“Thank you, Amelia,” he said.
“For what?” I laughed. “I should be the one thanking you.”
“Not for the sex – although I should, it was pretty amazing,” he said and laughed. “But for coming back. For not running away from me.”
“Oh,” was all I could think to say in that moment – as ridiculous as it sounded.
I really had no words to say to that. I was happy that I came back too. This wasn't just for him, it was for me as well. I was getting chilly, so I pulled the covers up and nestled myself down deep into them. His bed was so cozy, so soft, and so wonderfully warm. I could probably die right then and there – after mind-blowing sex and in the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in – and have been perfectly happy.
“Promise me one thing, please?”
“What's that?”
“Promise me you won't sneak out in the middle of the night again,” he said. “Because I'd really like to make you breakfast this time.”
“That sounds nice,” I said. “Really nice.”
And Drew pulled me close, my head resting on his bare chest, and I thought to myself – I could really get used to this.
SEDUCED BY TWO
SEDUCED BY TWO
If someone had told me that December twenty-third was the day my life was going to change forever, I wouldn’t have believed them. In fact, I probably would have laughed. Despite always being kind of a Pollyanna, my friends have always told me that I’ve got a very cynical sense of humor.
But I’m getting a little away from myself now. It was a Friday evening, and I was sitting at the kitchen table, working on homework. I was twenty-two years old, and I had no idea what was about to happen.
“Kristin, sweetie, how’s it going?” Mom slid into the chair opposite from me. Everyone always said we looked like twins, but I didn’t see it. She was tall where I’ve always been short for my age. Her hair was blonde to my brown, and her skin was a perfect rosy color whereas mine always looked tinged with yellow, like I had jaundice. Still, we did have the same round cheeks and pouty lips. I always thought Mom was beautiful, like an angel. But when I looked at myself in the mirror, I always wished that I looked like someone else.
“It’s okay,” I said lamely. I showed her what I was working on – a paper concerning the architectural history of the Florentine Cathedral.
Mom nodded. She squinted, looking over her glasses at the page below me. I cringed – I knew she was judging my handwriting.
“Sweetie, don’t use that word,” Mom said, pointing down at the page. “It doesn’t make you sound very smart.”
I nodded. I knew it was probably unusual for Mom to be helping me with my homework now that I was in college, but it didn’t feel weird to me. Mom and I had always been close. Back then, I was a bit sheltered.
Well, okay. Maybe a lot sheltered. But I didn’t mind it – I actually kind of enjoyed being naïve. It was like being safe. I never had to worry about things – Mom and her husband, Dean, took care of everything.
“Okay,” I said, erasing the word and writing a synonym down instead. “Is that better?”
Mom nodded. She smiled, standing up from her chair and walking across the kitchen. “You know I don’t want to help you cheat,” she said. “But I always want to make sure you have good grades. How’s your GPA right now, Kristin?”
I gulped. “Three point nine,” I said quickly. “It’ll be four point zero before the year is up, though. I promise.”
Mom stared at me. “What did we say about letting that drop?”
My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment and I glanced down into my lap. “Um,” I stammered softly. “That it wouldn’t happen.”
“And what else?”
“No matter what,” I added quickly. “That it wouldn’t drop no matter what.”
Mom nodded. She didn’t look happy anymore – she looked stern, like she did when she was upset.
“Well, what happened, Kristin?”
I took a deep breath. At least she’s not using my full name, I thought. I knew that whenever I heard “Kristin Mae Calloway” that meant I was really in trouble!