Hasley’s heart hammered as she waited, curled up on her bed in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. The toy was still lodged inside her, creating a painful, embarrassing pressure that refused to ease no matter how carefully she tried to remove it. Tears of frustration and shame pricked her eyes. How had a simple moment of self-relief after that incredible date turned into this disaster?
A knock sounded at her door twenty minutes later. She limped over, wrapping a robe around herself tightly before opening it.
Markus stood there in sweatpants and a plain tee, his hair slightly messy from rushing over. His expression shifted from concern to focused calm the moment he saw her pale face. “Hey, it’s okay. Tell me what’s going on.”
She couldn’t meet his eyes at first, voice barely above a whispe
