Page 26 of One Night

"And you had that with Dylan?"

"Yes." I close my eyes, the memory replaying in my head. "I was at a house party just a few blocks from his campus. He came in the front door and I saw him across the room and our eyes locked, and it was like we just knew. He came over to me and asked my name. I could barely breathe my heart was beating so fast. That's how much I was attracted to him. And even though he's super hot, it was more than his looks. It was something else drawing me to him. He felt it too. He was looking at me the same way I was looking at him. And he was breathing just as hard as I was. Then, out of the blue, he kissed me."

"After you just met him?"

"I know, it's crazy. I didn't even know his name and he kissed me. But just once, and then he backed away, like he shouldn't have done it, but he didn't apologize. And I didn't want him to. I wanted more. So I grabbed his shirt and yanked him toward me and kissed him back. And then it's like we both knew there was no going back. We had to finish this."

"So you knew nothing about the guy, but you still had sex with him."

"I know it wasn't the best decision, but I kept hearing that girl's speech in my head, telling me to do something different. Something completely out of my comfort zone. Something I always wanted to do but was too afraid to."

"And you didn't question it? Like not at all?"

"Of course I did! You know me. I'm always cautious when it comes to that stuff. That's why I'm dating Matt. He's the safe choice. Nice. Dependable. Predictable."

"Okay, so you kissed him and then what? You went in a room?"

"We went upstairs, not sure what was going to happen. That's when I started questioning it, more out of safety concerns than anything else. But there was something about this guy. I felt safe with him. I'm not even sure why. It was just a gut feeling. Anyway, we ended up finding an open room and then he asked if I really wanted to do what we were about to do. He had this torn look on his face, like he wanted to but felt like he shouldn't. It made me want to do it all the more. I told him yes and then neither one of us hesitated from that point forward. Clothes went flying, and then the magic happened."

She laughs. "Magic? Seriously?"

I grab hold of her arm and look her in the eye. "Total magic. I'm not kidding. It was absolute perfection. Hot. Frantic. Pure passion. I'd never experienced anything like it."

She laughs again. "So it was good?"

"Good?" I let go of her and fall back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Good doesn't even begin to describe it. And unlike most guys, he didn't run off when we were done. In fact, he didn't want me to leave so we just stayed there in that room, and that's when he started to tell me more about himself but I told him I didn't want to know. That it was just a one-time thing and that I'd just graduated and was moving to New York the next day."

"You lied to him?"

"I had to. I didn't want him trying to date me."

"Why not?" She yanks on my arm, forcing me to sit up. "You meet a guy you have instant chemistry with, you have amazing sex, and then you decide you never want to see him again?"

"Yes," I say simply.

She rolls her eyes. "You make no sense. This is just like when we had that homemade ice cream at the fair and then you refused to eat it again. I still don't understand that."

"Because it's never as good as the first time. I explained this to you a million times. When you experience pure perfection, like that ice cream, or sex with Dylan, experiencing it again will just ruin it. The second time is never as good as the first, and it just gets worse from there."

She shakes her head. "You're completely crazy."

"I'm not. You just haven't experienced what I'm talking about so you can't relate."

"Actually I can," she mutters. "And I'd do anything to experience it again."

She's talking about gymnastics and how she'll never compete again.

"Kira, I'm sorry."

I keep quiet to see if she wants to talk about it.

She leans back on the couch. "So you lied and told Dylan you were moving away and that you'd never see him again."

"Yes, but he didn't accept that. He wanted to see me again, or at least talk on the phone, but I wouldn't give him my number. I wanted him to remain a mystery. It was more romantic that way."

"Romantic? Never talking to him again is romantic? That's the worst happy ending I've ever heard."

"You don't understand. That night WAS our happy ending. It's something we'll always remember. At least I will. Dylan probably forgot about it. I'm sure he has one-night stands all the time."

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