Page 70 of Good Girls Beg

"That's better." She nodded. "I was starting to think I lost my edge."

"Definitely not. No one has more edge than you," I assured her. "As a matter of fact, that should be your middle name. Lyra Edge Henderson. It has a ring to it."

"What were my parents thinking giving me the middle name Margaret?" she asked. "Clearly it should have been Edge. I'll run off and change it immediately."

It was good to laugh and joke around with her. I didn't miss living in a shoebox, virtually on top of each other, but I missed seeing her so often. Having breakfast with her, going out. Keeping up with everything she was doing.

"You haven't told me what you've been doing," I said. "Have you been out much?"

"I haven't been out anywhere," she complained. "I keep trying to convince Genesis or Jupiter to come out with me. Or Juno, from Heartbeets. Every time they're available, I'm busy and vice versa. At some point we'll all have to catch up."

Genesis and Jupiter were sisters, both around my age. I used to go to school with Juno. Was she the one who'd spoken to Hel?

“Which reminds me," I said. “Do you want to go out this Friday night?” I told her about the plan to see Scarlet Felony. “We could go to Vertical and dance until our feet hurt."

"I love that idea," Lyra said. "I'll message them all and make sure they turn up. We're going to have the best time."

"Yes, we are," I agreed. I was already looking forward to a night out with the girls. Living with three men was testosterone overload at times. They didn't really leave the toilet seat up but they may as well have. Their presence was in every room whether they were there or not. Especially Hel.

"How is Loams doing?" Lyra asked, her expression tentative.

"It seems to be going okay," I said.

I hadn't checked in with my dads as often as I should. Honestly, I was worried I'd tell them why I was doing what I was doing. What would they think? At some point I was going to have to explain. My plan was to tell them when it was too late for them to say no, or try to talk me out of it.

On the other hand, they knew me better than anyone. They'd find a way to get it out of me if I let them. No, I was going to have to be careful.

"Why don't we go there for dinner before we go out dancing?" she suggested. "Or we could spend the whole night there."

"I know you adore my dads as much as I do," I said, "but staying there all night would cramp your style. And our friends’ style.” Not to mention, Hel probably had us on the guest list already.

"I don't mind," she said, her lips drawn back from her teeth.

"Yes, you do and it's okay," I said. "My fathers like to think they're cool, and they are, but if we're going to let our hair down, it's going to be somewhere other than Loams."

"You're right," she said, looking relieved. "Unless it's drag night. Then you wouldn't drag us away, no pun intended."

"I think that pun was very much intended," I said.

She grinned. "You caught me. Although, you know what would be funny?"

"What?" I asked, giving her the side eye.

"Those three men joining in drag night," she said grinning wider.

I stared at her for a moment before tipping my head back and laughing. "That would be funny."

I couldn't decide which of them would be the least impressed. It might be a three-way tie. Of course that made the idea even more compelling. I should have insisted on daily rules myself. I would have added that straight onto the list. All three of them in full drag, hair and make-up. Standing on stage, singing and dancing.

On the other hand, if I did that to them, they'd do something in return. Whatever it was, it might not be something I'd enjoy. Or would it?

The next time I signed a contract to live with three strange men for a year, I'd do things differently. They'd look adorable in colorful wigs.

"We should head back," I said reluctantly. We'd already walked a couple of miles along the beach. My car and her bike were back at the start and it was going to get dark soon. As much as I loved the beach, I didn't want to be caught out here in the middle of the night. Not without a sleeping bag and a pillow. A girl needed her creature comforts, even on the beach.

"Yeah it looks like it's going to rain." She glanced over her shoulder.

I looked back too. She was right, the sky was getting darker and darker. A flash of lightning illuminated gray clouds before disappearing. That was followed a few heartbeats later by a rumble of thunder.