Page 47 of Injustice and Absolution

She doesn’t deserve that level of embarrassment. Not from me. Not again.

“What’s the matter?”he asks her gently.

“Nothing... Never mind.”

A few seconds pass with no sound, and I check to make sure the feed didn’t drop.

“Hey, where is your head at? Are you okay?”

That’s … decent … of him, but—still—I refuse to admit he may actually be a good guy. Even though that’s what she deserves.

“Mm-hmm”

“Honesty, Delilah. What are you keeping from me, pretty girl?”

“It’s just, the last time I had sex...”

Fuck... This is about her and me. What the fuck is she about to tell him?

“Well, remember the night of the bonfire I told you I was having a hard time getting over someone.”

“You mean the night you got drunk and tried to make out with me?”

I don’t like what I’m hearing, and I despise the apparent smile in his tone.

“Stop,”Delilah giggles.“My behavior that night will never be funny to me.”

He may think she’s joking, but I know she isn’t. She rarely drinks, and she never randomly tries to kiss anyone.

Except me.

And she’s that way because of her piece of shit father, which I’m sure this douchebag knows nothing about.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Go on.”

“I was trying to get over the last person I had sex with. And the reason I was trying to get over him was because after we were finished, he told me it was a mistake. And I haven’t really spoken to him since.”

“I’m glad to hear you haven’t. I’m sorry to hear that happened to you, though. He sounds like an asshole. A real piece of work who doesn’t deserve you.”

My blood rages through me like lava, this time toward Delilah. For talking about our experience together. For discussing how poorly I treated her—as if I needed the reminder. I reach a boiling point as a new wave of anger spreads through me.

“If I may ask, how long ago was it?”

“Two months ago,”Delilah admits.“Not too long before I met you.”

It still feels like yesterday to me, and I wonder if she’s thinking the same.

“Pretty recent...”he responds.

Another brief pause causes me to check the feed again, but it’s still live.

“Listen, Delilah. I really, really like you. But the last thing I want to do is screw this up. So again, you tell me what you want me to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean...”He pauses, and I hear him kiss her through the speaker.

“Do you want me to continue?”Another kiss.“Or do you want me to stop?”

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