Page 55 of One Night

"What?" She leans toward. "You stripped for him?"

"No!" I laugh. "Kira, when I have ever stripped for a guy? Never. And I probably never will."

"Then how'd he see you naked?"

"He was telling me to hurry up and he opened my bedroom door and there I was, with no clothes. And the way he looked at me? It took everything in me not to do it. We wanted each other so bad."

"Then why didn't you do it?"

"Because we're supposed to be getting to know each other."

"There are many ways to get to know someone. Like getting to know him in your bed?" She smiles.

"Yeah, which messes with your judgment. Anyway, I told him he can't keep coming over here. We need distance."

"Meaning you're not going to see him?"

"Not yet. Not until we know each other better. But he's writing me letters. He writes the best letters. Better than mine. I'm so glad we're doing this letter writing thing. It lets me see a whole different side of him. I'm finding out he's really funny. But also sweet. Sensitive."

"You could find all that out by dating him too."

"But I wouldn't, because we'd spend all our time making out. We can't seem to control ourselves when we're around each other. This morning just proved that."

"You didn't do anything."

"But we could have. And almost did."

"How long are you going to keep this no-contact thing going?"

"Maybe until the end of the year?"

"That's like two months. That's crazy."

"But I'll be home for part of December so that doesn't really count."

"It's still too long. You should make it a week. Or two, max."

"Two weeks isn't long enough."

"Two weeks is plenty long enough. And in two weeks it'll be Thanksgiving break. You'll both be in town. You guys could hang out that week. Go for dinner. Meet for lunch. See a movie." She pauses, then cautiously asks, "Or um, do you think you'll go home?"

Kira keeps trying to talk me into going back to Michigan for Thanksgiving. She knows I don't want to be around my parents but she still thinks I should go, for my sister's sake.

"I'm not going," I tell her. "I'll be there at Christmas."

"You could have Thanksgiving at my house."

"Like my mom would allow that. If I'm there, I have to be home."

"Well, maybe your parents won't fight this time."

"They always fight and it gets worse every year. Besides, I don't mind being here. It's quiet and I can catch up on homework. Oh! Guess what? I got that internship I wanted."

"The one at the hospital?"

"Yeah. It doesn't officially start until January but I'm starting next week to help out with a holiday fundraiser they're doing. So that's another reason I need to stay here."

"They're not going to have you work on Thanksgiving weekend."

---