This Coven Won't Break - Isabel Sterling Page 0,43
but that doesn’t mean you can’t get an STI. Your dad and I looked it up. It’s not impossible.” She reaches for my hand, and a flicker of pain crosses her face at the mention of Dad. She plows forward anyway. “Intimacy changes things, Hannah, and you girls have only been dating a little over a month. Just because you and Veronica were having sex doesn’t mean you should rush into it with Morgan.”
“Oh my god, Mom. Stop.” I’m dying. I am literally going to drop dead on this couch. “First of all, it’s been closer to two months. And more importantly, we did not have sex!”
“Just because there’s no penetration doesn’t mean it isn’t sex.”
Is this hell? I’m pretty sure this is hell. I am not about to explain queer girl sex to my mom. Nope. Not going to happen. She’s not wrong, there doesn’t have to be penetration but—nope. Not even going there.
“Hannah—”
“We kept our pants on, okay? There was no sex. Zero kinds of sex!” Mom does not need to know about Morgan deftly removing my bra and her tongue sliding across my—nope. I shove the memories away. I refuse to blush again in front of her. Besides, I’m, like, ninety-nine percent sure none of that counts as sex all by itself. Thankfully, my phone chimes, Cal finally getting back to me.
CM: Meet me at my place in an hour. We can talk before we go to Archer’s this afternoon.
His next text includes his address near the Salem State campus.
I’m about to text back and ask what he’s talking about when a text from Archer comes through.
DA: We need to prep for Ithaca. My place. 2pm.
Mom sighs, which makes me look up from my phone. She reaches for her coffee. “I’m sorry, Han. Your dad was so much better at this stuff.”
He still managed to make the whole conversation super embarrassing, but at least he never talked about penetration. I shudder just thinking the word, but I miss him. I miss him so much it makes me furious. “I have to go.” I get up and head for the bathroom.
“Go? You just got home.”
“Cal needs me.”
“But—”
I slam the bathroom door and turn on the shower before she can finish. Until Cal figures out what’s wrong with me, I’m not going to give her anything else to worry about.
And I’m certainly not going to give her ammunition to keep me away from the Council.
* * *
When I’ve showered and dressed, I slip out into the hall. Mom is nowhere to be found, and I’m still too embarrassed to go looking for her. “Bye, Mom!” I shout as I slip out the front door. I text Archer to let him know I’ll be there at two, but ask if he can pick up Alice’s van from my house before that. I didn’t mind driving it when there were no other cars on the road, but I don’t want to take it anywhere near campus traffic. Instead, I drive my car—Dad’s car—to Cal’s apartment.
“I was so worried about you. Archer told me what happened,” Cal says and crushes me in a hug when he sees me. I squeeze back, but he winces and pulls away.
“Everything all right?” I ask, looking him over. He’s wearing jeans and an oversized hoodie, his hair neatly parted to one side.
“Yeah.” He groans when he rubs his side, which isn’t terribly convincing. “My old binder wore out, so I had to get a new one. It’s tighter than it should be though. I ordered a replacement in the next size up, but it’s not in yet.”
“Oh. Ouch.” I follow Cal further into his apartment. It’s small, but at least he’s able to live alone. He converted his small eat-in kitchen into a makeshift Caster workshop. On a table that takes up most of the room, clear beakers with potions bubble gently over Bunsen burners.
“Have you thought about working with a Blood Witch?” I ask. “I know you said you were saving up for top surgery, but I bet a Blood Witch could significantly speed up the recovery. You wouldn’t have to take as much time off work, so you wouldn’t have to save up as much.”
“Do you think they could do that?” Cal asks, still rubbing his tender ribs. I hope the larger binder comes in soon. I hate seeing him hurt like this.
“I can ask Morgan if you want. She said they can’t do much with broken bones and that sort of