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"Much."

"I'm glad you told me, Samirah. It's not easy living with it alone."

"It's not." She let out a soft breath against my lips. "What happened to the people who hurt you?"

"All four of them went to jail. I testified in court when I was thirteen." I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart. "Everyone in my life knew. They still do. Sometimes I hate it because they all look at me like a fragile victim. I mean, sometimes I'm fragile, but not like they assume."

"Marita never treated me that way." She smiled at the mention of her friend. "She taught me yoga and meditation. Reiki and Tai Chi. I always appreciated that. She's a midwife, too."

"Are you still friends?"

"We are. She got her girl, though. The one she was in love with for like a decade. They're together now." Samirah's expression lifted with the declaration. "Endings like that are much better than the movies."

"Oh yeah." I smiled when some of the light returned to her eyes. "Definitely."

"You know what else is better than movies?"

"What?"

"You." She poked my nose and winked at me.

I smiled and traced her lips with my finger. "Right back at you."

"You know, if I knew that crying would get you in my lap faster, I would've cried sooner," she teased and I laughed.

"Very interesting way to reframe this whole situation. Good thing I like your lap."

"It likes you, too." She ran her hands up and down my sides, though a wave of fatigue seemed to hit her after her disclosure. "I don't want you going home alone tonight. Will you stay here? It's late."

I bit my bottom lip then took a deep breath. "I'll stay. Sometimes I have nightmares. Since Rebecca took me in, I've only ever slept at her house or home. Nowhere else."

"Sometimes I have nightmares, too. We'll be good company when neither of us can sleep," she said, stroking my cheek with her knuckles again. "Working long hours used to be something I looked forward to because then I would pass out so easily after."

"Understandable." I ran my fingers through her hair again. "Maybe we can watch a funny movie before bed to settle us down, because my heart is still pounding."

"I'm game for that. Can I still cuddle you?" A smile curved her mouth and I nodded right away.

"Yes. Can I kiss you?" I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip and she kissed it.

"Yes, Rosie. You can always kiss me."

I closed the distance between us and captured her in a delicate kiss. Her hands gathered between my breasts and I caressed the length of her forearms. Unlike our previously impassioned kisses, this one carried an air of comfort, soothing my tortured insides while relaxing her shoulders.

We shifted our positions after parting, and ended up lying on the sofa together. Samirah spooned me from behind while we chose a comedy about zombies to relax us into rest. With the blanket pulled to our shoulders, I wasn't sure if either of us would sleep, but at the very least, we would continue to share unexpected company.