Page 64 of Heartbeat

“I hadn’t done it in a while.” I shrugged.

“How long a while?”

“Um…since Summer?”

“The season, right?” he asked, concerned.

I laughed, shaking my head.

“Jesus,” he said. “That’s so terribly sad.”

“I know,” I told him, widening my eyes. “But I, uh—I think I may have been too—”

“What? Bad?”

“Fuck you, no. It’s just that I assumed he was experienced.”

“Don’t tell me you took that guy’s virginity.”

“I didn’t take his virginity.”

“Are you lying?”

“I am absolutely lying.”

“Oh my God!” he said, hitting me with a pillow.

“I know! I couldn’t even tell my therapist.”

“You’re a horrible person.”

“I keep telling you!”

We both laughed.

“Was it hot?” he then asked, turning serious.

“I didn’t know he was a virgin; he kinda told me after.”

“Kinda?”

“He left a note?”

“What the fuck?”

“It made sense. I mean, there’s context to the note—”

“You haven’t even talked about it?”

“I dunno what to say,” I told him, hiding my face on my pillow. “I mean, what can I say?”

“Anything!” He slapped the top of my head. “Why not start with ‘Last night was awesome’? Oh, wait, that doesn’t work because it’s fucking Monday!”

“I said that, I just didn’t acknowledge the virginity.”

“Obviously!”

It was the first time I’d run out of air from laughing since… I couldn’t even remember.

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