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“Oh od! Oh shit!” Leandra hovers over me, her knees in the crushed rocks because she’s not only beautiful, she’s also a warrior who can kneel on bloody rock, her hands hovering along the length of me like she could heel me by touch alone I really, really wish that was possible

“I think I’ve lost the ability to give her than a ht in a trap “At least now she can stop joking about it” I cup er, but my hands confir out of me where they shouldn’t be

Thank the bloody cactus stars

When I peel open ut pain which makesover , which, when the greenhouse stops roaring at h to actually let , I realize is a mantra of shits

“Oh shit Shit, shit, shit Shit stick shit stick sticker Shit on a pile of sticks Shit on a log Shit on a tree Shit on a forest Shit, shit, shit”

“What’s shit?” I pant

Leandra ignoresabout so about randchildren She raises one hand and starts doing a count, then joins the other one, raising fix fingers altogether At least I think it’s six My vision is still slightly blurry

“How could I not have clued in?” She wails She drops down froravelly rock I’er problee “How old were the condoms?”

“What?” I wheeze

“The condoht?”

My brain is fuzzy I’ with this, but if she wants to know, I’ll tell her “They were neish I bought the box a few s have a shelf life that usually lasts for years I always check the expiry They were fine”

She goes frohostly white and nowwith a side of panic that I’ to do with the old family jewels

“You used one every time?”