JENNIE

The horror i felt was expressed perfectly on Somi's stunned face. What the hell was she doing in Lisa's side yard, staring at us through the window? And how long had she been watching while I had a boob out and Lisa's mouth on me?

She grabbed my wrist and yanked me stumbling along until we were out of her view, barely giving me a chance to pull the strap up and cover myself.

"Did she see us?" I asked, which was pointless. Of course she had, and her somber expression confirmed it. I tried to bolt, not having any plan, but she trapped my waist in her hands. Her voice was soothing and calm. "Stay here. I'll . . . handle this."

I stared up at her. Even though she was looking down at me, it was clear I wasn't really registering. I could see the gears turning in her head, working. She was too focused on damage control.

And that was exactly how I felt right now. I was doing nothing to her but damage. I shook off her hold and strode toward her room, needing to flee as if that would somehow help our situation. "I should get dressed too."

She didn't argue. Instead, she followed me toward the bedroom, but she moved much faster than I did and beat me through the doorway. She snagged a t-shirt from a drawer, yanked it on, and gave me a serious look. "Stay put, okay?" she asked quietly. "I've got this."

My mouth dropped open to speak, but she turned and pulled the door nearly closed. Her heavy footsteps grew quieter as she hurried toward the back-patio door in the kitchen.

I scrambled into the wrinkled clothes I'd packed for today and raked a hairbrush through my tangled hair, trying to make it look presentable. The only makeup on my face was whatever was left over from last night. God, I was the opposite of Somi in every way this morning.

A door closed, and two pairs of footsteps drifted in from the kitchen. I reached for the doorknob, but hesitated when I heard her voice, full of righteousness.

"Her car's in the driveway."

Lisa's tone was pointed. "And?"

There came a sound like she was flustered. "Well, when no one answered the door, I thought she'd spent the night with Felix while you weren't home. I assumed you're a good parent who doesn't allow that sort of thing."

"What 'sort of thing?'" Lisa's words were sharp, and I pictured her expression matching her voice.

"You know what I mean. Letting your son's teenage girlfriend sleep over." She said the word teenage the same way I imagined prim and conservative Somi would say atheist democrat.

A long and very stress sigh rang out. "First of all, Jennie isn't Felix's girlfriend—"

"Well, I'd certainly hope not."

"And she's an adult. Second, how I raise my son isn't really your business. Did I ask you to come into my yard and look through my windows?"

The pitch and volume of her voice climbed. "I was doing you a favor! I thought you'd want to know how that girl spent the night, because it's so inappropriate." Somi drew in a deep breath. "Lordy, I had no idea just how inappropriate it really was."

"Somi—"

"She's a child. What are you doing with her?"

I slumped against the wall.

"That's definitely none of your business," Lisa answered, maintaining an even keel, but I heard the edge beneath. She was close to losing her patience.

"This is why you're not interested?" she spat out. "I'm not young enough for you."

I sucked in a sharp breath.

"No," Lisa snapped. "I'm not interested in you, because of you. I've tried to be polite, believe me, but that ended the second you decided to trespass on my lawn and invade my privacy. No more visits, Somi. Unless it's an emergency, you stay on your side of the property line. Understood?"

She gasped so loudly, I could practically see the indignation on her face. "You're unbelievable. Does Felix know what you're doing?"

Her voice wasn't threatening, but it was plenty serious. "Come over here again and it'll be harassment."

"Oh, don't you worry. You won't be seeing me again." Footsteps moved at a clipped pace, then stopped abruptly. "Her? Really, Lisa? You're taking advantage of that girl and should be ashamed of yourself."

"I think we're done here, and I'd like you to leave."

The patio door slammed shut and was followed by a long, aching silence. I swallowed the lump in my throat, grabbed my overnight bag, and trudged toward the kitchen. I stopped just inside to spy her facing away from me, her hands spread on the counter and her head hung. She looked deep in thought.

I wanted to stay and yet needed to run. Anything to avoid the difficult stuff. My voice was a ghost. "I should go."

She straightened and turned, casting a glance at me over her shoulder, and just the profile of her torn expression made my heart hurt.

"How much of that did you hear?" she asked.

I tilted my head to the side and shrugged a shoulder. "You're not taking advantage of me," I said quietly.

She turned all the way to face me, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back against the counter, studying me. "Don't listen to her. She's just pissed, that's all."

Was she telling me, or herself? At least what she was saying made sense. She'd pursued Lisa but been rejected. Maybe her anger had been a defense mechanism, but it was hard not to see a sliver of truth.

Lisa looked resigned. "We need to tell Felix about us."

I sighed. "He's in North Carolina."

"I meant when he gets back."

Dread lined my stomach like lead, weighing me down. "I don't think it's a good idea."

He raised an eyebrow, signaling annoyance. "You think he should hear it from Somi instead?"

"Of course not." I scowled. "How's he going to hear it from her? You told her to stay away."

Her irritation grew. "I did, but—"

"No. We talked about this." The anxiety left over from Somi's interruption lingered and churned, making me feel awful. "We said we'd tell him once we were ready."

Her mood was worse than mine, and for the first time, she directed a gaze at me like I was an insolent little girl. "I know you don't want to, but we can't avoid this."

"I'm not ready."

She sighed. "You're acting like a child—"

The word died on her tongue, but it was too late. Anger and embarrassment welled inside me, rising like a bubbling caldron. "Oh, I'm a child now? I thought you told Somi I was an adult."

"I said you're acting like one. There's a difference."

I tightened my grip on my overnight bag. "I have to go."

She threw her hands up, then set them on her hips. "You know what? Fine. I think that's a good idea."

It wasn't what I expected. Wasn't she supposed to fight me on this? Tell me all the ways I was being wrong? Even though it was what I'd asked for, it felt like she was giving up, and suddenly it was the last thing I wanted.

Her expression softened. "Last night was great, and I don't want to ruin that. She rattled us. Let's cool off for now, and we can talk later. Okay?"

Stunned wasn't a strong enough word for me. She was right. The unannounced guest had set me on edge, and getting some space and a clear head was the best idea. And she was right too about last night. I didn't want the confrontation with Somi to tarnish my time with her any more than she already had.

So, I nodded and agreed with an uneven voice. "Okay."

We'd said we were going to talk about it, but Lisa didn't bring it up that evening when she texted to see how my day was. And she didn't mention it the next night, either. We pretended both the Somi and Felix issues didn't exist. Like they weren't looming over us, and we weren't on borrowed time.

Except Felix made that difficult. During my lunch break, my phone buzzed with a text message.

Felix: I miss you.

I clicked the button on the side of my phone to make the screen go black, wishing it'd take the message out of existence just as quickly. What did he mean, he missed me? I'd been around for months and he didn't care.

I groaned as I realized what was probably going on. He was lonely in North Carolina right now, away from his friends. It was the only reason he'd be thinking of me.

After a long day at the animal hospital, I passed on grabbing dinner with Lilith, needing to go home and take a shower. Not because I was feeling gross from work, but because standing in the tub under a stream of hot water was my safe space to release my emotions.

I loved my job. I wanted with all my heart to be a veterinarian. But some days were incredibly tough, and this morning I'd had to watch a family say goodbye to their beloved German shorthair pointer. I was almost as wrecked as they were but did my best to keep it together.

As the hot water beat down on me, it all came out in a cleansing cry.

And I felt better when my shower was over, but as I wrapped the towel around my body, there was still a craving for release itching inside me.

Jennie: Hey! What are you doing tonight?

I dried my hair while I eagerly waited for her response, and then got dressed in skinny jeans and the t-shirt I'd bought at the Joven concert.

Lisa: Rounds. One more patient and then I'm done.

My mind flashed back to her in the hospital scrubs, and my breath quickened.

Jennie: Are you wearing a white doctor's coat?

Lisa: Yes. Why?

I mustered up the courage to type what I wanted.

Jennie: I just wanted to picture my fantasy right, Dr. Manoban.

Dots blinked across the screen, then disappeared. It twisted my nerves into a tight coil. Was she trying to find the right way to tell me my fantasy of her as my naughty doctor was wrong?

Lisa: Come to the hospital.

"What?" I shrieked, alone in my room where thankfully no one could hear.

Lisa: Park in the lot. We'll go back to my place and you can see the doctor coat in action.

The wave of lust was so strong, it nearly knocked me down. I latched a hand onto the counter to steady myself. As it slowly subsided, I considered the rest of her statement. If I left my car in the hospital parking lot, nosy Somi wouldn't be able to see that Lisa had invited me over.

Jennie: I'll be there in 20.