“Reckless.”
She laughed.
“It’s not a good thing, Aurora. You think having a reputation like that makes you look good?”
She stopped laughing then. “What reputation?”
I gave her a knowing look. “You’re an intelligent woman.”
“But still not a mind reader, Marlon. So say what you want to say to me with your chest.”
“I don’t feel the need to be unnecessarily cruel. You know what I’m talking about.”
She crossed her arms and watched me, forcing me to be forward.
“Fine.” I looked her in the eye. “Sleeping around with your father’s associates only makes you look bad. Even if it’s just to piss him off. Even if it’s with me.”
She straightened immediately.
“And by associates,” she said, voice sharper now, “I assume you mean Jason, too.”
I didn’t answer.
“Oh,” she said, nodding slowly. “I get it. The rumor mill got to you too, huh? Is that why you didn’t want me to go with Wyatt? Scared I’ll fuck him on the way to the office? On horseback? In the middle of the rain too? That’s some romantic shit right there.”
“Look,” I said, more controlled now, “I’m not judging you or anything. I just?—”
“Since you know so much about me and my type, Marlon,” she cut in, “tell me—did you know he was my first?”
I paused. “…ever?”
She nodded.
“And we did it the first time on my eighteenth birthday,” she continued. “Which he waited for, by the way. Had the date saved in his phone and everything. Ain’t that some sick shit? That man plotted on me my entire childhood and I thought it was so sweet back then.”
My stomach churned violently.
“Anyway,” she went on. “I was dating Orim at the time and considered it cheating, so I kept my mouth shut. Until he asked again. And again. And again.”
I didn’t say anything.
“I knew that man since I was thirteen,” she said. “He was at my sweet sixteen. I actually thought he loved me. But the minute it became ‘socially acceptable’ to openly lust after me, he couldn’t wait to tell his friends he had me first.”
Her eyes met mine.
“You think you know me?” she asked. “You think this is the biggest regret I’ve ever made?”
She shook her head.
“Please. What happened with us is a cakewalk.”
The storm outside was starting to calm down. Maybe Wyatt would be here soon. Maybe not. But all I could focus on was how fast she was drawing in breaths.
“You done?” I asked finally.
She held my gaze. “Yeah.”
I nodded once, slow.
