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“I’m not.”
“Where?” Rin’s eyes bug for a moment. “If not the chairs, then where? And who? Not Imryll, but after that, I can’t even begin to guess.”
Madigan grimaces. “Why would you want to know?”
“So I can punch whoever it was,” Rin deadpans, pointing at me. “She won’t focus while we’re here, and neither will I. There’s no telling whose body fluids are where, and—”
“Rinya,” Madi interrupts. “You’re getting yourself worked up. Just don’t touch anything, and Ada will give herself away in a minute.”
I scoff as I move toward the cabinets housing the maps. “I will not.”
“Sure,” Madi sarcastically declares. “Where are the maps?”
“Cabinet,” Rin says, nodding toward me.
“I like it when you escort us,” Madi says absently as she examines the room. “The guys hover too much.”
“They do, don’t they,” I agree, grabbing several large rolls of parchment.
She takes the first map from my hand, stretching it over the table. “Lyell wouldn’t even dare let me open the cabinet. It’s like he’s worried something will jump out and bite me. I don’t even know how to explain chill out to him without him scoffing like I’m dense.”
“It’s kind of sweet, though,” I mention, grabbing the corner weights to hold down the map.
“Gross, Ada,” she playfully snaps, fake gagging. “Who the fuck are you?”
I shrug a single shoulder as I place the weights on each corner of the map to keep it from rolling back up. “The guys I... Saw? I can’t say I dated because I didn’t date… They never even opened a door for me, so sometimes—not all the time—I find it sweet when they do little things like that.”
“Right,” Madi hesitantly admits. “But I can run my own bathwater. And wash my own ass.”
“So, no sex in the bathtub,” I tease, leaning my hip against the table.
“No.” She holds her hands up, stopping the conversation. “It’s just plain old washing, because while they can’t keep their hands to themselves, they don’t want every touch to lead to sex.”
I flutter my lashes at her, pretending to swoon. “See. That’s sweet.”
“It’s fucking exhausting,” Madi argues. “Either fuck me or stop touching me like you’re going to fuck me.”
Rinya leans forward, a frown on her face. “Why are you telling—”
“She’s not telling me to stop,” I clarify. “She’s saying she wants—”
“I know what she’s saying,” Rin cuts in, rolling her eyes at me. “I want to know why she doesn’t just say it to them.”
“You try telling those fucking assholes anything,” Madi complains, throwing her hands in the air. “Like I love them, but god, do they know how to ruin a mood.”
I snort. “I’m sorry. It’s not funny. But it’s funny.”
“It’s not funny, Ada,” she whines as she glares at the maps. “When I say I want a back rub, I don’t actually mean I want my back rubbed for two hours.”
I cover my mouth to stifle my laughter. “Just tell them it’s a euphemism.”
“No,” she drawls.
“Why?” Rin asks.
Madigan sighs like this is the most complicated thing in her life. “Because sometimes I do want my back rubbed for two hours without someone sticking something inside me.”
“I’m so confused,” Rinya whispers. “Just tell them when you’re done with the back rubbing and want sex. They can’t read your mind. They’re not Mongrels.”
