current, jolting her so hard that all the muscles in her body
started to th
rob. She wanted to touch herself, bring herself
relief, but she didn’t.
Cassia studied her warily, pupils still blown. She looked
shaky and off balance and so, so incredibly beautiful.
Adalynn hated that she had to be the one to break her when
all she wanted to do was take her in her arms and protect her.
Give her the opportunities she herself had been given. Share
some of the peace she’d found, or that she would find because
she’d carve it out for herself.
“You should probably go,” she said gently, trying to ease the
sting.
She stood, found Cassia’s panties, and handed them back to
her gently. Cassia slipped them on mutely, tugging down her
skirt, smoothing wrinkles in her emerald blouse that wouldn’t
be smoothed.
“Why?” she finally asked, but she winced, and it was
apparent she wanted to go with dignity.
“I’m not doing this to be cruel.”
Adalynn walked over to the small desk. She snatched the
notepad and pen up and scrawled her number on the piece of
paper before she tore it off and crumbled it in her damp palm.
She passed it over to Cassia, who took it with a trembling
hand. Her lips were trembling too, and her eyes were now full
of unshed moisture.
“We both know I can’t be with you, and you deserve
someone who can. Someone you can fall in love with. You
deserve someone to share your life with. Your first time should
be with them.”