Page 71 of All Her Broken Pieces

“Yeah, Becka made me a sex kit for the holidays this past year. She intended it to be a gag gift, but it has some useful items. I remember seeing arnica cream in it. I have no idea what it’s for, though.”

“It’s to soothe your skin after impact play, spanking, flogging, whipping, caning, that sort of thing.”

“How do you know so much about this?” I question, as a small streak of jealousy courses through me at the thought of him experiencing what we just did with anyone else.

“Jealous?”

“Maybe,” I admit. Shit, what is happening to me?

“I dated a girl who was into BDSM about a year ago, and I learned a lot about the lifestyle. We weren’t serious, but I was fascinated by the culture and deep in the throes of grief over losing Nonna. There’s a lot of research about its ability to help people process trauma and emotions. It helped me back then, and part of me wondered if it might help you get out of your head and be with me in the moment.”

His words should enrage me, but they don’t. Instead, there’s a dull throb in my chest as his admission pierces the pieces of my heart that are broken and scattered. Why does it feel as though he’s picking them up and exposing them back to me, handling them with much more care than they deserve?

It’s taken my brain a long time to warm up to the idea of letting someone in, but after tonight, it’s clear that has already happened. Ethan has laid claim to a piece of me that I’ve never shared with anyone else, and the revelation is both thrilling and unsettling.

CHAPTER23

Ethan

Alyx

Bro

You ever coming home?

I thought you were staying for six weeks.

Change of plans

Why? Missing me already?

Fuck you and your pickle. I get enough of that shit at the restaurant

I’m going to come by later and grab some clothes.

Moving in?

If she’d agree to it, yes

Just squatting for now

At least we’re not roommates anymore

Happy for you, bro

I’m gonna think of it as my own personal fuck pad. At least rent is cheap

Don’t you mean free?

I’d feel bad about stiffing you with rent, but you don’t pay it.

It’s the only decent thing my deadbeat sperm donor did

Fuck, really? You never told me that

Shit, don’t tell my moms. Or Nyomi. They don’t know.

They wouldn’t be cool with it?

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