Kaveh was generally a morning-shower kind of guy, but if he was going to share a bed with a woozy, half-conscious college dropout, he needed some time to himself to rub one off so he wouldn’t be tempted to take advantage of someone still high on . . . whatever that was. He returned wearing a T-shirt and basketball shorts, which alone made him feel like a Mormon; generally, he preferred to sleep in boxer briefs, or nothing. Maybe she was asleep? Nope. No, still a roiled-up, tense little ball.

He closed the curtains so the room was nearly pitch black. Then he lifted the covers and crawled into bed, scooting toward the middle. Cora stayed perched like the Rock of Gibraltar on the other side.

“C’mere,” he whispered.

She turned over and hesitantly moved her body next to his. He kissed her on the forehead, then on the cheek. Okay, that was a bit much for someone you intended not to fuck, he knew that, but she took the obvious message that he was making overtures. Of course he was, wasn’t that the original plan? Come back to Kaveh’s place and, I dunno, see what happened? She put her hand on his chest, then began running it down his rib cage, then toward his hips. He took her by the wrist before she could go any farther.

“Not now, honey,” he said. “Not when controlled substances are involved.”

He could practically feel the heat coming off her face from embarrassment, and he hugged her even tighter, kissed her on the forehead. Then, fuck it, gently on the lips. Gentle, friendly kissing on the mouth, you know, like friends do. Once, twice. I need to stop, this is how that scene in When Harry Met Sally started.

He put a stop to it by pulling her in close, nestling her head under his chin. “It’s okay,” he said in the gentlest, most reassuring whisper of which he was capable. “You’re safe with me. It’s okay,” he said over and over until they both fell asleep.

* * *

At some point she became aware that he was on top of her. She didn’t remember him taking off her underwear; he didn’t bother taking off her shirt. He started fucking her, soundlessly, and he didn’t have a face. It lasted for what seemed like hours, and all the while, she could not move. She wanted to beg, Stop, please stop, please stop, but her voice was gone, her jaw frozen in place, lips and tongue shriveled into paper, unable to produce sound. Stop, stop, stop, she pleaded in her mind.