Page 95 of Time To Learn

19

Laura

With flaming cheeks,I hurry downstairs to get breakfast after having taken a quick shower. Now there’s some distance between Kristian and myself, my mind feels all jumbled and confused. I can’t believe I promised to give him a blowjob later.

It’s like he’s taken control over me already—something I’ve vowed never to allow any man to do again—and it unsettles me. Makes me feel vulnerable.

“Good morning,” Mum calls out softly as I walk into the kitchen.

“Morning,” I mumble as I sit down next to Ailith. She gives me a smile before she turns back to her book—Harry Potter this time—and I can’t help but breathe a small sigh of relief when she doesn’t seem not to notice the way I look. While the swelling of my lips has subsided, they still feel bruised.

Used.

As if I’ve spent the whole night fucking, which Ihave.

Mum places some toast before me and when I sneak a peek at her, I cringe inwardly at her wideeyes.

“Sleep well, Laura?” she asks as the surprise is replaced with suspicion.

“Mm-hmm,” I murmur as I butter my toast. Hoping to distract her, I take a big gulp of coffee, burning my tongue in the process.

“I see,” she murmurs as I do my best to appear normal.

“Ailith, will you help me feed the horses again?” I ask and turn to my daughter.

“Sure, Mummy,” she mumbles, completely absorbed in her book. For once, I wish she wasn’t such a bookworm, but then again, maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe she won’t notice how strange Ilook.

Because I know I definitely look different from usual.

“Eat up, girls,” Mum’s brisk voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Lise is stopping by later to take Daffodil out for the first time, and I need to run some errands before she arrives. Is thatokay?”

I nod, grateful that she isn’t going into Third DegreeMode.

“Sure, no problem.”

“What’s that on your wrist, Mummy?”

I smile as I push up my sleeve and show Ailith my tattoo.

“Wow,” she breathes, awe in her voice, as a wide smile breaks across her face. With shining eyes, she leans into my side. “That’s beautiful. Did Kristian doit?”

At the sound of his name, a cacophony of butterflies starts to swarm in my tummy.

“He did, yes.”

Softly, she traces the words underneath the clear bandage.

“Does it hurt?” Mum asks quietly.

I shrug and glance at her as she sits down on the bench across from us, waving her hand at me. I reach my arm over the table and she gently puts her hands around my wrist, careful not to touch the tattoo.

“Not really,” I shrug. “It stings a little, but nothing I can’t handle. Kristian said that it should stop in a couple ofdays.”

Mum smiles softly and tilts her head at me. I narrow my eyes when I notice the teasing glint inthem.

“Is he joining us for breakfast?”

I pull a frown and take a bite of my toast.