Mesmerizing story. I learned so much from a gorgeous trans girl I became fast 'bar' friends with. Her story had some similarities to this one in how it began for her, so you had me picturing her as I read. She was actually a host on OUT TV for a while in the early days, and it was a real dilemma for her on whether to get the reassignment surgery. Her on-again off-again boyfriend was pressuring her to do it, but she was not so sure (I advised her to not do it "for him", but only for herself if she decided it was what she wanted). We lost touch as she became so busy, but I often wonder what happened to her. There'd been a lot of tragedy in her life, and it was heartbreaking to hear about.
Anyway, enough rambling. This was a sensitive, beautiful portrayal of a real-life character. You did a masterful job, Cassie. While falling for Levi was a given, I fell for Jay too. I hope many read this and gain better understanding of the broad spectrum of gender, sexuality, and humanity. Cheers!