My fists clenched at my sides. Here she was, still trying to make me fit the mould she had set out for me. My first instinct was to scream, and slap her, and tell her to fuck off out of my apartment and out of my life. But meeting her fury with more of mine, that was only going to give her ammunition. I inhaled deeply, trying to find some calm.
Don’t let her walk all over you. But keep your cool while you do it.
“I’m bisexual, Rumi—I made that clear to you from the start. If I fuck men, it’s because I enjoy it, not because I’m pandering to their fetishes. And I was always upfront that I wasn’t looking for anything serious. I don’t know about you, but I would call marriage a fairly serious relationship.”
Rumi’s cheeks flamed. “To help you stay in Australia and away from your toxic fucking family! I wastryingto be supportive of your need to stay here. But no,you’drather lurk under the radar and turn into a porn star to support yourself!”
“Rumi, we are over. You told me we were over if I wouldn’t commit to you. I told you I wasn’t interested in a commitment. What I’m doing with my life now is none of your goddamned business!”
I reached out to grab the edge of the door, ready to herd her outside and close it in her face. “And I’m not a porn star. I’m an adult content creator.”
“Same fucking difference, Irina!”
Kat’s door flew open, distracting both of us.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Rumi,” Kat said, coming out to stand in the hallway beside me. The squeeze of her fingers against mine was all the support I needed. Rumi glared at our joined hands, face twisting.
“Careful, Kat,” she muttered. “She might have a disease, the way she’s been sleeping around the last few weeks.”
And that was the limit of my Rumi-bullshit tolerance.
“Get out,” I hissed. “You’re not welcome here anymore.”
Rumi eyed Kat with that bad-smell-under-her-nose expression before she turned and stormed out the door, slamming it so hard the bowl of keys on the side table tipped over the edge and shattered on the floor.
“You still up?” Kat asked tentatively through my door.
“Yep!” I called out, eyes fixed on my phone where I was editing the post I’d just made of cleaning my clit piercing. “Come in.”
The door opened, and the bed moved. “Whatcha doing?” she asked.
“Just putting the finishing touches on my clit-piercing care one-oh-one post. Want a sneak peak?” There was so much relief in not having to hide the Tickle stuff from Kat now. Rumi running her mouth off in front of Kat was a blessing in disguise. One less thing to keep from her made all the other secrets feel a little more manageable.
Kat giggled, covering her eyes. “I love you, Ri, and our chat over dinner about this new venture of yours was fascinating … but I really don’t need a front-row seat to your freshly stabbed ladybits.”
I shrugged, saving the post to my drafts and tossing my phone aside. “Your loss—it’s for followers only, so you’re missing out on a free glimpse at exclusive paid content.”
“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” Kat asked. I rolled onto my side, meeting her eyes.
“I think I feel more sexually liberated doing this than I have anything else I’ve done with other people. Plus”—I waggled my brows. “It’s hot to know you’re being watched, even if it’s through a phone screen.”
“But … aren’t you worried that someone back home is going to see? I mean, you’re clearly popular, isn’t it a risk?”
I swallowed. “Everything in life is a risk, Kat,” I explained, aiming for a breezy tone. She saw right through me and cocked a disbelieving eyebrow.
I sighed. “The app allows creators to choose which regions their posts appear in. I’ve locked out Romania … and a couple of the surrounding countries, too. My family does a lot of their … business just across the Romanian border.” I forced my face to remain impassive, and thankfully this time Kat bought it.
“Okay … I mean, if you feel like you’ve got this under control, then I’m not going to harass you about it.”
I made a snorting sound, and Kat shrugged. “Well, not more than I already have, anyway.”
“I love you for worrying about me,” I admitted. “I just … I need this.”
I did need it. I needed it as a reminder that I was in charge of my life, and my future. I could do this. I could keep myself afloat until I worked out a more permanent solution. One that meant I never had to go back there.
“How long do you think you have before they start wondering why you haven’t returned home?” Kat asked.
“I’ll worry about that when …ifit happens.” I hoped I was convincing her, because I wasn’t convincing myself
