This is what you need. Feel something for once. Don’t bury it all. Have fun with this perfect human specimen.
Then go back to your room and start your freshman year on Monday, for real this time.
I entered his room and closed the door behind me. He had the bedside lamp turned on but the overhead light was off and I kept it that way. The reading lamp would be enough to see that burly body he had under his workout gear.
“Listen, I want to tell you—”
I held up a hand to stop him. “Does whatever you have to say make any difference in us just having a really good time right now?” I couldn’t believe I’d said those words, but I meant them. I’d done enough talking in the past twelve months. It was time for action.
“No, I guess not. But…”
A smidgen of caution came over me. Was he trying to stop this? Had I come on too strong and he’d changed his mind? Was there a reason he shouldn’t be doing this?
“Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked. I came over to the bed and sat down next to him.
He seemed surprised. “No. No, I don’t. Not in a long time. Since junior year of high school.”
I wanted to ask about that, curious if the junior-year girlfriend had broken his heart and that was why he hadn’t had one since. Or maybe he’d broken—
Stop. Enough.
“Are you gay?” I asked, getting another impediment out of the way.
“No,” he said. Then he sat back on the bed, resting on his arms behind him, and smiled. “No, I’m not. Not in a long time. Since junior year of high school.”
My laughter caught in my throat, so unexpected and foreign. I leaned back too, bracing with my hands, side-by-side with him. I nodded, like he’d passed another test. “Any STIs?” I asked.
He shook his head, still smiling.
“Not since junior year of high school?”
“Never, actually. And never actually with the gay question either. Anything else?”
“Nope. That’s all I’ve got.” He started to speak, but I cut him off. “Wait. One more question.”
“Shoot,” he said.
“Do you want to do this? With me? Right now?”
He lifted a hand and brushed my hair off my shoulder so it hung down my back. His hand skimmed down my arm and came to rest on top of mine. “Very much,” he whispered.
“Then that’s all that needs to be said.” I pulled my hand from under his and held on to his forearm as I slid flat onto the bed. He leaned over me, casting a shadow that felt both warm and comforting and a little bit ominous.
“One question from me, and then I’m going to kiss you,” he said, lowering his face to within inches of mine. He smelled of soap and laundry detergent. Fresh, clean, but his smile was very dirty. In the best way. And there was no way I was going to keep my mouth off that chin dimple.
Desire raced through me and his brown eyes twinkled at me as I said, “Make it quick.”
“What’s your name?” he said in another whisper. He leaned over me, placing an arm on the bed beside my shoulder, bracketing me under him without ever touching me.
“Megan,” I said, and reached up to wrap an arm around his neck. If I didn’t have his mouth on mine in the next ten seconds, I thought I’d explode.
“Megan,” he said so low I wasn’t even sure sound had been made or if I’d just read his lips. “I’m Lo—”
“Logan!” came a yell from behind the door. A quick knock and then the door was flung open and Ches stood in the doorway. Illuminated by the light behind her, she stood with her hands on her hips, like a superhero seeking vengeance.
Or like a woman scorned.
“Didn’t lock the door?” he asked me, his forehead falling to mine, resting there, his mouth so close to mine I could smell the mint on his breath.
