Page 39 of When The Rain Falls

You can’t date a freaking troll man.

“Anyway, he’s definitely not the one doing the biting.” I grin to myself. “But,I have been flirting with him a little. Every once in a while, I feel like he’s flirting back. Until he frowns and clenches his butthole tighter.”

“Wait, how do you know if his butthole is clenching?”

“He does this thing with his face.” I wave my hand in the air. “Wait. Unless that’s just how a troll smiles?”

Tate’s laughter pours out of my phone and fills my ears. “Well, tell me how the date goes. I’m really excited for you.”

“I’m excited, too,” I say. As I smile, I feel my top lip roll over my gums. “Maybe Alicia was right. I just needed to get out of the big city for a while. Meet new people.”

“What are you guys going to do?” Tate asks.

I shrug, even though I know she can’t see it. “I dunno. Hold hands and share French fries…naked?”

13IT’S JUST A VIBRATOR

FINN

Ruby is sosmall on my lap. I can't believe this tiny thing will be a full-grown human one day. It seems impossibly far away. People keep telling us that it goes by so fast. But we're so exhausted. Most days we don't fully grasp the gravity of the passing time.

"Can you believe she'll go to school some day?" Laurel pokes her head over my shoulders to admire Ruby. Her eyes are closed, long lashes prickling her cheeks. She has her legs tucked up under her bottom. She reaches a hand over her head and arches her back in the world's most epic stretch.

"Nope. She won't. Never. Guess we're a homeschool family now," I toss back. "Ruby, prepare to be weird."

"The day she was born, that was the closest we'll ever be to her. Every new day is just another step towards letting her go." Laurel chokes up at the thought.

"Ruby, you want to live in the basement? We have a really nice basement," I joke back. Ruby makes a sleepy snorting noise. "Here that, Laur? She said yes."

"I'm serious, Finn. It's so depressing. She'll walk, then ride a bike, and go to school, and learn to drive, and then leave us." I study my sleeping daughter. It is depressing.

"I wonder what kind of asshole she'll take to prom," I quip. "I better start pumping iron so I can scare him off with these bad boys." I flex a bicep. Laurel's eyes are filled with tears, but I coax a laugh out of her.

"Poor girl," Laurel sighs. She puts a finger in Ruby's fist. Ruby wraps her miniature fingers tightly around it. "Your dad is going to be super embarrassing. I apologize in advance," she continues, "It's not really fair. The parenting books tell you about sleep methods, and timed feedings, and diaper options. But they don't tell you how much it will hurt to have a piece of yourself out into the world where you can't always protect it. I don't think I can do this." She comes to sit next to me on the sofa.

"Laur. It'll be hard, but we'll figure it out. We have each other." I rub her back. "Even when she does move out. You'll still have me. And I'm pretty great." I wave a hand down at Ruby in my lap. "At least I don't shit myself."

"Yet," Laurel says. She laughs between sobs and leans a head against my shoulder.

Aimee

"Alicia?" Finn's voice floats up the stairs into my bedroom.

"She's up here," I answer as I lean into the mirror and swipe mascara over the lashes of my left eye. I read somewhere that women can't help but open their mouth when applying mascara. So I've actively trained myself to keep my mouth closed. I squeeze my lips tight and run the mascara brush over my eyelashes. I smile, pleased at both my mascara job and my brave act of cosmetic defiance.

"Where?" Finn's voice is closer now as I hear his steady steps approaching from the landing below.

"She’s actually not here," I confess, applying a coat to my other eye. "I just want to see what you’re wearing." Did I say that out loud?

No, Aimee! Bad girl.

Finn’s footsteps immediately stop and I hear a quiet, “For fuck’s sake.” Yes. For the sake of fucks. Please come up here right now and take my body, you snarling beast of a sexy man. Oh God. It’s happening. I have a thing for him. I was doing just fine until the shirt came off. And now, that wall of rolling abdominal muscles is seared into all my fantasies.

How convenient he stopped by just now. Now I don’t have to find an excuse to ring his doorbell and parade in front of him in my little black dress.

"Tell her I was looking for her. Actually, never mind, I'll just text her." Finn’s voice is muffled as he begins his descent back down the stairs. Weird. It's almost like he's eager to get away from me.

"Wait? Do you need something?” I shout down to him from the bedroom doorway. My breath catches as I wait for his response. I knowexactlywhat he needs. He’s too uptight. A good orgasm would probably fix him right up. He’s lucky that I’m a generous soul who’s be willing to help him out.

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