PART 3: SKIN DEEP

I didnt go looking for her.

But somehow, Anna always had a way of showing up exactly when I needed her. Or maybe when I least expected herwhen I wasnt ready, but secretly craving the kind of unraveling only she could bring.

It was Friday, and campus was already thinning out for the weekend. The weather had warmed up, and people were out on the lawns, soaking up the sun like flowers opening in bloom. I was walking back from class, notebook in hand, still trying to shake the memory of Annas voice in my earThen Ill help you want to.

That line had been dancing in my head all week. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her lips forming those words.

And then, like shed read my mind, I spotted her sitting alone beneath a tree near the south quad. She was barefoot, long legs stretched out over the grass, sunglasses low on her nose, reading a dog-eared copy of Women Who Run With the Wolves. Her hair was up, messy and wild, and somehow she looked like she belonged to the earth itself.

I stopped walking before I could think.

Planning to just stare at me all day, or? she asked without looking up.

Busted.

I walked over, trying not to feel exposed, even fully clothed. You always like this much attention?

She grinned. Only when its yours.

My breath caught in my throat. She had this effortless way of turning everything into a dare.

Sit with me, she said, patting the grass beside her.

I hesitated for half a secondthen dropped my bag and sat. Her presence was like a current, humming against my skin. I didnt know what we were doing, or where this was going, but I knew I wanted more of it.

Anna glanced sideways at me. Youre still thinking about it, arent you?

What?

The beach. The way it felt. The way you felt.

I swallowed. Maybe.

She turned toward me fully now. I told you, its more than just taking your clothes off. Its about choosing not to hide anymore. From yourself. From what you want.

There was a pause. Then she added, Im hosting a gathering tomorrow. Off-campus. Not far. Therell be food, music, a few friends. Clothing optional. But hearts open.

I stared at her. What kind of gathering?

She smiled slowly. The kind where no one judges you. Where you get to be seen. Really seen.

I dont know if Im ready for that.

She reached out, her fingers brushing minejust enough to send that familiar ache humming again. You dont have to be ready, Audrey. You just have to be willing.

I didnt say yes. Not right then. But when she leaned in and kissed my cheeksoft, lingering, electricI knew I wasnt saying no either.


The next evening, I stood outside a tucked-away house near the edge of town. Soft music drifted through the trees. Laughter. Flickering lights. My heart was pounding.

The door opened before I could knock.

You came, Anna said, bare feet and a silk robe barely tied at her waist. Her eyes sparkled like she already knew what the night would unfold into.

Of course I came, I said, not even sure if it was my voice that spoke.

She took my hand and pulled me inside.

The room was warm with candlelight. Bodies moved easily, comfortablysome clothed, some half, some not at all. But what struck me most was how unbothered everyone was. No one stared. No one judged. It was like stepping into a world where shame didnt exist.

Anna led me into the living room, introduced me to people Id never met but somehow felt safe with. They were laughing, sharing stories, lounging like theyd known each other for years. And then, as the music shifted, someone dimmed the lights even lower, and a new kind of tension settled over the room. Soft, curious. Open.

Anna leaned in. Wanna go upstairs?

I didnt answer. I just followed her.


Upstairs, the light was softer. She walked ahead of me, loosening her robe with each step. By the time she reached the bed, it had slipped from her shoulders and floated to the floor.

She turned, and I saw hernot just her body, but everything she carried: the confidence, the vulnerability, the challenge.

You dont have to do anything, she said, voice low. You can just be here. With me.

But I didnt want to just be there. I wanted to feel something. Everything.

I stepped closer, reaching out, tracing the outline of her collarbone with my fingers.

I dont know what this is, I whispered. Or what were doing.

Anna smiled, slow and sure. Then lets stop trying to define it. Lets just live it.

When our lips met, it wasnt fireit was thunder rolling over open skies. It was slow, deliberate, exploring. Her hands moved like she already knew the places on my body I was still learning to love. There was no rush. No pressure. Just connection. The kind I didnt know Id been starved of until it was right there in my mouth, my skin, my breath.

I didnt think about what it meant.

I didnt think about tomorrow.

I just let go.

And in that momentbetween the flicker of candlelight and the sound of our names falling from each others mouthsI felt it again.

That truth I kept chasing.

I am not too much.

I am not too little.

I am exactly enough.

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