Page 22 of Owen Gardner is Losing It

All of a sudden, I remembered the question I’d been dying to ask her lately. It might not have been the most appropriate time to ask someone to prom, but you can pretty much guarantee their answer will be a resounding “yes” when you’re seconds away from feeling them up. “Lena,” I said, resting my forehead against hers. I took a couple of breaths. “Would you want to…”

“Yes,” she said, tilting away from me. She crossed her arms over her body, and to my utter confusion, she lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the cot next to us. “I consent.”

Oh.

Oh.

My eyes dropped to the cups of her seafoam green bra, and I understood. And, for once in my damn life, I closed my mouth and didn’t say the words on the tip of my tongue. A beautifuland consenting girl I cared about was sitting in front of me now, andholy shit, she looked amazing. My eyes lingered on her chest before bouncing back up to her eager eyes.

Right person. Right time. Righteverything.

“Looks like Owen Gardner is losing his virginity tonight after all,” she said, leaning forward to kiss me again.

Indeed, he is.

Chapter ten

“Furr” - Blitzen Trapper

The temperature plummeted while Lena and I were in the shed together. As much as I enjoyed the way she clung to me on our way up the drive toward her car, I was happy to take off my hoodie and put it on her instead.

“Thank you,” Lena said with a little giggle. She lifted the collar to cover the bottom half of her face with it, and after a deep inhale, she said, “It smells like you.”

“Oh. Is that… good?”

“Yes, of course,” she said with an enthusiastic nod.

“Okay, good. Keep it.”

“I planned on it,” she said with a grin as I put my hands on her waist.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I slid my hands lower, grabbing her by the hips. I could barely believe I had this girl naked underneath me just twenty minutes ago. It felt like a fever dream.

And it was incredible.

Even when it could have been awkward, we just laughed and carried on, putting that cot’s flimsy metal frame to the test. Itook Abigail’s advice, ensuring Lena was comfortable and having a good time. I didn’t want it to be anything at all like her first time.

She’d been smiling ever since.

“Why do you look so serious?” she asked me on the driveway.

I couldn’t wait any longer. “Will you go to prom with me?”

Lena’s laughter rang out through the trees over the sound of the music drifting down the hill from the party. “Yes. Took you long enough to ask me, Owen."

“Hey, I tried, but you distracted me,” I said, leaning down for a kiss. We only pulled apart when a car came down the path and we had to get out of the way.

Lena’s car was wedged between two others. Some asshole had pulled up just inches from her rear bumper. It took me a few minutes, but I tracked the guy down and made him move his car. It was a senior guy I’d never spoken to, and he was reluctant to take orders from me, but I glared at him until he got the message.

“See you Monday?” Lena asked, pulling her keys out of her purse next to her car.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

After one more long-lasting kiss, we pulled apart. I watched her leave, standing in the driveway until her taillights disappeared over the hill.

With Lena gone and Beth a distant memory, I didn’t know what to do with myself. There were still a few people inside the cabin and just one shadowy figure in front of the fire up ahead. I recognized that silhouette.

I took a deep breath, the words I spewed at Xander earlier that night echoing in my mind again and again. Sure, he was the one who acted like a dick first, but mentioning his dad was such a low blow. I couldn’t even recall everything else I’d said, but I’d never forget the look on his face. Could he ever forgive me for that?

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