“I called him a hack.”
“That’s good,” Toni said. “Use your words, you always tell me.”
“Itwasgood. It felt great, actually. I finally got to say my piece. And then...” My smile spread. “I threw wine in his face and dumped food in his lap.”
Toni whooped.
“My warrior princess,” Reeti said.
“Very badass,” Toni said.
“Thanks.”
“I thought maybe Tim was going to challenge him to pistols at dawn or something.”
“No. But he was...”There. Trusting me to do the right thing.“Waiting in the bar the whole time,” I said lamely. “And then he brought me home.”
“Proving chivalry is not dead,” Reeti murmured.
My face flamed.
Toni glanced from her to me. “What? What am I missing?”
Reeti studied her perfect manicure. “It’s not for me to say.”
“He... I... Um...” I said.
It’s not as though I’d never talked to Toni about sex before. Aunt Em’s idea of preparing me for puberty was to buy a box of maxi pads and another of junior tampons and stand outside the bathroom door while I read the instructions. Our school’s health class was a series of PSAs about the dangers of smoking, drinking, drugs, or sex of any kind. I didn’t want that for my little sister. I was determined that Toni grow up able to make informed decisions about her body and her choices.
But answering her questions was different from sharing the details of my own life.
I cleared my throat. “You know Tim and I have been friends for a while.”
My sister’s eyes danced. “Is this thewhen two people like each other very muchspeech? Because we’ve already done that.”
Reeti laughed.
“I just want you to know you can always talk to me,” I said earnestly. “About anything.”
“So you’ve said. No fear. No judgment.” She cocked her head. “You also told me I shouldn’t be with anyone who wasn’t respectful, responsible, and kind.”
“I said that?”
“You did. Good advice, right?” She got up from the couch and kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to bed now. Good night.”
I sat, stunned, as the door to our room closed behind her.
“Your little sister is growing up,” Reeti observed.
“I guess she is.”
“And Tim.” Reeti flashed a wicked smile. “Was he respectful?”
I pressed my hands to my hot cheeks, remembering him kneeling above me in the dark. His hands. His mouth. His eyes. “He was...”Everything. “Really, really great.”
“Good for him. And good for you.”
“You don’t think it’s too soon?”
