Page 176 of Redeeming 6

“How old were you?” She grimaced before adding, “When you first… You know?”

I eyed her warily. “Do we need to have the talk?”

Her eyes widened. “The talk?”

“The talk,” I confirmed grimly. “You’ve had the talk, right?”

“I, ah…”

“Mam’s had the talk with you, hasn’t she?” I pressed, palms sweating.

“No, did she have the talk with you?”

“Fuck no, I learned along the way,” I strangled out.

“Oh.” Her cheeks flamed. “Okay.”

“Don’t do that, though,” I added after a beat. “Don’t learn on the job.”

“The job?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Uh.” Her face flamed. “I really don’t.”

Jesus Christ. “Well, you know how it all works, don’t you?” I asked and then shifted in discomfort. “Sex and intimacy, and birth control and all that shit?”

“Uh, yeah?” Exhaling a shaky breath, she nodded uncertainly. “I know enough.”

“You do?”

“I mean, I think I do?”

That meant she definitely didn’t.

Aw fuck.

“Do you, ah…” I let my voice trail off and scratched my jaw, buying myself a few extra seconds before forcing out the words, “Do you need to ask me anything about it?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t fucking know, Shan,” I choked out. “Advice? You have three minutes to ask whatever the fuck you want, and then I’m out of here and this conversation will never again be repeated.”

“Is it like the movies?” She squirmed in discomfort. “Sex? Does it hurt?”

“Yeah, the first time can hurt for a girl,” I replied, resisting the urge to crawl into the corner of her room and rock myself. “But it shouldn’t hurt after that, and if it does, he’s doing it wrong.”

“Do we really bleed?”

“Uh, yeah, girls can bleed the first time, but it doesn’t happen to every girl.”

“Why not?”

Fuck if I knew. “Because it’s different for everyone.”

“What about guys? Does it hurt for guys their first time?”

“No, it’s more a matter of trying to keep the head.”

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