“Wow,” I breathed. I was used to my family’s humble split-level home. We weren’t poor, not by a long shot, but I was not familiar with that kind of luxury. “This place is really nice.”

   “Thanks. I’ve only been here once before. My parents bought it while I was at college, so I never really got a chance to use it.”

   “Wait, this is your house?” My head snapped to look at him. In the back of my mind, I knew it was his. We’d planned all along to go to his cabin, but I’d never imagined something like this.

   “I don’t think I’d fare well in jail, Evie. I’m not into B&E.”

   “Of course not, uh, I just didn’t know…”

   “That my family has money?” I nodded, feeling any words I might have been able to conjure up getting stuck in my throat. “Don’t go all weird on me now. My parents have money. Not me. I’m the same guy you’ve been talking to all summer.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I take advantage of the fact that my parents are well off,” he said, moving his arm to motion to the great expanse of the beautiful house we were standing in. “But most of the time, you’d never be able to tell.”

   “You’re right. I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I think I was just caught off guard.”

   He smiled his relaxed, happy smile. “Follow me.” I let him lead me through the house as he pointed out the important features. Bathrooms, kitchen, family room. I tried to be nonchalant about the movie theatre room, the hot tub, and the infinity pool. When he led me into one of the bedrooms, my pulse started thundering through my ears.

   “So, this is the room I’m staying in,” he said as he placed his bag on the bed. Then he turned back to me, his eyes gentle and warm, with a tiny smile playing across his face. “I’d really like you to stay here with me, but I understand if it’s too soon. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself, if that’s what you want, but I have imagined waking up next to you all summer.”

   His words both melted and frightened me.

   “I’ve never shared a bed with anyone before. Well, anyone besides Liv.”

   “How is that possible?” he asked, stepping closer to me very slowly, almost as if he thought I would spook and run away.

   “The only serious boyfriend I had was in high school and neither one of our parents was the cool kind that allowed sleepovers.” As I spoke, he started toward me and when I finished, he was right in front of me, our toes nearly touching. I lifted my chin to keep my eyes on his, so when his gentle fingertips grazed the underside of my jaw, I startled in surprise. But the shock quickly gave way to goose bumps as he trailed his knuckles down both sides of my neck.

   “You have no idea how much my need to sleep in the same bed with you has multiplied knowing I’d be the first.”

   “Oh,” I said, feeling my face turn an as-of-yet-undiscovered shade of red with my blushing. “I’m not a virgin. I mean, I haven’t slept around, but, you see, my high school boyfriend-”

   “Evie,” he said laughing, and then shushed me further by pressing his lips to mine in a soft and non-pushy kiss. He pulled away, his thumbs grazing over my cheeks. “I’m not talking about sex.”

   “Oh,” I replied, sheepishly.

   “Will you stay with me?”

   All I could do was nod. I did want to stay in the room with him. I wanted to know what it felt like to be held by someone as I fell asleep. He kissed me again, only that kiss was hungrier, more urgent. More like the times in his truck outside my house when we didn’t want to say goodbye to one another. When our mouths eventually parted, I was panting, gripping his shirt with clenched fists.

   “Okay,” he breathed, pulling away, just as worked up as I was. “First step to not rushing into anything is no making out in view of a bed.”

   I laughed, glad that he was finding the situation just as painfully delectable as I was.

   “Maybe we should go find Liv and Devon. Hey,” I said, suddenly remembering my shock at seeing them. “Was it your idea to invite them along?”

   Elliot’s hands started at my shoulders and gently moved down my arms to link each of his hands with mine. “I just thought that maybe you’d be a little more comfortable if it wasn’t just you and me here.”

   “That was really thoughtful of you,” I said as I looked down at our joined hands. “You’re always doing sweet things. It kind of ruins the ‘cool guy’ persona you try to put off.”

   “Is that how I come off? Like I’m trying to be cool?” He shrugged then brought our linked hands between us, resting them between our bodies against his chest. “This isn’t a game, Evelyn. I’m honestly just trying to make all the right moves so you’ll let me in. I’m trying really hard to prove to you I’m not just some guy looking to score.”

   The sudden serious tone of his voice and the way our bodies were intertwined in that moment sent a flash of panic through me, causing my defense mechanism to activate – deflection. “But you are looking to score eventually, right?” I asked with a sly smile.

   He laughed, but seemed to see through my attempt at distraction. “Eventually. But not any time soon.” Then, before one of us could say anything to bury ourselves any deeper, he kissed the knuckles on one of my hands and led me out of the room.

   The kitchen table was littered with empty beer bottles, snacks, and rejected playing cards. I’d never been one to gamble before, but when Elliot had told me we were playing for pretzels, I decided it couldn’t hurt. So far, my pile of pretzels was the largest. Elliot was running a close second, Devon third, and Liv was completely out because she kept eating hers and losing terribly when she managed to play.

   All four of us were drinking, playing cards, and having a great time.

   “I think you lied when you said you’d never played poker before,” Elliot said to me, but keeping his eyes on his cards.

   I scoffed loudly, feigning insult. “I never lie, and it’s rude of you to imply I would.”

   “Oh, I’m not trying to imply that you lied, I’m calling you out as a liar. There’s no way anyone could have this much beginner’s luck.”

   I shrugged. “Some people are just luckier than others, I guess. Or perhaps I have more good karma saved up than you.” I picked up one of my many pretzels and tossed it in my mouth, not glancing his way. However, I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was smiling. I picked up my beer and took a long pull, loving the way the saltiness of the pretzels mixed roughly with the wheat beer.

   “You guys are killing me. This is officially boring.” Olivia’s words were a little slurred, but her eyes suddenly got wide. “Let’s go in the hot tub!”

   “I don’t know,” I said carefully, glancing up at Devon. “Won’t sitting in the hot water just make us more drunk?”

   “What’s wrong with more drunk? I’m only halfway drunk anyway. Come on, Evie. Don’t be a buzzkill.”

   “I’m not a buzzkill, Liv. I just don’t want to spend the night taking care of you.” Her eyes widened a bit and it looked as though I’d offended her, but just as quickly, she put on her party-girl, no-worries mask and waved me away with her hand.

   “You won’t have to take care of me. That’s why I brought my boyfriend, here,” she said patting Devon playfully on the arm. Devon didn’t move, didn’t give one single physical clue that her words had affected him, but I could feel the air around us grow thick with tension.

   “I’m up for the hot tub,” Elliot said, also oblivious to Devon’s change in mood.

   “Great!” Olivia jumped up from her chair. “I’ll go get my suit on.” She ran down the hallway, only swaying a little on her feet.

   “I’ll go get the jets started,” Elliot said as he stood, but before he left he turned to me. “Did you pack a suit?”

   “Yeah,” I said with a forced smile, not liking the way the evening was progressing.