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“Tribbing,” Ainsley answered, still out of breath.

“And why haven’t we done that before?” Rachel pressed. “Fuck, that was amazing!”

Ainsley laughed.

“You don’t expect me to pull out all the tricks right away, do you?”

“Fuck, I love you,” Rachel exclaimed.

Again Ainsley laughed. She rolled onto her side to face Rachel.

“I thought we agreed: no saying ‘I love you’ directly after sex. It can’t be trusted then.”

This was true.

They had first said the words the night of the book release party, after returning to Rachel’s house.

The night had been a success. Ainsley had been a hit, charming Rachel’s friends and even making an extra special effort to win Amy over by coming up with a great topic for her podcast, Lesbeing.

“Chapter 25 fails…” Amy had said, clearly intrigued.

“Sure,” Ainsley had said. “There’s already a Twitter hashtag for it. You get some women to appear on your show who are willing to talk about completely boffing it when trying to recreate the sex in Chapter 25. It could be hilarious.”

“You’re right!” Amy had uttered. “Fuck, I love it!” She had then looked at Rachel. “You can be on the episode!”

But Rachel had stuck out her tongue.

“Yeah, I’m thinking…no! Find some other lesbians who are willing to embarrass themselves.”

Later, when they had returned to Rachel’s house, Rachel couldn’t hold it in any longer. If Ainsley didn’t say it back because she wasn’t there yet, Rachel wasn’t going to mind. She needed to let Ainsley know that she herself was there and would remain there.

So, as soon as they walked in the house, Rachel had taken hold of Ainsley’s hand and turned her so they were facing each other.

“Baby, you need to know something,” Rachel had begun. “I have fallen in love with you. Deeply.” She had taken a fortifying breath, then, deciding to go for broke. “I don’t want to imagine my life without you, Ainsley. I mean it, I truly do love you.”

And then Rachel learned that there was no doubt Ainsley was in the same place.

After Ainsley pulled Rachel in for a kiss, she then said, “I love you too, Rach. I always knew I would.”

In bed that night, right after having sex, Rachel, breathless, had said, “Just never say it during or after sex.”

“Say what?” Ainsley interrogated.

“I love you,” Rachel answered. “It’s something men like to do and it never means anything.”

Ainsley had laughed.

“Trust me, women are known to do the same thing,” she told Rachel. “Fine. No saying ‘I love you’ during or after sex.”

“Deal.”

“But I have one question,” Ainsley had stated. “How long after sex do I have to wait to tell you how much I love you? Because I’m kind of sleepy now and want to say it before I pass out.”

***

Now, Rachel also rolled onto her side to better face Ainsley.

“Do you not trust that I meant it?” she asked.