first,” Brandy said. “I didn’t see any helmets on it.”
“ No helmet law here,” Ember said.
“ You’re both under twenty-one,” Brandy said. “So there is a helmet law.”
Ember opened her mouth but Crystal hurried to keep her cover . “Oh, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. Uh, I’ve got my bicycle helmet. Will that work?”
Brandy snorted and then twisted her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but maybe. It’s definitely not good enough in my opinion. If you’re going to ride it, you need real helmets. Both of you.”
“ I don’t see how you can make me do that,” Ember grumbled.
“ You’re staying at my house? My rules,” she said. She shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, but you’re a very pretty young girl, and I don’t want to see you in the hospital.”
“ You won’t.”
Crystal got up from the bed and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll get Beth to give us a ride in the morning and we’ll get helmets before we ride again. Right, Ember?”
“ What?” Ember frowned and stared at Crystal a long moment before she sighed. “All right.”
“ Great,” Brandy said. “And it’s getting late. Crissy, I put some blankets downstairs on the couch for you.”
Ember bit off a short laugh, earning a glare from Crystal.
“I’m going to bed. I’ve got to be in early tomorrow. Good night, girls.”
“ Night, Mom,” Crystal said and waited for the door to shut. She turned to a grinning Ember and said, “You do not get to call me Crissy. Ever!”
Chapter 10
“You look nice today. Want any breakfast?” Crystal asked the next morning when Ember came down the stairs, wearing her trademark black skirt with a tight-fitting white top. It took Crystal a moment to recognize it as one of her tops from two years ago.
Ember ’s eyes narrowed and she stopped to sniff and glanced around. “Your mom gone already?”
“ Yeah, she had to be in by six. She’s working a double so she won’t be home until tomorrow morning.”
“ Good.”
Crystal frowned. “Look, I’m sorry about last night, I’m just—what’s wrong with my mom? Are you still pissed about the helmet thing?”
“ Irritated,” Ember admitted, “but that’s not it. You’re ready for him and he’ll know it. He’ll come tonight.”
“ What are you talking about?”
She sniffed again. “His poison sped up your cycle. You’re ready for him.”
“ My cycle? What, you mean my period?”
Ember nodded.
Crystal’s eyes rounded. “Oh my God,” she muttered before rushing upstairs to the bathroom. She dropped her clothing and sat down on the stool. A quick wipe later and she stared at the stained paper. “What the hell?” she mumbled before fumbling through the cupboard under the sink beside her.
Crystal walked downstairs a few moments later with her face flushed. “I just finished a week ago!”
Ember looked up from the jar of peanut butter and jerked the spoon out of her mouth. She tried to talk but the sticky paste made her mumble her words.
“Wait a minute,” Crystal said when she saw the jar that Ember sat on the counter and pushed behind her. She laughed, her embarrassment forgotten. “Peanut butter?”
“ So I like peanut butter—what’s your problem?” Ember said while licking her lips.
Crystal couldn ’t contain herself. “Oh, nothing.” She giggled. “I think there are some videos on the Internet, that’s all.”
Ember snarled. “That’s enough,” she growled. “Did you use a pad or a tampon?”
Crystal ’s humor faded at the question. “Um, kinda personal!”
“ Kind of important,” Ember said. “A pad won’t hide the smell as much.”
“ Gross! I don’t smell! And what gives? I just finished my period last week.”
“ It’s not a period,” the redhead said. “It’s you coming into season.”
“ Coming into—”
“ You’re in heat.”
Crystal ’s jaw fell open.
Ember smiled and turned to lick the last of the peanut butter off the
“ No helmet law here,” Ember said.
“ You’re both under twenty-one,” Brandy said. “So there is a helmet law.”
Ember opened her mouth but Crystal hurried to keep her cover . “Oh, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry. Uh, I’ve got my bicycle helmet. Will that work?”
Brandy snorted and then twisted her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, but maybe. It’s definitely not good enough in my opinion. If you’re going to ride it, you need real helmets. Both of you.”
“ I don’t see how you can make me do that,” Ember grumbled.
“ You’re staying at my house? My rules,” she said. She shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, but you’re a very pretty young girl, and I don’t want to see you in the hospital.”
“ You won’t.”
Crystal got up from the bed and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll get Beth to give us a ride in the morning and we’ll get helmets before we ride again. Right, Ember?”
“ What?” Ember frowned and stared at Crystal a long moment before she sighed. “All right.”
“ Great,” Brandy said. “And it’s getting late. Crissy, I put some blankets downstairs on the couch for you.”
Ember bit off a short laugh, earning a glare from Crystal.
“I’m going to bed. I’ve got to be in early tomorrow. Good night, girls.”
“ Night, Mom,” Crystal said and waited for the door to shut. She turned to a grinning Ember and said, “You do not get to call me Crissy. Ever!”
Chapter 10
“You look nice today. Want any breakfast?” Crystal asked the next morning when Ember came down the stairs, wearing her trademark black skirt with a tight-fitting white top. It took Crystal a moment to recognize it as one of her tops from two years ago.
Ember ’s eyes narrowed and she stopped to sniff and glanced around. “Your mom gone already?”
“ Yeah, she had to be in by six. She’s working a double so she won’t be home until tomorrow morning.”
“ Good.”
Crystal frowned. “Look, I’m sorry about last night, I’m just—what’s wrong with my mom? Are you still pissed about the helmet thing?”
“ Irritated,” Ember admitted, “but that’s not it. You’re ready for him and he’ll know it. He’ll come tonight.”
“ What are you talking about?”
She sniffed again. “His poison sped up your cycle. You’re ready for him.”
“ My cycle? What, you mean my period?”
Ember nodded.
Crystal’s eyes rounded. “Oh my God,” she muttered before rushing upstairs to the bathroom. She dropped her clothing and sat down on the stool. A quick wipe later and she stared at the stained paper. “What the hell?” she mumbled before fumbling through the cupboard under the sink beside her.
Crystal walked downstairs a few moments later with her face flushed. “I just finished a week ago!”
Ember looked up from the jar of peanut butter and jerked the spoon out of her mouth. She tried to talk but the sticky paste made her mumble her words.
“Wait a minute,” Crystal said when she saw the jar that Ember sat on the counter and pushed behind her. She laughed, her embarrassment forgotten. “Peanut butter?”
“ So I like peanut butter—what’s your problem?” Ember said while licking her lips.
Crystal couldn ’t contain herself. “Oh, nothing.” She giggled. “I think there are some videos on the Internet, that’s all.”
Ember snarled. “That’s enough,” she growled. “Did you use a pad or a tampon?”
Crystal ’s humor faded at the question. “Um, kinda personal!”
“ Kind of important,” Ember said. “A pad won’t hide the smell as much.”
“ Gross! I don’t smell! And what gives? I just finished my period last week.”
“ It’s not a period,” the redhead said. “It’s you coming into season.”
“ Coming into—”
“ You’re in heat.”
Crystal ’s jaw fell open.
Ember smiled and turned to lick the last of the peanut butter off the
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