From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I know. I know. It’s forbidden and all that.” She hurried over to the
other chair and sat, leaning toward me. “But I’m yyour friend. You’re
supposed to tell yyour friends these kinds of things.”
Friend.
I wanted so veryy badlyy to believe that we were—that we’d be that if
she weren’t bound to me. “I’m sorryy I didn’t sayy anyything. It’s just that…
I’ve done a lot of things I shouldn’t do, but this…this is different. I
thought if I didn’t sayy anyything, it would, I don’t know…”
“Go awayy? That the gods wouldn’t know?” Tawnyy shook her head. “If
the gods know now, theyy knew then, Poppyy.”
“I know,” I whispered, feeling terrible, but I couldn’t tell her whyy I’d
kept it to myyself. I didn’t want to hurt her, and I sensed that this would. I
wouldn’t need myy touch to know that.
“I’ll forgive yyou for not telling me if yyou tell me what happened in
veryy, veryy graphic detail,” she said.
I cracked a grin, and then I did just that. Well, almost that. As I
slowlyy unhooked myy veil and draped it across myy lap, I told her how I’d
come about to be in the room with him and how he thought I was Britta. I
told her how he offered to do whatever I wanted once he realized that I
wasn’t her, and that he’d asked me to wait for him to return. But I didn’t
tell her how he’d kissed me elsewhere.
Tawnyy stared at me with more awe than even Agnes had when she
realized I was the Maiden. “Oh, myy gods, Poppyy.”
I nodded slowlyy.
“I so wish yyou’d stayyed.”
“Tawnyy.” I sighed.
“What? You can’t sayy yyou don’t wish yyou’d stayyed. Not just a little
bit.”
I couldn’t sayy that.
“I bet yyou wouldn’t be a Maiden anyy longer if yyou had.”
“Tawnyy!”
“What?” She laughed. “I’m kidding, but I bet yyou’d barely be a
Maiden. Tell me, did yyou…enjoyy it? The kissing?”
I bit down on myy lip, almost wishing that I could lie. “Yes. I did.”
“Then whyy are yyou so upset that he’s yyour guard?”
“Whyy? Your hormones must be clouding yyour rational thought.”