She didn't, but Theo did. Theo had opened the door and got a big ole whiff of…orc. Orc cum. Was it all the same to him, or would Khell's be—

I shook my head as we reached the landing, and the new window film caught my eye. Natalie and Theo's small Albany Park house was backed up to an apartment building, and she'd been complaining about the renters being able to see into her house.

"Pretty," I said, pointing to the frosted, almost lace-like pattern on the window.

"Thanks, we took your advice. Theo wanted these hideous stained glass decals, but Emmie and I outvoted him."

The idea of infant Emmett having interior decorating opinions brought a smile to my lips that caught Natalie's attention.

"There you are," she said, voice uncommonly gentle. "You looked kinda shell-shocked when you walked in, babe."

For no clear reason, I caught a ragged breath, standing on the landing and staring up at Natalie on the stairs. My eyes stung and then immediately watered, blurring my friend's face and her home surrounding us.

"Oh, babe! What happened?" Natalie's smear of bright, warm colors rushed toward me, and I sagged as her arms wrapped around me. "Was it awful?"

I laughed, but the sound was watery. "It was fucking amazing, Nat."

Natalie squeezed me tighter and laughed. "Oh. You poor thing. Come on, let's get you washed up. I'll sit on the toilet, and you can tell me about all the new kinky shit you love to do."

I blushed again, but this time my laughter was more sincere, full of the relief of having a Natalie and wondering how others managed without her.

* * *

Natalie's guest bathroom didn't have quite the collection of bath accessories that MSA's cottage did, but the water was hot and Natalie lit a candle at my request so that the glow pulsed on the other side of the opaque plastic curtain.

"Shit, you got your money's worth," Natalie said, voice foggy from my position under the stream of hot water.

I washed myself with gentle touches, exploring every tender and sore spot Khell had left on me.

"I think it's normal though, to feel that way," Natalie said.

I'd confessed to the way I'd been thinking of Khell by the end of the week, because even though it was crazy to fall in love with the sex worker you’d hired to make your brain explode, Natalie was a safe zone for me.

"I mean, that many orgasms and your serotonin must've been shooting through the roof," Natalie continued. "You should stay tomorrow night. I feel like it's gonna take a while for your mood to settle. That's one hell of a biochemical trip you just went on."