Page 143 of Fostering Chemistry
“All right.” My heart was too full to question that too much.
Finally, he let me turn in his arms, but just as his mouth lowered to mine, we heard a laugh coming from somewhere nearby.
Instinct had us springing from the bed. “Was that from Jenna’s room?”
I crept to the door of our shared bathroom and listened.
“Did she bring her boyfriend here?” Aaron whispered.
I didn’t hear anything at first, but then it came again. The laughter was followed by a low voice that sounded intimate.
We both looked at the closed door to my bedroom, and Aaron’s jaw dropped. “You don’t think Raymond has someone in his room, do you?”
I tiptoed to the door. “I don’t know who else it could be.”
“Who would make out with him?”
“Stop.” I pushed at Aaron as he joined me at the door. “He’s not a bad guy… he was just kind of role-playing the part for a while. Should we open the door?”
“Yeah, I’m dying to know. And I won’t make fun of him or anything.” He kissed me once before returning to the bed, this time sitting up with his back against the headboard. I opened the door and settled back at my desk, but I couldn’t help listening for the occasional sounds from Raymond’s room. It seemed like Aaron, Diego, Cody, and I weren’t the only ones sneaking around.
Finally, we heard the door across the hall open. We both looked up… and then gasped.
Evan stepped into the hall, pulling Raymond’s door shut behind him. He froze briefly when he saw us, but then he gave us a big smile and a wink.
Then he was gone, leaving Aaron and me gaping at each other. Evan had always been so cheerful and upbeat, and Raymond was… well, Raymond. I mean, he was getting better, but still… wow.
“Good for them,” was all Aaron said. I agreed.
“Have you got a second?”
Diego poked his head out of his room as I made my way back from the kitchen with a mug of tea a few days later.
“Sure. Do you want some tea?”
He shook his head and held his door open, gesturing me in.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in here.” I looked around. His room was less cluttered than Cody’s, since there weren’t musical instruments everywhere. And it was better decorated and organized than Aaron’s, but Diego had lived here for longer.
“Yeah, I guess the last time was when you came to talk to me because you said you felt you were doing things impulsively, or out of character. Do you still feel that way?”
“No.” I leaned against his desk. “But I am going to see one of the school counselors next semester. I figure it can’t hurt, and it’s included in the student health fee.”
“I’m glad. And again, if the person you see isn’t a good fit, you can find another.”
I smiled softly. “Lately my luck with meeting the right people has been pretty damn good.” Then I couldn’t resist teasing him. “For example, a couple of months ago, I went to this party and even though I was drunk, I managed to make out with the hottest guy in the whole place.”
“Although I might question your taste in that instance, I’d say on the whole we’re pretty damn lucky.”
“I think so too.”
He crossed to his dresser to get a little white paper gift bag. “This is for you.”
Oh crap, the holidays were coming up. I’d been so busy with finals that I hadn’t even thought about getting gifts for them. “I didn’t—I mean, I didn’t know what we…”
Diego put his hands on my shoulders, smiling slightly, and relaxed me. “This is just a thinking-of-you gift. It’s not a formal gift exchange.”
“Yeah, but Christmas is coming up, and I’m horrible at picking out gifts.”
