“Don’t tell him!”

“I’m not,” she yelled back, and then she heard a door close. “No way! I thought y’all were gonna talk.”

“We did. And then I took my dress off.”

“You what?”

“I know!” she cried, covering her face as it burned. “I don’t know what got into me. I just wanted him and I’ve always wanted him and it just happened because I kinda put it all out there.”

“Mekena Preston, I’m flabbergasted!”

“I am too!” she said, letting her head fall back as she sat on the toilet. “It just felt right. I mean, we talked, he apologized for not trying to fix it, and then I apologized for just running. Then he held my hand and I said I wanted to hug him, and I think I said kiss me…? I don’t know. And he did and I took my dress off, and he was like ‘You’re sure?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah.’ Then we started making out and he carried me to the bedroom and we did it. And he realized I was still a virgin, and he was so sweet, Avery, like so damn sweet. And Jesus, he is hung and it hurt, but then it was perfect even though I bled everywhere. And he turned into this adorable little needy guy asking if I’d come back after I shower, and I ran out of there after promising I would and tripped over the fucking cat, and now I’m sitting here rambling to you that it happened. Oh my God, I had sex.”

“Whoa.”

“I know. I had sex.”

“See, if this wasn’t so serious, I would sing, ‘and it felt so good.’” And then Avery did go ahead and sing the popular SNL skit that featured Justin Timberlake. “Sorry, I had to. I mean, it was the perfect opening. But, oh my God! I can’t believe this.”

“I can’t either,” she gushed, covering her mouth. “I did it.”

“You did.”

“And it was perfect, except for the blood thing. That’s disgusting.”

“Eh, it happens. You wouldn’t believe how much I bled. It was gross.”

“Ew, stop talking about it.”

“You brought it up!”

“I know, but still,” Mekena cried, shaking her head. She really needed to get in the shower, but something was holding her back. She covered her face as she leaned on her knee. “Did I do the right thing?”

Avery didn’t answer right away. But then she asked, “The right thing?”

“I mean, am I moving too fast?”

“Does it feel like you are?”

“No, it feels right.”

“Then you’re good, bestie. You do you.”

“I know, but like, crap, Avery, I love him, and I didn’t want to wait anymore.”

“Well, you didn’t. You did it.”

“But we are both in different stages of our lives. Both trying to find our way.”

“Well, this is true, but maybe you guys can do that together?”

“What if he doesn’t want to?”

“I think that’s something you two need to figure out.”

Swallowing hard, Mekena leaned back, holding her breasts in her hands as she looked up at the ceiling. Her eyes started to fill with tears as she exhaled slowly. “I’m scared, Avery. Like really scared.”

Avery laughed softly. “I mean, in the end, if it doesn’t work out, are you glad you did it with him?”

“Yes,” she said automatically. “I don’t want it with anyone else.”

“Then you’re good.”

“But why am I so scared?”

“Because that’s love, Kennie. It’s a whirlwind and you have had so much happen already, so it’s bound to be a little scary.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mekena agreed as she exhaled before inhaling even deeper. “But something tells me I’m going to love that guy for the rest of my life.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

“Am I insane?”

Avery laughed once more. “Aren’t we all? I mean, come on, we’re all young and in love. All we can do is pray to God it works in our favor and we continue to be happy.”

“He makes me happy. I’m just scared of the future. He says he’s going to therapy. What if he gets in there and realizes he hates me?”

“Mekena, come on, that won’t happen.”

“Avery! My sister tried to rape him,” she said, and the tears started to fall.

“Yes, but you didn’t, and he has always cared for you. I think you doubt what could be really good. Just go with it.”

“I can’t deal with another heartbreak.”

“Then don’t. Make it work.”

Wiping her face, Mekena smiled. “He said we can go to therapy together.”

Avery’s voice softened. “See, he’s thinking ahead, and that’s such a Markus thing to say. You know that Ashlyn pooped on him and Dawson puked and he didn’t even care, he went with it.”

“Aw, he’s so sweet.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m so glad y’all found out the truth because it was really bothering me thinking he had done that.”

Mekena’s eyes flooded as she nodded, hating how she had believed what she’d seen, that she believed Skylar when none of it was true. “Me too.”

“And I think that therapy is a good idea. You probably need it.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, wiping another tear away. “Sorry for calling so late.”

“I would have been mad if you hadn’t.”

Smiling, Mekena sat up. “So I’m not crazy?”

“Well, duh, you’re crazy—but not for sleeping with the guy you have loved pretty much your whole adult life.”

Nodding, Mekena stood up. “I love you, Avery.”

“Aw, I love you too, you non-virgin you!”

Laughing, Mekena rolled her eyes. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Setting her phone down, she wiped her face as she looked up to see her naked body staring back at her in the mirror. There were red spots where Markus’s mouth and hands had been. Her breasts seemed perkier, her belly flatter, and her eyes so wide and bright, but that wasn’t what had her breathless. No, it was the fact that she looked and felt like a woman.

A beautiful woman.

All because of Markus Reeves.