Page 116 of Alphas Like Us

Peoplechange.

I’ve been starting to realizethat.

Just as I go to respond, she adds, “I know that you know that I have aboyfriend.”

“You know?” My brows furrow. Farrow told me what security discussed, and I wanted to wait for Luna to tell meherself.

“Quinn felt guilty and spilled everything he said to SFO,” she explains. “I didn’t care that he said anything…except Ireallydon’t want Mom and Dad to know until me and Andrew are serious,serious.We’re still in that middle phase, youknow?”

I don’t know about middlephases.

I don’t know what the fuck thatmeans.

Farrow nods. “Make sure you’re on the same page with this guy. Middle phases can betricky.”

Luna smiles. “Yeah, Iwill.”

I glance at Farrow. I’m glad he has experience in this and can help my sister when I can’t. I don’t know…it feels right. Like this is how life is supposed tobe.

“Andrew’s coming over?” I ask Luna. “Or is he alreadyhere?”

“He’s coming here in a bit.” She bobs her head. “So?Condom?”

I adjust my sling on my bare chest, the material cutting into my shoulder. “Didn’t Mom take you to get birthcontrol?”

“I want to be extra prepared.” She looks between us. “I don’t want another scare,okay?”

Farrow nods. “Fair enough.” He tips his head to me. “We don’t have any condoms that this guy can use.” That realization dawns on me,too.

Luna scrunches her brows. “Whynot?”

“JANE!” I call down thestairwell.

Farrow taps the doorframe, considering withholding the truth, but he tells her honestly, “The probability that this guy is the same size as us is low. And you’re not going to want the condom to slipoff.”

“Aren’t there just three condom sizes?” Luna asks, and as Jane ascends the stairs in a purple tutu and knit sweater, cupping a mug of coffee, my sister repeats the question, “Jane, aren’t there just three condomsizes?”

Janie smiles brightly at me like I’m dealing with the most curious, intriguing familial dilemma that’s occurred in the past 24 hours. We would both prefer a condom crisis over any of our siblings or cousins being emotionally or physicallyhurt.

“Ma soeur a besoin d'un préservatif,” I say to Jane. “Le jour est venu.”My sister needs a condom. The day hascome.

Three stairs below, Jane props her hip on the wall. “Ils grandissent si vite.”They grow up sofast.

We’re the oldest of these families, and everyone just seemsyoungto us. I can’t changethat.

Jane answers my sister in a breezy voice. “There’s a great and terrible variety, but the main sizes are small, regular, and large. How can I help…?” She trails off, smile fading at Luna’s odd appearance. But Jane tries not to draw attention toit.

Luna steps down a stair. “I needone.”

“More than one,” I tell Jane. “Her boyfriend is comingover.”

“I have every size,” Jane notes, sipping her coffee. “I’ll give you all ofthem.”

All of them?I know why, and my face falls. “Janie.”

“Cobalt,” Farrow says with the same toughconcern.

This is about Nate, the Asshole With Benefits that stalked me for a while. He wanted to hurt me, and he ended up mostly hurting my best friend…and my boyfriend, who can’t shake that night. And even Thatcher Moretti, whose guiltlingers.