I turned my head slowly. "June!"
She just grinned. "I'm asking for science."
I laughed, breath catching a little in my chest. "Alright, fine. It was… intense. I was nervous. Scared, even. But Dom was… gentle. Patient. Like, really patient."
"Good," she said quietly. "He better be or else, I'll break his perfect teeth."
"I know you would." I laughed.
"Okay, but seriously, if he breaks your heart, I will kill him."
"That's why I have you, juney."
She leaned her head gently against my shoulder. "I'm really proud of you, Ash. For letting someone care about you. For not pushing it away this time."
Her words hit something in my chest. That old ache I always tried to keep buried….the part of me that thought I didn't deserve softness. Or being seen.
"Thanks, June," I whispered.
She nudged me again. "Also… if you ever have your first actual sex and don't tell me again, I'm changing my best friend application status to 'pending.'"
I groaned. "I already told you!"
