“Hey-ooo-kay. What’s going on?” Calvin’s voice slows as he speaks from the corner of the hallway.
My body flushes from head to toe, all the blood rushing to my face. Warren doesn’t react other than to reach up to the cupboard in front of me, open it, and hand me two straws from the top shelf.
“Here you go,” Warren says matter-of-factly.
“Thanks,” I mumble, looking at the two cups in front of me, only one filled. I pour another glass.
Calvin must know what he saw, or what he was about to see, as he appears at my side. He wraps his arm around my waist as he reaches for one of the glasses.
“Thanks, C,” Calvin says.C?That’s new. So is the hand around the waist. Is this what men do? Stake claims? I’m not property or land to be conquered. I don’t have to look up to know Calvin and Warren are staring one another down over my back.I pick up my drink.
“Let’s go.” I pull Calvin’s hand off my waist and hold on to it, using the hold to drag him towards the stairs. His hand fits nicely in mine and is soft to touch but… no fireworks.
Once upstairs, I hit play before he has a chance to ask about what went down in the kitchen. Because I don’t know.I really don’t know.
The rest of the movie plays as we sit in silence, leaning up against my headboard and not touching. I feel sixteen again.
“All right. Well—I’m excited to see the next one!” Calvin says as the credits begin to roll.
“Good! They get better and better, in my opinion.”
“I trust you.” He smiles sincerely, and I match it without having to try.
“Can I…” He hesitates. “Can I ask you about earlier?” My stomach churns.
“About what?”As if I don’t know.
“When I came back from the washroom, it sort of seemed like I was interrupting something? A moment?”
“A moment? Oh, no, not at all, no!”The lady doth protest too much.
“Okay. I’d rather know now than later. I’ve had roommates before who linked up. It can get kinda intense when you’re under one roof.”
“Oh, um. It’s nothing like that…” It’severythinglike that.
Even as I speak, I can see that I’m not convincing him. I want to convince him. I want to convince myself. I grab on to the collar of his shirt and pull him down to my mouth. We bash noses.
“Shit, sorry.” I wince.
“It’s okay. Just… here,” Calvin says as he reaches down and holds my jaw, light as a feather. He places one soft, lingering kiss on my top lip. Then pulls away with eyes wide open, as if he’s done, instead of pausing before a second try.
“Walk me out?” He stands.Oh.Heisdone. I know a pity kiss when I receive one.
“Sure.” I take the hand he offers me to get off the bed, and he leads us downstairs.
He hugs me briefly at the door.
“See you soon,” I say into his shoulder.
He steps back into the building's hallway and gives me a curt nod with a slightly bashful smile before heading towards the elevator.
I don’t think he’s ever going to see the second Harry Potter film—at least not with me.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I sigh as I lock the door, closing it gently and trying not to alert Warren to my presence outside his bedroom. The last thing I need right now is another awkward run-in before I’ve begun to process this evening’s turn of events.
Tiptoeing to the living room, I throw myself onto the couch and lie back, tugging on the ends of my hair—an old habit from childhood when I needed to provide my own reassurance.
