled down beside Paige, pulling the comforter up over both of them, her eyes drifting closed, sleep almost immediately taking over.

"Hey, Em?" Paige bent her head to whisper in her ear.

"Hmm?" she mumbled, more asleep then away.

"Do I really have to stop wearing skinny jeans?"

Emily snorted. "Go to sleep, Paige."