hapter 0038
Agnes
I stared down at the book in my hands, feeling like my face was on fire. “I–I didn’t realize what it was,” I blurted out, desperately
trying to cover up my embarrassment. “I–I must have grabbed it by mistake.”
Elijah glanced over at me. To my surprise, there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Agnes, it’s alright. Remember
your Luna lesson: you don’t have to explain yourself.”
I fiddled with the edge of the book’s glossy cover. My cheeks heated even more at the sight of the shirtless model on the front.
“But I’m telling the truth. I don’t usually read… this sort of thing”
He shrugged, his eyes returning to the road ahead. The light turned green, and he accelerated, the city turning into a blur around
- us. “And so what if you did? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I shot him a sidelong glance, surprised. “You mean, you don’t mind?”
would I?” he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “It’s still a book just like any other. Who cares if it has… erotic
scenes?”
I blinked, taken aback by his nonchalant attitude. “I just thought…”
“I believe it’s healthy for a woman to be in touch with her sexual nature,” he continued. “Too often, society expects women to suppress their desires, to only express them for a man’s benefit. But it’s completely normal–and natural, might I add–to explore and understand oneself.”
I felt my cheeks warm again. “I suppose you’re right,” I mumbled, although now I just felt even more awkward thanks to that little lecture.
“If reading erotica brings you pleasure or helps you relax, then who am I to judge?” He glanced at me briefly, a sincere expression on his face. “And honestly, it’s better than some alternatives, like pornography. At least it’s fictional and doesn’t harm real people. And it’s imaginative.”
Despite myself, a small smile crept onto my lips. “That’s… very progressive of you, Elijah.”
He simply shrugged again as if this were the most mundane thing in the world. “Just make sure Thea doesn’t see it.”
I nodded, turning my gaze to the passing scenery outside the window. Trees blurred into shades of green as we drove in
comfortable silence. My mind raced, processing this unexpected side of Elijah. Who would have thought he would be so open- minded about something like this?
But then again, Rosa had said that there was much I still didn’t know about Elijah. I supposed this was just yet another layer of his personality that I uncovered.
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