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“I. . .uh. . .talked to Laurel about starting to date. . .”??
Her words had me freezing in place.??
Dating??
“I thought you never wanted to date?”?
She continued to pick at the label. “Come on, Alex. I said that when I was sixteen.” She shook her head. “I’ve just been thinking about it lately. I’m done with college. I’m working full-time now.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I think I’m ready to put myself out there.”?
That possessive beast seemed to unfurl within me. Stretching and clicking his claws in my mind. I could feel that urge to take what’s mine. Claim it and make sure everyone knew. Make suresheknew.?
It felt like the sky was falling around me and Jon knew it before I did.
What the actual fuck was happening here?
I had so many questions. Why was she thinking of this all of a sudden? Who made her want to date? Was she interested in someone??
Was she interested in Jon??
Before I could lay into her with questions, I brought the beer to my lips, tipping my head back and draining it.??
Her hand faltered over her bottle. Her throat bobbed up and down with the swallow.??
We hadn’t talked about sex since she caught me and Amanda at that party. I had never felt dirty about any of my sexual escapades until that moment. Until she vocalized that she was forced to give head to men.??
Them.?
The word still echoed in my mind from that night. That was the night that I had the realization that I only knew a smallamount of what Wren had been through. She hadn’t been trying to make me feel bad about it, but I did anyway.??
“So, are you thinking about having. . .sex with someone?” I looked forward across the alleyway, choosing my words carefully, but I wasn’t going to beat around the bush. I wanted to make sure she had thought everything through.
“Possibly.” Her voice was small, a red flush creeping up her neck. “Are. . .you seeing anyone?” She peeked at me. I was caught off guard by her question, stumbling to come up with something before she continued. “Come on, Alexander, I’m not stupid. I know you aren’t celibate.” She said the last sentence in a lighthearted tone, a small smile formed on the corner of her lips. “I could hear you when you left the apartment at night. Or when you would come home late.”?
I had gone out a few times with some of the guys after work. I wasn’t hiding it from her, but I wasn’t going to talk about it with Wren. I never wanted to bring up sex. I didn’t want to bring up unwanted memories. I was just careful about it. I didn’t want her to know what I was heading out to do, because I was worried she would be at home thinking about what was done to her.?
What she was forced to do.??
“I. . .uhm. . .” I floundered, and she started laughing.??
“Alex, really, it’s fine.” She bumped my shoulder with hers. “So,” she shrugged her shoulders, looking at me expectantly, “do I get to meet her?”?
“Meet who?” I was lost at this point, trying to hide my confusion by taking a drink of my already-empty beer.?
“Your girlfriend.”??
I choked on nothing. Coughing so hard I had to stand and walk around until it cleared.??
“God, Wren, no.” She stared at me, confused. “I’m not dating anyone.” I ran a hand through my hair, wishing I didn’t have to say this. “It’s just sex. That's all.”??
“Just sex?” She straightened.
“Yes. Just sex. People can have just sex. No emotionsinvolved.” She looked away from me, thinking something over. Nerves filled me. I wished I was in her head. I wished I knew what she was thinking. “Wren, you're killing me here.”??
“I’m processing it, Alex,” she bit out.?
“What is there to process?”?
“I just didn’t think you were capable of. . .” She trailed off again.?
