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current, jolting her so hard that all the muscles in her body

started to th

rob. She wanted to touch herself, bring herself

relief, but she didn’t.

Cassia studied her warily, pupils still blown. She looked

shaky and off balance and so, so incredibly beautiful.

Adalynn hated that she had to be the one to break her when

all she wanted to do was take her in her arms and protect her.

Give her the opportunities she herself had been given. Share

some of the peace she’d found, or that she would find because

she’d carve it out for herself.

“You should probably go,” she said gently, trying to ease the

sting.

She stood, found Cassia’s panties, and handed them back to

her gently. Cassia slipped them on mutely, tugging down her

skirt, smoothing wrinkles in her emerald blouse that wouldn’t

be smoothed.

“Why?” she finally asked, but she winced, and it was

apparent she wanted to go with dignity.

“I’m not doing this to be cruel.”

Adalynn walked over to the small desk. She snatched the

notepad and pen up and scrawled her number on the piece of

paper before she tore it off and crumbled it in her damp palm.

She passed it over to Cassia, who took it with a trembling

hand. Her lips were trembling too, and her eyes were now full

of unshed moisture.

“We both know I can’t be with you, and you deserve

someone who can. Someone you can fall in love with. You

deserve someone to share your life with. Your first time should

be with them.”