Tessa appears in the doorway, two pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream in her hands. “I say we rent something nonromantic and devour the contents of these containers. You’re in desperate need of a girls’ night and I’m coming at you hard.”

“Is that Half Baked?” Damn. I haven’t had that in years. She nods and smiles wide. “You’re awesome. I’m so in for girls’ night.”

“That’s what I was hoping you’d say. Get changed and plant your perky ass in front of the TV.” She leaves me to do just that, and I don’t waste any time. I throw on a sundress and meet her in the living room, diving into my ice cream as she scrolls the movie selections.

“Wolf of Wall Street or Captain Phillips?” she asks as she flips through the On Demand section.

“Wolf of Wall Street. I don’t feel like crying and seeing Tom Hanks held captive by pirates will probably wreck me. You know I love that man.” I’ve been hooked on Tom Hank’s films since I watched Philadelphia. And don’t get me started on The Green Mile. I cried like a baby when Tessa and I watched that together. The electrocution scene? I can’t even.

She starts up the movie and we sit back, both digging into the meals that will surely ruin any appetite for dinner. We are halfway through the movie and our pints when Tessa’s phone rings.

“You’re interrupting girls’ night, I’ll have you know. And the penalty for your crime is death by dick removal.”

I giggle around my spoon, my eyes widening as Leonardo DiCaprio snorts coke off some chick’s ass.

“Hmm, you’re so hilarious. And that’s none of your business. I think you’ve done enough damage to warrant a lifetime of therapy.” I meet her eyes briefly before she turns her head. “Just leave her alone. If she wants to talk to you, she’ll talk to you.”

I don’t need two guesses to know who she is talking to. And a part of me that I don’t want to acknowledge wishes she is on a land line so I can pick up and listen in.

“I have no idea, but whatever it is, it won’t be involving you. Now leave us alone so we can watch all this coke get snorted in a way that is definitely heating up everything south of my waist.” She tosses her phone onto the coffee table. “Sorry about that. Apparently, you’re hard to forget.” She smiles coyly at me and I brace myself for what she’s about to say. “But that wouldn’t affect you, because it’s my brother we’re talking about. Right?”

“Right,” I affirm without hesitation. I’m not falling into that trap. I keep my attention on Leonardo and far away from thoughts of Benjamin Kelly.

“I mean, it’s not like he was sweet and playful with you or anything.”

“Nope. Not at all.”

“And it’s not like he gave you this beautiful experience to treasure for the rest of your life. That so wasn’t Ben.”

“It so wasn’t.”

“And he’s definitely not the guy that as you so sweetly put it, worked your pu**y until you hummed between your legs for hours afterwards.” I hear her smile through her words, but I don’t turn away from the TV. I don’t want to crack.

“Definitely not him.” I’m struggling, really struggling not to break. I feel keyed up all of a sudden, like my body is fully charged and ready to go. I’m beginning to fidget and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Quick question. What did Ben call you when he f**ked you, since he didn’t know your name?”

“Baby. Angel. Pretty girl,” I blurt out in the most crushing on a boy sort of way. Even my voice raises an octave. Fuck. I turn toward her then. She won and she knows it, and the smile on her face only adds to my irritation. “I hate you.”

“You put up an impressive fight, I’ll give you that.” She chucks a pillow at me, hitting me square in the face. “Just admit that you kind of like the idea of my brother knowing all the intimate details of your body.”

“Never.” I tuck the pillow she hit me with behind my head, taking a giant spoonful of ice cream into my mouth. I need a gag at the rate she’s going with this conversation. I know the more we talk about this; the greater chance of me slipping up and saying something I don’t want to reveal.

“This might seem borderline inappropriate.”

“Oh, God. Please spare me.” I’m shoveling ice cream into my mouth at an impressive rate now. Borderline inappropriate for Tessa means cover your ears and please escort all children out of the state.

She turns her body, tucking her legs underneath her ass. “Is he like really big? Because I’ve heard rumors.” She holds her hands out in front of her, measuring a distance between the two. “Nine inch rumors.”

“Jesus Christ.” I shouldn’t be surprised. I really shouldn’t. This is Tessa Kelly we’re talking about. She is comfortable enough talking about sex with anybody. Confessional priests included. I’m sure the number of Hail Marys she’s been told to recite is in the hundreds. I drop my spoon into my empty container and sigh heavily. “Why would you want to know that about your brother? That’s incredibly weird.”

“So I can high five you. Losing your virginity to someone as massive as he may or may not be is worthy of a damn award.” She places her hand lovingly on my knee, but there is nothing tender about this chat. Her tactics are a ploy, a cover to make this conversation seem innocent. “And since your mouth was wrapped around his nine incher, I’m figuring you’d be able to vouch better than anyone.”