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“No.”
“Aw, come on, MadMax. It's perfect for you.”
“Absolutely not.” Max’s refusal was a bit more emphatic this time.
“You said you would let us help you out of your comfort zone more often.” Rachel said.
“That was before I saw how small it was!”
The “it” in question was the bikini Rachel had bought for her. Pale pink with white trim, it was by all accounts a completely standard bikini.
Chloe folded her arms. “You’re exaggerating. It covers more than what me and Rach are wearing.” she said, gesturing at herself and Rachel. Rachel’s bikini didn’t leave much to the imagination. It was red with black dragon designs on it, like her tattoo. Chloe, on the other hand, wore a mismatched set. The top was blue like her hair, but the bottoms (which she currently wore frayed Daisy Dukes over) were black with the word “HOT” in flaming letters on the back.
Max sighed. “Okay, maybe a bit, but I’m just not used to wearing so little. I’ve only ever worn one-piece swimsuits.”
“What about when we broke into the pool at Blackwell? You were only wearing your bra and panties then.”
“Yeah, but it was just you two seeing me, not the entirety of Malibu beach.”
“So?”
“So, I don’t like the idea of complete strangers staring at me like…like…”
“Like the beautiful young woman you are?” Rachel offered.
“Like a sex object.” Max clarified. “Like…like he did.” she added, ducking her head as a shudder ran down her spine.
And just like that, the air seemed to leave the room. Chloe and Rachel’s faces fell. Max immediately regretted saying it. They knew who she was talking about. The mere thought of Mark Jefferson was enough to make any of them want to retch. Even though Max had managed to stop Nathan and Jefferson before Rachel could meet her horrible fate in this timeline, the knowledge of what would have happened still affected them all. Max had it the worst. Even two years later, she still had occasional nightmares. They all knew she was suffering from some PTSD, but it’s not like she could just go to a therapist and tell them the whole story without being declared crazy, or worse, becoming a curiosity for the scientific community to gawk at and study.
“I’m sor-” Max stared, but she was cut off by Chloe’s arms enveloping her in a hug.
“It’s okay, Max.” Chloe said. She only ever called her just ‘Max’ when she was being completely serious. “You’re safe. Rachel’s safe. We’re all safe. You stopped him. He’s never gonna hurt anyone ever again.” she whispered as soothingly as she could.
“Max, Starlight…” Rachel said softly, joining Chloe in hugging the younger girl, “We’ve been over this before, but I’ll say it again: I don’t know if I’ll ever truly be able to properly thank you for what you’ve done for us, what you went through so we wouldn’t have to…I love you for that.”
“We love you.” Chloe corrected.
Max sniffled. “I…I love you, too.”
She wasn’t sure how long they hugged for, but when Max finally looked up, she noticed that several other people in the surf shop were giving them weird looks.
“We should probably stop hugging. People are staring.”
“Fuck that.” Chloe said emphatically, her grip tightening slightly. “I’m not letting go until you feel better.”
Max giggled. “Okay, okay. I’m fine, I promise.” she said, getting her girlfriends to release her.
“Speaking of promises…” Rachel said, holding up the bikini.
Max grimaced, letting out a groan.
Rachel chuckled, but then thought for a second, “Hmm…How about this: if you wear this until we get home, the next time we all have a day off, you’ll get a Princess Day.”
That got Max’s attention. None of them could remember who’d coined the term, but a Princess Day was what they had come to call it when one of them had a downright awful day, and the other two would pamper her, treating her like a princess, for the day. They’d cook/get her favorite food, watch her favorite movie, draw her a bubble bath, maybe even give her a massage. Sometimes they’d go out and do something, like a trip to the arcade, or the boardwalk, or the museum, or a picnic at the park. And of course, the day would end with a hot and steamy sex session, with them focusing on worshiping the respective Princess while she just enjoyed the love and attention. The last time they’d done a Princess Day was when Rachel had three failed auditions in a row, and sure enough, the audition she had the day after her Princess Day went great and she got the part.
Max eyed the bikini, weighing her options. Finally, she grabbed the bikini with a grumbled “Deal.”
In the dressing room, Max stared at herself in the mirror. The bikini fit just right, neither too loose nor too tight, and yet, Max still felt uncomfortable in it. She wasn’t used to showing off her midriff or her cleavage. Yet here they were, exposed for the world to see.
A gentle knock pulled her from her thoughts. “Max? You’ve been in there for almost ten minutes. You okay?” It was Rachel.
Max took a breath to try to steady her nerves. “No, but I’m coming out anyway.”
Her knees felt weak and her hand trembled slightly as she opened the door and stepped out. She nervously looked back and forth between her girlfriends, awaiting judgement.
Rachel smiled smugly, placing her hands on her hips. “Damn, do I have a good eye or what? You look hot, Max! Right, Chlo?”
Chloe, on the other hand, was staring, slack-jawed and unblinking. “...woah…”
Her reaction made Rachel laugh. “Come on, babe, you’ve seen her in less.”
Finally Chloe blinked and tore her eyes away from Max. “Well, yeah, but it’s like seeing her in a new light, ya know? Like, how would you react if I were to wear a fancy dress?”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Rachel laughed.
Chloe rolled her eyes. “But seriously Max, you look great.”
Max rubbed her arm nervously. “You say that, but I just feel so…exposed. It’s like I’m wearing nothing at all.”
While Rachel snickered at the unintentional Simpson’s reference, Chloe unconsciously said, “I wish.”
Max didn’t seem to hear either of them, and continued, “...and what about my complexion? I’m so pale! I’ll probably get sunburnt in less than an hour.”
“That’s why I made sure to buy lots of sunscreen.” Rachel said. “And you know Chloe and I will be happy to rub a fresh layer on you when you need it.” she added with a salacious wiggle of her eyebrows. With that she grabbed their hands and began pulling them toward the door. “Now come on, that surf’s calling our names!"
Max did get a minor sunburn, but the Princess Day she got as a reward made it worth it.