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“Oh right. I remember. We have to swap answers for pleasure.” Shaun grins at Rhys, and she blushes but looks nervously down at her feet.
“Nope. Not playing that game.” She declares, and Bossi pouts.
“Hey, I like the sound of that game. We can do, Simon Says again, Cherry. You enjoyed playing that last time.” Simon nods enthusiastically, but Rhys shakes her head, looking even more nervous. I consider that perhaps I’m just imagining it, but when Simon starts towards Rhys, her eyes dart frantically to the entrance of the cavern.
She looks like she wants to run.
“Stop!” I shout, the echo bouncing off the rock walls, causing everyone to flinch. It does the trick, though. Simon stops in his tracks, skidding on the dirt gravel.
“What the fuck, man?” Garrett hisses, glaring at me, but I ignore him, instead, keeping my gaze trained on my girl.
Slowly, I walk towards her, and I watch as she shifts back a little, her nerves more obvious.
“Why are you scared, Rhee?” I ask, and her eyes widen briefly before she tries to force her expression neutral. It doesn’t work.
“What?” She huffs out a laugh, trying to appear unaffected. “I’m not scared.”
I close the distance, coming to stand at the base of the boulder, looking up at her.
“Rhee, what’s wrong?” I keep my voice low and calm as I reach up to peel one of her hands off the death grip she has on her legs. She’s wearing little black shorts today. I’ve never seen her in shorts, but it’s not the only thing that’s different about her today. She also isn’t wearing as much makeup. Her eyes aren’t as harsh, and her lips are natural and beautiful. Not a smear of black lipstick in sight.
When I feel the underside of her hand against mine, I know for sure that something is wrong. Her palm is clammy, and there’s a slight tremble to her hand. Peering up at her deep chocolate eyes, I see the emotion swimming within them.
“Talk to me, Rhee. What has you so nervous?”
Her eyes dart behind me to the other guys before returning to mine. She shakes her head and swallows deeply, like she’s trying to clear a lump in her throat.
“I don’t… I can’t…”
“You can’t what?” I beg with my eyes, hoping she will let down her walls and talk to me.
“I can’t do this.” She whispers, but it’s loud enough that the other guys hear too because I hear Bossi suck in a harsh breath.
“What can’t you do?” I ask, and she shakes her head again, not willing to say more. “You can’t do the group relationship? Is that what you are trying to say?”
Why am I scared to hear her admit she can’t do the group thing?
She shakes her head, and the relieved sighs of the other three are audible behind me.
“Then what is it you can’t do?” I rub my thumb over the back of her hand, hoping she feels my reassurance that I care. We care.
Tears pop free from her eyes then, and she sucks in a breath, trying to calm herself.
“S-s-sex.”
I frown. Sex? Did she just say sex?
“Kitten. No one is asking you to have sex.” Bossi comes to stand beside me, and he takes her other hand.
“B-but y-you will w-want it. A-and I j-just can’t.” My girl sobs and drops her forehead to her knees, trying to hide her face.
“I don’t expect it, Kitten. None of us do.” Shaun presses a kiss to the back of her hand, and she peers over her knees at us.
“Yes, you do. We were kissing just before.” She shoots Shaun a duh look, and when Shaun goes to speak, Garrett cuts him off.
“Rhys, remember what I’ve been trying to show you? That you can have a relationship without sex being involved?” When Rhys nods, Garrett continues. “The four of us aren’t here with you, so we can fuck you, Rhys. We are here because we care about you. Sure, we would love to share the intimacy of sex with you, but we don’tneedit. Not until you’re ready. We know you’ve been through a lot. We don’t expect anything but your time and, hopefully, your honesty.”
“Fuck, man. You should be a therapist with Lexi.” Simon mutters in all seriousness, and Rhys smiles.
