Page 55 of My Turn

The shower took longer than I expected. I had to hype myself up every step of the way. When I was finished, I carefully put on a pair of yoga pants with soft underwear. It was great how sensitive the clit was until a thousand needle pricks fucked it all up. I’d already looked up if it could cause permanent damage, which was unlikely according to Reddit. Some people actually did this willingly. Psychopaths.

The good thing was that it was like tattooing inside your mouth. It would fade a lot faster than a regular tattoo. Maybe it would hardly be noticeable someday. I couldn’t imagine the humiliation when I started dating again.

I didn’t even want to think about that. The idea of sleeping with someone made me nauseous.

I found Jayce lying on the couch with an arm behind his neck. His eyes were closed, but when he heard me, he tipped his head back to look at me.

“You look alive again.”

“Thanks,” I muttered. I grabbed my keys off the counter, then looked at the empty sink. “I thought you were going to have milk.”

“Didn’t want to ruin my appetite. Are you ready?”

“Sure, let’s go.” I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stomach food, but I would try. Even though I couldn’t stand the thought of him knowing what had happened to me, Jayce was a comfort that I needed but had been too proud to seek out.

“Do you love him?”

I shuddered when the question came back to me inhisvoice. That accent had become the stuff of my nightmares.

*****

After a few pieces of sushi, I started to feel queasy. I drank my water slowly, hoping it would help. It didn’t because I was so focused on the pain in my crotch that I was nauseous.

Erebus branded me and the longer I dealt with this, the angrier I was about it.

Jayce put back so much sushi, I didn’t understand how he hadn’t burst at the seams. He was a big guy, but it still seemed excessive.

I stared at him, taking in his broad shoulders and tall frame. I had no idea what his gym schedule was, but maybe I should. He was clearly doing something right. With his jacket off, I had a view of his biceps, which bulged against the sleeves of his t-shirt. He had tattoos that came down to his elbows, leaving his forearms bare, and even though I was familiar with them, I’d never taken much time to study them.

How were his forearms muscular? Even his hands looked strong enough to crack a bitch’s neck.

An uncomfortable feeling settled in my gut. Jayce wouldn’t hurt me, but the fact that he could wasn’t sitting well with me right now. Erebus had a similar build and he carried me like a ragdoll. Turning to look around the restaurant, I found another man around the same size. For all I knew, it could be him. Maybe he was hiding in plain sight, blending in with the world, and I was just sitting here eating sushi.

I looked at Jayce again, who was now on his phone.

“What are you doing?”

He turned it around, showing me a picture. It was me, looking lost in thought. I frowned.

“Don’t take pictures of me.”

“Why not?”

My phone vibrated. Since Jayce was right here, there were only a few people it could be. With a deep breath, I pulled it out.

Erebus:Are you taking care of my pussy?

Alana:Fuck off.

Erebus:Careful. I have no issue coming over and tearing it to shreds. Letting you heal was me being generous.

I sucked in a breath, drawing Jayce’s attention. “You okay?”

“Yup.”

Erebus:Do we have a date or are you going to be a good girl for me?

Alana:I’m not a dog.