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“Maybe she wants him to,” I say, stepping in to back up my cousin. That’s what family does, even when they’re skating on thin ice or about to smash their way through a wall and regret it after.
“Do you?” Carson asks her. “I mean, do you want to know where Theron was going with that conversation?”
Allie's shoulders curl forward, and her chin lowers, but her body language doesn’t stay that way for more than a couple of seconds before she finds the steel in her spine. When she lifts her eyes to Theron again, it’s with challenge bubbling in their depths.
“Well, it would seem unfair not to when he obviously wants to discuss it with me.”
Oliver makes a sound in his throat that sounds both surprised and proud. I can tell he likes it when Allie finds her confidence.
“Well,” Theron says, not afraid to take the bait. He folds his arms over his chest, making his biceps swell and his shoulders broaden, something Allie can’t fail to notice. “We were just saying…”
“You were saying,” Stefan interjects.
“I was saying,” Theron corrects, “that maybe you weren’t a virgin out of choice and maybe you’d be interested in us offering you our services this week. You know, to help you research the topic you’re here to explore.”
“Oh, it’s for research purposes?” Allie folds her arms, mirroring Theron’s body language and they enter a sort of standoff, struggling to maintain their straight postures as the waves buffet them.
“Yeah. Well. Not only for research. I’m sure there will be a whole lot of pleasure involved, too.”
“Really? Is that a guarantee?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he says, and then he presses a hand over his heart dramatically. “In fact, I’m hurt that you’d assume otherwise. My word is my bond. If you pick me, I promise to rock your world.”
“And is it only you who’s making this proposal?” she asks, looking around the group, effectively trapping us all. If we agree, we’re stepping into the hornet's nest if she’s pissed about the whole thing. If we say no, we’re leaving Theron as the only option for her if she’s actually interested in changing her sexual status, and no one wants to miss out on that chance. Even Russell, who seems the most formal and reserved of all of us, has puppy dog eyes when it comes to Allie.
For what feels like an eon, no one says a word. Then Jimmy jumps in. “We’re all making it. The choice is yours.”
The sun emerges from behind a soft white cloud and the glare forces Allie to raise her hand to shield her eyes. For a moment, I can’t make out what she’s thinking, and the stretch of silence feels so awkward I want to duck my head under the cool water and suppress the raging blood pumping beneath the surface of my skin, but I don’t want to miss Allie’s response.
Time stretches and Tom shifts uncomfortably. Jonas clears his throat and we all turn to find him smiling.
“What?” Theron snaps, angry that such a pivotal moment has been interrupted.
“She used one of the dildos last night,” he says.
“What?” Russell barks, mirroring Theron’s annoyed tone. “How could you know that?”
“I went to find her this morning, and her door was open. The dildos were on her nightstand, all standing tall and proud, against the wall, but there was one set apart.”
“That doesn't mean anything,” Oliver snaps, but now all our eyes are on Allie, whose face is strawberry red.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Jonas says. “Except that one had the fresh scent of hand soap instead of rubber.”
“You’re a sick fuck.” Jimmy shoulder barges his friend, but it’s good natured rather than aggressive. “You seriously went into someone's room and sniffed a dildo.”
“I did,” Jonas says, “and you know why?”
“Fuck,” Oliver mutters, shaking his head, but he doesn’t order Jonas to stop telling his story.
“Why?” Carson asks.
“Because it had my initials on it.”
“Shit,” Clay says, rubbing his hand over his tattooed arm. We all turn to Allie and find her with her mouth open. It’s like she started to formulate a denial but realizes that it’s too late. She’s been caught in the act and now she has to face the consequences.
Theron was right. She is thirsty, but it’s more than that. She needed release but didn’t turn to any of us, at least not in the flesh. She wanted to know what it would feel like, but without any of the physical contact or emotional connection. That’s kind of sad in a way. But also empowered. She took what she needed.
“I don’t even know what to say,” she mutters, her hand rubbing her upper arm, mirroring Clay.
