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Chapter 35
Grumpy – a term often used interchangeably with asshole
Lilac
“Another one bites the dust. Good job.” Aspen pats her own back.
I frown at her. “What do you mean? Good job? You did not bring Juniper and Maverick together.”
She snorts. “Of course, I did.”
Ashlyn skips over to us. “What are we gossiping about?”
“About how pregnant women shouldn’t skip.”
I frown at Aspen. “I don’t know where you heard this information. Pregnant women can skip.”
Ashlyn throws her arms around me, and I pat her back awkwardly. It’s not that I don’t like to touch people. I don’t have haphephobia aka an intense fear of being touched. I just never got the gist of how to properly engage in affection.
As soon as my family noticed how uncomfortable I was with affection, they backed off. I love them for trying to make me feel more comfortable, but their backing off had the opposite effect. Now, I’m unsure how to provide or accept affection.
“Are we discussing how to matchmake Lilac yet?” Ellery asks as she joins us.
I retreat a few steps, but before I can escape, Ashlyn shackles my wrist. “Nuh-uh. No running away.”
I purse my lips. “I wasn’t running away.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s like you don’t realize we’ve lived with you all of your life and know you through and through.”
“You haven’t lived with me all of my life, since I’m older than you,” I correct her.
I know. I know. I should stop being literal, but I can’t help it. When someone makes a statement, which is incorrect, my mouth opens and I correct them before I can stop myself. Frankly, I don’t know if I want to stop myself. False information is bad. And I do mean bad in the worst way imaginable. Spreading false information can literally start wars.
“I don’t think we need to worry about matchmaking Lilac,” Aspen says in a singsong voice.
I blow out a breath of relief. “Good. Can we switch to a topic worthy of discussing now?”
Ellery taps her chin. “I agree. I believe she already has her eye on someone.”
I rear back. “What are you talking about? I’m not dating anyone.”
“But you’re not having your sexual liaisons anymore either, are you?” Ashlyn asks.
I should have never confessed my custom of having a sexual partner with whom I have relations at lunchtime on occasion to them. My sisters have decided my idea of non-committal sex is seedy.
There’s nothing seedy about it. I make the acquaintance of a man I find attractive. We discuss having a sexual rendezvous without any commitment and then we carry forward. We even meet in a nice hotel, not a motel.
But Ashlyn’s right. I haven’t had a sexual partner for a while now. When my new boss joined the environmental engineering firm I work at, my workload doubled to the point I don’t remember the last time I took a lunch break.
I’m exaggerating. I have the information about my last lunch break stored in my agenda. I store all dates and events in my agenda. Everyone should. It’s quite handy for future reference.
“My having or not having sexual liaisons has nothing to do with you.”
Ashlyn tilts her head back and barks out a laugh. She laughs and laughs until she has to wrap an arm around her belly. “Priceless!”
“What’s priceless? And why are you laughing?”
“Duh.” She snorts. “Because everything you do has to do with me. With us.”
