But how could she be thinking about screwing Joey after the night Adesina had had? It felt like she was being a terrible mother.

“You know, fucking doesn’t make you a shitty mother.”

“Get out of my head,” Michelle said with a weak laugh. She shoved Joey’s legs off her lap. “She’s just in the other room.”

Joey sat up and slid closer to Michelle. “You want to. I know you do. And she’s going to be okay. I promise. We won’t ever let anything happen to her.” Then she reached out and caressed Michelle’s breast. The nipple stiffened and Michelle gave a little gasp. It had been a long time since anyone had touched her.

Then Joey pinched the nipple hard, and Michelle felt herself getting wet. She would never have admitted it to anyone, but when Joey got rough it excited her.

“C’mon,” Joey said, standing and holding out her hand. Michelle took it and let Joey lead her into the bedroom, and then closed the door behind them.

Joey pushed Michelle onto the bed and slid her hand up Michelle’s leg. Michelle felt another wave of desire, then guilt.

“We shouldn’t,” she said weakly. But it felt so good and it had been so very, very long. “Adesina’s in the other room.”

Joey lifted Michelle’s T-shirt and began licking her stomach, slowly teasing upward with her tongue until she got to Michelle’s breasts where she lingered, alternately stroking and slapping the nipples.

Michelle was trembling, and she felt an electric shock slide through her. Something had been lurking inside her and she didn’t want to face it. Didn’t want to deal with the need.

“I want you and I can tell you want me.” She clenched her legs tightly and rolled them both on their side, and then yanked Michelle’s sweatpants down. Michelle was afraid of Joey. Afraid of how Joey made her feel. And afraid that this had been what she’d wanted for a very long time. And then she was dizzy.

“You’re human. We all got shit we need,” Joey said, kissing her softly. And then she began doing things to Michelle. Things that Juliet and Michelle had never done the entire time they’d been together. Joey brought her so close and then let Michelle hover just below the edge.

And then, Michelle was falling and something broke open inside her. While she was still a bit hazy, Joey said softly, “The world is a shitty fucking place and sometimes you need to be selfish.”

Michelle grabbed Joey, rolled her over, and began kissing her and yanking Joey’s clothes off as fast as she could. For this moment, she was selfish. And she knew that this was what she’d needed for a long, long time.