Jasmine's head snapped back to me, eyebrows rising like they'd just received revelations from the heavens. Her gaze dipped—just a flicker—to my crotch, then snapped back up, cheeks warming. "Yeah, we're going to have a very long conversation about… several things. Including how you suddenly have money. Linda's been giving me cliff-notes and none of them answer anything."
"Later," I said. "Right now, just… be here."
Linda stepped into the cluster, and Jasmine reeled her in without hesitation. For a moment, it was just us: the four-person nucleus that had survived everything, with Linda as the quiet gravitational pull keeping us from unraveling.
Scents curled together—vanilla, floral softness, milk-warmth, a hint of tension that felt almost electric.
"Thank you for coming," Linda whispered. "I know you're busy. But I needed you here tonight."
