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"It’s sex," Lana said more quietly "You need to remember that"
"What does that arment and turned to look at limpse of pain in her eyes "When you have sex for the very first tiuy Sometimes it is really hard to set those aside" She put her hand on my arm as if she really wanted me to pay attention "Noah hurt you and your relationship wasn’t even physical Now he is going to be your first When he leaves you, it is going to be a million times worse"
When he leaves you Those were the only words that really penetrated I suddenly felt so cold "God, why is the air conditioning so high here?" I asked with false cheerfulness I looked down at the red concoction of lace and ribbons In otten to the part where Noah leftan arm across uy, and he’s perfect as your first But be careful He’s hurt you once He has a bad track record of stringing you along and then backing out once he’s got you Maybe he just likes the conquest"
"Just sex then?" I picked up the red nuuard my heart from him But maybe the uncomfortable scratchy lace would be a re cos Just this once
Noah caot me before the party started He told Lana that he’d pay for a cab for her, but she declined She was going to play designated driver for Airls Noah left Lana with six wristbands "Give theet in"
Noah, Finn, and I went to a warehouse store to pick up plastic cups, napkins, chips, bottled beer and liquor The other guys were in charge of obtaining the keg
When we returned to the house, Noah went upstairs to lock all the doors "The locks are pretty fli a barrier preventsto use our rooms" Finn pulled out some yellow crime tape and draped it across the stairs
"Do you really think that tape is going to prevent anyone fro upstairs?" I asked
"No," adht deter soame consoles and laptop computers were all toted out to Finn’s car and placed in his trunk He and Mal drove away and returned about twenty minutes later in Mal’s sports car
"What is that car that Mal drives?" I asked as I saw it pull into the driveway next to the kitchen door
"A McLaren You like it?" Noah asked, co his chin on eous car Silver, sexy and low slung I didn’t really knowBentley, and Lana had a zippy BMW I didn’t have a car because I didn’t like to drive I could count on having Lana or Josh drive o
"It’s pretty neat"
"It also cost rand," Noah said flatly
"Really?" I guess I knew that there were cars like that but it seemed crazy "And Mal owns it?"
Noah spun me around "Yeah You want a ride?"
I shook orously "No I’d be too afraid I’d accidentally scratch the interior with "
He looked atand then stopped and kissed hts of the car dropped away and all I could think of was how ht Instead, I wanted to go up to Noah’s bedroom and lie down and show him this red teddy, as the saleslady had called it, and see what his response would be
Instead, Noah stopped kissing me like he had a hundred times before One of these days, he wouldn’t stop, but instead ould kiss and touch and love each other until the sun rose Maybe even tonight
Noah lifted me onto the corner counter in the kitchen The stove sat just to the right of ht The keg was positioned outside on the patio
The long sectional sofa that usually sat in front of the fireplace and big screen had been carted upstairs All that was really left was their ten-foot long table and ait The house looked even more cavernous Even the flat screen had been reo, the TV suffered a near-miss," Finn explained when I asked hiuys have nicknames for everyone?" I asked after Finn referred to Mal as" Charles" Charles was short for Charles in Charge, an old show that featured a er sisters and had taken care of them since he was 14 until his mother married" dickhead" last year and Mal finally ," cauy code," Noah explained, leaning around e a tray of freshly poured shots of Patrón "And since you’ve been privy to so to let you leave"
"Oooh, threats," I teased
Noah looked at me with a serious expression "Nope, not a threat A prohter kind of died into me I knohat I wanted it to "
"I know," he replied "I wasn’t"
Finn coughed to reed the subject
"Do you guys charge for the party?"