I cleaned up after Kai left and changed into something that didn’t smell like him. The ache between my legs had eased, but it hadn’t disappeared. Every time I moved I still felt where he’d been, and the thought that kept sliding back in was worse than the soreness. I’d been thinking about Julian the entire time. Not once. The whole time. I told myself f*****g Kai would take the edge off whatever this was. It hadn’t. If anything, it made the want sharper. I kept checking my phone. Julian usually got home after nine. By ten he still hadn’t come to my room. I waited until my eyes burned, then gave up and lay down. Sleep came eventually. Disappointment stayed.
The next morning I dressed for class and went downstairs. My mother was already gone. Julian wasn’t in the kitchen or the dining room.
