Page 27 of Locking Down Qetesh

"It's what I've done for a couple people I've had relationships with before. There's one I haven't added because they're immortal, and the rest ended badly, so I never put them in."

"I'm sorry about that."

"I'm not. They weren't right for me."

"Even so, I'm sorry they couldn't see what an amazing person you are."

I didn't really have anything I could say in response to that. Instead, I reached out across the bed and took his hand in mine, enjoying how well they fit together, even if it was something new.

Sometimes, things just felt right, and I was looking forward to finding out where this went next.

Chapter 11

QETESH

It was strange waking up in a bed with someone else in it. It was hardly the first time I'd shared with someone, but it had been a long time.

I shifted in the bed, bringing me closer to the warm cocoon of Jacob's arms. He tightened his grip around me, and I relaxed further into him. I wasn't sure precisely when the two of us had started cuddling in the middle of the night, or which of us initiated, but it felt good to wake up like this.

Jacob cleared his throat. "I'm going to need to move, Tesha."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to take up your space."

"You're fine. It's just that certain things are reacting."

"Ah." I shuffled away and he laid back, but opened his arm, inviting me back into the cuddle. I should say no. I should say that now I was awake, I should leave and go sort out my missing key situation, but instead, I rolled back towards him and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"No problem. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I appreciate it." There was something in his voice that made me think there might be more to it than I first thought.

"Is this the kind of situation your ex wouldn't understand?" I asked without really thinking about whether I should. It was morning now, there was a chance he didn't want to have the same kind of conversations we'd been having last night.

"Yes." His voice cracked slightly as he said the word. "She'd say that my body was telling me that it was time to have sex, and when I said that wasn't how it worked, she'd tell me that I was wrong. Often while trying to get me to have sex with her."

"That doesn't seem like a very good way of getting anyone in the mood."

"No, not really."

"I'm sorry she did that."

"We were young."

"That's not really an excuse," I pointed out. "Unless you were sixteen and just coming to terms with hormones, she should have understood that you saying you didn't want to have sex meant that you didn't want to have sex. Especially in the morning when these things just happen."

"I wished she'd understood that. But in reality, that was only one of our problems. I stayed with her longer than I should have done."

"How long?"

"Five years. That's probably nothing to you, but it feels like a long time to me."

"It is a long time." My chest aches for him. "Especially when someone is forcing you to do something you don't want to."

"It wasn't always like that," he said. "It grew and became too big of a thing over the years. Maybe we should have talked to someone and we could have gotten through it, but in the end, it was just better for us to part ways. Thankfully, she cut off everyone in my life, so she won't be at Ella's wedding."

I snorted. "Is it really a lesbian wedding if there isn't an ex there?"

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