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“Noted.”

“And I feel like I should tell you that your moms would be great people to talk to about this.”

Ellie sighed, dropping her shoulders. “I know. I just don’t want to freak them out, you know?”

“I get it.” Softening her smile, Eden put a hand on Ellie’s arm. “I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to talk to me about this.”

“Don’t get all sappy on me now, Mackenzie. I need advice.”

“For Sadie, right?”

“Obviously,” Ellie answered with a laugh.

“Okay, so,” Eden sat up straighter, “have you ever… ya know.”

“No.”

“Okay, so we’re on the beginning course. Got it.”

Ellie wanted to tell Eden never mind, that she didn’t need advice. But the truth was Ellie could either go into sex with Sadie blind, or with a little knowledge at least.

Granted, Ellie knew the anatomy of a woman probably better than anyone her age. Her mama had sat them all down before and explained everything to them, much to Brayden’s horror. But Ellie was thankful that her parents wanted them all to respect their own bodies as well as other people’s. It was also why Ellie was overthinking everything about sex with Sadie.

“I feel like I should get the diagram out of your mama’s office and teach you.”

“I know where everything’s located.”

“Yes, but the woman’s body is like an orchestra.”

“Oh, boy,” Ellie sighed as she leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “Here we go.”

“You have to know how every single part of her works together to reach an orgasm. You have to know how and where to touch her to make her sing. Because it’s different with everyone.”

Ellie leaned onto the table. “How do you know? You’ve only been with Landry inyears.”

Landry Miller was Eden’s not-a-girlfriend girlfriend. They might as well be dating as exclusively as they were with each other. But with Landry playing for a women’s soccer team and Eden working on Broadway in NYC, the two were often literally in different places all the time. Their arrangement seemed to work, however, so Ellie couldn’t judge it too much.

“Hey, I had experience before Landry. And some after. I’m not dating her,” Eden added with unconvincing confidence.

“Mhmm.”

“I’m not.” Eden looked as if she was going to defend herself more, but instead changed the subject. “So, may I ask why the sudden interest in sex with Sadie? Is she pressuring you?”

“No,” she quickly answered, shaking her head. “No. Not at all.”

Eden held up her hands. “Okay, I was just checking. I believe you. Hell,” she snorted a laugh, “after seeing you two at the Cape, I asked Isla if you had been dating Sadie for a while.”

“It wasn’tthatobvious.”

“Baby girl, Stevie Wonder could have seen it.”

Ellie couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her aunt’s comment. “Okay, fair.”

The back door opened as Eden and Ellie turned toward it. Vera came in wearing her scrubs and her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She smiled at them both as she sat her things down on the kitchen counter. Kicking her shoes off by the door, she walked over to the table.

“Hey, babies.” Vera kissed each of them before sitting in the empty chair by Ellie. “What are you two still doing up?”

“We’re discussing the next Mackenzie getting laid.”