Ava pushed open the apartment door, the weight of a double shift aching in her shoulders. The hallway was dark, silent except for the low, frantic murmur of Japanese dialogue and synthetic music coming from the living room. She dropped her keys in the bowl with a clatter, frowning.

“Gabbie? You still up?”

No answer, just a soft, wet sound and a hitched breath. Ava rounded the corner, her nurse’s bag slipping from her hand.

Gabbie was sprawled on the couch, naked in the flickering blue light of the television. An anime played—colorful, big-eyed characters in some dramatic showdown—but Gabbie wasn’t watching the screen. Her head was thrown back against the cushions, her eyes glazed and distant. One of her hands was buried between her legs, fingers working in a steady, urgent rhythm. The other was roughly kneading her own breast, pinching and pulling at the nipple.

Ava stood frozen, a cocktail of concern and shock washing through her tired brain. “Gabbie? What are you doing?”

Gabbie’s eyes—vibrant, but somehow off, like polished glass—slowly slid toward her. A smile stretched across her face, too wide, too knowing. “Hey, Ava,” she said, her voice a throaty purr that was nothing like her usual bright tone. “Long night? Come here. You look tense.”

“Are you… are you okay?” Ava took a cautious step forward, her scrubs suddenly feeling too tight, the scene too intimate and wrong. “What’s going on with you?”

“Just unwinding.” Gabbie’s hand didn’t stop its motion. She beckoned with her other hand, the one that had been on her breast. “Seriously, come sit. You need to unwind too. Let me help.”

Hesitantly, Ava approached the couch. This was her friend, her roommate. Maybe she’d had too much to drink. Maybe she was stressed. Ava reached out, meaning to touch her shoulder, to check her temperature.

With serpentine speed, Gabbie’s hand shot out and grabbed Ava’s wrist. Her grip was iron-strong. “That’s it,” she cooed, and before Ava could protest, she yanked her down onto the couch beside her.

“Gabbie, stop!” Ava gasped, trying to pull back, but Gabbie was already moving, swinging a leg over Ava’s lap to straddle her. The scent of her, sweat and sex and something faintly metallic, filled Ava’s nose.

“Shhh, just relax,” Gabbie murmured, leaning in. Her mouth sought Ava’s, but Ava turned her face away, the kiss landing hot and sloppy on her …