Page 120 of Twisted Ties

“Not exactly.”

“Then why would he be so nice?”

“Because,” I say, swinging my legs and nibbling on my lips. I’ve been such a private person for such a long time, mainly because I only really had Pip to confide in – as much as I loved my aunt, my boy fantasies were not something I wanted to tell her about. It’s hard to break a habit of a lifetime and open up to people now. But I made a vow. No more secrets from Winnie. So I’m going to confess. Even though she’ll think I’m some sort of hussy. “We were getting it on this morning. And when I say we …”

“Yes?” Winnie says, mouth falling open in surprise.

“I mean me, the man in black and the professor.”

“All three of you!” she shrieks.

I gulp. “Yes.”

“Wh-what? … I mean, seriously? … I mean, how?” She shuffles back her chair so she can get a better look at me.

“Me and the man in black, we talked last night. And he told me what he knows about my mom.”

“Uh uh, hang on, as interested as I am in your mom, back up to the threesome bit, please.”

“I’m getting there. Just wait. He doesn’t know as much as I hoped.”

“You think that’s the truth?”

I nod. “So I decided I wanted to open those memories in my mind.”

“Wow, Rhi.”

“Yeah,” I swallow. “We went to see Stone this morning–”

“And somehow you ended up sleeping with them both.”

“I didn’t technically sleep with them both. It didn’t get that far. Stone opened those memories and …” I shudder really hard, so hard the table shakes underneath me. Winnie reaches out to squeeze my hand.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry.”

“He was comforting me, dragging me back, away from the nightmares and then … then one thing led to another, and maybe I would have slept with them both, but things kind of got interrupted by the principal.”

“What the …?! The principal walked in on you having a threesome? How are you not expelled?”

“She didn’t catch us. But that’s why Stone was forced to cover for me.”

“And your mate was happy with all this? Happy to share you in a threesome? Because the way that man looks at you sometimes – sort of all dark and possessive like–”

“He does not!”

“Erm, yes, he does Rhi. He gives off massive,” she lowers her voice, making it all gruff, “she’s-mine-don’t-touch-her vibes.”

“He didn’t have a problem with it. He was … into it.”

Winnie whistles. “Wow. Virgin to threesomes in record speed, Rhi.”

“I know, is it awful?” I lift my hands to my cheeks. “Am I awful?”

“No, no. If it’s what you wanted. If no one was forcing you, or coercing you. If it was your choice–”

“It was. I totally initiated it.”

Winnie grins. “Can I be you when I grow up please, Rhi?”