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“Of course, you’ll be paid for it,” he says quickly, “and if you really do have to go, then of course I’ll drive you…”

All I can e is a nod Because I know if I try to open my mouth, the “no” I wanted to say would be superseded by the “yes” I’m now forced to

Goddaht

“I hope you don’t e off things,” Clayton says as we go down the stairs With his hand on the banister, he descends like a god of his own realotten from him since the first second I met him — a man of control who knohat he wants

The newfound realization sends trickles of nervousness through me That’s all fine and dandy, but what does Clayton Mattheith me?

“Of course you don’t have to have any,” Clayton continues into the kitchen, producing a dark wine bottle from the cupboard

Oh shit This just got very bad

Seeing o white then blotchy

“Sorry,” he says quickly, “that was stupid and totally inappropriate This is… Do you want me to drive you home?”

His question prods me into hyper consciousness

What I should do is obvious, as is the danger inherent in staying here And yet, I can see ill happen when I make the expected response: say the expected “yes, please drive me home”

Clayton will drop me off at my parents’ duplex I’ll return back to my same room, curl myself sadly up underthere She probably won’t say it, but she won’t have to Another night inbyI was the type of person who took risks, did exciting things, was daring

And now, here’srisk, and I’ to pass on it?

“Is that a no?” Clayton says, adopting a completely different demeanor

It’s as if my uncertainty allowed him to discard one mask and adopt another This one struts around azelle

Instead of responding, I grab the wine bottle by the neck and hoist it up tosensation down ht, I will be

The sips of wine lead us to the couch There, we chat for a fewcloser heedlessly When our sides co, Clayton is the first to rise