Page 25 of Unravel Me

“He presses two fingers inside my soaking pussy and circles my clit slowly as his mouth moves over my neck.”

“Jesus Christ. I can’t.” I jump to my feet and rake my fingers down my face. “I can’t do it. Somebody turn it off.” I point at Cara, who’s typing away on her phone. “What are you doing?”

“Just texting Emmett about something I want him to try tonight.”

“Cara—”

“‘Is this how you like to be fucked?’ he asks. ‘Slow and gentle?’ He thrusts his thick fingers harder, faster, and my knees buckle as I clutch his shoulders. ‘Or hard and rough, like this?’”

“Ah!” A bloodcurdling shriek sounds from behind me. I look over my shoulder, finding my friends at the bottom of my stairs.

Carter claps his hands over Ireland’s ears, from where she’s clinging to Garrett. “Cover your ears, princess!”

“Take her, take her!” Garrett shouts, shoving Ireland into Carter’s arms.

Jaxon’s hands are glued to his cheeks. “What the fuck are youdoing, Adam?” he screams.

Emmett winks at Cara. “Got your text, babe.”

I stomp up the stairs as fast as my legs will take me. “I’m fucking out of here.”

* * *

By some miracle, I make it to Wednesday.

I make it through unnecessary toy recommendations from Jennie.

I make it through snippets ofhelpful scenesfrom audiobooks sent by Olivia.

By the glory of God or whoever the fuck put me on this earth, I even make it through a shopping trip with Cara for a date-night outfit.

Now I just need to get through this date with my favorite five-year-old first.

“You’re doing it wrong,” the small voice beside me whispers.

“Shit,” I mutter as the tiny pink elastic I’m trying to loop around a hook snaps, ricocheting through the air. My gaze shifts to Lily, and I cringe. “I mean, crap. Poop. Pooh? Ahhh.” I rub a hand across my mouth. “Darn it.”

Lily snickers, taking the tiny loom needle from my hands. She hooks another bright elastic on the loom and starts effortlessly working it with the needle. “See? It’s like this.”

I look down at my hands. “My hands are too big. They’re ogre hands.”

She shakes her head, hiding her smile as she keeps working. “I don’t think so. Ogres are scary.” Big brown eyes lift to mine. “You’re not that scary.”

Four simple words shouldn’t make my heart beat a little faster, but they do. I’ve been volunteering at Second Chance Home for a few years now, spending time with the kids that walk through the door, in need of some extra love, the same way I was, way back when I was Lily’s age.

Lily arrived at the home four months ago. She used to cry when she saw me, and as much as it broke my heart, I gave her the space she needed. Being in the off-season and one of only two single friends in our group means I’ve been spending a lot of time here recently. Maybe she got used to me being around, because a month ago, Lily sat down at the end of the couch I was sitting on and stared at the cover of the book she’d brought with her. I asked her if I could read it to her, and she stared at me for a whole minute before slowly sliding closer, pushing the book between us.Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You,by Nancy Tillman. Now we read it at every visit.

Progress is progress, no matter how slow.

I hope that’s how she feels about teaching me how to make Rainbow Loom bracelets, because this shit has been a two-week affair, and it’s not going well. I understand the process, I just can’t get my giant fingers to work on something so tiny.

Lily hands me back the needle and tucks her chestnut hair behind her ear. “Here. Now you try again, but go slow.”

“Slow. Got it.”

We work on our bracelets side by side without a word. I don’t mind the silence with her. Every quiet inch she’s given me has always been more than enough.

I look up as a door opens and a little boy comes tearing out of it, heading for the blocks on the floor. Emily, a good friend of Garrett and Jennie’s and their old neighbor, steps out of the room behind him. She shifts a pair of dark-framed glasses up her nose and smiles when she sees me.

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