Friends With Benefits

Her father was at work. Kira locked herself in the bathroom and cried. It was Gideon who kept knocking on the door till she opened it. When he learned what happened, he left and came back ten minutes later, with a shopping bag full of sanitary pads. He told her that she wasn’t dying, that it was just a normal change in her body, and that it was a sign that she was growing into a woman. He even taught her how to use the pads. His reassuring embrace and his soft words calmed her down. Later, she had been mortified, but Gideon told her there was nothing to be ashamed of. In their four years of living together, he assumed the roles of a mother, a father, an older brother, and a confidante. It was impossible not to fall for him. Kira had idolised him and followed him around like a second shadow… ‘Young Madam, what are you thinking about?’ Elsie’s voice brought Kira’s mind back to the present. She shook her head and cleared her throat. ‘Um, nothing. I just zoned out for a second.’ Elsie noti