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d was turned so that Livingston and Kaitlin couldn’t see I realized he’d seen Olaf put his hand on me In that moment I wasn’t unhappy he’d seen it Now I could tell him the same cover story that Edward had told a fellow cop at his wedding when I’d been bestnot to take no for an answer So Edward had pretended to be my boyfriend even in front of other cops to back Olaf off It had been half true; the only lie was that Edward and I had ever beenwhite knight forot here

But right noas going to lay down so man He wanted to try to date me The fact that it would be a cold day in hell before I actually let him date me was beside the point If he was serious, then he needed to understand basic consent You didn’t get to touch ree to the touch Then and only then could you do it I was about to try to teach a sexual sadist and serial killer about asking before he touched a woreat date up to this point had been kidnap, torture, and rape, I wasn’t sure how he’d take the lesson, and worse, I was beginning not to care He had done far scarier things before, but for so me under the table like he was ht there had just pissed me off

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WE WENT TO stand at the end of the porch far enough away fro toddlers and the families dressed like they’d just coston, and Kaitlin stayed on the other end of the porch so we’d have privacy, but they atching us, so we’d have to be careful of e let the

“There is no fear in you, just anger Why?” Olaf asked

“Why ary? Or why am I not afraid?”

“Both”

“Look, if you really mean it that I’mthe Woman for you, that I’m your Irenie, or whatever, you need to understand the basics of consent”

“I touched your knee That is not a sexual area”

“The fuck it’s not,” I said, lowering my voice as I saw a toddler race past us with a harassed wo him “If I let you touch enous zone, then you’ll touch ain without my permission, and maybe next ti tio with men that I have to draw the line early on, or they just keep pushing”

“It was not a big deal”

“It’s my body, so if you want to touch me anywhere, then you need to ask me first, and I have to say yes”

He stared at ”

“No, I’m not Jean-Claude had to learn to keep his hands to himself, too”

“He had to ask permission to touch you?”