She took a quick breath.“Let’s do the whole thing.Not just a kiss.I don’t want to be a virgin, and I’m half in love with you too, so we could just do it right now.”
“Now?”I sputtered, scrambling to wrap my brain around Kendall’s request, which, if I understood her, was for her to lose her virginity right here and now in the barn.
I shook my head decisively.
“No?”she squeaked.
“Not “no” completely.Just not here in the barn.”
“Well, then let’s go.”She reached for my hand as I stood there staring at her like an idiot.
ChapterEleven
Kendall
“Now?”Jude’s eyes widened.
“Yes!”I exclaimed.
He blinked a few times, shaking his head after a beat.
“Why not?”I pressed.
He cleared his throat roughly, stepping back and gripping the back of his neck.That was one of his stress moves.We hadn’t been friends for as long as we had without me knowing all the things he did when he was stressed.
“Kendall, you just… we’re not going to do this here,” he said.
I could tell he was trying to be firm.
“Tell me why not.”
“Kendall, sweetheart.”His voice held a hint of a plea.
Jude had never used a term of endearment with me, and my heart felt as if he had flung the doors off of it.I could see the recognition of his own words flare in his eyes.For a second, I thought he was going to back off.To unravel our conversation and close everything back up like it had never happened.But he didn’t.
“Sweetheart,” he said again, his voice gruff and ragged.“You’re not… we’re not going to fuck in the barn.”
I tried to play it cool, shrugging lightly.“I’m sure the animals do.”
“Oh, my God,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes.“You’re my friend first.My best friend.I’ve been half in love with you for years, only to discover a week ago that you’re a virgin, and you want to take care ofthatin a barn?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose.His hand dropped from his neck before he started pacing in a tight circle.
“Is it just because I’m a virgin?”
“No!”He swung his hand around.
As if on cue, Travis came back over, circling his legs excitedly.
“It’s a barn.I mean—” He drew in a breath, puffing his cheeks before exhaling.His eyes widened as he shook his head.“I can’t believe you.”
“What?I’m sure you’ve been more adventurous.”
“A barn is not it.Not for you.Not if you weren’t a virgin.Not if this was totally casual.Just… no.”
“Fine.Let’s go to my place.”
Another breath puffed his cheeks as he let it out.“I think we need to dial this back and just take a minute.”
