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“You like being called good boy, and like your reaction, but you’re not sure if you should like either? Or just one?”
“Either,” I whispered.
“Well, why the hell not?”
Her response surprised me. I expected her to think I was gross when she wasn’t being sexual. Did she understand I responded to it in a sexual way? I mean, I liked it non-sexual too, but…
I finally settled on the first thing I thought was “wrong” and said, “It’s not normal.”
“Says who?”
I shrugged. Probably my parents. The guys. Everyone. Instead of saying all of that, I settled on, “People.”
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little praise. I like being told I do well when I do well.”
I leveled her with a look.
“What? I’m not patronizing you. I do.”
“Yeah, but does it turn you on?”
Her jaw dropped, and my mouth gaped in horror as the implications of my words sank in. I hadn’t intended to admit it.
“So it’s like that,” she said, voice soft. “That’s fine too. I think with the right person, I’d probably feel the same.” She took my hand and squeezed. There wasn’t an ounce of judgment in her tone. “I don’t think badly of you for that.”
“No?”
“Not at all.”
“I mean, fighting with Cyn the other night made me—” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
“No.” I squeezed her hand like she’d squeezed mine. “Tell me?”
“I’m not sure you wanna hear this.”
“I know you both had sex.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “You do?”
“I overheard you two arguing this morning.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Zeke. It just… happened.”
“Why should you be sorry?”
“Uh…” She let go of my hand. “Well, we did it here while you were sleeping, for one.”
“I know. It’s fine, really. I’m a heavy sleeper.”
I didn’t ask her what else there was. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable after she seemed hesitant to confide in me, even though she encouraged me earlier to do the same.
“So what about fighting with Cyn?”
“Last night… I mean, he was already touching me, but we argued, and for some reason, it felt good to fight with him like that.”
I nodded, listening to her intently, the tightness of my jeans a growing distraction.
“I didn’t think I’d enjoy something like that. But I don’t usually fight with people like we do.” Her cheeks darkened. “So yeah, maybe there’s a part of me that likes that too.”
