Page 40 of Broken Surrender
“Damn it, Corinne,” Desmond muttered to himself.
“Corinne?” I asked.
“Of course he didn’t tell you about me.” She threw her hands to the ceiling. “Now, please. Can someone help me?”
Desmond stormed down the hallway, Corinne following closely behind, and I hovered in the back. In a guest room with an armoire, Desmond opened the doors and revealed a closet full of pads, tampons, cups, hygiene wipes, and spray—anything a woman could need.
She had gotten her first period, then?
Who was she?
“Well,” Corinne said. “You went a little overboard. Like usual.”
“I’m not going to choose for you,” he said. “Youcan decide. Not me.”
Corinne wrinkled her nose, glancing up at the shelves. “Did you buy a tampon manufacturing plant this time?”
“Almost.”
The two of them laughed, their snarky demeanors dissolving. Then Desmond motioned to me. “Lena, this is my sister, Corrine. And Corrine, this is Lena, my—” he paused and I held my breath. “She’s mine.”
I don’t know what I expected, but that simple explanation filled me with undeniable lust. It didn’t matter if we had a label of girlfriend or lover, as long as I was his, and he was mine.
But sister? Why didn’t I know about her?
“Hi,” I said, holding out my hand. “I’m—”
She threw her arms around me, tackling me in a hug. “I’m not an estate manager,” she said. “You’re the first girl this douchebag has brought around in years.”
“Punk,” he muttered.
She side-eyed him at the name-calling, then a sly grin slid across her lips. “It’s just nice to see another girl my age.”
I scrunched my nose. “I’m probably ten years older than you,” I mumbled. “At least.”
“You know what I mean.”
“And I know enough to order products,” Desmond said, gesturing at the full shelves, “Butyouare the expert.”
His eyes pleaded to me. Was he uncomfortable? Why did that amuse me so much? At least he wasn’t trying to explain to us how to feel about our bodies like John would have done.
“You don’t know much about menstrual cycles?” I joked.
“He hasn’t had a girlfriend in years,” Corinne said.
“Really?”
Desmond raised his hands in surrender. “I’m out of here.”
“Get out of here!” Corinne said, swatting him away. But Desmond studied me, waiting for my acceptance. Did I want to help a teenager get through her first period?
Yes. I hadn’t wanted a child since before I dated Aaron, but for some reason, Iwantedto help her. I nodded at him, and he exited, leaving us alone.
Corinne chewed on her bottom lip, then grabbed her stomach. “This hurts,” she said.
“I take it this is your first time.”
Her chin dipped. “How could you tell?” Before I opened my mouth, she added, “And yes, delayed periods run in my family. My mom didn’t get hers until she was sixteen too, so don’t even try to judge me right now. It’s not my fault.”
