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done anything to ease the disgust I felt with myself. Maybe a movie night with my aunt would take my mind off things.
    “Okay,” I said and she smiled brightly. “Can I take a quick shower first?”
    “You shower, I’ll make some popcorn.”

Chapter Five
     
    The next morning I woke to familiar tattooed arms around me. Bo was asleep behind me, holding me tight even as he slept. I had had horrible dreams about being chased by an evil queen while a little person commanded an army to defend me. Damn TV show.
    Guilt washed through me as I realized I had forgotten to let Bo know I got home safe last night. I didn’t know what time he had come over, but it must have been either very late last night or very early this morning. Either way, he was probably exhausted.
    His arms tightened around me as he shifted and sighed my name in his sleep. I involuntarily snuggled closer to him and closed my eyes, totally contented.
    “Ivy…,” he said a little louder and I knew he was awake. I rolled over so we were face to face.
    “Hi.” I expected to see a sleep-muddled face, but what I found was anger, hurt, and confusion. “What’s wrong?” I asked, touching his cheek.
    He closed his eyes and exhaled. “Are you okay?”
    “Okay?”
    “Why didn’t you call me last night?”
    “Oh. I’m sorry,” I said, looking down. “I guess I forgot.”
    “You always call. What happened?”
    I shrugged. “I got in early and watched some TV with Aunt Suzy.”
    His eyes scanned my face. “You still always call.”
    I avoided his gaze. I didn’t want to tell him what I had done. I still couldn’t believe it myself.
    His nostrils flared. “Tell me what happened, Ivy,” he said, determinedly.
    “Nothing happened,” I said slowly.
    “Why are you lying? Did—did someone hurt you?” he asked, swallowing hard.
    I shook my head. “No. Nothing like that.” I rolled on to my back away from him. I threw my arm over my face and hid in the crook of my elbow. “I just… did something stupid.”
    “You are freaking me out here, Ivy. Please tell me.” He rolled closer to me and pulled my arm away from my face to look at me.
    “Please don’t make me tell you,” I whispered.
    His face fell. He looked hurt by my refusal. “All right, Ivy,” he said sadly and rolled away from me. “As long as you’re not hurt.” He sat up and slid out of my bed.
    “Bo, wait.” I sat up and reached out after him. He turned back toward me. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I’m just really embarrassed.”
    “We tell each other everything, Ivy. We always have. Don’t start keeping secrets from me now.”
    “I don’t want you to think badly of me,” I admitted quietly.
    Bo crawled back in bed, sat cross-legged in the middle, and pulled me into his lap. “I will never think badly of you. Never. I only want to help you, whatever this is.”
    I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He rubbed my back in a soothing manner.
    “Is it… is it drugs, Ivy?” he asked cautiously.
    “Oh God, Bo! No! Of course not! You know me better than that,” I said, pulling back and looking at him with a smile.
    He smiled in return and breathed a sigh of relief. “I know. I know you wouldn’t do that, but you are really freaking me out, Ivy.”
    I snuggled into his chest as he hugged me close to him. We sat in silence for a long moment. I picked at my nail polish, slowly flaking it off. “Do you think I’m a slut, Bo?”
    He froze. “Why would you ask that?”
    I shrugged, and he sighed. “There may be aspects of you that other people might judge as slutty. But since when have you cared what other people think?”
    “I don’t care what other people think. I care what you think.”
    He kissed the top of my head. “I don’t like it when you go out with Kammy, but that doesn’t make it wrong.”
    “Is that a yes?” I asked stubbornly.
    He chuckled. “No. It’s a no. I don’t think you’re a slut, Ivy.”
    “You might change your