Page 74 of Never Stop

I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to know details.”

Baileetsked. “Come on, Brooke.”

“All right,” I snapped. “Tell me the difference.” At least I was finally getting a say in something. Granted, it was only a cock ring.

“This nude-pink colored one with the small vibrator on top auto cycles through nine pulse stages. It lasts up to eighty minutes.”

“Oh wow,” I breathed.

“This darker pink one,” Bailee held up another one, “has dual rings. The larger ring loops around the balls, offering stimulation and constricting some blood flow, causing his erection to stay harder longer. The smaller ring fits over the base of the penis, also making it stay harder. The smaller ring has a crown of soft nubs to stimulate your vagina, and the clit bumper rests on the top of the ring. With each thrust during lovemaking, the clit bumper creates clitoral stimulation with contact and even softer nubs.”

“How—”

“She’s reading the back of the package,” Tonia stated with a laugh.

“Oh, thank God. I was starting to think my sister paid her way through college by selling herself.”

Bailee slapped my arm. “Shut up!”

I smiled. “Let’s just take number two. The other ones scare me.” I looked to some still in their hands that had anal probes and some with remotes.Baby steps.Next, they picked out nipple clamps that looked like car jumper cables and we left.

“What’d you buy from this one?” Uzzi asked after punching in directions to the next place. I snorted at how invested he was in our adventure.

“A vibrating cock ring and nipple clamps,” Bailee answered as if it was no big deal.

Uzzi looked at me through the rearview mirror and smiled. I smiled back and then turned my gaze out to the falling snow. A silence fell over the car, and I finally asked the question that had been nagging me all night. “Not to put a damper on our night, but why didn’t you visit me in the hospital?” I asked, turning toward Tonia who was sitting next to me. Tonia and I had met in school, but she’d moved to take a job after we graduated. We rarely hung out anymore, but it still hurt.

Her lips formed a thin line as she sighed. “Because I’m an asshole.”

I swallowed and gave her a grim look, wanting her to explain better.

“I didn’t know how serious it was,” she continued, “and I went about my day as if you weren’t in the hospital.”

“I was there a week,” I stated. “It wasn’t a day. And I get that you weren’t living in Boston, but it still hurt that you couldn’t drive a few hours to see me. It’s not every day I have a tumor removed.”

She grabbed my hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I know. I’m sorry. There’s not much I can say to make this better. I was a selfish asshole, and it won’t happen again.”

I smiled tightly. “Okay.”

“Can you forgive me?”

I sighed again. “Yeah.”

People made mistakes, and it wasn’t as if I were alone in the hospital. I had people who cared. Everyone had their reasons, and when asked for forgiveness, I just had to forgive. I might not forget, but I can forgive.

“I guess at my wedding you can finally meet Easton.”

She smiled. “I can’t wait.”

Minutes later we were walking into the third store. “Now let’s get the anal stuff,” Bailee instructed, taking control again.

My ass clenched just thinking about it. “I’ll leave you two to that.”

I walked around the store like I’d done the previous two times, looking at all the various toys, when my cell phone chimed with a text. I pulled out my phone from my purse and noticed it was from Easton.

Easton:Having fun?

I smiled as I texted him back.