Page 39 of One Lovely Lie

I nod because the word has never sounded as good and less threatening.Boyfriends. I can do this. I know I can do this. I can be this and more for him because I love him and loving him is just a step away from beingin lovewith him.

“Boyfriends,” I agree, pressing his lips to mine once more. “You’ve done it, baby. You’ve gone and tamed the wolf.”

He wrinkles his nose as he snorts. “Please don’t refer to yourself asthe wolf.”

We kiss a bit more, simply enjoying our time together, pretending that we’re not hiding away in the bathroom while our teachers continue with their lessons. After a moment, with his eyes still closed, he nuzzles his nose against mine and speaks.

“You have no idea how happy you’ve made me.”

“Trust me, I think I know the feeling.”

He pulls back as he blushes. “Can we go somewhere tonight? Just you and me?”

“Sure,” I smile, tucking a stubborn loose curl behind his ear. “What’s the plan?”

“I…I want you to fuck me.”

Chapter 12

Daniel

I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous in my entire life. Even when I had to perform a terrible medley of “My Heart Will Go On” in front of all of my parents' friends did I not feel this anxiety-stricken.

Magnus and I walk through the woods just behind campus, a blanket under his arm and some candles in mine. We both decided that we can’t just keep kicking Avery and Carter out of their rooms whenever we want to make out, but we also decided that we didn’t want my first time to be somewhere like a storage room.

It’s a nice night with the breeze cooling my overheated skin and the pressure of Magnus’s hand steady in my own. I have no reason to be nervous. This is just Magnus. Magnus—the love of my life—who wants to love me back.

“You know you’re shaking, right?” Magnus asks, squeezing my hand as he looks over his shoulder at me.

“I can’t help it,” I tell him, clearing my throat as my neck flushes crimson. “I’m a bit scared.”

Immediately, he stops and turns, gathering me in his arms in a tight embrace. “What are you scared about?”

“That it’ll hurt,” I admit. I don’t admit that I’m also scared I won’t be able to compare to the others that came before me, to the more experienced and flirtatious men and women he’s surrounded himself with.

He smooths the wrinkles on my forehead with his thumb and sighs. “I can’t lie to you. It’s going to hurt, but it’ll feel so good once that passes. You trust me, yeah?”

“Mhm,” I nod.

“Good. So just remember that I’m going to make this good for you. I’m going to take care of you,” he says with that smile that makes me want to believe in all sorts of promises and wishes.

As we progress deeper into the woods, I still can’t believe that this is real. I told him about my feelings and he hasn’t run away. No, instead of running, he’s hurled headfirst into me.

Maybe, just maybe, this will work out.

“You know, I feel like an idiot,” he says, helping me over a particularly nasty tree branch blocking our path.

I furrow my brow. “Why’s that?”

“Because I should have known you were feeling this way. You’re my best friend. I was just so caught up in…”

I stop when he stops. “What?”

“Shit, Daniel,” he sighs nervously, running a hand across his mouth. “The guys and the girls…and the messing around.”

I wince. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” he insists angrily. “If I had known, I never would have—”

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