Page 29 of Kiss Me Tenderly

I shift my attention to the little dots covering the paper, my throat going dry. Maybe I translated it wrong? Although honestly, how wrong could I be? The number and position of the dots equal one letter of the alphabet.

I should stop while I’m ahead. This list is obviously something private that she wouldn’t want other people to read. I should return this to her the next time I see her. That would be the right thing to do.

But do I do it?

Hell no.

Biting the inside of my cheek, I translate the next line, hoping this list will give me an insight into who Penelope is and, more importantly, what she wants.

Flirt with a stranger.

I blink at the words, unsure if I read them correctly, but as I go over the symbols, the meaning behind them stays the same.

So little Birdy might not be as innocent as I originally thought.

At least she doesn’t want to be.

Different ideas on how I could help her with her list crossed my mind, so suddenly, I had to struggle to push them back.

Tilting my head back, I groan in frustration as I rub my hands over my face. Letting them fall, my gaze drops to the black screen of my phone.

I don’t give myself time to overthink about it as I pick it up and open a text message.

Me:

You there?

I send the message but before I can let the phone drop on the table, it buzzes in my hand.

Well, that was fast.

Sera:

Well, well, well. Who do we have here?

Me:

You don’t have to sound so smug.

Sera:

Hard not to considering you were the one who hung up on me the last time we talked, so this must be good.

Me:

I don’t know why I even texted you.

Sera:

Oh, no you don’t.

If somebody is having a last word today, it’s me.

Me:

You’ll never let this go, will you?

Sera:

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