Page 124 of Skate the Line

Ruby: You made out with a guy?! What?! And you waited until this morning to tell me about it?

I roll my eyes.

Me: Well, I couldn’t immediately grab my phone and text you during it. That would be rude.

Instead, I came home and basically rode Ellie’s father’s face instead.

On the same counter that my breakfast currently sits on.

Ellie is beside me, eating her pancakes while humming a song fromTangled.

Ruby: How was it? Did you manage to get past first base?

I’m not even sure of the bases anymore. I’ve been so far removed from this world that I can’t remember them.

Ruby: Did you have an orgasm? What a great birthday gift!

I slowly chew a bite of my pancake.

I did, but not with the guy I made out with.

My body heats. I shove my plate away and stare at my phone before answering truthfully.

Me: I did.

Ruby: I knew that asshole didn’t ruin you forever. I’m so proud. How was the sex?

I look over at Ellie. She’s still eating her pancakes peacefully like the angel that she is.

Me: We didn’t have sex. But his mouth should get an Emmy.

Ruby: It was that good? #jealous

There’s a pressing ache nestling inside my stomach, and I don’t know if it’s regret or excitement. Maybe a little bit of both?

I’m nervous to see him this morning. Thanks to my encouragement, Ellie decided to eat breakfast with me instead of waking him, so he’s still upstairs, hopefully forgetting the last twenty-four hours.

I selfishly need more time to digest what we did.

It was definitely a one-time thing, which I’m sure he agrees with.

But what do I do when I see him this morning? Just act like he didn’t send tingles to the soles of my feet and help me past something that makes me vulnerable?

“Good morning.”

I shriek, and my phone flies through the air.

Ellie looks at me with wide eyes and then giggles from my outburst.

I wait for the crash of my device to hit the floor, but it never does.

“Morning, Daddy! You slept in for a long time.”

Act cool.

I clear my throat and peek over my shoulder. Rhodes is holding my phone in his large hand—the same hand that was in between my legs less than ten hours ago, and he’s very obviously reading what’s on the screen.

Fuck my life.

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