Page 127 of Time To Learn

I turn to grab my wine glass and take a long sip before I rest back on my arms, crossing my feet. I look up at her from underneath my lashes.

“His cock is pierced.”

“Shut. Up!”

“So is his tongue…and his left nipple!”

“Oh, my God!” she shouts, making me double over, overcome with laughter.

“Shh, don’t wake up the house,” I admonish her between hiccups.

“Wow,” she whisper-hisses, “and I thought Alex was hot as sin, but it doesn’t seem like he can hold a candle to Kristian.”

As his story about Rose enters my mind, sadness for Kristian and his family tear the amusementaway.

“There’s a lot more to him than that,” I whisper, staring intently into my friend’s eyes. As I watch her gaze soften, I wet my lips. “He’s patient, and kind…funny and sweet. It’s like he’s the whole package, Trish. It’s like meeting him has woken me up from the longest, haziest dream. Whereas I used to dream in black and white, I dream in colours again.”

“Oh, sweetie…”

“But,” I sit up straighter, “that’s kind of how I felt with James in the beginning, Trish. It’s not the same, not exactly, but close. I know that Kristian will never hurt me or Ailith, I do. But at the same time, the strength of my feelings towards him scares the crap out ofme.”

“Opening up your heart after years of hurt is scary,” Trish sighs.

Her quiet voice grabs my attention.

“That doesn’t mean it won’t be worth it in the end, though.”

I nod at her common sense.

“I know. But everything is moving so fast between us. I think that’s what worries me themost.”

“Do you think it’s going too fast betweenyou?”

DoI?

“No,” I whisper and run a hand over my face. “Not when we’re together. It’s just that, when we’re not, my sensibilities return, and I start to second guess everything.”

“Hmm…”

I frown at her as she picks up her phone.

“What does that hmm mean?” I ask her suspiciously as she swipes the screen.

“Oh, nothing,” she mutters, avoiding my gaze. “I’m just going to Google famous couples who’re still going at it years later, even though they married after having had a whirlwind of a romance.”

“Trish!” I snap. “You can’t compare me and Kristian to any ofthem.”

Her playful wink makes me shake my head in frustration.

“Maybe not, but it can’t hurt, canit?”

Groaning, I rub my eyes, pressing my palms into my eye sockets.

“I’m just teasing you, babe.”

Sighing, I nod, still hiding fromher.

“Laura?”