“Uh … yes,” Shane said, shaking her head from side to side slowly as if trying to clear it from a mental fog. “It has not been long for me, and that right there is how the best sex looks and sounds like.”

“Hot fuck,” Shane exclaimed softly, and then, as if realizing something, sheepishly turned in my direction.

I stood up suddenly, needing to get away from all their gazes that began to turn my way, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to hide how I felt if I just continued to sit there, stunned and nailed to my seat.

“Now, I believe whatever we’re all feeling right now is exactly what Aerin was talking about,” I could hear Annie’s voice as I quick stepped to the grassy area, hands interlaced over my head. “About our brain patterns emulating whatever the actual participants of an … act … or event … are feeling?”

I needed to move further away from them, so I walked to the sidewalk.

I don’t know how long I’d done that, pacing up and down the sidewalk, but I was surprised that it was Annie who came to fetch me.

“Harley’s most definitely in love with you,” she came right out and said it.

I started to protest. She waved me off. “I’ve known her for almost all my life, and I’ve seen her with a lot of guys, involved in many relationships, and I gotta say I have never seen her so smitten. So, yeah, she’s head over heels over you.”

I tried to walk away from her but she pulled on my arm. “Now I don’t know you as well, Aerin,” she started, “but if I had to guess, I think you feel the same way about her, too.”

Again, I tried to spin away. But her other hand shot out and she now gripped each arm to hold me in place.

“So if you want only the best for her, as I think you do, then you’ll listen closely to what I have to say,” she continued, and then released her grip on my arms. She crossed her arms across her chest, and studied me.

I blew a breath out and faced her, cocking my head to one side.