They both turned to me with identical smirks as I appr
oached.
“Sleep well?” Courtney said, pulling her headphones off and leaving them to rest around her neck. She wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t contain the blush that spread across my face. “Yes, thank you.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “What are we having for dinner?”
“Chicken,” Bella said. “Vegetables. Some pumpkin soup.” She sat down a bowl for us and I couldn’t help but lean closer, allowing the sweet scent to overcome my nostrils.
Simple, and probably, mostly homemade.
I moaned. “Sounds delicious,” I said. My stomach rumbled. I was hungrier than I anticipated. “Thank you.”
They joined me at the table and we began eating.
I concentrated on my soup but could feel the interested gazes from my sisters boring into me.
Eventually, I looked up. “What?”
Bella glanced down at her meal, but Courtney kept my gaze on me. “So? How was it?”
“How was, what?” What had they heard? What had they assumed had happened?
“You and the Fae...” Courtney let her voice trail off.
I opened my eyes wider and lifted my eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“You had sex. Right?”
I nearly choked on the soup and started to cough. The soup went down the wrong tube and it took me another moment before I was able to catch my breath. I waved my hands in the air. “No, no. Not at all.”
Well....
“What was with all the moaning and stuff coming from your room before, then? And you’ve been with him in other realms, so surely you’ve...”
I shook my head. “No. Well... look.” I had to be honest with them. Our mother had told us so little, and surely they were owed some details. “We kissed a couple of times before today, but nothing else.”
“And today?” Bella asked quietly and my gaze moved over to her.
She wanted to know as well? She didn’t seem as eager as Courtney. If anything, she appeared curious, like she wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
“Today he...” How could I say this? “He did some things to me, but didn’t take his pants off.”
“What!” Courtney said, practically spitting the word across the table. “You had that man in your bed and you let him leave his clothes on?” She shook her head as though greatly disappointed in me.
I laughed. I couldn’t do anything else. “I didn’t exactly have a choice,” I said, trying to defend myself. “He’s the experienced one. I just followed along with what he wanted to do.”
They both stopped talking and a strangely comfortable silence settled over the table.
I ate my soup and picked at the chicken, amazingly tired despite the great nap I’d had before. My body was ready for more sleep.
I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a yawn.
“I can’t believe how tired I am still,” I said.
Bella smiled at me. “Well, you’re home now,” she said. I was glad she didn’t make any jokes the way Courtney had. As much as I loved my sisters talking to me, I didn’t want to keep going over the same thing, especially when I didn’t know when Tavlor was going to come back. “You’re safe. Your body probably needs the rest.”
I nodded. “Speaking of that. Did Tavlor say anything when he left?”