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After what happened today, how could I not be? "Penna, you ran the background check when I chose her, right?"

"I knohat you’re about to ask, and it’s not for lint I knewdid happen to her?" I asked "Is that why she’s so scared of heights?"

She crossed her arlared "Ask her yourself"

"You’re supposed to be on my side here"

She thrust her fist into the air "Teaathered up every ounce of self-control I had and walked down the hall, gently knocking on Leah’s door

"Coy

I opened the door and saw her curled on her side, her mass of brown hair wrapped around her shoulder "Hey"

"Hi" Her s-induced

The bed sagged under ?"

"Sleepy"

I tucked her hair behind her ear, lingering only long enough to feel the silken strands slip through ers "Then you should sleep"

Her forehead puckered "Soht

She nodded

"Do you want to tell me about them?"

"No I don’t want to think about it"

"Okay Maybe soed, when she knehat she was telling me, when she was ready to open up to me

"Maybe" She took my hand and put it on her cheek, then turned and placed a kiss on the palm

I felt it infor so ht to

"Because I wanted to"

My thuainst her skin I loved how soft she was Her curves, her eyes, her kindness Inwas hard--the stunts, the bodies, even the women--but the only sharp parts of Leah were those that I loved best, her brain and her mouth