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That was not what I’d expected.

Well, I’d expected a rambling monologue at some point. Those were Sergio’s preferred method of communication. I hadn’t expected the content of it.

“Um.” I cleared my throat.

It felt raspier than usual, all of a sudden.

“Oh, and I’m not planning to get in the middle of Jaime and you? Same as I never planned to out you back when I saw you were a member at Plumas? Because I’m not an asshole?” Sergio cocked his head to the side. “Just saying, but everyone assuming I am is getting kind of tiring.”

Who did he mean by everyone? Well, I didn’t know that it mattered. I heard what he was saying, and I had definitely thought he would out me, back when I caught sight of him at the club. Hell, I’d even subtly asked Erika about his vetting process back then. I still wondered how she hadn’t connected the dots—or why she hadn’t mentioned it in any of hertalkswith me since everything came to light.

There were so many things about this group I didn’t understand yet, no matter how much I thought I did just from watching the way they gelled together.

“You’re right. Assumptions are a bitch.”

If it came out more loaded than intended? I shrugged it off. I definitely didn’t avoid Abel’s piercing glance from his spot holding his boy.

“Good.” Sergio nodded emphatically. “Oh, I guess I was an asshole to Jen and Marga, even though Daddy and everyone else keeps saying it was a trauma response or whatever. But, uh, I am sorry about that. I apologized to them, too, but… Yeah. I was mean to them.”

I hummed. Truth be told, I didn’t hear about what went down that day from the two girls. I read about it later in the group chats we had for Plumas, and by then, Marga and Jen had already told me they were out of the contract and any other dynamics we had. It had been a blur of a visit. I hadn’t had a lot of spoons around that time to worry, put up a fight, or wonder about anything else other than what the next step in my life was going to look like.

At that point in time, I wasn’t sure how my place in the university was going to hold. I didn’t know how or when my family was going to retaliate. I remembered I kept closing my eyes and imagining an earthquake between my feet, making me lose my footing as a crack opened up in the earth and swallowed me whole.

So, I remembered reading about the fight between Sergio and the two girls, and the LEGO incident that ended up with an ER visit and Sergio wearing an eye patch for a few days. That was it.

If I had actually been together with Marga and Jen, I would’ve appreciated Sergio coming to me to talk about it. I repeated the thought to myself until I could bring myself back to the present, to the two men now staring at me as if I’d grown a second head. Or as if I was about to lose it in front of them.

I would love to say the former was likelier.

I wasn’t so sure.

“It’s okay. I was glad to see your eye healed just fine.”

I grimaced. That was probably the most awkward response I’d given him.

The two of them felt it, too. Abel had a better poker face than Sergio did, but it wasn’t perfect. And this was painful.

“Why are you holding a workshop on spanking, anyway?” Sergio sputtered. It shocked both Abel and me. “I mean, no offense to you D-types, and Daddy, this is not an opening! But what’s so hard about spanking you all need a class on it?”

I widened my eyes. Abel coughed behind his fist to hide a spurt of laughter.

“Next time we get a newbie Domm, ask them to spank you.” I raised an eyebrow. “That’ll give you your answer.”

Sergio scrunched up his nose. “You’re dreaming if you think I’m going to willingly ask someone to spank me. It’s called survival skills.”

Abel kept with his coughing stint. “You have some of those now, little bird?”

I shook my head. “I’m going to take this as my cue to leave.”

I’d been shaken enough for one day, and I hadn’t landed on solid ground quite yet.

Jaime wasn’t going to fix it, but I shot off a text to him anyway before I started my car.

Tony

I haven’t received any drafted emails yet, pup. Should I be worried?

The answer came right away, before I could drop my phone on the center console.