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“God, she was intense,” Kyle said, snorting in laughter

“Yeah she was,” I agreed “I think she knee were doing, and she didn’t like it one bit”

“Well no shit she knew,” Kyle said “There’s only one reason two sixteen year olds would get a hotel rooe”

“Think she would tell anyone?” I asked

“Who would she tell? It’s not like we’re running away”

I had no answer for that besides a shrug and a nod We were at our rooreen with a click, audible in the silent hallway He pushed the door open, led htly

He flipped a switch, bathing the roo of the overhead light being too bright and immediately left my side to click on the lamp affixed to the wall next to the queen bed I turned off the overhead light, and we both sighed in relief

Kyle sat on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with the end of his tie I s pink tie the only splash of color against his black dress shirt He unbuttoned his blazer and rubbed his pal the heth dress Our eyesback in spades, now that ere alone in a hotel room

At my house or his, in his car on the back roads, everywhere we’d ever kissed, there had been the knowledge that soularly patrolled by county sheriffs, and at least one of our parents were always home This was the first time we’d ever been truly alone, in private, with no possibility of being interrupted

My heart was beating so hard I was sure Kyle could hear it from across the rooue slide across his lower lip, and I mi point Kyle lunged off the bed and was pressed up againston my waist just above h He hesitated, his lips an inch from mine, his eyes hot and soft onsoftly on ed, a tiny roll of one shoulder “Yes, a little”

“We can leave”

I shook my head “I want to be here with you,” I breathed

I lifted ers through his hair, gel-spiked locks prickly but soft, then curled my hand around his nape and pulled hi away “One step at a ti”

We stood in theat shoulders and backs We didn’t try to push it, initially I felt his heart pounding in his ribs, e that he was as nervous as aze, then brushed his suit coat froround behind him, and I pulled his tie loose with both hands, slid the silk free and dropped it on the blazer He searchedI fuot it open with a nervous laugh Kyle laughed withhis hands on ether as I undid his dress shirt one button at a ti a stark-white wife-beater tank top that hugged his muscular torso I took one of his hands in ed the sleeves down past his wrists so the shirt billowed to the floor at his feet